In 1965, twenty-two year old Jean Knight scored her first record deal, and she recorded her first four singles. The New Orleans native had changed her name for the recordings, feeling that her surname - Caliste - was too hard to pronounce. The singles only got attention locally, and Knight moved on to pursue a career as a baker. In 1970, songwriter Ralph Williams sought her out, wanting her to record some of his songs with producer Wardell Quezergue. Later that year, she travelled to Mississippi's Malaco Studios and she recorded what would be her biggest hit - Mr Big Stuff. The song was intended to be a ballad, but Knight suggested the song's tempo be changed. The recording was shopped around to many major record labels but there was zero interest. In 1971, another song that was recorded in the same recording session became a number one hit - King Floyd's Groove Me. (see HERE) A Stax Records producer remembered the Knight recording, which had a similar and distinctive arrangement from Quezergue, and released it. Mr Big Stuff instantly soared to the top of the charts, and became one of Stax Records biggest hits.
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New Orleans singer/songwriter King Floyd started his musical career singing at a bar on Bourbon Street. After a short stint in the army, Floyd moved to California to pursue music. His 1969 debut album A Man In Love, which he wrote with Dr John, failed to produce any hits so he moved back to New Orleans and found work at the post office. In 1970, Floyd was persuaded to return to the studio by producer/arranger Wardell Querzergue, known as "The Creole Beethoven", to record the song Groove Me. The song was released as the B-side to Floyd's What Our Love Needs. Floyd had written the song when he was in California, it was inspired by a poem that he had written for a college girl at a box factory where he worked. After he had finished the poem, the girl - who he never spoke with - didn't return to work. He never gave the poem to her. The song was recorded at Malaco Records studio in Mississippi during the same recording session as Jean Knight's Mr. Big Stuff. (see HERE) Groove Me quickly became a local classic in New Orleans, and after Atlantic picked up the distribution rights the song soared to the top of the Billboard soul charts. At the age of twelve Ofra Haza joined a local theatre group in her poverty-stricken Tel Aviv neighborhood. Throughout the 1970's the young singer recorded three albums with the Shechunat Hatikvah Workshop Theatre, and by the time she was nineteen she was a Israeli pop sensation - she had been called "the Madonna of the East." A year before recording her first solo album, twenty-one year old Ofra Haza performed with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre on 1978 Israeli television singing a 17th century Hebrew poem that she had set to music. In 1984 she recorded the song for an album, and in 1988, after over a dozen solo albums, the internationally celebrated Haza re-recorded the song. The new version of Im Nin'Alu was released as a single and extensively remixed, and it was featured on her 1988 Shaday album. The single topped the charts across Europe, and was eventually sampled by Coldcut for his notorious remix of Eric B & Rakim's Paid In Full. This video from 1978 is Ofra Haza's original performance of the song, view her 1988 video HERE. The song lyrics translated: "Even if the gates of the rich are closed, the gates of heaven will never be closed." Barry White, a gangster turned musician, is one of the top selling artists in the history of the world. In 1973, White released the orchestral disco track Love's Theme from his newly created 40-piece Love Unlimited Orchestra. The track was also featured on the group's 1974 debut album Rhapsody In White, and again on their second album Under The Influence Of...Love Unlimited. White had originally planned to have vocals on this song, but changed his mind after Gene Page created the song's fantastic string arrangement. White's decision to leave out the vocals helped to make Love's Theme a worldwide hit. It is one of the few purely instrumental tracks that have topped the pop charts. The influential song is also considered to be the first "hit" of the disco era, which took off in 1975 - the year after Love's Theme topped the charts. Lyrics were later added on a second version of the song which was featured on In Heat, the third album from White's all-female vocal trio Love Unlimited in 1974. In 1973, Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays released their heavily praised Ship Ahoy album, featuring For The Love Of Money and Put Your Hands Together. The album also featured the Leon Gamble and Kenny Huff penned Now That We Found Love. In 1978 Now That We Found Love was covered by Jamaican group Third World an their third album Journey To Addis. Third World's more uptempo version was a hit in the US and the UK. Because of the crossover success of the song, Third World was able to recruit Stevie Wonder to perform with them (in tribute to Bob Marley) at the 1981 Reggae Sunsplash. The following year Third World and Wonder wrote Try Jah Love together. In 1985, Third World re-issued Now That We Found Love, charting with the song in the UK for a second time. In 1991, the Third World version was used by rapper Heavy D for his hit rap version of the song. In 1987, New York singer/songwriter Joyce Sims released her first album Come Into My Life, featuring her biggest hit - the title track. The album, produced by Kurtis Mantronik, is a garage classic, and it was the first album on Sleeping Bag Records to be released on cutting-edge CD format. Her debut single All And All had been released in 1986, and it became an instant international club hit. When her single for Come Into My Life was released it soared into the top ten in the US and the UK. Sims, who writes most of her own songs, continues to record and tour internationally. In the mid-1970's disco band Instant Funk formed in New Jersey, and they moved to Philadelphia in 1976 to record their debut album on TSOP Records. They also found success as a back-up band for many artists including Curtis Mayfield, MFSB, The O'Jays and Loleatta Holloway. Among their early hits as a back-up band was Evelyn "Champagne" King's 1978 disco hit Shame. In 1979, Instant Funk recorded their second album - their self titled debut on Salsoul Records - featuring their most well-known song I Got My Mind Made Up. In 1968, the horn-heavy latin-influenced funk band Mandrill was formed in Brooklyn by Carlos, Lou and Ric Wilson. The three Panama-born brothers made up the horn section of the seven member band. Mandrill was celebrated for their positive and uplifting mix of musical styles, which pioneered the genre of world music. Their first three albums were recorded at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. In 1970, Mandrill released their self-titled debut on Polydor Records, followed by their Mandrill Is album in 1972. Their most successful album Composite Truth was released In 1973, featuring their signature song Fencewalk. This video of Mandrill performing Fencewalk is from 2002. Gregory Issacs, also known as the Cool Ruler, launched his solo career in 1970 at nineteen years old. In 1973, Issacs opened the African Museum record store and label with fellow singer Errol Dunkley. The two had a big hit with My Only Lover, recorded on their label, which was the first ever "lovers rock" record. In 1977 and 1978 Issacs teamed up with producer Alvin Ranglin and recorded Tune In and several other hit records. Tune In is featured in Issac's 1980 album The Lonely Lover. In 1978 Issacs became one of the biggest reggae artists in the world after signing a record deal with Virgin Records, and making an appearance in the Jamiacn film Rockers. In this video clip from 1978, Issacs is featured performing Tune In on Earl Chin's Rootsman show. Josephine Baker was the daughter of Carrie McDonald and vaudeville drummer Eddie Carson. The two had an act together in St. Louis, and began carrying baby Josephine onstage as part of their act when she was one. Carson would eventually abandon Josephine and her mother, and at age eight she was a live-in servant for an abusive white family. By the time she was thirteen she had dropped out of school and was living in cardboard boxes on the street. When she was fifteen her street corner dancing got her noticed, and she was hired by The St Louis Chorus vaudeville show. After a few years she headed to New York City, and by the early 1920's she was dancing in the chorus of groundbreaking Broadway revues - she was said to be the highest paid chorus girl in vaudeville. In 1925, Josephine traveled to Paris for a new gig and she became an instant star. She settled down there and quickly became well known for her erotic dancing. In 1934, she starred in the French film Zou-Zou - it was the first time a black woman starred in a major motion picture. She eventually became a French citizen, and she was later awarded French military honors for her involvement in aiding the French resistance during World War II. In 1959 Josephine recorded the novelty song Don't Touch My Tomatoes. |
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