Wednesday, 22 December 2021

J. Anthony Brown [2012] - Me and Mrs. Claus [Self Released]


I came across this 'novelty' Christmas single from J. Anthony Brown who is an American comedian/actor, which I'm sure you've already guessed is a (p*ss) take on Billy Paul's 1972 Philly gem, released in 2012.

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Details
Rating: 7.8
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Classic Soul / Cover Version / Xmas
Format: Single
Media: Digital
Label: Self Released
Cat No: None
Date: 13/12/2012
Value: £1
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Carla Thomas - A Profile...


Carla Thomas, 'The Queen Of Memphis Soul', celebrated her 79th birthday yesterday (21 Dec 1942). She is one of three children of Rufus Thomas. Her sister Vaneese is also a singer and her brother Marvell is a keyboardist/producer. She was a member of WDIA Radio's Teen Town singers at the age of ten, a station her father was a DJ on.

Her first recording "Cause I Love You" was in 1960 with her father, on the fledgling Satellite label founded by Jim Stewart, and later joined by his sister Estelle Axton, which would later become the legendary Stax in 1961. The first record was a regional hit which gained the attention of Jerry Wexler of Atlantic records who made a deal with Satellite to distribute their records and have first right of refusal on releases. It was the first recording at the 926 E. McLemore studio which is now the Stax Museum and would be pivotal in Jim Stewart's conversion to R&B music as the label was predominantly a pop and country label prior to this. 

Her follow up, and first solo single, "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)", a song she wrote when she was 16, was released on Atlantic (as were most of her singles until 1965) and it was to become her biggest hit reaching #5 R&B and #10 Hot 100. The closest she came to it was in 1966 with "B-A-B-Y" which got to #14 Hot 100, although she had twenty singles in total in the Hot 100 throughout her career. 

After releasing around forty plus singles and seven albums her recording career more or less ended in 1972 after her appearance at WattStax although she did perform live and I've seen a video of her performing as recently as 2017. Ironically, her final single on Stax in 1973 was a version of a Phillip Mitchell song "Love Among People" recorded in 1972 by Billy Durham which is one of her best recordings.

A previously unreleased song "I'll Never Stop Loving You" was later discovered and put out on the 100 Club 12th anniversary single in 1991 and was later available commercial on Ady Croasdell's Horace's label. I 'think' it may have been taken from a Stax album also released in 1991 "Hidden Gems", a CD of all previously unreleased Carla Thomas material.

Another spin on Northern Soul dancefloors was given to "I  Play for Keeps" from her 1969 "Memphis Queen" album which was never released as a single until reissued by Kent in 2016 backed with Barbara Lewis "The Stars".

Surprisingly, her whole catalogue is available on Spotify except one single "The Time For Love" / "(I'm Going Back To) Living In The City" from 1970 The same catalogue number had two variants, the previous one and a second which had a Donny Hathaway written song "Never Be True" along with "The Time For Love Is Anytime" (note the difference in title name). So any help with this one would complete the discography of everything she has recorded.

It's a bit odd that they aren't included on "The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971" (not complete then is it!), but I did find one of the tracks on a 1994 Carla Thomas CD compilation titled "Sugar".

Albums

1961 - Gee Whiz [Atlantic #8057]
Full Album HERE

1965 - Comfort Me [Stax #STAX 706]
US #134, R&B #11
Full Album HERE

1966 - Carla [Stax #STAX 709]
US #130, R&B #7
Full Album HERE

1967 - The Queen Alone [Stax #S 718]
US #133, R&B #16
Full Album HERE

1967 - King & Queen (with Otis Redding) [Stax #S 716]
US #36, R&B #5
Full Album HERE

1969 - Memphis Queen [Stax #STS 2019]
US #151, R&B #26
Full Album HERE

1971 - Love Means... [Stax #STS-2044] 
US #213, R&B #42
Full Album HERE

1991 - Hidden Gems [Stax #SCD-8568-2]
Full Album HERE

Singles

Rufus & Carla Thomas
1960 - Cause I Love You / Deep Down Inside [Satellite #102]

Carla Thomas
1960 - Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) / For You [Satellite #104]

Rufus & Carla Thomas

Rufus & Friend (Carla Thomas)

Carla Thomas
1961 - A Love Of My Own / Promises [Atlantic #2101]
1961 - (Mama, Mama) Wish Me Good Luck / In Your Spare Time (Please Think Of Me) [Atlantic #2113]

Rufus & Carla

Carla Thomas

Rufus & Carla

Carla Thomas
1966 - Comfort Me* / I'm For You - 1966 [Stax #183]
*Features backing vocals from Gladys Knight & The Pips

Rufus & Carla

Carla Thomas 

Otis & Carla
S1967 - Tramp / Tell It Like It Is [Stax #216]

Carla Thomas  

Otis & Carla

Carla Thomas
1967 - Pick Up The Pieces / Separation [Stax #239]

Otis & Carla

Carla Thomas
*Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals
** from musical Hair 
1969 - Unyielding / I've Fallen In Love [Stax (UK) #STAX 131]

Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Pervis Staples, Carla Thomas, Mavis Staples & Cleotha Staples
1969 - Soul-A-Lujah (Vocal) / Soul-A-Lujah (Inst) [Stax #0040]

Johnnie Taylor & Carla Thomas

William Bell & Carla Thomas

Carla Thomas
1970 - The Time For Love / (I'm Going Back To) Living In The City [Stax #0061]
1970 - Never Be True / The Time For Love Is Anytime [Stax #0061]

William Bell & Mavis Staples / William Bell, Carla Thomas  
1970 - Leave The Girl Alone / All I Have To Do Is Dream [Stax #0067]

Carla Thomas 
*backing vocals by The Emotions. 

Gee Whiz

B-A-B-Y from 22 Sep 1966 on 'Where The Action Is'
Backed by sister Vaneese and David Porter on recording

Comfort Me on 'The Beat'
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Fiona [2021] - Body & Soul [J-Vibe Productions] (Full Album)


Something a little different, inspired by a track from it played by Robbie Peters on Starpoint radio yesterday. An album of lovers rock / reggae covers of Anita Baker songs, mainly from "Rapture" but a couple of others, by Jamaican artist Fiona (Robinson) from an album called "Body & Soul" released in Sep 2020.

It doesn't seem to be currently available for sale on Amazon, but may be available on iTunes.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

InstagramOfficial WebsiteApple musicSpotifyDeezerDiscogsYouTube ChannelYouTube Channel

Details
Rating: 8
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Lovers Rock / Cover Versions
Format: Album
Media: Digital
Label: J-Vibe Productions
Cat No: None
Date: 25/09/2020
Value: £?
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