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Friday 20 March 2020

Debbie Taylor Live @ Wilton 9th November 2013

NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 13th Nov 2013

Known to soul aficionados over the years by the name of Debbie Taylor but now goes by the name of Maydie Myles. What a great lady and a true performer.  She did two sets, the first kicked off with probably her best know track on the Northern Soul circuit 'Don't Nobody Mess With My Baby' released in 1970 on GWP Grapevine #202. She followed this with 'Never Gonna Let Him Know' GWP-501 1969, 'Check Yourself', Decca #32259 1968, the previously unreleased ' All That I Have' until issued on a Kent CD 'GWP NYC TPB' in 2005 in the UK and finished the first set with 'Don't Let It End' and the flip side 'How Long Can It Last' issued in 1969 on GWP-510.

Dont Nobody Mess With My Baby



Never Gonna Let Him Know


Check Yourself


All That I Have


Don't Let It End


How Long Can It Last


The second set opened with her modern soul classic from 1975 'Just Don't Pay' which was on the flip of 'I Don't Wanna Leave You'.

The 'eagle-eyed' amongst you may have spotted Mick Talbot (Style Council / Dexy's Midnight Runners) on keyboards.


Miss Misty [1979] - Can't Stop [IF ZC 8355]


NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 1st  January 2011


Format: 45
A: Set My Heart On Fire
B: Can't Stop
Label: IF
Cat No: ZC 8355
Year: 1979
Value: £40-£60

Miss Misty is one Diane Heron a reggae singer.   'Can't Stop' was the flip side of a 1979 single Set My Heart On Fire.  It was also released on 12 inch with the 7 inch tracks on the A side along with Dance, Dance, Dance on the B side. Can't Stop is also featured on a German LP released in 1980 on Bellaphon  260-07-003.



Diana Heron [1979] - Be Thankful [FT DD 4432]

She did a lover's rock version of the William DeVaughn classic Be Thankful on the Flight label in the late 70s. as Diane Heron.



Chantique [1979] - I Know I'm Falling In Love [AIP 1001]


NB This was originally posted om ModernSoul on 31st December 2010



Format: 45
A: Too Much of Anything (It Ain't Good)
B:
I Know I'm Falling in Love
Label: AIP
Cat No: 1001
Year: 1979
Value: £75 (7") £150 (12")

Quality smooth 70's soul dancer which appears to be the first release on Arnold Ingram's (aka Brimstone Ingram) Detroit label.  The featured track is the B side.  I can find absolutely no information about Chantique.  I suspect this may well be her/their only release, which would be surprising because this is quality and the A side is pretty good also.  They may well have gone on to record (or recorded previously) under another name.  Any information would be welcome.

Arnold Ingram co-wrote The Floaters' - Float on with James Mitchell (Detroit Emeralds) along with many other Floaters songs.




Chantique [1979] - Too Much of Anything (It Ain't Good) [AIP 1001]





Teena Marie


NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 31st December 2010



It was a great shock whilst listening to Solar radio last week to discover that Teena Marie had died in her sleep on Boxing Day 26th Dec 2010 at the age of 54.  It will the 10th anniversary this year!

I bought her debut album 'Wild & Peaceful' as a US import on spec from a review in Blues & Soul way back in 1979 and on the strength of her debut single 'I'm Just A Sucker For Your Love'.  Even to this day this album stands the test of time, not least for the classic De Ja Vu (I've Been Here Before) which was also released as the flip to 'Sucker'.  By way of a tribute I've uploaded the 12:25 minute live version released on the CD issue of her 1981 'It Must be Magic album, which is preluded with her interpretation of Donny Hathaway's 'Someday We'll All Be Free'.  I think this is a fitting tribute and a showcase for the indisputable talent of the world's greatest white soul singer dubbed quite rightly as 'The Ivory Queen Of Soul'.

The sad irony is that after taking a sabattical for most of the 90s to bring up her daughter, apart from her independent release of 'Passion Play' on her own Sarai label which unfortunately sunk without trace owing to limited distribution, her return in 2004 with La Dona, followed by Sapphire in 2006 and Conga Square in 2009 showed that she was back at her best with La Dona and Sapphire being her best sellers on Billboard and being nominated for a Grammy for 'I Still love You' from Conga Square.

In total Teena released 13 studio albums between 1979 and 2009.  Another album 'Black Rain' was scheduled for release in the early 2000s, and some copies were released on promo, but it was never officially released.  Many of the tracks have appeared on later albums.

Album Discography


The Motown Gordy Years 1979-81

01 1979 Wild & Peaceful (18 R&B 94 Billboard)
01. I'm A Sucker For Your Love 02. Turning Me On 03. Don't Look Back 04. De Ja Vu (I've Been Here Before) 05. I'm Gonna Have My Cake (And Eat It Too) 06. I Can't Love Anymore
02 1980 Lady T (18 R&B 45 Billboard)
01. Behind The Groove 02. Now That I Have You 03. Lonely Desire 04. Aladdin's Lamp 05. You're All The Boogie I Need 06. Can It Be Love 07. Young Girl In Love 08. Why Did I Have To Fall In Love With You 09. Too Many Colors 10. Why Can't I Get Next To You 11. Co Pilot To Pilot
03 1980 Irons In The Fire (9 R&B 38 Billboard)
01. I Need Your Lovin' 02. Young Love 03. First Class Love 04. Irons In The Fire 05. Chains 06. You Make Love Like Springtime 07. Tune In Tomorrow 08. You Make Love Like Springtime (Reprise)
04 1981 It Must Be Magic (2 R&B 23 Billboard)
01. It Must Be Magic 02. Revolution 03. Where's California 04. 365 05. Opus Iii (Does Anybody Care) 06. Square Biz 07. Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me, The 08. Portuguese Love 09. Yes Indeed 10. Square Biz (Instrumental) 11. Someday We'll All Be Free ( Live) 12. Deja Vu (We've Been Here Before) (Live)

The Epic Years 1983-1990

05 1983 Robbery (13 R&B 119 Billboard)
01. Robbery 02. Playboy 03. Shadow Boxing 04. Midnight Magnet 05. Fix It 06. Ask Your Momma 07. Dear Lover 08. Stop The World 09. Casanova Brown 10. Playboy (12In Remix) 11. Midnight Magnet (Instrumental)
06 1984 Starchild (9 R&B 31 Billboard)
01. Lovergirl 02. Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party 03. Out on a Limb 04. Alibi 05. Jammin' 06. Starchild 07. We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This) 08. My Dear Mr. Gaye 09. Light
07 1986 Emerald City (20 R&B 81 Billboard)
01. Emerald City 02. Once Is Not Enough 03. Lips to Find You 04. You So Heavy 05. Shangri-La 06. Batucada Suite 07. Love Me Down Easy 08. Sunny Skies
08 1988 Naked To The World (15 R&B 65 Billboard)
01. Trick Bag 02. Call Me (I Got Yo Number) 03. Ooo La La La 04. Crocodile Tears 06. Surrealistic Pillow 08. Work It 09. The Ball 10. Naked To The World
09 1990 Ivory (27 R&B 132 Billboard)
01. Here's Looking At You 02. The Sugar Shack Prelude 03. The Sugar Shack 04. If I Were A Bell 05. Just Us Two 06. Mr. Icecream 07. Ivory (Atone Poem) 08. Snap Your Fingers 09. Cupid Is A Real Straight Shooter 10. How Can You Resist It 11. Since Day One 12. Miracles Need Wings To Fly 13. The Red Zone

The Nineties & The Noughties

10 1994 Passion Play (Sarai)
01. Warm As Mommas Oven 02. Main Squeeze 03. Wild Horses 04. Smooth Tip 05. Hypnotized Prelude 06. Hypnotized 07. Parking Music 08. Sweet On You 09. Slow Grind 10. Climb The Walls 11. Breakfast In Bed 12. Passion Play 13. Pretty Man 14. The Air I Breathe
11 2004 La Dona (3 R&B 6 Billboard)
01. La Dona (Intro) 02. Still In Love 03. Honey Call 04. Baby I'm Your Fiend 05. My Body's Hungry 06. A Rose By Any Other Name 07. Off The Chain 08. Makavelli Never Lied 09. Revelations 38 Introduction 10. Recycle Hate To Love 11. The Mackin' Game
12 2006 Sapphire (3 R&B 24 Billboard)
01. God Has Created 02. Cruise Control 03. Baby Who's Is It 04. Make It Hot 05. Ooh Wee 06. Sleeping With the Enemy 07. A.P.B 08. Love Is a Gangsta 09. Ladies Choice 10. Somebody Just Like You 11. You Blow Me Away 12. Simmer Down 13. Romantica 14. The Way You Love Me 15. Ecstasy 16. Resilient (Sapphire)
13 2009 Conga Square (4 R&B 20 Billboard)
01. The Pressure 02. Can't Last a Day 03. Baby I Love You 04. Ear Candy 101 05. Lover's Lane 06. Marry Me 07. You Baby 08. Milk N' Honey 09. What U Got 4 Me 10. Rovleta's Jass 11. Congo Square 12. Harlem Blues 13. Black Cool 14. Ms. Coretta 15. Soldier Boy 16. The Rose N' Thorn

I have made a selection of my favourite track from each of her albums:

I haven't embedded links as take up too much space but clicking a link will open a YouTube clip in a new window.



Ooh Baby Baby - Live

Here's a live clip of her 'serenading' Smokey Robinson with his classic Ooh Baby Baby in 2009.  This will blow you away!




Fire And Desire with Rick James [1984] Gordy

Another tremendous performance, although the footage is live the audio isn't, it's been overdubbed.




The Paramount Four [2010] - Sorry Ain't The Word [Kent 6T 26]


NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 10th December 2010


Very little known about The Paramount Four.  It would appear that they were a 60s group from Gallatin Tennesse famour for Dot Records.

The original members were school friends Caldwell Jenkins, William Earl 'Cat' Turner, Sonny Brown and Robert 'Lee' Alexander, however Brown & Alexander were drafted before they started recording so James Wallace Simpson and William Ellis Brown replaced them.

Caldwell Jenkins from Gallatin, Tn. was one of the members of the group and he left a comment on a couple of the You Tube clips.  If you read this Caldwell it would be great to get some background on the group as 'Sorry Ain't The Word is currrently a huge sound on the UK soul scene gaining an issue on 100 Clubs 6Ts 31st Anniversary 45.  The label states that it will be on the forthcoming 'Masterpieces of Modern  Soul Volume 3'.  well worth the price of the CD for this cut alone!

Both Caldwell Jenkins and William Ellis Johnson of the group left comments on my other blog ModernSoul back in 2011 stating that all memebers were alive and well.  I have since discovered from Sir Shambling's that William 'Cat' Turner (the lead vocalist) passed in 2012.

The Paramount Four [2010] - Sorry Ain't The Word [Kent 6T 26]

A previously unissued track discovered by Ace/Kent and put out on the 100 Club 31st Anniversary giveaway 45.  It has since had a release on Kent Select City 012.  The flip side of the anniversary 45 has a version of Danny Monday's - Baby Without You by Gene & Gary - a poor blue-eyed version IMHO but it makes life intereseting discovering different, otherwise unknown, versions.  You can find their's and Danny Monday's version here if you want to check it out yourself.  I also have a low quality sample of an acetate believed to be by one of the composers Jim Ford which I will add there.



100 Club, Oxford Street, London 6Ts Rare Soul Allnighter 22nd May 2010



The Paramount Four [1968] - I've Made Up My Mind [Southern City 1114] 

Group soul harmony ballad from 1968.


The Paramount Four [1968] - You Don't Know [Southern City 1115]

Northern Soul allnighter biggie from the mid / late 80s played by Pat Brady covered up as Lost Souls.


The Paramount Four [2017] - You Must Leave Her Because You Love Her [Deep Soul 05]

This is another previously unreleased track discovered by Ace/Kent when they found 'Sorry Ain't The Word'. It was originally issued by them on a compilation CD Deep Shadows The Best Of Kent Ballads CDKEND 342 in 2010 but has subsequently seen a release on their Deep Soul label on vinyl 45.




Ty Karim


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 308

Ty 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]


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.




Towana & Total Destruction - Wear Your Natural Baby [US Romark RK 102]

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

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.


Heres a couple of short clips of her performance.

Karime Kendra - Lightin' Up Baby



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).


Ty Karim [1867] - Lighten Up Baby [US Car-A-Mel K 1877]


There are several more releases with the same backing track:

Larry Atkins [1867] - Lighten Up Baby [Highland 1193]



Ike & Tina Turner - Somebody Needs You [Loma 2015/WB 5766]


Darrell Banks [1966] - Somebody, Somewhere Needs You [Revilot RV-203]


Larry Laster [1966] - Go For Yourself [Loma 2043]


Herb & Doris [1968] - Somebody Somewhere Needs You 


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.



Curtis Gadson

NB this was originally posted on ModernSoul on 31st August 2009

Since originally posting this on ModernSoul, Curtis Gadson contacted me and pointed me in the direction for finding out a bit more info about him.  He was entertainment vice-president at BET  (Black Entertainment Television) in Burbank, CA from 1982 to 2004 when he left.  In this time he received 6 Emmys.  I believe he is currently a feelance TV Programming & Production consultant.



Curtis Gadson [1987] - K.I.S.S. Y.O.U [Proving Ground]

I first heard this on the Robbie Vincent soul show on Radio 1 in 1987.  It's a 12" 33rpm mix on Proving Ground (Detroit) from 1987 but can't find any other info.  Curiosly there is no catalogue number on the label although it appears to be PG-1002. He appears to hail from Detroit as all the recordings I have uncovered originate on independent Detroit based labels. Further research shows that he co-wrote 'Slow Dance' with Ron Sanders & Roz Newberry performed by David Ruffin on his 1980 Gentleman Ruffin LP (further Detroit connections) which incidentally has Leon Ware and Ronnie McNeir on backing vocals on this and several other tracks. The killer 'modern' track from this album is the first track 'I Wanna Be With You' which perhaps I will feature (along with 'Slow Dance') in a future post.


A few other tracks by him include: 

Curtis Gadson [1984] - Fired Up [Saturday Night Music Machine UR 4224]



Curtis Gadson [198?] - In The Middle Of The Night [Midwest 8150]

An 80s soul ballad/stepper (known as Quiet Storm during the 80s).  The flip side is an instrumental of the A side


Curtis Gadson [1989] - Can I Get A Witness [Chloe CLE 101] 

1989 take on the H-D-H classic "Can I Get A Witness" flipped with soul ballad "Listen To My Heartbeat" on Detroit indie label.


Curtis Gadson [1989] - Listen To My Heartbeat [Chloe CLE 101]


He recorded another 45 'God Bless The Boys a tribute to Detroit Tigers baseball team in 1984 but haven't posted it as it has no soul content!

He also recorded as Curt Darin cutting Two On A Cloud / A Grown Up Fairy Tale on Buddah in 1976 

Curt Darin [1976] - Two On A Cloud [Buddah 556]



Curt Darin [1976] - A Grown Up Fairy Tale [Buddah 556]




Island Inspirations All-Stars [1995] - Don't Give Up [Island]

NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 31st August 2009

From the 1995 crime, comedy, parody movie 'Don't Be A Menace'. Featuring Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark-Sheard, Donald Lawrence and Hezekiah Walker. A seriously soulful lead from ex-Clark Sister, Karen Clark-Sheard and a nice looping semi-swingbeat rhythm. There are four mixes (of which the Main Mix and Church Mix are best).  The Main Mix received heavy rotation on the decks by 'Gouch' on the Modern Soul scene back in 2000 at Soul On The Real Side Bedford.


Main Mix

Church Mix

Saturday Might Mix










Ollie Nightingale Vs Lynn White - I Don't Know Why I Love You


NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul on 26th August 2009

Ollie Nightingale [1971] - I Don't Know Why [Sounds Of Memphis 105] 


Ollie Hoskins was with gospel group The Dixie Nightingales who later changed their name to Ollie & The Nightingales when they turned secular in 1968 on Stax.  In 1970 he decided to leave to go solo and was replaced by Tommy Tate.



Lynn White [1993] - I Don't Know Why [S.O.H. 1725] 

A great cover version by Lynn White from 1993 which appears to be on 12" only (i.e. no 7" release).  It was included on her 1993 album 'Cheatin' on the same Memphis based label.




The Montclairs

NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul 20th August 2009


Vocal group from East St. Louis, Illinois, USA, named after a brand of cigarettes, comprised lead Phil Perry (b. 1 January 1952, Springfield, Illinois, USA), David Frye, George McLellan, Kevin Sanlin and Clifford "Scotty" Williams. The Montclairs were representative of the vocal group renaissance of the early 70s when falsetto lead and sweet-sound vocals were fashionable. The group recorded their first single in 'Hey You Don't Fight It' 1969 on Arch which was only distributed in the St. Louis area, and the following year began recording for bandleader/producer Oliver Sain at his Archway Studio. Sain arranged for the group to be signed with Paula Records, based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Their outstanding hits for the label were "Dreamin' Out Of Season" (number 34 R&B) from 1972, and "Make Up For Lost Time" (number 46 R&B) from 1974. Their last chart record was "Baby You Know (I'm Gonna Miss You)" from 1974. Their only album, 'Dreamin' Out Of Season', was released in 1972, with the track 'Prelude To A Heartbreak' (number 70 R & B) b/w 'I Need You More Than Ever' released as a single the following year. They also recorded other sides for the Vanessa, Premium and United International imprints. In 1974, Clifford Williams was drafted into the U.S. military and the group continued as a quartet. After the Montclairs left Paula in 1975 they disbanded.

Perry later worked as a session vocalist and established himself as a popular smooth jazz artist. In 1979, Phil Perry moved to Los Angeles, hooking up with producer Chuck Jackson who signed the singer to Capitol, along with Kevin Sanlin of The Montclairs, to form the duo Perry & Sanlin. Their first single reached number 81. They continued as songwriters and freelance producers. Perry issued his own debut LP, 'The Heart Of The Man', for Capitol in 1991 and has continued to release solo album into the new millenium.

The Montclairs [1972] - Dreaming Out Of Season [Paula]


01 - Prelude To A Heartbreak
02 - Do I Stand A Chance
03 - Dreaming's Out Of Season
04 - Make Up For Lost Time
05 - Beggin' Is Hard To Do
06 - Just Can't Get Away
07 - Unwanted Love
08 - Grand Finale
09 - Baby (You Know I'm Gonna Miss You)

The Montclairs released only one album 'Dreaming Out Of Season' on Paula in 1972, however in 2001 UK Westside issued 'Make Up For Lost Time The Paula Recordings 1971-1974' which included the full Dreaming Out Of Season tracklisting in addition to a further 16 tracks.

The Montclairs (2001) - Make Up For Lost Time - The Paula Recordings 1972-1974 [ Westside]


Disc: 1
1. Prelude to a Heartbreak
2. Do I Stand a Chance?
3. Dreaming's Out of Season
4. Beggin' Is Hard to Do
5. Just Can't Get Away
6. Unwanted Love
7. Grand Finale

Disc: 2
1. Ease the Pain
2. Out My Back Door
3. Dawn of My Life
4. Angel
5. Horse With Wings
6. I'm Calling You
7. Hung Up on Your Love
8. Make up for Lost Time
9. How Can One Man Live?
10. I Need You More Than Ever
11. All I Really Care About Is You
12. Is It for Real
13. Baby (You Know I'm Gonna Miss You) Pt. 1
14. Baby (You Know I'm Gonna Miss You) Pt. 2
15. Chase Scene Loop (Hung Up on Your Love)
16. Lounge Loop from Hell (I'm Calling You)

Here's a selection of the top Montclairs tunes. Also check out the previous post of their Modern Soul classic 'Hung Up On Your Love' along with Woody Cunningham's 1998 updated cover version.

The Montclairs [1973] - I Need You More Than Ever [Paula 382]

An outing from 1973 on Paula ('Prelude To A Heartbreak' on flip). It also appeared on the flip to the 1973 UK release of 'Hung Up On Your Love' on UK Contempo CS.2036. Co written by Bobby Patterson.



The Montclairs [1969] - Hey You Don't Fight It [Arch ARA 1305]

Originally released on Arch 1305 in 1973, this terrific single is a UK 45 rpm reissue on  Grapevine (G2K 45-11) in 2001. The original issue, on the small St. Louis Arch label, fetches over $2,000 these days. The single appears at #18 in Kev Roberts' most recent list of the 100 greatest Northern Soul singles


The Montclairs [1972] - Unwanted Love [Paula 375]

 A tremendous slice of crossover soul

 



The Montclairs [1973] - Hung Up On Your Love [Paula P-390]


NB This was originaly posted on ModernSoul 28th July 2009


Northern Soul classic The Montclairs 'Hung Up On Your Love' taken from the 1972 album 'Dreaming Out Of Season' written by Phil Perry.


Phil Perry performing Hung Up On Your Love from Ian Levine...



Woody Cunningham [1997] -  Hung Up On Your Love [Expansion EXCDP 15]

An updated version from 1997 by Woody Cunningham from the Never Say Never LP.




Will Downing [2009] - Classique - 'Baby I'm For Real' & 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More'


NB This was originally posted on ModernSoul 28th July 2009


Will Downing - Classique album features a mix of new tunes and a few 70s covers including Barry White's 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More,  Baby' (Watch out for a future post of Kellee Patterson's version), David Ruffin's 'Statue Of A Fool' and a superb version of The Originals classic 'Baby I'm For Real' featuring Phil Perry (Watch out for a future post of the Hamilton Bohannon version - it's out of this world!).

Baby I'm For Real


I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More