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#1 R&B, #2 Pop
Almost every wedding reception I have ever been to plays three songs that get the entire crowd up to dance. Those songs would of course be Marcia Griffin’s “Electric Slide,” Betty Wright’s ” Clean-Up Woman” and of course Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff.”
“Mr. Big Stuff” was one of the largest selling singles to ever come out of the Stax label and yet it was rejected by the Stax “suits” before it was finally accepted for release. Once management came to their senses and released the song, it sat at the top of the R&B charts for 5 weeks! It also stayed on the Pop charts at #2 for two weeks.
“Mr. Big Stuff” was composed by Joseph Broussard, Carrol Washington, Carol Washington and Ralph Williams. It was to be Knight’s only top ten hit.
In October 2007 Knight, born Jean Calista, was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. This video is of her performance at the induction ceremony.
Check out these additional live performances of “Mr Big Stuff” at OSML’s sister site EOINA.
Music historian and record producer Billy Vera was a song writer in the Sixties and also recorded R&B duets with singing partner Judy Clay.
He recorded this now classic track, “At This Moment,” in 1981 with his band called “The Beaters.” The tune charted #70 on the Billboard Top 100 that year.
I first heard this song and fell in love with it (as did many others I am sure) on an episode of “Family Ties.” I recall it played while the Alex P. Keaton character was dancing with his girlfriend character (played by Tracy Pollan) on the show who eventually became his real life wife.
After the TV airing on the hit sitcom “Family Ties,” the song resurfaced at the top spot (#1) on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1986 and also the top spot (#1) on the Adult Contemporary Charts in the same year.
Then the following year, 1987, the song charted once again at #9 the Billboard Hot 100; #70 on the R&B/Hip Hop Singles Charts and it even made the Country Music Chart at #42.
Some call that a versatile song but I just call it a classic and good music.
Here is the current official Record Company Promotional Video for the song. Mr. Vera (born William McCord) is still in fine, fine form. I would love to see him perform live and shall add this request to my bag of wishes.
Enjoy.
For more on Billy Vera and The Beaters please check out this great site.
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#12 Billboard Top 100, #16 R&B Singles Chart
In 1961 a group of Detroit high school students formed a singing group called the Domingos who naturally patterned their sound after Motown. When another local group suggested they audition for RicTic Records (home of the Flaming Ember(s) and the Reflections and eventually purchased by Motown) they hung around the studio and stated singing with Edwin Starr who had a partially written song and the result was “Oh How Happy” recorded for The Golden World Label.
An independent producer liked what he heard and gave the soulful singers a new name and took them to Impact Records where “OHH” was recorded and became a hit in 1966! The group soon broke up in 1970.
More historical detail on the blue-eyed soul group can be found here at this well done web site.
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#92 Billboard Hot 100
“Just We Two” , a 1969 Motown LP of duets by Edwin Starr and Blinky (Sandra Williams) contains their cover version of the classic.
Composed by Charles Hatcher, this feel-good classic is another tune I have always loved both when the original came out in 1966, when Edwin & Blinky’s cover came out, and then later when the J5 cover came out, with my then love Jermaine singing lead. Of course MJJ’s background harmonizing and Tito’s bass is awesome too. Just listen and I bet you will agree. Here it is as it appears on the J5′s 1971 “Third Album.”
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Please vote and share your favorite version of this song. I know I went off the Theme a bit by sharing covers of the original by the Blue Eyed Soul Artist being recognized — but I just love the song in all incarnations and wanted to share my joy. Hope you don’t mind.
Trivia: Even thought the group helped to create this classic, often covered hit song, they never got the writing credit they deserved. The record was credited solely to Charles Hatcher — the birth name of Edwin Starr!
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] The 1969 Grammy for the Best Rhythm and Blues Song was “Color Him Father,” Richard Spencer, songwriter. Just like another Grammy winning song in 1969, “A Boy Name Sue, “ “Color Him Father” is all about the superb lyrics! Composed by group member Richard Spencer of Washington DC’s [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] The Casinos – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (1967) #6 Pop Singles The Casinos lead singer Gene Hughes, IMHO, has a beautiful, beautiful singing voice. And “TYCTMG” , written by the talented singer/songwriter John Loudermilk, just couldn’t help but move up the Billboard charts to #6 in [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Kyu Sakamoto – Sukiyaki aka Japanese Love Song (1963) #1 Adult Contemporary, #18 R&B, #1 Pop This wonderful, much covered song, composed by Hachidal Nakamura, was the first Japanese song to ever reach the top of the American music charts. I recall singing it as a child having [...]
[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/2400857_fpkk3/17-SoeurSourire-Dominique.MP3] Soeur Sourire – Dominique (1963) #1 Adult Contemporary, #1 Pop Single Born Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, the woman who became known in America as the “Singing Nun”, entered a religious order in 1959 and became Sister Luc-Gabrielle. Sister Luc-Gabrielle enjoyed composing songs as gifts for her friends. Eventually the Phillips Record Company signed her [...]
Of course MJJ’s background harmonizing and Tito’s bass is awesome too. Just listen and I bet you will agree. Here it is as it appears on the J5′s 1971 “Third Album.”
