Kenny Hamber [2022] - Used Ta Be My Girl [Quantize #QTZ330]

This cover of The O'Jays' 1978 #1 R&B chart hit "Used Ta Be My Girl" (which was their second biggest hit in UK after "Love Train") has been out for over a month since 1 Jul 2022. It's by Kenny Hamber who has been known to followers of Northern Soul for decades for his 60s Arctic recordings especially "Anything You Want" (which was written by Kenny Gamble and has elements which remind me of Darrell Banks "Open The Door to My Heart" in places). 

A couple of previously unreleased Arctic recordings (remained in the can because the label went bust before they could be released) "I Can Feel That You Love Me" / "Hey Girl" were unearthed by Kenny himself and released on vinyl on a look-a-like Arctic label in 2010. The  flip ("Hey Girl") was a Goffin & King song first recorded by Freddie Scott on Colpix in 1963 which reached #10 on both R&B chart and Hot 100. In fact the song has been recorded many, many times, SecondHandSongs lists 79 versions. The UK TV star Kenny Lynch was one of the first to cover it in 1963 and others include The Righteous Brothers, Timi Yuro, The Temptations and a fair number of other soul artists including the very recently deceased Nichelle Nicols as a previously unrelease bonus track on a 2004 reissue of her 1967 "Down To Earth" album. You  don't need me to list them all as you can check out the link yourself if interested.

Kenny is from Baltimore and will be 79 in a month's time and debuted in 1960 on a single "Do The Hully Gully" / "Tears In Your Eyes" when he would have been around 17/18 years old. It was released on Spar which was a Baltimore label named after local DJ Bill 'Sparky' Mellon not the Nashville label that Herbert Hunter's Northern Soul classic "I Was Born To Love You" was released. The Spar recording was very poor so it was re-recorded using different musicians (including King Curtis on Sax and Jimmy Bailey (aka J.R. Bailey)) at a NY studio and released on Zenette, named after Sparky's daughter.

He released around five singles in the 60s, the aforementioned Spar/Zanette single, a dance craze record on De Jac ("Show Me Your Monkey" / "Time") in 1964, two on Arctic, the one above and the other consisted of two covers of The Valentino's (Bobby Womack) "Looking For A Love" and Otis Redding "These Arms Of Mine", and his last in 1969 "Camel Walk" on Mean which is so rare that Kenny doesn't even own a copy. His contract with Arctic was for 3 records and when it went bust his contract was passed to Jesse James to record his third single which is the only (known) recording on the label. 

It wasn't until 1986 that he released his next solo single, a version of Eddie Floyd's "Never Found A Girl" on 12" by Million Dollar Entertainment and there is also a Polydor 12" promo/test pressing listed for it. It also appeared on 7" on PES based in Roswell, GA, which appears to have been one of only two releases on the 'dubious' looking label as it has written on the label 'Royalties To Be Paid Upon Presentation Of A Legal Claim' .. so 'winging' it and definitely a bootleg? 

In between times, in the 70s, he was a member of The Hitchhikers who released a self-titled album on ABC in 1976 from which six tracks were released over three singles. History repeated itself for Kenny as ABC Paramount were in financial difficulties and wouldn't get behind the releases.

In 1996 he self-released a CD album "R&B Time" and 2006 "In A Romantic Mood" and subsequently a  few 'best of' CDs and a gospel CD which are available from his website.

I also noticed on his website that he has a book soon to be available titled after his first single  "Tears In Your Eyes" The Kenny Hamber Story - Life & Career Of A Soul Singer which looks like it could be an interesting read. It states that it will be available with on-line retailers soon and dare I say it ... it will soon be Christmas!

His latest single comes in several flavours so take your pick:

DJ Spen & Michele Chiavarini Extended Disco Mix

DJ Fella Soulful House Mix

DJ Spen & Michele Chiavarini Discofied Dub

DJ Fella Raw House Mix

DJ Fella & DJ Spen’s Ol’ Skool B More Klub Mix

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soulful House
Format:	Single / Mixes
Media:	Digital
Label:	Quantize
Cat No:	QTZ330
Date:	01/07/2022
Key/BPM:	3B/122
Price:	£4.95

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