Posts Tagged ‘Minnie Riperton’

The Raeletts

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Listen: Leave My Man (Woman) Alone / The Raeletts
Leave My Man (Woman) Alone / The Raeletts

Having developed a liking for early Ray Charles records meant the net was cast, and all things remotely related dragged in. Enter The Raeletts. Although sometimes referred to as The Raelettes, depending on which single you’re holding, various early members are mentioned/not mentioned in the their lineup. The more famous, like Mable John, Merry Clayton and Minnie Riperton, all got a run for their money by vocalist Vernita Moss, more often than not, criminally overlooked.

Her ad libs on ‘Leave My Man (Woman) Alone’ are priceless, seldom heard on record at that time. Tangerine, Ray Charles’ imprint, released some raw and earthy records in the late 60′s/early 70′s patch, and this is one. Relegated to the B side didn’t mean it could hide for long.

This copy was shipped in the above company sleeve. One side of which is an all white front, revealing the record’s label copy through a standard, circular hole, while the back is a uncut, color picture of the generic Tangerine artwork.

The Raeletts appeared many times on US television, including THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, many times with Vernita Moss.

Linda Lewis

Friday, January 28th, 2011

LindaLewisRockUK, Linda Lewis, Raft

LindaLewisDoodleUSA1, Linda Lewis, Reprise, Raft, Jim Cregan
LindaLewisDoodleUSA2, Linda Lewis, Reprise, Raft, Jim Cregan

Listen: Rock A Doodle Doo / Linda Lewis
Rock A Doodle Doo / Linda Lewis

Linda Lewis had a mid-chart UK hit with ‘Rock A Doodle Doo’ during the summer of ’73 (#15). If you were there you’d know, it was played relentlessly for weeks and weeks, almost like Radio 1 wanted to make it sell. Or maybe just because it sounded so good over the air, like in my case, coming out of a 4″ x 6″ green transistor radio (that era’s version of a hand held device), permanently borrowed off my cousin.

She looked super hot on TOP OF THE POPS, like an English Kim Weston or Tammi Terrell, but with a voice much closer to Minnie Riperton. I was well pleased to get a US promo later that fall, but had no hopes I’d ever hear it on American radio, despite Reprise releasing it twice. Unfortunately, I was right.

LindaLewisKissUSA, Linda Lewis, Reprise, Raft, Jim Cregan, Arista

Listen: It’s In His Kiss / Linda Lewis
It's In His Kiss / Linda Lewis

By 1975, she’d left Raft and Reprise for Arista. For once, Clive Davis seemed to be in step with what I’d have done if I were running the label, make Linda Lewis a star in The US. Her first album for him was great, and the lead single ‘It’s In His Kiss’, even greater and a real chance for her to flex the higher range potential of that voice. It should have been a smash here (it peaked at #6 in The UK) and sounded spectacular on the air. I know. I ran my college station and forced even the most die-hard southern rock DJ’s to spin it. They already hated my tastes, so why not flex. It’s fun being the boss sometimes.

Rotary Connection

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

RotaryAladdin, Rotary Connection, Cadet Concept, Chess, Minnie Riperton, Marshall Chess

Listen: Aladdin / Rotary Connection
Aladdin

Often described as a highly experimental band, Rotary Connection were actually the idea of Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Marshall was also the culprit behind a new Chess Records subsidiary, Cadet Concept Records, an outlet to focus on psychedelic jazz rock instead of the blues and r’n'r genres which had made the Chess label so popular. Basically, he was a chip off the old block but with his finger on the pulse, as they say.

Despite the left of center commercial attempts, The Rotary Connection were basically unsuccessful at the check out counter, yet their critical and influential imprint grew over time. Looking back on their albums proved a lot more was brewing than most folks gave them credit for. ‘Aladdin’ was in an early stack of promos I picked up at the WMCR one night. I played it every few days for a couple of years. I guess you could say it was in light rotation.

I had no idea Minnie Riperton was their vocalist. At the time, I never even owned the albums, just the 7′s. Years later, the completist in me searched out those long players. Lo and behold, it’s Minnie Riperton. I should have recognized that voice, any time you’re not sure if it’s a piccolo or a person, it’s usually Minnie.

In the mid 90′s, when coffee table trip hop became the must have, hipsters Nuyorican Soul covered Rotary Connection’s ‘I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun’, and almost took it mainstream. I think the problem was it was too white for urban radio, and too black for pop, therefore falling into that bottomless crevasse known as ‘almost crossed over’.