Wanda Young of the Marvelettes RIP

It's been rumoured for a few days but it has now been confirmed by her family that Wanda Young of the Marvelettes has died at the age of 78. Wanda was a member of the group almost from the start and sang lead on 'So Long Baby', the B side to the huge 1961 hit ''Please Mr Postman'. She sang lead on some other tracks, including 'You're My Remedy' in 1964 and from 1965 she was the group's lead singer and was the main voice heard on some of their greatest tracks, including 'Don't Mess With Bill', 'The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game', 'My Baby Must Be A Magician' and 'When You're Young And In Love'. Wanda married Bobby Rogers of the Miracles and changed her professional name to Wanda Rogers. When the group's hits dried up in the late sixties they disbanded but Wanda recorded a solo album produced by Smokey Robinson. It was misleadingly entitled 'The Return of the Marvelettes' even though the other members did not contribute and most backing singing was by the Andantes. The cover shows three women on horseback but the faces of two of them are blurred out as the other members did not wish to be featured. It's a pretty good LP which includes covers of several well known Motown songs including 'Some Day We'll Be Together', 'A Breath Taking Guy' and 'Fading Away' but for some reason it was not released in the UK despite receiving a catalogue number. Wanda left the music business in the early seventies but returned to performing in the early nineties and took part, with original lead singer Gladys Horton, in an album called 'The Marvelettes Now' for Ian Levine's Motorcity label.

Another recent death is that of reggae singer Leo Graham, whose distinctive voice can be heard on a handful of Lee Perry produced records by the Bleechers including 'Ram You Hard' (attrubuted to John Lennon and the Bleechers), 'Check Him Out' and 'Come Into My Parlour'. In the seventies he recorded as a solo artist including 'Three Blind Mice' for Lee Perry and 'Perilous Time' and 'Not Giving Up' for Joe Gibbs.

Keith Woods RIP

This year just keeps getting worse. I was shocked today by the death of Keith Woods, the founder of the eponymous Tales From The Woods group that I have been pleased to be a member of for around two decades. I knew he was in hospital but had no idea that he had cancer, and neither, it seems, did anyone else. Keith was a remarkable character who put on a series of music events stretching back to 2006 featuring UK acts who made their names in the fifties and the sixties, and quite a few American artists who made the trip to London especially to appear. He also encouraged young artists with a talent for rock and roll and the blues. I'm not sure when i first met Keith but it was some time in the early nineties when I kept bumping into him, always wearing a hat of some kind, at various gigs across London and at music festivals featuring roots music or blues. When John Howard and I visited Memphis in 1998 we came across Keith in the Rum Boogie Cafe on Beale Street along with fellow Woodies Tony Papard and Lee Wilkinson (see photo below).

The Woodies began regular monthly meet ups shortly afterwards and a bi-monthly newsletter was launched, with Keith firmly in charge and authoring a 'Hold the Third Page' feature in each issue. This was and still is a strange beast, happily accepting any writings that Woodies chose to offer, usually unedited. These included reviews of roots music gigs and record releases, memories of life in the old days, sometimes outrageously non-PC articles and offbeat stories (plus items from 'The Vinyl Word'). Keith started to organise shows in around 2006 including a tribute to the fifties skiffle boom, with Chas McDevitt, the City Ramblers and Peter Donegan, son of Lonnie, pub gigs at the 'Water Rats' near King's Cross and other venues featuring Barrence Whitfield, Lazy Lester and Robert Penn, rock and roll shows with early stars such as Wee Willie Harris and Vince Eager, even a soul show with Lou Pride. In 2007 he started a series of shows dedicated to the memory of the 2Is, the Soho coffee bar where British rock and roll was born. Then there was a show in memory of the great record producer Joe Meek; one remembering the music of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent; one starring swamp pop singer Gene Terry; another starring Jimmy Powell and Chris Andrews. There were high quality performances by the likes of Shreveport based Margaret Lewis, Chas Hodges, Charlie Gracie, Roddy Jackson, Mike Berry, P P Arnold, Kingsize Taylor, Cliff Bennett, the Allisons, Jackie Lynton, Billie Davis, Beryl Marsden, Dave Berry, Roy Young Zoot Money and - possibly the greatest show of all - the doowop spectacular starring Tommy Hunt, Gaynel Hodge and John Cheatdom, backed by the Velvet Candles from Spain. The shows came to a juddering halt when Covid came along but there was time for one more show in September of this year to celebrate 20 years of Tales From The Woods starring Garry Mills and Mike Berry among others. Throughout this long run of shows superb backing was provided by a band that called itself simply the Tales From the Woods House band, led by my mate John Spencely. There were also low key meet ups at Gerry's bar in Soho where anyone - even me - could get up and sing a couple of numbers. Keith was always the genial host, introducing the 'wock and woll' as only he could. People sometimes asked why he did all this. It certainly wasn't for the money as I doubt he broke even on many occasions. It was for the love of the music and the desire to get half forgotten artists onto a stage at least one more time. I'm sure that all Woodies will join me in saying Keith - you will be missed. RIP.

Sonny Rhodes passes on

Another day another death. This time blues singer and lap steel guitar player Sonny Rhodes at the age of 81. Sonny was perhaps the last of a lengthy list of turban wearing American musicians, others being Chuck Willis, Eddie Bo, Sam the Sham, Eddie Daniels and Dr Lonnie Smith (who died in 2021 and who should have been included in my list the other day). Born in Texas Sonny originally performed under the name of Clarence Smith and made one record for the Domino label in Austin, but changed his name after settling in Oakland after a spell in the US Navy. His influences included L C Robinson, who taught him how to play lap steel guitar, T Bone Walker and B B King. He recorded a couple of records for the Galaxy label but, frustrated by his lack of success, he set up his own Rhodes-Way label and released the album 'Just Blues'. He went on to tour Europe on several occasions and recorded for a variety of labels including Ichiban and Kingsnake. I saw Sonny play at the 100 Club in 1994 when he was in his prime and again at the King Biscuit Festival (pictured) in 2014 (although on this occasion he was wearing a cap). This time he had to be helped to the stage but sounded fine on numbers such as 'Why Do You Treat Me So Cold' and 'I Go To The River'. RIP Sonny.

Joe Simon RIP

No sooner have a paid tribute to musicians who have died during the year than I hear of the death of a true soul and R and B great - Joe Simon at the age of 85. Born in Louisiana, Joe's family moved to California and he began his singing career with the Golden West Gospel Singers. The group turned secular and soon after Joe went solo, recording 'My Adorable One' for Veejay. He was signed to Sound Stage 7, then a subsidiary of Monument, where he was produced by John Richbourg. He had a big hit in 1966 with 'A Teenagers Prayer'. Other country flavoured soul hits followed, including '(You Keep Me) Hanging On', 'The Chokin' Kind', 'Nine Pound Steel', 'My Special Prayer, 'Moon Walk' and 'Farther On Down The Road' - all brilliant examples of the genre. He signed for the Spring label in 1970 where his career was guided by Gamble and Huff as well as John Richbourg and his music became less country soul orientated but still very successful. Hits included 'Drowning In The Sea of Love', 'Power of Love, 'Step By Step' (his only UK success) and 'Get Gown Get Down (Get On The Floor)'. In all Joe saw 51 records chart in the US R and B and pop charts between 1964 and 1981. In the late seventies Joe gave up secular music and moved into the gospel field, recording an album called 'Lay My Burden Down'. He became a bishop in his own church and it looked unlikely that we would ever see Joe perform again, but a miracle happened and he performed at the Porretta Soul Festival in 2008, with support from the the 24 strong Avenue D choir from Florida. He refused to sing most of his hits claining that his early work was 'satan's music' but he did sing slightly changed versions of 'My Special Prayer' and 'A Teenager's Prayer'. His voice was still a beautiful thing but it was a pity we didn't get to hear the likes of 'The Chokin' Kind' and 'Nine Pound Steel'. RIP Joe.

Death list 2021

Every year at about this time I pay tribute to musicians who have died during the year. But before I do that, there are several who have passed away in the last few days that I really should mention. Most notable of these is Michael Nesmith, an accomplished singer and songwriter who also happened to be a member of the Monkees, an artificial group that produced quite a few records that have stood the test of time. Like most people my age I never missed an episode at the time, even though it was all pretty banal. It was lightweight entertainment but with a true musical core and Mike Nesmith, with his woolly hat, was probably the best musician of the four. Before he joined the Monkees he had a couple of records released and afterwards, with his country rock band the First National band and solo, he enjoyed success with albums such as 'Magnetic South', 'Loose Salute' and 'Nevada Fighter'. Songwriting credits included 'Different Drum', 'Mary Mary', 'Some of Shelly's Blues'. 'Joanne', 'Silver Moon' and his solo hit 'Rio'. He was reunited with the other Monkees occasionally in the 80s and 90s and took part in their studio album in 1995.

Another death is that of Gil Bridges who was a founder member, sax player and one of the vocalists with Rare Earth, who were the first successful white Motown group. They had success with rock versions of the Temptations' (I Know) I'm Losing You'and 'Get Ready'. Motown also chose to call their rock spin off label Rare Earth. Successful albums included 'Get Ready', 'Ecology', 'One World' and 'Back To Earth'. Gil Bridges was the only band member who stayed with them throughout their career.

A final word too for Ralph Tavares, a member of seventies soul and disco brother band Tavares.

Other musicians who have died during 2021 include Astro (Terence Wilson) - member of UB40; Chris Barber - leading UK jazz trombonist; Jo Jo Bennett - reggae composer and arranger; Jay Black - frontman of Jay and the Americans; Tim Bogert - bass player with Vanilla Fudge; Cornell Butler - lead singer recently of the Dynamics; Ray Campi - rockabilly singer and bass player; Sanford Clark - country/rockabilly singer; Willie Cobbs - blues harmonica player; Commander Cody (George Frayne IV) - leader of country rock band; Charles Connor - rock and roll drummer; Quinton Claunch - legendary Memphis record producer; Chick Corea - jazz keyboardist and bandleader; Johnny Crawford - teenage singer and actor; Sarah Dash - member of Labelle; Morris BB Dickinson - founder of War; Graeme Edge - drummer with the Moody Blues: Marc Ellington - folk/rock singer/songwriter; Pee Wee Ellis - James Brown bandleader and songwriter; Don Everly - half of famed duo; Carol Fran - Louisiana swamp pop singer; Grady Gaines - blues guitarist and saxophonist; Roy Gaines - Texas blues guitarist; Nancy Griffith - Austin based country/folk singer; Tom T Hall - country singer/songwriter; Roger Hawkins - drummer at Fame studios; Dusty Hill - bearded bass player with Z Z Top; Stonewall Jackson - singer of Waterloo; Alan Lancaster - bassist with Status Quo; John Lawton - vocalist with Uriah Heep; Gerry Marsden - lead singer of Liverpool group the Pacemakers; Philles McGuire - member of the McGuire Sisters; Les McKeown - lead singer of Bay City Rollers; John Miles - vocalist best known for 'Music'; Mike Mitchell - guitarist with the Kingsmen; Patsy Ann Noble - Australian born sixties pop singer; Dean Parrish - northern soul singer; Trevor Peacock - sixties singer and actor; Lee -Scratch' Perry - reggae producer and singer; Nolan Porter - northern soul singer and songwriter; Lloyd Price - R and B and rock and roll singer; James Purify - member of James and Bobby Purify soul duo; Danny Ray - James Brown's 'cape man'; Sonny Roberts - reggae and lovers rock producer; Sherman Robertson - Louisiana born bluesman; U Roy - Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting; Barry Ryan - British pop singer; Russ Sainty - UK rock and roll singer; Gil Saunders - soul singer with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes; Willie Schofield - R and B singer with the Falcons; Robbie Shakespeare - reggae producer one half of Sly and Robbie; Phil Spector - disgraced Wall of Sound record producer; Jim Steinman - record producer for Meat Loaf and others; Warren Storm - Cajun singer and drummer; Gene Summers - rockabilly singer and guitarist; Sylvain Sylvain - guitarist with the New York Dolls; Gene Taylor - boogie woogie pianist; B J Thomas - country singer/songwriter; Sue Thompson - American pop singer; Brian Travers - sax player with UB40; Frank Troutt - member of the Majors; Ron Tutt - drummer for Elvis and others; Hilton Valentine - guitarist with the Animals; Bunny Wailer - reggae artist and founder member of the Wailers; Charlie Watts - Rolling Stones drummer; Jim Weatherly - American singer/songwriter; Ernest Wilson - reggae singer and member of the Clarendonians; Mary Wilson - member of the Supremes; Willie Winfield - lead singer with doowop group the Harptones. The Vinyl Word raises a glass to them all and to others who have passed on during 2021.