Sunday, February 02, 2020

Doris Duke - a belated RIP

It's a little on the late side, but I've just learned, from Tony Burke, that soul singer Doris Duke died last March. Doris recorded some of the greatest deep soul songs of the early seventies and recorded two great LPs that very much stand the test of time.
As Doris Willingham, taking the name of husband Gus Willingham, an original member of the Cadillacs, she recorded a single called 'You Can't Do That' released on Jay Boy in 1965. She was a backing singer and even recorded some demos for Motown, which were unreleased. But it wasn't until 1969, when she was signed as a solo artist by Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams Jr) that she really made an impact with the album 'I'm A Loser', recorded at Capricorn in Macon, which was released on the Canyon label. This included heartbreaking tracks such as 'I Don't Care Anymore' and 'To The Other Woman (I'm The Other Woman)' and is one of the great soul LPs of all time. A couple of singles on the album did well, but the label collapsed. According to the sleeve notes, Doris can be heard on recordings by Jerry Butler, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin among others, and started her career singing gospel in groups including the Caravans.
Swamp Dogg recorded Doris on a second album called 'A Legend In Her Own Time', recorded in Sheffield, Alabama, which was released on the Mankind label (Contempo in the UK). It didn't sell well, and neither did a further LP called 'Woman', recorded in London. After that it seems that she became confused with a white heiress also called Doris Duke, who recorded some gospel, and faded from the scene. A strange postscript was an LP called Funky Fox, attributed to 'Sister' Doris Duke, released in the UK on the Manhattan label, which featured a variety of artists, none of whom were the real Doris Duke. (see The Vinyl Word, March 10, 2019). Dave Godin regarded Doris as one of the greatest deep soul singers of them all, and who am I to argue. So The Vinyl Word wishes her a belated RIP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QfXf9DUEHE
https://thevinylword.blogspot.com/search?q=doris+duke

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