Old School Music Lover » R&B

“The Monkey Time” Performed By Major Lance (1963)

SonDan — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:00:06 +0000

Major Lance by Hank Parker

turn your sound down before hitting play

#2 R&B, #8 Pop

This is one of the few songs that I ever remember seeing my Mother dance to. She showed me “The Monkey” and “The Pony” and of course “The Twist” and it was usually to a song by Major Lance or The Four Tops, two of her favorite artists of the Sixties.

This smash hit and Motown’s Miracles hit’ ” Mikey’s Monkey,” solidified this dance craze of summer 1963 and beyond.

Although born in Mississippi, Lance grew up in Chicago. Before he got his first recording contract he tried Boxing and other odd jobs.

Major had many releases on many labels, both before and after, “The Monkey Time” — but “The Monkey Time” was at the height of his music career.

Check out this Shindig live performance of the tune for as long as it lasts on the beloved YouTube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

TRIVIA: Gene Chandler (The Duke of Earl) really, really wanted to record this Curtis Mayfield tune, but Curtis had written “The Monkey Time” especially for his childhood friend Lance.

Musically Yours,

“A Tribute To A King” Performed By William Bell (1968)

SonDan — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:00:37 +0000

#16 R&B USA, #86 Pop USA, #31 U.K.

When preparing for this month’s post I came across this song that I hadn’t heard in a few decades! I had digitized it a while back to my hard drive and forgot all about it since for some reason it never got transferred to any of my music players.

But that changed today because I am putting it on a player as soon as I upload this post.

Long before Motown’s Commodores wrote and released “Night Shift” in 1985 to honor musicians who had passed on — William Bell and Booker T. Jones composed this dynamite tribute to the passing of his labelmate Otis Redding — “The King of Soul”.

William Bell joined Stax as a staff writer in 1961 and also had the label’s first big hit “You Don’t Miss Your Water”. Unfortunately his music career was then delayed serving two years in Armed Forces, but “A Tribute To A King” was one of his first hits upon his return to civilian life and Stax.

Listen to the song. It speaks for itself and the talent of one Mr William Yarborough (Bell’s birth Name) and the one and only Otis Redding.

“A Tribute To A King” Composed By William Bell & Booker T. Jones

Listen, people, listen
I`m gonna sing you a song
About a man who lived good
But didn’t live too long

He was born in Macon, Georgia
A poor boy without a dime
He found his way to Memphis
Singing These Arms Of Mine

(CHORUS)
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
Without his soulful singing
This old world won`t be the same

Now he traveled on to Frisco
New York and abroad
Everywhere he sang
The people would applaud

One day he left Georgia
Wisconsin bound
But he didn`t get to sing that night
The plane he was in went down

(CHORUS)

He was a soul music singer
The king of the Memphis sound
It makes me feel so sad
Cause now he ain`t around

He died with his guitar
Close to his hands
But his soul lives on today
In the heart of a million fans

Talking about
(CHORUS)

Otis, Otis Redding was his name
His picture oughta be hung
In the music hall of fame

Otis, he was known as Big O
Otis, we gonna miss him so
Otis, ooh, yeah,
We gonna miss him so

Lyrics & Photo Source: Top40db.com.

Musically Yours,

“Respect” Performed by Otis Redding (1965) and Aretha Franklin (1967)

SonDan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:00:56 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo3aeXZFZkg

#4 R&B , #35 Pop

Otis created the song “Respect” as he recorded it for what was his third LP “Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul”. This was just one of the many hits on this classic 1965 set that went #1 R&B the year of release and reached #75 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1966.

This month is all about Stax — Great Wax from Stax! But Stax music, like Motown music, became a part of the music culture and I would be remiss if I did not mention, as you all know, that Aretha went on to cover this song and it would become one of her trademark cuts.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1Bg7yBxQo

#1 R&B, #1 Pop

Turnabout is fair play and the smash “Otis Blue” set includes the cover Otis made of The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” which became one of Redding’s trademark performances as well. Check out this awesome live performance on the OSML sister blog EOINA.

You may read a bit more about Aretha’s cover version in this earlier post here at OSML and listen to Aretha”s Studio version.

Now which performer do you think rocked “Respect” the best in the Sixties? Share your thoughts in a comment below.

Musically Yours,

“I’m In Love” Performed by Wilson Pickett (1967) & Aretha Franklin (1973)

SonDan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:00:05 +0000

For the past two Januarys I have blogged about Motown artists covering other Motown artists. Since 2009 was the year of Motown 50 I thought I would go in another direction this January 2010 and talk about a non-Motown artist and her hit covers — The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!

Many have covered her and sampled her but Franklin herself has done mostly covers throughout her career (as did Elvis). Songs have been written just for her by her sister(s) and others, but some of her biggest hits have been cover tunes — songs that she liked when she heard others perform them and then decided to interpret in her own style to make them her own!

Bobby Womack wrote and recorded this sweet love song in 1967 but the Wicked Wicked Wilson Pickett recorded and released it first! It zoomed right up the charts and landed at #4 on the R&B charts and #45 on the Billboard Top 100 that same year.

Womack’s released, recorded with the same musicians at the same studio as Pickett’s, did not do as well. But The Queen laid it on us and her 1973 session won out reaching #1 on the R&B charts and #19 on the Billboard Top 100.

Take a listen to the original and ReRe’s cover and let me know which you prefer and why after you vote below.

Musically Yours,

Nashville R&B icon Ted Jarrett dead at 83

sondan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:07:41 +0000

Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:23pm EDT

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Songwriter and producer Ted Jarrett, whose 1957 hit “You Can Make It If You Try” turned him into a rhythm and blues icon, has died at 83, a hospice said on Monday.

Jarrett, who also numbered “Love Love Love” among his hits, died on Saturday of liver failure, officials at Nashville Alive Hospice said.

Jarrett wrote hits for singers Earl Gaines and Gene Allison and had No. 1 songs on both the country and R&B charts. “You Can Make It If You Try” crossed over to pop and wound up on the debut 1964 album by the Rolling Stones.

Jarrett was also credited as a writer, producer and label chief on songs from the Grammy-winning “Night Train to Nashville” album.

(Reporting by Pat Harris in Nashville; editing by Michael Conlon)

Source: Reuters

Here are two of the songs composed by the prolific songwriter Ted Jarrett.

[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2402605_kxzwf/Allison-YouCanMakeItIfYouTry.mp3] “You Can Make It If You Try” performed by Gene Allison in 1958. #3 R&B , #38 Pop
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2402606_apvm4/FreddieWaters-ThisistheLife.mp3] “This Is The Life” performed by Freddie Waters & The Free Spirits in 2002

Remembering Robert Louis Debarge, Jr. page updated

sondan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:50:24 +0000

Bobby DeBarge playing congas on Soul Train with Switch

The Bobby DeBarge Tribute Page has received the third highest number of visits here at OSML since the blog’s inception. Since Bobby is loved so much and readers are curious about his music, I have updated the page again to include more music, photos and information.

Please enjoy the update and let me know what other additions you would like to see.

Also I wanted to let you know that a great place to discuss the music of Bobby DeBarge, Switch and all other things Debarge is the Yahoo Group “The DeBarge Family.” The group has been around since 1999 and the people are friendly and the moderator is superb. If you are a fan check it out at the link indicated above.

"Since I Met You Baby" Performed by Ivory Joe Hunter (1956)

sondan — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:17:56 +0000

[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3561264_q3wjf/07.%20Ivory%20Joe%20Hunter%20-%20Since%20I%20Met%20You%20Baby.mp3] Ivory Joe Hunter – Since I Met You Baby (1956)

I used to confuse Motown producer-songwriter Ivy Joe Hunter with the singer of this wonderful song — Ivory Joe Hunter — thinking that I was reading misspellings in print. It took me a while to figure out that they were two completely different talented musical artists.

The great Country Bluesman, pianist, composer and businessman, Ivory Joe Hunter, recorded this wonderful song when I was but a babe of two years old and yet somehow this has been one of my favorite ballads as long as I remember. I really don’t recall how and why I have known this song but I do. It is one of my top ten “feel good” songs.

Usually I can recall if a song was a favorite of my Mother of Father but with this song I just know I know it and have loved it always!

In the early 1940s, Hunter had his own radio show in Beaumont, Texas on KFDM, where he eventually became program manager, and in 1942, he moved to Los Angeles, joining Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers in the mid-1940s. When he wrote and recorded his first song, “Blues at Sunrise” with the Three Blazers for his own label, Ivory Records, it became a regional hit. [2]

In the late 1940s, Hunter founded Pacific Records, and in 1947, he recorded for Four Star Records and King Records. Two years later, he recorded his first R&B hits; on “I Quit My Pretty Mama” and “Guess Who” he was backed by members of Duke Ellington’s band. [3]

After signing with MGM Records, he recorded “I Almost Lost My Mind,” which topped the 1950 R&B charts and would later (in the wake of Hunter’s success with “Since I Met You Baby”) be recorded by Pat Boone. “I Need You” was a number two R&B hit that same year. With his smooth delivery, Hunter became a hot R&B commodity, and he also began to be noticed in the country-Western music community. In April, 1951, he made his network TV debut on You Asked For It.

By 1954, he had recorded more than a hundred songs and moved to Atlantic Records. His first song to cross over to the pop charts was “Since I Met You Baby” (1956). It was to be his only top-40 pop song, climbing to the number 12 position. (Source: WIKI)

Just as some of the other male vocalists that I have discussed in the past week, Hunter was a sorely under appreciated artist IMHO. It baffles (and angers) me that this artist never “crossed-over” into Pop fame and yet when artists such as Elvis Presley or Pat Boone covered his tunes they had great success, i.e., chart toppers.

Oldies.Com has a biography on Mr. Hunter where you can read more about his long lived career. But first check out this wonderful vintage LIVE performance of Mr. Hunter singing “Since I Met You Baby”.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rGBM4HSWZQ

Keep the Oldies alive.

"I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" Performed by The Ikettes (1961)

sondan — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:19:26 +0000

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hCY3qkmvPI

Now this is one funky girl group! This group was formed in 1960 when lead Delores Johnson (Flora Williams), Eloise Hester, and Joshie Armstead sang backup for Tina Turner on her first recording, “A Fool in Love.” They cut “I’m Blue” on the Atco label the following year, with Tina singing background for them, and it zoomed to #3 on the R&B charts and #19 on the Pop charts. In fact it charted eight higher than Ike & Tina’s “Fool In Love” release.

Unfortunately after this release The Ikettes couldn’t seem to get another hit as big as this one, but this tune insured their rock and roll legacy. Ike penned this track so you must give him his props as well.

The song was featured prominently in the original Hairspray movie and on the 1988 Soundtrack.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKaVBVikysw

Last but not least — another girl group, Salt ‘N Pepa, turned “I’m Blue” into “Shoop” on London Records in 1993. So the song lived on for over 30 decades still charting that year at the top spot (#1) on the Dance chart, Rap Single chart, and Top 40 chart – plus #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart !

Thanks for letting me share the music with you.

"A Lover's Concerto" Performed By The Toys (1965)

sondan — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:07:43 +0000

The Toys – A Lover’s Concerto (1965) #4 R&B, #2 Pop

Composed by songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, “A Lover’s Concerto” was a big part of my youth. This was probably the first “Girl Group” I fell in love with. I have vivid memories of having my Barbie doll sing this song, along with Petula Clark’s “Downtown”, whenever I put on Barbie’s black strapless sequined gown for her to sing on stage at the imaginary nightclub.

I also remember that whenever my friend Laura and I would sing together pretending that we were our own “Girl Group”, this is the song we would sing. She took the melody and as the alto I provided the harmony. Oh those good old days!

This classic single went to #2 on the Billboard Pop Charts and #4 on the R&B Charts. It is such a great song and it really got robbed of the number one sport because of the Beatles and Rolling Stones British invasion here in America. The album entitled “The Toys Sing “A Lover’s Concerto” and Attack!”, released on the DynoVoice label, went to #2 on the R&B charts, but only #92 Pop (Hmm).

According to “The History of Rock Website”:

The Toys, June Montiero, Barbara Harris, and Barbara Parritt, were formed in the early Sixties in Jamaica, New York. Harris and Parritt were both born in North Carolina, but moved to New York at an early age. They met June Montiero while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in New York and formed a group. After graduation they continued to sing together. The rest of the history of the group can be found here at their site .

Of course like most little girls of the era I took piano lessons and I tried to “swing” Anna Magdalena Bach’s “Minuet in G Major” (the classical piece that the composers adapted for “A Lover’s Concerto) which was of course frowned upon by my piano teacher (LOL).

Here are some great YouTube (Don’t you just love that site?) clips of The Toys performing their hit on TV shows of the time. I do recall that they did all of the shows of the times – you know Hullaballo, Shindig, etc.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpxnKyftVl4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcdZKntM6lU

Now we all know that the Supremes knew a good thing when they heard it. They covered “A Lover’s Concerto” on their 1967 “I Hear a Symphony” Album (sort of a rip-off of The Toys don’t you think?). This is their version.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0uY1z0wi0s

By now I guess you have figured out that the musical theme for the month of May is Girl Groups! And we have started out with two of the best! Also check out three previous posts I have made on the talented Shirelles:

Will You Love Me Tomorrow

Foolish Little Girl and

Soldier Boy

Please enjoy the music and thanks for stopping by.

May Musical Birthdays

sondan — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:37:32 +0000

The “May Musical Birthdays” have been uploaded and can be found in the pages listed in the right-hand sidebar.