R.I.P. - Fred 'Sonny' Baker (The Dynamics)

January 2023 continues to bring more sad news of yet another departing soul brother. The sole remaining member of 60s/70s Detroit group The Dynamics, Fred 'Sonny' Baker, has died not even a fortnight after member George White passed on 6 Jan.

As many of The Dynamics recordings where featured in the George White tribute, this post will focus on the writing of Sonny Baker.

Blues & Soul magazine columnist Dave Godin is credited with coming up with the term Deep Soul (as he did with Northern Soul) and he unearthed "You Make Me Feel Good" (below) on one of his several "Deep Soul Treasures" compilations. In fact it was on Volume 4 which was thought would be his last as it was released in 2004 the year he died, but another was posthumously released resulting in five volumes in total.

It's a previously unreleased song by Lawrence & Jaibi, Lawrence being singer/songwriter/producer Larry Banks and his wife Jaibi (Joan Carol Pulliam). They only released one single as a duo in 1968 on RCA so, presumably, this was from the same sessions that was left in the can until Dave featured it on the compilation. It was released on a 7" by Sean Hampsey's Diggin' Deep in June 2019 as the flip to Jaibi's "It' Was Like A Nightmare", another previously unreleased song. Larry Banks was previously married to Bessie Banks who released "Go Now" (co-written by Larry with Milton Bennet) which Godin championed and was later covered by The Moody Blues who had a UK #1 pop hit with it in 1964 which hampered the sales of Banks' original.

That's all well and good, I hear you say, but what's it got to do with Fred Baker, well he co-wrote the song with Dynamics member Zerben Hicks. The Dynamics recorded it as the B side to their second, and last, single on RCA Victor in 1967 on which the A side was credited to Zerben R. Hicks & The Dynamics.

Baker and Hicks are credited alongside Jack Ashford on The Hesitations' "That's What Love Is" from their "Soul Superman" album. Northern Soul aficionados will know that the backing track is the same as Eddie Parker's classic "I'm Gone". Ashford was credited alongside Lorraine Chandler (as Ermastine Lewis) on Parker's "I'm Gone", so I assume that Baker and Hicks wrote the new lyrics replacing Chandler (Lewis) on credits. Baker is also credited on another track on the album, "I'll Be Right There", co-written with Rare Earth member Ray Monette. Again, Northern Soulies will be aware of Monette as he was one half of blue-eyed duo Michael & Raymond with Mike Raymond who's RCA Victor recording "Man Without  A Woman" was a big tune and featured on the RCA compilation "Jumping At The Go Go" compiled by Wigan Casino's Richard Searling in 1976. Mike Raymond later became an actor using the name Michael Champion appearing in many US TV series. Along with Monette, he formed a band Scorpion which also included Funk Brother Bob 'Babbit' and also played on Meat Loaf's first album "Stoney & Meatloaf" on Motown's MoWest imprint in 1971.

Hicks and Baker wrote several of songs recorded by Carol Anderson on Mid-Town in 1972 "Holding On" / "You Boy" and "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dog" as well as a one-off on Explosion "Master Plan (I Love You, I Do)" which is a superb deep cut. All four songs appear on a 2004 Grapevine compilation "Sad Girl: The Legacy Of Detroit's Lost Soul Sister".

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