NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 13th Septemvber 2009
Ty Karim along with her husband created the quality Northern Soul dancefloor favourite 'Lighten Up Baby' which has been appreciated by British Soul fans since the 1970s. Years later DJ Ian Clark started spinning the equally good uptempo 'Ain't That Love Enough' which also found an appreciative home on the scene. As the scene opened up to include 1970s later sophisticated 'Modern Soul' songs such as the 1970s update 'Lightin' Up' would be introduced.
It was also realised that Ty was also known as 'Towana and the Total Destruction' which introduced 'Wear Your Natural Baby'. With a broadening range of songs by the artist being appreciated Kent explored putting together a definitive CD of her recordings. This lavishly produced CD has sweet sound from the mastertapes, extensive sleevenotes and a sense of care in its creation.
Ty was along with so many other artists such as Sandi Shelton, Bettye Swann or Dee Dee Warwick, a marvellous artist who never broke through to the mainstream. However the quality of her music is undeniable and this CD will be an essential purchase for fans of 60s and 70s soul music.
Sadly Ty is now deceased so this CD provides a fitting testament to a great talent whose appreciation genuinely does grow over the years.
Here is the story of a family of three black LA musicians that showcases the vocal talents of the wife and mother, Ty Karim. Her husband Kent Harris’ vocal career was largely over by the time she came into his life and he then spent most of his musical energy producing and promoting his wife’s soul recordings. 43 years on from those first recordings, the couple’s daughter Karime, now performs that wonderful music to the same UK fans who have searched out and appreciate the scarce releases of her parents over the last three decades.
Ty Karim was a stunning looking, tall and elegant LA soul singer with a raw emotive vocal delivery who recorded from the mid 60s to early 80s. Her recordings were mainly original dancefloor-inspired numbers; always very dynamic and great vehicles for her husky voice. The 60s tracks are Northern soul at its best and their rarity and excellence has put three of them into the £1000+ bracket, even though ‘You Really Made It Good To Me’ (Check price here) was issued on three different catalogue numbers. ‘You Just Don’t Know’ (Check price here)is the hugely expensive number, only ever issued on Kent Harris’ Romark label and now costing £3,000+, but worth it for those glorious vocals and the cascading piano fills alone. ‘Lighten Up Baby’ is another costly item whose full story could fill a book, given the time. Even the 70s remake of it, ‘Lightin Up’, is on the pricey side (Check price here) but like most of Ty’s 45s is a stunning double sider with a beautiful James Taylor, of all people, song on the flip.
60s Big Beat ballad fans should look out for the stunning ‘All At Once’ which may have passed them by as its flip commands such a high price. Due to heavy local sales ‘Help Me Get The Feeling’ is a relatively cheap (we’re talking hundreds not thousands) single but an equally great 60s Motownesque dancer.
Ty and Kent’s crossover funk ‘Wear Your Natural’ presaged the 70s soul sound that Ty also mastered. She worked through that decade with ‘Lightin’ Up’ the standout release, and then into the 80s, when her 12” collaboration with George Griffin ‘Keep On Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’’ gained her new overseas fans. We are pleased to be able to include her prototype of that song ‘If I Can’t Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)’ as recorded by CB Overton and Johnny Bristol; it has got the Modern Room DJs licking their lips already.
Sadly Ty died in 1983, but with her daughter Karime living only a couple of miles from Ace, we’ve pieced together this fascinating story. It includes how a Northern soul fanzine article about her mother inspired Karime to move to the UK and eventually led to her singing her parents’ wonderful music to very appreciative crowds on today’s Northern Soul circuit. Kent Harris has given us complete access to all his master tapes and photographs and we have even found new material and alternative takes on some of Ty’s songs, including a great blues version of ‘Lighten Up Baby’. The musical clarity from the masters is particularly good too; given the understandably poor sound quality of previous bootlegs of the music.
From being an almost mythical and revered West Coast chanteuse, we can now appreciate and understand Ty Karim for the sublime artist she was.
By Ady Croasdell
Kent CDKEND 308Ty Karim [2008] - The Complete Ty Karim Los Angeles Soul Godess [Kent 308]
1 Lighten Up Baby
2 Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again
3 Ain't That Love Enough
4 Only a Fool
5 All at Once
6 Lightin' Up
7 Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
8 Wear Your Natural, Baby
9 You Just Don't Know
10 You Really Made It Good to Me
11 I Ain't Lying
12 Take It Easy Baby
13 Don't Make Me Do Wrong
14 Keep on Doin' Whatcha' Doin'
15 Keep on Doin' Whatcha' Doin'
16 Natural Do aka Wear Your Natural, Baby
17 I'm Leavin' You
18 All in Vain
19 After Your Love Has Gone
20 All at Once [Alt Vocal]
21 Lighten Up Baby [Alt Vocal]
22 If I Can't Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)
23 It Takes Money
Ty Karim [1973] - Lightin' Up [US Romark 73-104]
Towana & Total Destruction - Wear Your Natural Baby [US Romark RK 102]
This is a desert island disc for me. Absolutely sublime and sums up everything I love about soul music. It has got everything. Melody, tempo, strings, harmony and those vocals. This would most definately be in my top 100 of all time and possible even top 10! I believe it is that good.
Recorded under a psedonym, this is another superb quality soul tune with piano, swirling strings, baritone sax, restrained horns and male & female backing harmony chorus. The song is about hair - wearing your natural afro hair.
There seem to be 3 presses of this, the original being on a plain black label, another on a plain blue label and the one below black with blue highlights which I believe is the 2nd press (therefore blue must be 3rd?).
45Cat has this listed as 1967 and Discogs as 1973. It sounds more like 1973 to me yet the catalog number (RK-102) suggests earlier, however the label design (below) didn't start until 1970?
Karime Kendra is Ty Karim's daughter and appeared at the Cleethorpes 6Ts Weekender in 2008 to perform the songs of her mother (Ty Karim).
She has released a handful of singles between 1997 and 2006.
Karime Kendra - Wear Your Natural Baby
Ty Karim & George Griffin Keep On Doin Watcha Doin [US Sheridan House]
Original version of the track by C.B. Overton [1977] - If I Can't Stop You that also resurfaced by Johnny Bristol [1982] - If I Can't Stop You on Handshake?
Ty Karim [1966] - You Just Don't Know [Romark RK-113]
Ty Karim [1965] - You Really Made It Good To Me [Romark 113 RK-112]
Ty Karim [1968] - I Ain't Lying [Roach 182]
Larry Atkins [1968] - Ain't That Love Enough [Romark RK-115 / Highland 1193]
Larry Atkins - Ain't That Love Enough uses same backing as Ty Karim - I AIn't Lying. It was also released as flip side to Go For Yourself (see below).
Larry Atkins [1867] - Lighten Up Baby [Highland 1193]
Herb Sadler and Doris Dorsely, as far as I can tell, only released one other 45 I'll Be The One / Disco Strut on Hip in the 70s.
The Mid Knights [1968] - Somebody Somewhere Needs You [WB 7180]
This was a Canadian band previously nown as Richie Knigh & The Midnights. Richie Knight had actually left the band by the time this was recorded and he was replaced by Richard Newell.
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