We're A Winner

Private Number

2008-07-13T12:44:00.011-04:00

"Private Number," by Judy Clay and William Bell expands upon the traditional boy-girl duet.

Judy Clay + William Bell - Private Number (Slow)

Judy Clay, like most soul vocalists of the 1950's and 60's, began her singing career with a gospel group, singing with the Drinkard Singers. She sang with the Warwick sisters, and had an on-off relationship with Stax Records, where she met William Bell.

William Bell, a member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, wrote some of the most seminal songs of the Stax catalog, like "You Don't Miss Your Water," "Born Under A Bad Sign," and "I Forgot To Be Your Lover."

They combined in 1968 to write "Private Number," a duet about rekindling a love put on hold by William's absence, a story which actually really closely resembles Homer's Odyssey. Upon returning, he finds out that she's changed her phone number, and he's desperate for it. However, much to his elation, she tells him that she only changed her number to ward off the boys that have been calling her when he's been gone, and that she's been loyal to him and still loves him. What a delight!

Here's the original.

Love Uprising

2008-07-10T13:20:00.006-04:00

Unlike most of the gritty soul coming from Chicago at the time, The Chi-Lites were distinguished by their smooth, lush sound and their rather complex arrangements and production.

The Chi-Lites - Love Uprising (Slow)

The Chi-Lites were a band for nearly a decade before they enjoyed their first modicum of success. Formed in 1959 and led by the unmistakably warm tenor of Eugene Record, they were originally named The Hi-Lites, but a few years later added the C as a tribute to their hometown. As The Chi-Lites, they released several singles on small local labels, and eventually signed for the larger Brunswick Records, where they began to solidify their sound and their reknown.

On Brunswick, they released what was probably their best known album, "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" in 1971. This album reflected the growing socio-political consciousness and the psychedelic undertones that was beginning to be imbued in the soul of the early 1970's, a new trend heralded by Sly and the Family Stone and fellow Chicagoans, Curtis Mayfield, and Baby Huey and the Babysitters.

"Love Uprising" was never as popular as their hit single, "Have You Seen Her?," but for me, it is delightfully indicative of the emerging brand of early 1970's soul.

Here's the original.

Good, Good Lovin'

2008-07-07T14:16:00.006-04:00

The Blossoms, like the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio, were ever-present but largely unknown during the emergence of soul in the early 1960's.

The Blossoms - Good, Good Lovin' (Slow)

They began in Los Angeles in 1954, as a group of six young girls, called The Dreamers, who sang spirituals for fun. They signed for Capitol Records in 1956, and primarily worked as a back-up group, which is how they would later rise within the industry. Although they signed to Capitol as The Dreamers, a record executive remarked about their variety of skin tones, and endearingly called them a "bouquet." From this nickname, they became The Blossoms.

They were later picked up by Phil Spector's Phille Records to replace The Crystals, whose relationship with the enigmatic Mr. Spector grew strained. To capitalize on The Crystals' success, Spector decided to keep the name for The Blossoms. They later appeared as back-up singers to artists such as The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, and Tom Jones. "Good, Good Lovin'" was released in 1964.

Here's the original.

Just Ain't Enough Love

2008-07-04T14:44:00.009-04:00

As part of the hugely influential triumvirate of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Eddie Holland was arguably one of the most important songwriters in the history of soul music.

Eddie Holland - Just Ain't Enough Love (Slow)

As a team, Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Edward Holland Jr., came to collaborate through Motown Records, under the wing of Berry Gordy. These three were began to form the creative backbone of the label, and were behind the music and lyrics of The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Four Tops, and the Isley Brothers, indelibly shaping the paradigm of the soul hit, and contributing invaluably to the definition of the "Motown sound."

Eddie Holland, born in Detroit in 1939, was the only one with a solo career, releasing a number of minor hits. "Just Ain't Enough Love" was his most successful effort, and it enjoyed Top 60 rankings in both the US and R+B single charts when it was released in May of 1964.

The component of the song that convinced me to slow it down was in the chorus, when the backup singers sustain the third of the chord over the change - you'll see what I mean!

Here's the original.

Yes, I'm Ready

2008-07-02T09:48:00.014-04:00

Barbara Mason's "Yes, I'm Ready" was released in 1965, when she was an 18 year old girl from Philadelphia. The sheer earnestness with which she sings confirms the fact that she wrote it herself.

Barbara Mason - Yes, I'm Ready (Slow)

"Yes, I'm Ready," as the title suggests, is a coming-of-age song, sang by a girl who has just agreed to try love for the first time. And, even though she doesn't know much about how to be in love, she is now willing to try, and to learn. Wowee!

Watching her performances of this song, the diffidence that Mason exudes reveal that she is not only learning how to be in love, but is learning how to be a pop singer. The genuine sweetness of her words, coupled with her syrupy portamento (that immediately reminded me of Hope Sandoval, 25 year earlier) creates one of the most earnest and beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Here's the original.

She Blew A Good Thing

2008-06-28T22:53:00.009-04:00

I found this single off of a Northern Soul compilation, but can't find hardly anything else about the group or the song!

The Poets - She Blew A Good Thing (Slow)

To further my point, that's clearly not even a picture of the band! It's just the funniest image I found in my search for a picture of them. There was also a Glaswegian band with the same name, that seemed to have been hogging the spotlight.

However, despite their elusiveness, this is a terrific song, and I do know that it was released in 1966. It's another one of those great "I told her so" songs, which are usually sang by girls, I've noticed. Despite the teasing lyrics, and the fact that he's singing about a failed relationship, the song is almost childishly blithesome, and a Northern Soul treasure!

Here's the original.

I Wanna Give You Tomorrow

2008-06-25T13:21:00.011-04:00

Firstly, I apologize for the lull.

This song, although still peripherally related, was written almost a decade after most of the the soul music I love, by a white man from New Jersey (although you'd never be able to tell from his voice).

Benny Troy - I Wanna Give You Tomorrow (Slow)

Fondly(?) referred to as a "Blue-Eyed Soul Brother" by the press, Troy released a few moderately successful soul-influenced disco hits, and this is certainly one of them. "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow" was released in 1976, on De-Lite Records, and as a single, it managed to do respectably well in both the US and the UK, and remains possibly his most well-loved song.

I was originally going to adhere more rigidly to posting 60's soul, but I thought that the polished sound of club disco, the swoopy string glissandos, and the husky machismo of Benny Troy would either work really well slowed, or get completely obliterated by the process. The result is somewhere in between.

Here's the original.

Cowboys To Girls

2008-05-19T15:00:00.012-04:00

This song, by the Philadelphia based group, The Intruders, is not just one of my favorite soul singles, but one of my favorite songs of all time.

Formed in 1960, The Intruders were one of the most successful and seminal Philadelphia soul groups. Their vocal style blended Philly doo-wop and black gospel, creating a sound that was completely different from the Stax/Volt or Motown sound. "Cowboys To Girls," released in 1968, remained The Intruders' first and only chart-topping single, and rightfully so. What a song!

The Intruders - Cowboys To Girls (Slow)

For me, it's one of the sweetest coming of age songs around, as the lead vocalist, Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, tells us of the innocent transition that both he and his lover experienced simultaneously, from make-believe to romance.

Here's the original.

It's Gonna Be Alright

2008-05-12T20:17:00.015-04:00

Maxine Brown has been one of my favorite R+B singers for a while - she can make her bell-clear, powerful voice can sound like a brazen teenage girl or a tender old lady.

Originally from Kingstree, North Carolina, Maxine Brown moved to New York City as a teenager to sing with gospel groups, and to pursue a solo career. After her singles, "All In My Mind" and "Funny" were released on the obscure Nomar Records, ABC-Paramount signed her. Although the move from Nomar to ABC-Paramount was a huge step up in her career, she was often overlooked for her colleague, Dionne Warwick, who commanded much of the label's attention.

She was later signed by Wand Records, where she enjoyed most of her well-deserved success. This single, written for her by Carole King, helped cement her name as one of the finest, and most versatile soul singers of the era.

Maxine Brown - It's Gonna Be Alright (Slow)

The enchanting clarity and familiarity of Brown's voice is showcased in "It's Gonna Be Alright," a consolatory ballad that's slow and sweet like honey or molasses! Although it's already on the slower side, I chose to slow this one down (by 32%, to be exact), and I think it works quite well.

Here's the original.

We're A Winner

2008-05-12T17:05:00.013-04:00

In my inaugeral post, I'd like to explain why I created this blog, and what you can expect from me, and We're A Winner. This past year, I've been deeper into soul music than since I used to listen to "The Very Best of Otis Redding" on my Walkman every car ride when I was five. More recently, I've been taking some of my favorite soul singles, digitally slowing them down (usually to about 28-32% slower than the speed of the original recording), adding reverb, and exploring, in an almost underwater slow motion, the emergent sounds.

On this blog, I will be posting these songs, both the slow and original versions, and I sure hope you enjoy them!

That said, I'd like to leave you with one of my favorite singles, and the titular song of this blog - "We're A Winner," by The Impressions.

The Impressions - We're A Winner

Released in 1967, off their album with the same great title, it reached #14 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and #1 on the Singles chart in March of 1968. As the story goes, the inspiration for this song came to Curtis Mayfield in a dream, and he was stirred awake and impelled to finish the song before he forgot it.

The opening seconds of "We're A Winner," which contain boisterous applause and two resounding, regal chords played by an eloquent brass section, set the tone for the celebratory tone of the rest of the song. The buoyant applause and brass continue throughout, and underscore the uplifting message.

"We're A Winner" became a prominent slogan in the vocabulary of black pride movements, and was eventually adopted to be the motto of Mayfield's record label, Curtom Records.