Spencer Wiggins [2023] - Holding On To A Dying Love / I'm At The Breaking Point + Let’s Talk It Over [Hit And Run#HR 1555]

The second of two vinyl releases from Hit And Run contains three tracks from Spencer Winnins' Fame period. It covers several bases, a southern soul deep cut, a crossover soul and one for the Northern Soulies.

"Let's Talk It Over" is an unreleased Goldwax recording which gained a release in 2009 on Kent Select having been released on Torch and Soul Series around 1996. The song first saw the light of day on a 1991 Japanese compilation CD "Goldwax Collection" released by Vivid Sound who had licensed Goldwax recordings for release. It transpires that this song (as well as others) had been sold to Fame but were inadvertently included. The Kent Select one is the only one 'properly' licensed.  In addition the Torch release is a different mix with an organ (listen @ 0:13 and again @ 1:26 below).

The crossover track "I'm At The Breaking Point" is another unreleased recording from 1969 (not the Brad Lundy song of the same name also recorded by Deena Johnson). It was also first released on Kent Select as a single in 2011 having been included on Kent's Spencer Wiggins compilation "Feed The Flame - The Fame And XL Recordings" CD. The flip is a cover of Bettye Swann's "Make Me Yours".

Finally the A side, "Holding On To A Dying Love", was previously unreleased until it featured on Kent's "Feed The Flame - The Fame And XL Recordings" in 2010 which also includes both of the B side songs. It was also recorded by Otis Clay, an album only track from  on "Trying To Live My Life Without You" in 1972 on Hi.

Wiggins left secular music in 1973 leaving his birth town Memphis for Miami and became a deacon and choir director at the New Birth Baptist Church. He died in Feb '23 aged 81

It's available now paypal hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com (as 'friends and family').

£15 each + £3 UK postage (good for 1-3 records) OVERSEAS - please pm for current postage rates.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Southern Soul / Crossover / Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hit And Run
Cat No:	HR 1555
Date:	17/09/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Make Me Yours - A Version Excursion

One of the very first soul 45s I bought was Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours.  I came a cross a playlist in Blues & Soul today which included Ann Peebles version which she recorded on her debut album that I wasn't aware of, or had completely forgotten about. This got me wondering who else had covered it.  The obvious one is Z.Z. Hill's version but there are quite a few others.

I've found 22 (so far). If you know of any others please leave a comment.

Here she is performing it live at 6Ts Northern Soul Weekender at Cleethorpes in 2013 aged 68!

1967 - Bettye Swan 45 on Money

196? - Bobby Montgomery 45 on Highland

1967 - Shirley Kay 45 on Trojan - this is a misnomer as the record was incorrectly labelled and is actually by Phyllis Dillon and is a reggae version.

1967 - Z.Z.Hill from 'A Whole Lot Of Soul' and only got a 45 release in UK on Action in 1969.

1968 - Mary Wells on ' Servin' Up Some Soul'

1969 - Ann Peebles from 'This Is Ann Peebles'

1969 - Wayne Boykin 45 on Atlantic

1970 - Joyce Bond & The Color Supplement from 'Wind Of Change'

1973 - Leon Haywood from 'Back To Stay'

1973 - Tandi Klassen from Love I Strange - a South African singer

1977 - Jackie Moore 45 on Kayvette

1980 - High Inergy 45 on Gordy and on 'Hold On'

1983 - Michelle Williams (Swamp Dogg's daughter) from 'Dancing With Soul 

1986 - The R & B Cadets from 'Top Happy' ... a health warning on this one!

1986 - Joyce Lawson 12" on Mutt & Jeff

2000 - Eastwest Connection Feat. Maiya James on 'Nothing Can Hold Us Back'

2009 - Vaneese Thomas on 'Soul Sisters Vol. One'

2010 - Spencer Wiggins 45 on Ken - a previously unreleased Fame recording from 1971 

2012 - Peggy Scott Adams from 'Life After Bill'

2017 - Syleena Johnson from 'Rebirth Of Soul'

2019 - Bonita & The Blues Shacks from 'Sweet Thing'

2020 - Pawn Shop Soul on 'Pawn Shop Soul With Simone Cox' - pretty bad devoid of any soul!