Garland Green was born in Mississippi in 1942 and moved to Chicago aged 16 in 1958. In 1967 he won a local talent show, the prize being to open for Lou Rawls and Earl Hines. Whilst opening he was noticed by Mel Collins and his wife Jo Armstead who then arranged for him to do a recording session in Detroit for their Gamma label. The song recorded was 'Girl I Love You' a wonderful Northern Soul / Crossover record written and recorded by Shelley Fisher on Dayla in 1972. It sold well enough locally to be picked up by Revue (a subsidiary of MCA) to distribute nationally. The Gamma 45 is a sought after, quite hard to find item which sells for around £300-£400 in decent condition. He recorded two more 45s on Revue (see Discography below) before being switched to MCA's Uni label.
The first release on Uni was 'Jealous Kind Of Fella' which reached #5 US R&B and #20 Hot 100 in 1969. Green co-wrote the song with Jo Armstead, Morris Dollinson and Rudolph Browner. It went on to sell over a million copies and is still his highest selling single to date.
On the strength of this Uni released an album of the same name. I have treasured this album for years, it contains his complete singles output (A & B sides) for Revue and Uni. The two following singles on Uni didn't sell as well, so Uni and Green parted company.
He then released five 45s on Cotillion between 1970-72. Only one of these ('Plain And Simple Girl') charted (#17 R&B).
In 1973 he moved to Spring, releasing another five 45s between 1973-75, all charting R&B except the final one.
His next outing was a one-off 45 for a Nashville label Casino in 1976, owned by GRT based in L.A.
The next move was to RCA, who released 3 singles and an album on him in 1977. Only the first single charted R&B squeezing in at #93.
He moved to California in 1979 and it was 1983 before another single was released on independent label Ocean Front. He released two singles and an album (produced by Lamont Dozier) before Ocean Front closed.
His final single came in 1990 on Love L.A. Music, which I think is is own label. A mini album was released and also a reissue of his Ocean Front album.
No further new material appeared until 2012 when he released an album on Special Soul, a subsidiary of CDS Records.
Kent has released two compilations on him The Spring Sides in 1990 and The Very Best Of in 2008, as well as releasing a previously unreleased 45 'Come Through Me', twice, first on a 100 Club 21ts Anniversary single in 2000, which doesn't really count as a release as it was a give away and not available for public sale, so the issued it in 2007. Another previously unreleased track 'Just What The Doctor Ordered' taken from The Spring Sides LP was issued on a 4 track EP in 2018.
Discography
Albums
1969 - Jealous Kind Of Fella [Uni #73073] Discogs
This, for me, is by far his best album. Now creeping up in price as it contains his complete Revue and Uni output with in-demanders such as Girl I Love, You, Ain't That Good Enough, You Played On A Players, Forty Days And Nights, Love Now Pay Later and Angel Baby all played on UK Northern Soul scene for many years, but still the cheapest way to obtain all these tracks on vinyl.
A3 - Girl I Love You
A3 - Mr. Misery
B3 - Forty Days & Nights
B4 - Love Now, Pay Later
B6 - Angel Baby
Additional 'Spring' tracks on 1996 CD reissue courtesy of Ace (i.e. taken from The Spring Sides LP on Kent - see below)
He Didn't Know (He Kept On Talking)
Let The Good Times Roll
1977 - Love Is What We Came Here For [RCA #APL1-2351] Discogs
A1 - Shake Your Shaker
A2 - Lovin' You Baby
B1 - Let's Celebrate
B2 - I Know What Love Is
B3 - Moody Woman
Bonus tracks on 2016 CD reissue by Expansion
1983 - Garland Green [Ocean Front # OF 100] Discogs
This album was arranged by Lamont Dozier who also features on backing vocals. The only noteworthy tracks, for me, are System and Love's Calling which was written by Lamont Dozier also recorded by L.A. group Zingara Feat. James Ingram released as a 45 in 1980 and was a top 30 R&B hit for them, their only one.
A1 - Tryin' To Hold On
A4 - Always
B2 - System
B3 - Love's Calling
B4 - These Arms
1990 - Gospel Rap [Love LA Music Co. #LLA-101] Discogs
NOTE: Discogs states year as 1980 which I believe is incorrect as it was released after he left Ocean Front. He released a 12" single on Love L.A. Music in 1990 so I reckon the album would have been released around the same time as the material sounds much later than 1980.
Fortunately some nice chap has uploaded the full album, unfortunately it is not very good to these ears at least, a bit too sparse and synthesised and frankly quite bland like an awful lot of 80s material!
A1 - Gospel Rap
A2 - You Came Along
B1 - By My Side
B2 - Let's Make A Better Place
B3 - If You Stand Beside Me
2012 - I Should've been The One {Special Soul #SPO 1] Discogs
His first new material since 1990. A sort of southern soul meets blues album. Recorded at the age of 70 and sadly his voice is not as strong as it was. The highlights, for me, are the new version of Jealous Kind Of Fella and his rendition of Lou Rawls - See You When I Get There.
02 - Happy Street
04 - Blues Uprising
06 - Come To Me
10 - Family
11 - I Wake Up Crying
Compilations
1990 - The Spring Sides [Kent #KEND 097] Discogs
The highlights on this compilation are the previously unreleased (You Gotta) Come Through Me and Just What The Doctor Ordered, both later released on 45 by Kent, along with Just Loving You a smooth crossover number and Since You've Been Gone which I believe is another previously unreleased track. There is no information available for the previously unreleased tracks i.e. no writer/arranger/producer credits.
A1 - Please Come Home
A2 - Sweet Loving Woman
B1 - Just Loving You
B3 - Bumpin' And Stompin'
2008 - The Very Best Of Garland Green [Kent #CDKEND 303] Discogs
A superb compilation pulling together all his best tracks spanning his recording career. The only glaring omission must be (You Gotta) Come Through Me.
03 - Just Loving You
04 - These Arms
08 - Angel Baby
12 - Sweet Loving Woman
16 - Ask Me What You Want
21 - Girl I Love You
24 - Love's Calling
Singles
Gamma
1968 - Girl I Love You / It Rained Forty Days And Nights [C 103]
A: Northern Soul / Crossover
B: Northern Soul
Revue
1968 - Girl I Love You / It Rained Forty Days And Nights [R-11001]
A: Northern Soul / Crossover
B: Northern Soul
1968 - Ain't That Good Enough / Love Now, Pay Later [R-11030]
A: Northern Soul / Crossover
B: Northern Soul
1968 - You Played On A Player / Mr. Misery [R-11020]
A: Crossover
B: Crossover
Uni
1969 - I Can't Believe You Quit Me / Jealous Kind Of Fella [55143]
A: Crossover Funky
B: Deep Soul Harmony
1969 - Don't Think That I'm A Violent Guy / All She Did (Was Wave Goodbye At Me) [55188]
A: Crossover
B: Mellow Crossover
1970 - Angel Baby / You Played On A Player [55213]
A: Northern Soul / Crossover
B: Crossover
Cotillion
A: Mellow Crossover
B: Ballad - 45 only - written by Clyde Brown arranged by Donny Hathaway and produced by Syl Johnson
1971 - Just My Way Of Loving You / Always Be My Baby [44126]
A: Crossover
B: Lovely 70's crossover soul written and arranged by Donny Hathaway and produced by Syl Johnson
1971 - Love Is What We Came Here For / Running Scared [44162]
A: Ballad
B: Funky written by Bunny Sigler & Phil Hurtt
1972 - 80-90-100 M.P.H. / If A Dream Goes By [44159]
A: Ballad - low quaility sound clip
B: ? - no sound clip
1972- You Can't Get Away That Easy / Get Rich Quick [44146]
A: Ballad
B: Crossover written by Don & Mike Mancha
Spring
A: Ballad
B: Ballad
1974 - Sweet Loving Woman / Sending My Best Wishes [SPR 146]
A: Ballad
B: Modern Soul
1974 - Let The Good Times Roll / You And I Go Good Together [SPR 151]
A: Modern Soul
B: Modern Soul
1975 - Bumpin' And Stompin' / Nothing Can Take You From Me [SPR 158]
A: Disco
B: Deep Soul Ballad
1975 - Just Loving You / Nothing Can Take You From Me [SPR 160]
A: Modern Soul / Crossover
B: Deep Soul Ballad
Casino
A: Ballad
B: Deep Soul / Blues - low quality sound clip
RCA
A: Crossover/Modern
B: Modern Soul
1977 - Let's Celebrate / Let Me Be Your Pacifier [PB-11126]
A: Modern Soul
B: Modern Soul
1977 - Shake Your Shaker / Lovin' You Baby [RCA PB-11023]
A: Funky Modern Soul
B: Mellow Ballad / Stepper
Ocean Front
A: Ballad
B: Ballad
A: 80s Modern Soul
B: Ballad
Love L.A. Music
A: Modern Soul
B1: Modern Soul
B2: Modern Soul
Kent
A: Northern Soul
B: Modern Soul
2007 - Millie Jackson / Garland Green – House For Sale / Come Through Me [TOWN 124]
Expansion
A: Modern Soul Stepper
B: Modern Soul
Misc.
2001 - If You Thing You're Lonely Now [I.T.P. #1001]
This cover of the Bobby Womack song was released on a compilation CD Soul Grooves Vol. 1 in 2001 on I.T.P.
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