'I Have No Choice' - now you have 4 choices! Johnnie Mae Matthews, Audrey Matthews, Black Nasty, Sharon McMahan

The original version of this song has long been regarded as a Northern Soul classic even though it is not typical of the type of record played.  In this post I'll bring you a few other versions, two of which were previously unreleased until relatively recently.

To kick off this article here's some footage filmed by Richard 'Gilly' Gilbert and Andy 'Tats' Taylor from arond 1990 on a visit to Detroit showing Johnnie Mae Mathews and her daughter Audrey (Kaiya) singing part of the song in their kitchen.

Johnnie Mae Mathews [1967] - Big Hit #TZ 105]

Johnnie Mae Matthews, was dubbed 'The Godmother of Detroit Soul' as she was the first Afro American woman to own a record company. George Clinton referred to her as 'Mother Funker'. She created several labels (Northern, Big Hit, Tank, Reel, Bon, Jam, Art and Audrey, the last two named after her son and daughter respectively) in Detroit in the 60s on which many future established artists started their recording career e.g. Otis Williams & The Distants who later became The Temptations.  Apparently Berry Gordy asked her repeatedly to record for Motown. 

This is a highly in-demand rare record, now fetching up to 4 figures.  It was written by Sharon McMahan who had her previously unreleased 1967 version released by Hayley around 2016 (see below).

If you want to read more about her career there is a good article on SoulfulDetroit.

Black Nasty [1973] - I Have No Choice [Enterprise #ENS 1031]

Taken from their 1973 album 'Talking To The People' on Stax subsidiary Enterprise. The group contained members of the Matthews family. Artwell was drummer and Audrey was lead singer.  Johnnie Mae Matthews managed them and produced their album with Sir Mack Rice who had recommended the group to Stax when he began working at the label.

They released an album on Enterprise and half a dozen 45s, 3 on Big Hit (Johnnie Mae Matthews label) and 3 on Enterprise.  The last single on Enterprise 'Cut Your Motor Off' was a big NS tune around 1976.  Prior to being named Black Nasty they were know as Raw Integrated Funk and afterwards changed their name to Nazty (who recorded an album 'I Got To Move' and two singles for Mankind in 1976) and then ADC Band and continued recording, mainly on Cotillion (5 albums and a dozen or more 45s), into the 80s.

Audrey Matthews [2001] - I Have No Choice #Kent #CDKEND 192]

Previously unreleased and discovered on an acetate and believed to be Audrey Matthews, the daughter of Johnnie Mae Matthews. It first got a release on Kent Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities CD in 2001 and has since been issued on a 45, on a 'look-alike' Northern label, with her mother's version on the other side - I don't know whether this is an official release, I suspect not, but is sells for between £75-£100. It is still not known for sure who the singer is and many have speculated that it was a demo cut by Sharon McMahan who denies it , and Audrey Matthews also doesn't recall recording it. She renamed herself Kaiya and released around 4 singles in the 80s as well as recording with Black Nasty, Nazty and ADC Band.

Sharon McMahan [2016] - I Have No Choice [Hayley #HR 021]

McMahan wrote the song and recorded a previously unreleased version in 1967 at Detroit's United Sound Systems which got a released on Hayley around 2016.  For some time it was believed that the Audrey Matthews version was in fact Sharon McMahan, but this has now been dispelled with the release of her version, which for me is probably the best as the production by Ollie McLaughlin and arrangement by Mike Terry is fuller.

As an added bonus here's some footage from Cleethorpes Weekender in June 2015 of her performng it live. It is more like Johnnie Mae Mathews version rather than the Hayley version and starts approx 2:30 into the video. (Thanks to Karl White for uplodaing the video).