So there I was, still in the Imperial boxes. I'm not at all sure why I picked this one out. I had never heard of Jimmy Griffin, and there was no one listed in the credits to suggest it might be soul (individually, I suppose, Carter-Butler-Mayfield are all big names in the world of soul but were unlikely ever to have collaborated together as writers). I think, possibly it was the title Hard Row To Hoe that attracted me because I know a very good, and rare, record with that title, sung by Otis Lee. Could it be another version of the same song? Emphatically no when I finally got around to playing it. Discogs does list this as soul, I suppose it has a plodding four to the floor beat which could put it in the Northern bag, but to me it's pure pop. Somebody has put a felt tip through the title on this 45. It's a promo copy so that was presumably a DJ highlighting it for play (I think it is a B side), but hen again the "highlight" almost obliterates the title, so perhaps it was indicating "Hard Row To Hoe?" - "no, no, no!".
Jimmy Griffin - Hard Roe To Hoe 1965
I've done my research now and it turns out this Jimmy Griffin was a founding member of the group Bread. He also penned, amongst many others, a beautiful song For All We Know, first sung by the Carpenters (?) but it's Shirley Bassey's version I have always had a soft spot for.
PS: Here is Otis Lee's Hard Row To Hoe - an irresistible shuffler!:
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