Timeshift backwards a couple of years from 1967 and today’s somewhat “under the radar” soul singer’s recording career could be said to have mirrored exactly that of Bill Brandon who featured in yesterday’s post. Putting aside a group appearance on a 1959 doo-wop 45 Chuck Bernard put out singles on a few different labels for about eleven years between 1965 and 1975. Despite making some excellent records only one of them could be said to have been a hit - this one, Funny Changes. The R&B Beat column in the New Year’s Day 1966 edition of the US music paper Record World said it had gone Top 10 in the Chicago radio station WVON’s chart (45cat had it’s release date as Feb 1966 but based on this comment I plumped for a revision to Dec 1965). Chuck hailed from St. Louis but much, if not all, of his recording career was spent in Chicago. It was, of course, one of the key cities for soul music in the 60s and 70s.
It’s only in the last year or two I have become aware of Chuck Bernard. This is the third 45 of his I now have and there are a few more on my wants list now; I really like his voice. Once again I think Sir Shambling is the only font of knowledge on Chuck. I have searched in vain for more information on his life. Who knows? Maybe, like Bill Brandon, Chuck Bernard went on to become a truck driver after he stopped recording. There are at least a couple of Chuck Bernard’s of about the right age listed as currently, or recently, residing in the Chicago area so one of those might be him.
This single would make it into the national R&B charts in early 1966 and it’s easy to see why. It would have sounded great coming out of a radio speaker, and must have been a dancer’s delight too. It also has an excellent, slower, B side.
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