Musical Memories: Records that deserved to have been hits
My choice, Tempted, is a combination of a track that I think should have been a hit with a singer who I think should have been more famous. The song was written by Squeeze's usual combination of Glenn Tilbrook (music) and Chris Difford (lyrics), but it's unusual in that it's sung mainly by Paul Carrack at the suggestion of the record's producer, Elvis Costello.
Carrack was recruited to replace Jools Holland in 1981, but he left the band a year later. He's worked as a session musician for loads of bands (Roxy Music, The Pretenders, Simply Red, Roger Waters, Elton John, etc), but he never really made it in his own right. He composed and sung How Long?, the only hit by the band Ace - as well as being the lead singer on Mike + The Mechanics' hit, The Living Years.
You may have heard of this track, but it was never a hit. It only got to No. 41 in the UK and No. 49 in the US, though it's received a lot of airplay, especially after it was featured in the soundtrack of the film Reality Bites. It's a soulful departure from Squeeze's usual sound, a product of extensive touring of the US around this time.
I could have written a long essay on records that did not reach the top 20 in the UK. In the 1960s and 1970s when the hit parade was an important aspect of my life, performers such as Janis Ian, June Tabor, Sandy Denny, Judee Sill, Tim Hardin, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, David Ackles, Gene McDaniels, Mary Wells, Donny Hathaway, Chuck Jackson, Randy Crawford, Lou Rawls, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Jerry Butler, Arthur Alexander, Lou Johnson, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, did not have the hits they deserved.
I initially considered choosing Donny Hathaway's A Song for You (1971). The song was written and originally recorded by rock singer and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album Leon Russell (1970). A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover. Hathaway recorded it in 1971. Hathaway's gospel-inflected interpretation has been praised as redefining the song as his own. It has been claimed that his live performances of the song were electrifying, evoking a near-religious experience for the audience.
However, the song was never released as a single so I can't select it. Hathaway did have two minor hits in the UK singing duets with Roberta Flack: Where Is the Love (29 in 1972) and The Closer I Get to You (42 in 1978). They were bigger hits in the US, but it was not enough for Hathaway and he committed suicide on 13 January 1979.
I have chosen Nick Drake as his lack of success was a factor in his early death. When he was twenty, he signed a deal with Island Records. His first album, Five Leaves Left, was released in 1969. River Man was chosen as the most commercial track and was released as a single. Drake agreed and he thought it was the best thing he had written. It was largely ignored by most disc-jockeys, and it was only played by John Peel and Bob Harris on late-night radio.
Nick Drake was an extremely introverted person and hated performing live. He knew that he needed record success to continue as a professional singer. Island released two further albums, Bryter Layter (1971) and Pink Moon (1972) but neither sold well and Drake's weekly retainer from Island came to an end in 1974. Soon afterwards, on 25th November, Drake died at his home from an overdose of amitriptyline.
By the early 2000s his work was rediscovered, and all three albums have since then sold in large numbers. Like most great artists Drake suffered from the problem that his work was not attuned to public taste of the time. However, it could be argued that if he had not committed suicide in 1974, I would not be aware of him, and he might have become just another forgotten singer from the 1970s. I admit that I did not know of Nick Drake's work until my daughter gave me the CD Five Leaves Left in the 1980s.
Nick Drake, River Man (1969)
The record that I would like to nominate under the category of "a track that should have been a hit " as well as "a singer who should have been famous " is (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me recorded by the American soul singer Lou Johnson in 1964.
This topic allows me to address a bugbear of mine. During the 1960s, it was far too common for British singers with limited musical talent to have hit records in the UK by covering superior original versions that had been released in the USA. In 1962, Kenny Lynch had a hit with his cover version of the Goffin-King song Up on the Roof, originally recorded by the American group The Drifters. Kenny Lynch's cover version reached Number 10 in the UK charts, but the original by The Drifters, although a hit record in the States, did not chart in this country. In 1964, Cilla Black achieved her first number one hit in the UK by producing a cover version of Anyone Who Had a Heart, a song written by Burt Bacharach (music) and Hal David (lyrics) for Dionne Warwick in 1963. Cilla Black's cover version was released in January 1964, before Warwick's original Scepter recording could be licensed by Pye Records for distribution in the UK. Dionne Warwick was upset that her recording was ignored in the UK and felt insulted by Cilla Black's cover version. Dionne Warwick later remarked "I honestly believe that if I'd sneezed on my next record, then Cilla would have sneezed on hers too. There was no imagination in her recording ."
(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me was also created by the song-writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Bacharach's and David's production company had recruited Dionne Warwick to try out their songs and consequently Warwick recorded the song as a ‘demo' in 1963. Bacharach & David gave the song to the American soul singer Lou Johnson (1941-2019) who recorded it for Big Hill Records in July 1964, with backing vocals provided by Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston. Johnson's recording of (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me reached No. 49 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100' chart in the summer of 1964. British impresario Eve Taylor heard Johnson's record whilst she was in the United States, where she was specifically looking for material for her recent discovery Sandie Shaw. On her return to Britain, Taylor arranged for Sandie Shaw to make a near identical cover of Lou Johnson's version of ‘(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me' and rush-released it as a single in September 1964. Sandie Shaw's version reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Lou Johnson's original recording didn't make the British charts.
Lou Johnson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 11th February 1941. After performing with both gospel and secular vocal groups, Johnson signed as a solo singer with Bigtop Records (later known as Big Hill Records) in 1962. The song-writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David provided at least half a dozen songs for Lou Johnson. His third single Reach Out for Me, was written by Bacharach & David and produced by Burt Bacharach himself. Johnson's recording of ‘the song reached No. 74 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100' chart in 1963.
In addition to Reach Out for Meand ‘(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me' (1964), Johnson recorded a number of Bacharach & David songs, including Kentucky Bluebird (A Message to Martha) and Walk on By.
You can see Lou Johnson performing (or should I say miming) his songs Always Something There To Remind Me and Kentucky Bluebird ( A Message to Martha ) on Dick Clark's American Bandstand TV programme in October 1964.
Lou Johnson's version of Kentucky Bluebird (A Message to Martha) - a song originally recorded by American soul artist Jerry Butler on an LP - was released as a single in this country and even entered the lower rungs of the ‘UK Singles Chart', but inevitably it was outsold by Adam Faith's cover version which reached Number 12 in the pop charts.
Lou Johnson recorded only two albums - Sweet Southern Soul (1969) and With You in Mind (1971) - but neither were commercially successful. Johnson's singing career went into decline, but his records remained popular on the UK's ‘Northern Soul' scene. One of his singles, Unsatisfied (1965) was a particular favourite on the ‘Northern Soul' circuit, so much so, that he released this video for his fans in 1999:
Lou Johnson died on 1st May 2019 at the age of 78.
Lou Johnson, (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me (1964).
Tim Hardin died of a heroin overdose in Hollywood on 29th December 1980 - he was 39 years old and planning yet another come back. He suffered from an anxiety appearing before crowds and thus was very erratic in his attendance at gigs. This developed into alcohol and drug problems which eventually killed him. He did appear on the first day at Woodstock Festival, apparently very worse for wear from alcohol consumption, but managed to win over the audience with his solo playing. He did, in fact, have a band with him which featured on only a few of his numbers. He is probably best known for writing Reason to Believe, a big hit for Rod Stewart (Hardin's version), and the Four Tops, If I were a Carpenter (Hardin's version). His songs were often adopted by other artists, but as far as I am aware he never had a hit himself. Misty Roses is a great track from his first LP in the late 60s. I could also have chosen Hang onto a Dream from the same album, but Misty edged it.
Tim Hardin spent a lot of time in England before he died and he was due to appear at Sussex University in the early 70s. I went along to see him, but he never turned up so that was the nearest I got to see him live.
A great writer of simple, but beautiful, short songs who died almost unknown in 1980.
Tim Hardin, Misty Roses (1966)
My choice, which I have mentioned before when we made our selections of 'cover versions', is the Promised Land by the Cajun singer Johnnie Allan.
It was first released in the UK in 1973 on a compilation album Another Saturday Night by the radio broadcaster Charlie Gillette on his Oval label and then as a single. When the single began to get some air play, Elvis Presley had released a version of the song and this scuppered Johnnie Allan's chances. I believe it was released again as a single and this time the original by Chuck Berry stopped Johnnie Allan from his moment of fame.
Johnnie Allan, Promised Land (1973)
It's not straightforward choosing a track that "should have been a hit". Does this mean I shouldn't choose anything too esoteric; something that would never appeal to the general record buying public and would therefore stand no chance of being a hit, whatever I think? Or can I just choose something I like with total disregard to its popularity and potential chart success? Why do songs and artists become hits anyway? Chart success doesn't always bear a close relation to the talent of the artist or the merit of the song.
The band I have chosen is Lake Street Dive. They started in 2004 in Boston Massachusetts and the founding members - who appear on the track I have chosen - were Rachael Price (lead vocals, guitar and ukulele), Bridget Kearney (upright bass, electric bass, piano and vocals), Mike "McDuck" Olson (trumpet, guitar, piano organ and vocals) and Mike Calabrese (drums, organ and vocals).
They are all accomplished musicians; most of them coming from a musical background with some classical music training. They met while attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, by which time they had migrated to jazz. (Prior to joining Lake Street Dive Rachael Price had already gained recognition for her jazz singing.) The band say they were influenced by the music their parents were playing at home - ranging from swing-era jazz to classic '60s pop, soul and rock & roll. A lot of their music definitely has a jazzy feel to it but they also play a range of different styles from pop to soul, motown, folk and rock etc. They claim to have been influenced by songs from the likes of the Mamas and Papas, ABBA, the Drifters, Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, Jackson 5 and Paul McCartney.
They started to attract more attention around 2012 when the four members fully committed themselves to the band. In the same year they recorded Fun Machine, an EP consisting mainly of covers, including the Jackson 5 song I Want You Back . Their live, acoustic version of this track, performed on a Boston street corner, went viral, receiving more than 6 million views on Youtube, which did a lot to promote the band's visibility and popularity. It's what first got me interested in them and I chose this track in my original MM selection. In 2014 they released the album Bad Self Portraits (the first record of theirs I bought) which received generally favourable reviews and some commercial success. Since then they have done reasonably well in the US album charts and their singles have appeared in the US "alternative" charts. They are well known and well liked in certain circles but I suspect that they remain unknown to most of the record buying public and by no means can they be considered "famous".
These days the band is based in Brooklyn. Akie Bermiss (keyboards, organ and vocals) joined them in 2017 and I've just learned that, this May, Mike Olson announced he would be leaving, after performing with the band for 16 years.
I have seen them twice locally and I really enjoyed their live performances. Each member of the band makes a unique contribution to their sound and, in Rachael & Bridget, they are fronted by two strong, very talented female musicians. However it is Rachael Price's vocals that really grab my attention and hook me in every time.
I wasn't sure if this month's category meant I should choose a single that failed to make the charts or whether I was allowed to pick any piece of music, regardless of whether it was released as a single or not. I solved this problem by choosing a track that was sold exclusively on 7 inch vinyl in April 2014 to celebrate Record Store Day. You can now purchase the song digitally but, at the time, not many copies would have been pressed and so it has never been a hit and it never featured in any charts.
The song is What I'm Doing Here, a slow ballad, which was written by Rachael Price. "Nobody knows what I'm doing here ", she sings and she admits she hasn't got a clue herself. Is the boyfriend she's singing about worth keeping? And is she wasting her time " messing around with these other fools" when she should be with him? The accompanying Youtube clip shows her singing the song in the studio: the track was reputedly recorded in one complete take. If this is true then I think it was a remarkable achievement, no studio trickery whatsoever, just a really powerful performance.
The song is hard to categorise. One review describes it as a "bluesy ballad ", another detects " a gospel-tinged depth of emotion ": a third talks about the jazz inflections in her voice. Personally I think Rachael Price's voice has a real soulful tone to it; during the song she soars through a large vocal repertoire and listening to it still sends shivers down my spine.
I don't really have any idea what music features in the charts these days. I've just checked out the top 20 and there were only 2 artists/songs I recognised. One of these was Ed Sheeran and the other was Baddiel & Skinner's Three Lions. However I'm pretty sure that songs like What I'm Doing Here rarely appear in the charts any more. To my mind this track definitely deserves to be heard by a wider audience and it should probably have been a hit (had it been on wider release). Whilst becoming famous may not be the singular ambition of musicians who really care about their craft, I certainly think that Rachael and the band deserve much greater recognition. But then I probably feel like many people who have a favourite lesser-known band: if everyone knew about them, I wouldn't be able to claim them as my own.
Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive), What I'm Doing Here (2014)
Recently Helen & I watched the excellent BBC TV programme "Black Classical Music: The Forgotten History". Amongst others, the programme featured Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, an English classical composer (1875-1912; died aged 37). He was famous in his time and made three tours of the USA where the musicians called him the "Black Mahler". Coming from a poor single parent family but with a musical mother, he played the violin at age 5 and entered the Royal College of Music aged 15, training in composition. His most famous work was Hiawatha's Wedding Feast (1898) for orchestra, chorus & solo tenor, having 200 performances by 1904. The choral work featured annually at the Royal Albert Hall in a spectacular display with 200 dancers, 700 singers and orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, with last performance in 1939. Coleridge-Taylor's musical style was influenced by Dvorák, Grieg and especially traditional African music, acknowledging his Africa descent. " Pentatonic melody, syncopated rhythm and bluesy harmony are among the elements that make his music distinctive". In his short life he composed over 100 works including transcribed "24 Negro Melodies" for piano, chamber works, a symphony and an opera, plus salon music of various sorts to supplement his income. He has recently been championed by Chineke! Orchestra and the Kanneh-Masons. I particularly enjoy Coleridge-Taylor's Clarinet Quintet, but I've chosen an orchestral piece to show a wider range of Coleridge-Taylor's ability.
Here is his Petite Suite de Concert, with an introduction by the conductor:
Lettice Maltravers
I had not heard of Francesca Caccini before I was prompted by this subject to have a look at less well known female composers. It has been an interesting thing to do on a very hot day when with the temperature at 30 degrees it's impossible to do very much but sit indoors and try to keep cool.
Her music has been mostly forgotten for centuries, but here is a song from the composer of what is claimed to be the first opera in the world written by a woman, La Liberazione di Ruggiero. I believe that this song is not from that opera but from her only surviving song book. Although she was a very prolific composer, sadly most of her work has been lost. She was a contemporary of Monteverdi and was employed as composer, performer and teacher at the Medici court in Florence in the early seventeenth century. In her time she was the highest paid musician at court. She was married twice and had at least three children. Her choice of subject material was wide, ranging from sacred music and Psalms to witty songs about the joys and perils of love: I've chosen a love song, you can decide for yourself whether it's only of its time or just as relevant today!
There has been much more interest in baroque music in the latter part of the 20th and the 21st century, and obviously Ars Lyrica Houston are enjoying not only performing the music with tremendous skill and enjoyment, but also adding fun and entertainment which I hope you will enjoy as much as the modern audience at this live video recording.
Chi desia (Whoever desires): Francesca Caccini (1587- c1641). Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z39HqtdNgzM&list=RDxvw66rtLpkg&index=3
My choice may be banned from the remit of "Tracks that should have been hits or singers who should have been famous". My excuse is that Ryan Adams never really caught the attention in the UK and possibly went unnoticed by the 'general music buyers'. OK boys, I know that there are plenty of Music Gurus amongst you but I had never heard of him until a flirtatious ex boyfriend sent me the CD on spec. I loved all of it.
The CD is Gold, recorded as his second and by far the best selling of Ryan's solo albums. It only reached No 20 in the charts in the UK (and was even less popular in the US). Before he went solo he was in the band Whiskeytown and had some success with their punk/rock/indie band.
Ryan was a troubled lad born in Jacksonville, North Carolina on 5th November 1974 and was mostly brought up by his grandparents. He started writing short stories and limericks very young and then formed a schoolboy band when he was 16. He spent around 5 years with Whiskeytown and then started his solo career in 2000. He had problems with his record producers who chose tracks for his albums and held albums back due to their 'sensitive nature'. However Gold kick started his mainstream popularity due to the first track on the album which I will outline later.
The track I have chosen is a live version of Answering Bell. Other live performances are marred by screaming girls. It is a gentle song. I hope you enjoy it.
I have been cheeky and included a second track, mostly because it is nearly 20 years since this terrible day and I wanted to give us all a nod to this terrible day in history and the fluke that Ryan recorded it four days before. It is another live version with the New York skyline in the video.
Thank you for humouring me and forgiving my bending of the rule.
In 1979 I journeyed to Birmingham to hear the Welsh National Opera's production of Tristan and Isolde conducted by Reginald Goodall. On the way I visited Compton Wynyates.
And in Birmingham I a very good Muglai chicken, which even included the authentic touch of silver foil on the meat, before going to the theatre. The highlight of the day, and then the evening, and finally the night, was still the Wagner. And the highlight of that was not the conductor Reginald Goodall, whom I had heard conduct the Ring at the ENO. ( That should be Sir Reginald, who somehow got a knighthood despite being a member of the British Union of Fascists and of being an outspoken supporter of the Nazis throughout the war, and believing that the Holocaust was ‘a BBC Jewish plot'. Naturally, he was a great Wagnerian.) As it turned out, the real highlight was the Isolde, the soprano Linda Esther Gray, who was that almost oxymoronic thing, an opera singer from Greenock.
With the ENO Gray sang the role in English. In this short BBC clip from 1981, in which Goodall's more lovable side is emphasised, Gray appears along with her ENO Tristan, the Scouser Alberto Remedios:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJSy91_gwc
In 1983 she appeared is on Desert Island Discs, engagingly down to earth and with a natural modesty and humour; there was no attempt at self- promotion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuU6q-AlRP4
Gray was the coming Callas , but a little more homely. The world was all before her. Then, nothing. What happened?
Here is a review in a couple of paragraphs of her memoirs which are compared favourably to most others in the genre;
https://news.wosu.org/classical-101/2009-09-08/a-peek-inside-linda-esther-grays-memoir
To quote "There's a sexy, smart and emotional heroine devoted to music and to singing. And there's that horrible vocal breakdown. Linda became seriously ill and underwent extensive abdominal surgery in the early 1980s. That might have caused the problem. She sang the big Wagner roles thrillingly when she was barely in her thirties - that couldn't have helped. Linda went from a young, strong confident singer to a sorrowful wreck who couldn't even phonate over two years time. Even her speaking voice was diminished. She never pinpoints the exact reason why this happened to her."
Here is a lengthier take from a Tristan freak (36 recordings, what does he do in his spare time? Well, he obviously writes a blog.)
https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=13772
But of course it isn't over until the- insert your own adjective- lady sings, so here she is, singing Tchaikovsky:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXXGQGdpvoA
But you were probably expecting this, in which the music and the soprano both reach an uninterrupted climax at once:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IorKzZKWwWw
So there you are.