Ray Williams & The Majortones [2022] - Girl Don't Leave Me [Epsilon # EPS 009]

You may be familiar with the song title as it was recorded by Ray's elder brother Lil Major Williams in 1978 (although Discogs lists it as 1975, see below) on Williams III Records and later got reissued on Palladium in 1979. Lee Jeffries' Sonic Wax also reissued it more recently in Jun 2020. 

All versions had "Girl (You're So Sweet, You're So Fine)" on the flip (which personally I prefer). You can ignore the prices on Discogs as one on Williams III sold recently for almost £2k and, curiously, the reissue tends to sell for even more, but I found an article on SoulSource which suggests that perhaps the Palladium issue may have been first, but consensus seems to be Williams III was the original but conjecture is that perhaps it was a private press after Palladium? 

Yann Vatiste at Epsilon has confirmed that Williams III was issued first as a private press (Williams III referring to Major Williams Sr., Lil Major Williams and his brother Garland Williams) and the masters were given by Joel Johnson (A-Ball Productions Sound Masters studios, Houston) to Palladium to re-press. Also, the Palladium issue was not registered until 1982 (25th May to be precise) so Yann believes that it was released in 1982 and not 1979 as stated on Discogs!

This is a new version of "Girl Don't Leave Me" re-recorded by Ray Williams with The Majortones who were the band behind Lil Major Williams. There is a short version and an extended version.

Here is some background which Ray (via Yann Vatiste at Epsilon) has provided:

As a young kid I always wanted to be a musician especially with my brothers. My Dad, Major Williams Sr, started it all with my brother Lil Major Williams and Garland Williams. They would travel and play music at venues all over Texas and surroundings States.

I myself stared playing the snare drum in Junior High school and eventually started playing with the Majortones Band which was my dad and brothers group. I remember the first time I ever sat behind a set of drums it was like a dream come true. We were playing at this club in Houston, called the Green Parrot. Garland which was the drummer at the time, I think he got sick or something happened, that's when my dad came to me and said this your time Ray. I was so scared, keep in mind I was only 11years old, anyway I played that night if it had not been for the bass player (Fox was his name) telling me how to work the foot pedal and high hats snare we wouldn't have made he just kept telling me to stay on the one, at that time I was wondering what was the one lol. As time went by I started really getting the hang the thing call music.

Little Major was a big James Brown fan, so we played a lot of Brown's music and if I  tell you we were tight and right.

Major wrote Girl Don't Leave in 1978 (NB Discogs lists as 1975) and I can't remember the real reason for the title of song but it did really good lot's of air play.

As time went on Lil Major, Garland and my dad passed away. That's when I started managing The Majortones Band and to this Day it's still going strong.

I re-wrote "Girl Don't Leave Me" and released it a few years ago which was the best thing I could have ever done.

I feel like it's my time in the music industry, I've been playing for over forty years and I'm still in love with it and still having lots of fun. 

The single is available now on 7" vinyl £17.50 incl. postage UK or £22.50 incl. postage rest of the world or £2 for download from Epsilon.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"/Digital
Label:	Epsilon
Cat No:	None
Date:	07/01/2022
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£17.50 (UK) / £22.50 (elsewhere) / £2