Spyder Turner [2021] - Rocket To The Moon [Self Released]

Veteran artist Spyder Turner (Dwight D. Turner now 74) has just released new music (14 Jun 2021) in the form a single "Rocket To The Moon".

Spyder Turner should need no introduction to Northern Soul followers as several of his records have filled dancefloors for decades, including, probably one of my all time favourites, his version of "I Can't Make It Anymore" written by Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot and sung at Woodstock music festival in 1969 by Ritchie Havens who recorded it first in 1966. I've just noticed that Turner's version (recorded in 1967) was released digitally in May 2018, it sounds like the original and not a re-recorded version.

His new single (which I'm not crazy about to be honest) is a great 'excuse' to present a few of his popular tunes to anyone not already familiar with them. There's also some footage of him performing the song at the Northern Soul Survivors Weekender, Skegness in Sep 2018.

His debut album from 1967 ("Stand By Me") included ICMIA as well as a decent cover of "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face" originally recorded by Justine 'Baby' Washington in 1963 along with a host of others (I did a 'version excursion' on it a little while back) as well as "I'm Alive With The Loving Feeling" (also released on 45 in 1971 on MGM with a reissue of ICMIA on the flip). 

His most successful single (and only R&B chart hit and #12 Hot 100) was the title track of the album "Stand By Me", which of course is a cover of Ben E. King's smash, but he mimics various famous artists in the recording (such as Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin (Temptations), David Ruffin, Billy Stewart, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Chuck Jackson). He was only 20 when this was recorded. I've included a great live performance from Soul Trip 2011 below which includes a few additional imitations e.g. Al Green, Jerry Butler, Levi Stubbs, Diana Ross!!!!, Joe Tex, Otis Redding .. very entertaining!  The flip side of "Stand By Me" is another driving Northern Soul tune "You're Good Enough For Me".

His release before "Stand By Me" was in 1966 on Good Time "Got To Get Myself Together (Before I Lose My Mind)", a now highly sought after item with only one listed on Discogs priced at £1,400, which fetches even higher prices on the rarer Sounds Of Soul label! He released around another three singles prior to that in 1964-65. "You're Alone" as Dwight (Spider) Turner & The Stereophonics on Cha-Tok (a popcorn/R&B tune), "Ride In My 225" on Fortune (an R&B stomper) in 1964 and "Calling Girls" on Master in 1965.

In 1978 he joined Norman Whitfield's Whitfield label and released two albums, "Music Web" in 1978 and "One Love" in 1980 along with a few singles, a cover of Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After" which was the flip to "Get Down", which is a good modern dancer (both sides written by Myles Grayson who wrote several hits for Rose Royce) and a modern soul favourite "I've Been Waitin". He released a fairly average single "One Love" on Whitfield in 1980 before his recording career waned.

Apart from a single "Spyderman" in 1983, his next released was a four track self-titled EP in 1998 which included a re-recording of "Stand By Me" along with three new original modern soul ballads.

Since around 2007 he's released a number of singles. The best are "Tell Me (Crying Over You)". from 2009 and "Glory Fleeting" in 2012 which has that 60s Detroit sound (even more evident on the instrumental version).

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Details

Rating:	7.1
Genre/Style:	Soul Blues
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	14/06/2021
Key/BPM:	4B/75
Value:	£1