Nancy Wilson [2023] - Sunshine / The End Of Our Love [Expansion #EXS041]

We did a Nancy Wilson Profile a few weeks ago for her posthumous birthday on 20 Feb and included one track "The End Of Our Love" on this reissue but not the other "Sunshine".

The lead side is a jazz track from her her 1979 album "Life, Love & Harmony" (also released as a single) and the flip his her only song, to my knowledge, played on the Northern Soul scene regarded as a classic.

Neither are particularly hard to find or expensive records with "The End Of Our Love" being released as the flip to a  Hot 100 Top 30 hit "Face It Girl It's Over" and was reissued in the UK in 1977 to satisfy Northern Soul demand for it. However, it has never featured on any of her albums. 

"Sunshine" wasn't a hit and, at the risk of contradicting myself, there are none currently available for sale on Discogs and prices have been rising for it in recent years after consistently selling for £10-£15, it will now cost you more like £40-£60 to acquire an original copy.

It's available for pre-order from Soul Brother for release in May.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Jazz / Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Expansion
Cat No:	EXS041
Date:	TBC/05/2023
Key/BPM:	10B/94 / N/A
Price:	£13

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Nancy Wilson - A Profile

Nancy Sue Wilson (20 Feb 1937 - 13 Dec 2018) was born in Chillicothe, OH, 86 years ago today. She was fundamentally a jazz singer, who preferred to be called a song stylist, whose career spanned seven decades from 1956 until she retired in 2011. 

Nancy got her break by entering a talent show on WTVN radio when she was 15 which earned her a role on a TV show "Skyline Melodies". She didn't actually win, as is often reported, she was asked not to participate as the station felt that she would run away with it and offered her two slots per week on the TV show instead. 

Her first recording was as a featured vocalist on a single by Rusty Bryant And The Carolyn Club Band "Don't Tell Me" on Dot in 1956 who she toured with from 1956-58.

She moved to New York in 1959 on the suggestion of mentor Cannonball Adderley and got a spot performing four nights a week in a club. Adderley's manager and double-bassist, John Levy sent demos of four songs to Capitol Records who signed her in 1960.

Whilst her third single "Guess Who I Saw Today" is one of her signature songs, it was her fourth single "Save Your Love For Me" that was her first R&B chart entry. Her debut album "Like in Love" was R&B but, again on the suggestion of Cannonball Adderley, she transitioned to jazz and it was her collaborative album with him in 1961 where the hit single "Save Your Love For Me" came from.

Further hits included "Tell Me The Truth" and "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am" for which she won her first Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording. However, with around sixty recorded albums, she rarely crossed over to the Hot 100 singles chart (she had a total of 22 R&B chart entries between 1962 and 1994) with her biggest crossover hit being "Face It Girl It's Over" in 1968 which reached #29 and had her Northern Soul classic "End Of Our Love" on the flip. 

As well as receiving a Grammy in 1965 for "How Glad I Am", she received two more for Best Jazz Vocal Album for "R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)" (2005) and "Turned To Blue" (2007). In addition to many other awards she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.

Such was her popularity in the mid/late 60s that she had her own TV show "The Nancy Wilson Show" which won an Emmy. She also appeared on many other TV shows as both a singer and  an actress.

Interview transcript on Jazz Wax.

Whilst a lot of her material consists of jazz standards, for the playlist below, we've aimed to select the more soulful tracks.

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Nancy Wilson [1968] - Face It Girl, It's Over [Capitol #2136]

For me, Nancy Wilson is one of the classiest jazz singers, with such a distinctive voice and style who we lost in the same year as Aretha at the age of 81.  This is a live performance of one of her best songs which is the A side side of her Northern Soul classic 'The End Of Our Love'.

I've also added a live rendition of a standard she released in 1961 which she performs in her own inimitable way in 1994 and a full concert from 1987.

Nancy Wilson [1961] - Guess Who I Saw Today [Capitol #4647]

Now this is how to deliver a song! A spectacular performance in 1994.

Live @ Newport Jazz Festival 15 Aug 1987 - Full Concert

If you listen to nothing else on this concert, listen to her rendition of 'A Song For You' at 2:25.

Version Excursion - A Song For You (Leon Russell)

A few days ago I posted four different versions of Gladys Knight & The Pips classic 'Neither One Of Us' inspired by an 'amateur' YT version by Krystal Kleeer.  I've found another of her videos singing the Leon Russell classic song, 'A Song For You', made famous by Donny Hathaway, so I thought I'd post what I consider some of the best versions.

The song was written and recorded first by Leon Russell in 1970 on his self-titled debut album, as far as I can tell it was never released as a single in US but it was subsequently released later, generally as a B side, in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Donny Hathaway recorded it on his eponymous 1971 album (his second) and was released as a B side to 'Put Your Hand In The Hand' 45 on Atco the same year.

Well over 200 artists have covered the song in every decade since it's inception including many of the greats including Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Peabo Bryson, Natalie Cole, Ann Nesby, Gerald Levert and pop artists such as Dusty Springfield, Amy Winehouse, Jack Jones, Lena Horne, Renee Geyer, Cher, Peggy Lee, The Carpenters, Simply Red.

Krystla Kleer Live 2019

Whitney Houston Live 1991

Recorded when she was still on top of her game.

H.E.R. Live 2019

H.E.R. means Having Everything Revealed - her real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson and she was a child prodigy featuring on national TV aged 12.  She changed her performing name to H.E.R. in 2016. She is a fantastic singer, I just wish she would sing more soul rather than R&B!

Herbie Hancock Feat. Christina Aguilera Live 2005

Christina is another fantastic singer who suffers from the material that is released.  There are many clips on YT of her 'Sanging' real soul music e.g. Man's World, At Last, Somethings Got A Hold On Me and others.  I wish she'd release a 'proper' soul album as she's got a terrific voice on the right material.

Ray Charles 1993

I don't know when the video was recorded but it was released as a single in 1993 by Warner Bros., so assume that this may have been the video promo for it?

Aretha Franklin Live 2016

Probably not her best version of this as it was recorded in 2016 only two years before her death but worth watching as she was 74 when she performed this and probably not in the best of health.  For me, Aretha truly is, and fully deserves the title, 'The Queen of Soul'.

Nancy Wilson Live 1987

Nancy Wilson, one of the classiest jazz singers that ever lived, who had such a distinctive voice, performing at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1987. Another sad loss in 2018 along with Aretha.

Lalah Hathaway Live 2014

Donny Hathaway's daughter continuing his legacy.

Donny Hathaway Live 1980

The definitive version.