Soul Strutter: 12/04/20

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.

A1 - Jealous Kind Of Fella

A3 - Girl I Love You

A3 - Mr. Misery

A4 - All She Did (Was Wave Goodbye At Me)

A5 - I Can't Believe You Quit Me

B1 - Don't Think That I'm A Violent Guy

B2 - Ain't That Good Enough

B3 - Forty Days & Nights

B4 - Love Now, Pay Later

B5 - You Played On A Player

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

A3 - Let Me Be Your Pacifier

A4 - I've Quit Running The Streets

B1 - Let's Celebrate

B2 - I Know What Love Is

B3 - Moody Woman

B4 - Love Is What We Came Here For

B5 - I Found Myself When I Lost You

Bonus tracks on 2016 CD reissue by Expansion

Don't Let Love Walk Out On Us

Ask Me for What You Want

Shake Your Shaker (Stereo)

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

A2 - You Make Me Feel (So Good)

A3 - Don't Tell Me Let Me Guess

A4 - Always

B1 - Nobody Ever Came Close

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.

01 - I'm The One That Should've Been

02 - Happy Street

03 - Jealous Kind Of Fella

04 - Blues Uprising

05 - When You Got It At Home

06 - Come To Me

07 - I Didn't Ask For This

08 - See You When I Get There

09 - Be Thankful For The Woman That Loves You

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

A3 - Nothing Can Take You From Me

A4 - (You Gotta) Come Through Me

A5 - Sending My Best Wishes

A6 - Let The Good Times Roll

B1 - Just Loving You

B2 - You And I Go Good Together

B3 - Bumpin' And Stompin'

B4 - Since You've Been Gone

B5 - He Didn't Know (He Kept On Talking)

B6 - Just What The Doctor Ordered

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.

01 - Jealous Kind Of Fella

02 - Just My Way Of Loving You

03 - Just Loving You

04 - These Arms

05 - Don't Think That I'm A Violent Guy

06 - Since You've Been Gone

07 - I've Quit Running The Streets

08 - Angel Baby

09 - Let The Good Times Roll

10 - Plain And Simple Girl

11 - He Didn't Know (He Kept On Talking)

12 - Sweet Loving Woman