When you think of Soul Music from the 1960’s, where do you think of it primarily coming from? Detroit definitely leads the list, probably followed by Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. Los Angeles wasn’t a slouch either. Your first thoughts might not think much of the Southern United States. Your mind may be clouded by…
Tag: Women’s History Month
Who Needs Abby? 35 Advice Column Tunes Spun From Womanly Wisdom
On a recent Women’s History Month post I denoted that as a Queer CIS Male, from an early age I took most of what I’ve learned about dealing from men from women. One large area where I took that advice from was from music. Therein lies the big root cause why my tastes in vintage music…
Forgotten Pearls, Unpanned Gold: Even More Motown Lady Tunes
They say Atlantic Records was The House That Ruth (Brown) Built. We never ever really give credit to the women who built an empire for Berry Gordy in the conjoined houses at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. He Started with the business savvy of his sisters Anna, Gwen, Loucye and Esther. Early signings like Claudette…
Just Like The Ditty From The Motor City: Motown Femme Soul Soundalikes 1963-1969
Another way to measure the scope of influence accountable to the music produced by Motown Records in the 1960’s is to pay attention to how often its various forms were imitated. Motown itself feed on itself, developing so many styles to craft different personae for different artists. Realistically, there’s no singular “Motown Sound.” Decidedly diverse…
The Orlons “Envy (In My Eyes)” Cameo 346-B (later issued as Cameo 384-B), 1965.
The Orlons “Envy (In My Eyes)” Cameo 346-B (later issued as Cameo 384-B), 1965. The Orlons career, like a number of Cameo-Parkway stars, had a huge impact in a rather short period of time. Also, like all Cameo-Parkway stars, they found themselves in the trap of dance-hall hits being the key to their initial success. Although “Don’t…
Pat Thomas “The Long Long Night” (Verve 10333-B, 1964)
Pat Thomas “The Long Long Night” (Verve 10333-B, 1964) Jazz Singer Pat Thomas found herself in an interesting predicament. Having trotted onto the scene in 1961, she managed to score the one of highest charting versions of ” “Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)” the next year. Her relative youth, beauty and poise made her seem…
Erma Franklin “Don’t Wait Too Long” (Epic 9559-B, 1963)
Erma Franklin “Don’t Wait Too Long” (Epic 9559-B, 1963) *Happy Birthday Erma Franklin* The oft overlooked older sister of The Queen of Soul would have celebrated Birthday 78 this March 13th. Although scoped out for secular music ahead of her sisters, Erma was actually a year behind Aretha for signing with a record label. She…
The Apollas “Open The Door, Fool” (Warner Brothers 7181, 1968)
The Apollas “Open The Door, Fool” (Warner Brothers 7181, 1968) Another door opens, and then it closes. So goes a number of “game of love” songs in the proliferation of music created by humanity. There’s plenty of those to find and discover in the Lady Soul mold, therefore, as we slip and slide down a…
Anita Humes “Just For The Boy” (Roulette 4575-B, 1964)
Anita Humes “Just For The Boy” (Roulette 4575-B, 1964) She’s perhaps one of the most innocent and earnest voices in Soul Music. So it’s no surprise that Anita Humes got singled out to give audiences some of the most angst-ridden pop perfections of the early 1960s. Balancing the strife of love, affections and societal expectations…
Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles “Danny Boy” (Parkway 935 Pop#76, 1965)
Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles “Danny Boy” (Parkway 935 Pop#76, 1965) It seems appropriate for St. Patricks day to post this song long associated with “Irishness” or whatever, and take a glimpse into the long road that is Patti LaBelle (and her fellow BlueBelles) career. There’s numerous covers of this song, and it’s not too…
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