Parish Notices #12

Three weeks ago I asked the question who was the female singer duetting with OV Wright on one of his Backbeat releases. 

Well, it is possible I have answered my own question. A few days ago I was browsing through an old Blues & Soul magazine (as you do). Issue 158 from April 1975 to be precise. (I did have a reason - it includes an article on Bessie Banks who may just be the subject of a post  here in the near future, I'm waiting on the postman). In the magazine there was an article on OV Wright in Frank Elson's "Checkin' it Out" section. The article was written by Derek Howe, who back in '75 was "Singles Manager and Assistant in Charge of Soul Music at Manchester's HMV shop", and was an excellent run through of OV Wright's, then, career to date. (At the end of the article Derek sent thanks to Chris Savory of Hot Buttered Soul for help with it).


In the article in the section listing Wright's Backbeat releases Derek states: ""Poor Boy" was followed by an excellent ballad "Gone For Good" the B side of which "How Long Baby" featured a duet with his wife (Emily?)." 
So is this the mystery solved?! I notice a question mark appeared in the statement but appears to be merely questioning the name of the lady not that it was Wright's wife that was singing. At OVWright.org there is a comment from an old friend - Johnny Rawls - that confirms that Emily was OV's first wife's name. So perhaps the question is answered. It of course opens up another question: did Emily appear on any other recordings, either solo, or perhaps as part of a group or backing group?


In my original post I put forward a number of possibilities for the identity of the singer that it now seems was one Emily Wright. One of the possibilities was Vi Campbell. By coincidence (I do love them) the day after I found the OV Wright article I was at a a record fair and came across a copy of Vi's "Seven Doors" and, of course, I had to buy it. So here it is:

Vi Campbell - Seven Doors 1966
              

              

Turning to page 94...

... they don't make them like this anymore.


More's the pity.


Put the titles of each side Otis Leavill's first outing on Dakar in 1969 together and they read as one simple statement: I love you, I need you. Sometimes less is more.


Somebody at Atlantic in the UK realised how great this record was because it got two releases, initially in 1970, and again on the the turquoise and orange label in 1972 (shame they couldn't get his name right). I bet it didn't sell many copies on either occasion.


This is the B side (the B side!). I haven't been able to stop playing this today.


Chicago again.


Sublime.


(Continued on page 168.)


Otis Leavill - I Need You 1969

Funky ways

Duncan over at Scratchy Noise posted up an early Betty Wright single the other day. It got me all nostalgic for my earliest days of buying records - Betty Wright’s album “I Love The Way You Love” being one of the first soul albums I bought. (Incidentally I have come to realise I set the bar high early on).

So I went to dig out some of those early purchases. By the time I acquired that Betty Wright album I already had a few soul singles. Quite a few of these were on the Fame label (Candi Staton – of course).This is primarily why I bought this Tommy Strand 45, because it was on Fame, and also I bet because it had the magic word funky in the song title. I bought it blind wanting to know if every release on the Fame label was as good as Candi’s 45s. This was before the internet (before PCs even) and before compilations of rare soul were commonplace and, without a circle of friends into the same the sort of music as I found myself gravitating towards, a weekly (if you were lucky) specialist radio show or a blind punt on a record off a mailing list was about the only I was going to discover more great soul and funk music. I played this record a few times but my lasting impression was that it didn’t quite hit the spot – not quite soulful enough and not quite funky enough (say in a James Brown way), and I think I was a bit disappointed that the singer sounded white.

So I put this 45 on the turntable the other night not expecting to be bowled over, but I was wrong!  Like a good wine this single has aged well, or was I just too dismissive of it in the first place all those years ago. In fact the top side of this record could be said to be comprehensively funky – the lyrics use the word funky in its original connotation, i.e. to describe something bad, and the groove is FUNKY in the way that you just can’t keep still.   

The wonders of the Internet have now allowed me to find out a bit more about Tommy Strand & The Upper Hand. Tommy was active in the Palm Beach, Florida area through a good part of the 60s and into the 70s. An early band were called The Accents but by ‘66/’67 he was playing as Tommy Strand & The Upper Hand. The then soon to be bassist of  Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, spent a year or two in the band in the early 70s.

I haven’t been able to find anything on how Floridian Tommy Strand managed to end up on Rick Hall’s legendary Alabama based label, but he did stick around on the label for another release – “Am I Grooving You” in 1971. I also don’t know if The Upper Hand were alone on this track, or ably assisted by some of Fame staff musicians.    

Some reminiscing of the band and the Florida venues by ex band members and local fans can be found here.

Tommy Strand & The Upper Hand – Funky Way To Treat Somebody  1969

I have also just discovered that this record is in fact a cover. I noticed Calvin Arnold in the writing credits and did wonder, and yes Calvin Arnold himself released “Funky Way” as a 45 and it made the US Top 100 in January 1968. Tommy Strand’s version is very different and a lot harder and faster, which is good because I for one don’t like or see the point in covers that slavishly follow the mould of the original. You can compare and contrast because yes, of course, I found Calvin Arnold’s original version on YouTube:       

     

Let's go dancing

If you were in your teens/20s/30s in the 70s the chances are you will know the name Retta Young. In the UK she is one of those artists who holds the dubious honour of being a one hit wonder. Her only UK release "Sending Out An SOS" hit the pop charts in 1975. In the US she had 3 45s released and a solitary album "Young And Restless". Both sides of the 45 here were taken from that album (I am a bit confused by the date on this single - 1978 - as her album was released in 1976). Were the album versions different, and these tracks a Larry Levan remix I wonder?  


This single was the last to be issued on Sylvia Robinson's All Platinum label. The demise of that label might explain why we never heard any more from Retta Young. I can find absolutely zero information on her. Her star burned bright very very briefly it would seem, and that's a pity because she had a lovely voice and judging by this single and "SOS" her output was of the highest quality.


This might be classed as Disco, but it is Disco at its sophisticated and mellow best.


A belter of a 45.


Retta Young - My Man Is On His Way 1976


Retta Young - Really Really 1976

In search of a Back Beat back side back story

It's high time I got things started here for 2011.

One of my recent vinyl acquisitions has been the O.V. Wright’s single “Gone For Good” -  you really can’t go wrong with O.V. But, as wonderful as the A side is, it’s the B side of this single I’m featuring.

O.V. Wright and ? - How Long Baby 1966

When I first turned the 45 over and played it I got a surprise - it’s a duet, although the label credits give no clue. So the question is who is the female singer on this track? I turned to Google straightaway but came up with no answers, just a couple of other people asking the same question.

My first thought was that it could be Jeanette Williams, after all she was one of the very few female names to appear on the Back Beat label, and looking at Back Beat’s catalog her single “You Didn’t Know Then” immediately preceded the O.V. Wright 45 that is the subject of this little mystery (Back Beat 557 appears to have remained unreleased). An old comment on a Soulful Detroit forum states that Jeanette cut all her sides in Detroit though, and I have read nothing about O.V. that suggests he ever ventured to Detroit to record.

Anyway, I’m doubly glad I bought this O.V. single because it jogged my memory that I had in fact picked up a copy of Jeanette Williams’ “You Didn’t Know Then” at a car boot sale last year (for only 25p - yippee!), but silly me had only played it once and then filed it away in a box. So I was prompted to dig it out again, and now, after a few more spins, I have come to fully appreciate it.        

Jeanette Williams - You Didn't Know Then 1966 

So what do you think? I’m thinking the mystery singer is possibly not Jeanette Williams.

Over at a Southern Soul message board a while back somebody else had posed the same question about the identity of the uncredited vocalist and an answer suggested it might be Vi Campbell. I admit I had not heard of Vi before. It seems she had just one single “Seven Doors” released on Don Robey’s Peacock label. Back Beat was an affiliate of Peacock and “Seven Doors” dates to 1966, as does the O.V. Wright duet. You can read more about Don Robey and the great R&B output on his labels here, and also hear Vi Campbell’s “Seven Doors”.   

       

Hmm, still wondering.

I’ll offer one more suggestion. I’m far from convinced myself you understand, but it is a good excuse to hear another great record. Minnie Epperson maybe? Also released on Peacock in 1966 was Minnie Epperson’s “Nothing But The Facts”:                     

  

In the end facts are something that are sadly lacking regarding the identity of O.V. Wright’s vocal partner on Back Beat 558, just plenty of conjecture.

So could it be Jeanette..., or Vi..., or Minnie..., or somebody else? Who’s the baby?


UPDATE 31/01/11: It is possible I have answered my own question. A few days ago I was browsing through an old Blues & Soul magazine. Issue 158 from April 1975 to be precise. In the magazine there was an article on OV Wright written by Derek Howe, who back in '75 was "Singles Manager and Assistant in Charge of Soul Music at Manchester's HMV shop". The article was an excellent run through of OV Wright's, then, career to date. (At the end of the article Derek sent thanks to Chris Savory of Hot Buttered Soul for help with it).

In the article in the section listing Wright's Backbeat releases Derek states:

 ""Poor Boy" was followed by an excellent ballad "Gone For Good" the B side of which "How Long Baby" featured a duet with his wife (Emily?)." 

I notice a question mark appeared in the statement but appears to be merely questioning the name of the lady, that it was Wright's wife did not appear to be in doubt. At OVWright.org there is a comment from an old friend - Johnny Rawls - that confirms that Emily was OV's first wife's name. So perhaps the question is answered. It of course opens up another question: did Emily appear on any other recordings, either solo, or perhaps as part of a group or backing group?