Let’s close out the week with one more Sue Records artist — The duo Bob & Earl and their hit “Harlem Shuffle”.
” Bob & Earl were Bobby Relf and Earl Nelson. Relf replaced Nelson’s former partner, Bobby Byrd, who worked with him in James Brown’s Famous Flames. That duo cut songs for various labels, but hadn’tclicked as an act. The new Bob & Earl struck gold with this single, which made it to the Top 50 when it was issued in 1963. ” (Source:Ron Wynn)
???
“The original single, co-arranged by Barry White and Gene Page, peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #36 on the Cash Box chart. However, the record was much more successful upon its UK release in 1969, making the Top 10 there. It was released on Marc Records, a subsidiary of Titan Records.
In 2003, the Bob & Earl original version of the song was ranked #23 by the music critics of The Daily Telegraph on their list of the “50 Best Duets Ever”.” (Source)
Another first for Sue records, this was the first single for the newly formed Ike & Tina Turner. The story goes that the band singer that Ike had chosen to record this litty ditty, that he had composed, did not show up for the session. A 20 year old Anna Mae Bullock, known then as Little Ann, was there at the session. She and Ike had been together about four years at this point in time and she was carrying his child.
Anyway Anna volunteered to sing it and it was recorded as a demo. But when Ike went to erase her vocals he realized it was a winner and the rest is history. Little Ann became Tina and the single by “Ike & Tina Turner” went to #2 on the R&B charts (why not #1?) and #27 on the Pop chart.
Now we all know this is all about Tina – but they were billed as a duo, Ike DID compose the song and it’s my blog and I can categorize it anyway I want to (LOL).
A Fool In Love composed by Ike Turner
Theres something on my mind
Wont somebody please, please tell me whats wrong
You’re just a fool, you know you’re in love
You’ve got to face it to live in this world
You take the good along with the bad
Sometimes you’re happy and sometimes you’e sad
You know you love him, you cant understand
Why he treats you like he do when hes such a good man
He’s got me smiling when I should be ashamed
Got me laughing when my heart is in pain
Oh no, I must be a fool
Cause I do anything you ask me to
Without my man I don’t wanna live
You think I’m lying but I’m telling you like it is
Hes got my nose open and thats no lie
And I, I’m gonna keep him satisfied
These lyrics are intended for you to sing along — but if you are like me you will end up standing up out of your seat to dance to this song. I do every time I hear it. it’s phenomenal for dancing!
Forty years later Tina sang “A Fool In Love” at her final concert in Sopot, Poland in 2000. Rocking in her Sixties and beyond – once again I say PHENOMENAL!
It so good to be back to my musical blogging schedule. Unfortunately I did not get to finish out the Month of March Theme of Co-Ed Musical Groups as I had intended, but I promise to re-visit that Theme again in the future. For now it is time to welcome in , albeit belatedley, the month of April and present on a new Musical Theme for the remainder of this month — Dynamic Duos/Duets.
We are starting off with the brother and sister team of Charlie and Inez Foxx and their biggest hit “Mockingbird”. It peaked the R&B chart at #2 and the pop chart at #7. This record also had the distinction of being the first record ever released on the US Label “Sue Records”. This record also has the distinction of being in my 45 rpm collection (LOL) that I enjoyed playing as a tween.
Interestingly enough Mockingbird, written by Charlie & Inez, was covered by another duo a little over a decade later in 1974 — James Taylor and Carly Simon. They used the exact same arrangement as the original but IMHO their version is clearly not as good as the extraordinary original.
I am glad you stopped by. Hope you like the music. Oldies forever!
