Sam Hutchins RIP

Yet another soul man has passed on, this time Sammie 'Sam' Hutchins at the age of 79, who recorded as a solo artist and was for many years lead singer of the Masqueraders. He wasn't an original member of the group, which was formed in Dallas in 1957 and who also recorded some records in Detroit in the mid sixties, but recorded three solo singles for Mala and Chips Moman's AGP label with background support from the group. These included a cover of Roger Miller's 'Dang Me', 'I Can't Stop Crying' and 'Big D Breakdown'. The group recorded tracks for AGP, including two which were leased to Wand. The Masqeraders had success with 'I Ain't Gonna Love Nobody Else', which was later recorded by Bobby Womack on his 'Womagic' album, and just missed the R and B top 20 with 'I'm Just An Average Guy' on AGP. They returned to Dallas, with Sam now a member, and released a couple of singles without success. Returning to Memphis they met Willie Mitchell and recorded two singles for Hi ('Let The Love Bells Ring' and 'Wake Up Fool') and then linked up with Isaac Hayes on his Hot Buttered Soul label. This was probably their most successful period, with two albums ('Everybody Wanna Live On' and 'Love Anonymous') and three singles, including 'Baby It's You'. They recorded some singles for the Pathfinder label, owned by Al Green's producer Al Zalesky, and a final album for Bang in 1980. That might have been the end but they reappeared in 2017 singing 'A Change Is Gonna Come' on America's Got Talent, which led to several singles of previously unreleased tracks being issued. In 2020 they collaborated with Eli 'Paperboy' Reed on 'Anytime You Want Me'. Sadly I never got the chance to see the group live, but those who did were mightily impressed. RIP Sam.

Death list 2023 - RIP

It's around this time of year that The Vinyl Word pays tribute to those musicians and those associated with the music industry who have passed on during the year. The list is a long one, as ever, and includes quite a few that I either didn't become aware of or omitted to mention at the time. To them all, I thank them for their contribution to the music we love and wish them RIP.

Stephen Ackles - Norwegian singer and pianist; Peggy Scott-Adams - soul singer with Jo Jo Benson and solo (pictured top) Katherine Anderson - long standing member of the Marvelettes; Vicki Anderson - member of James Brown Revue and widow of Bobby Byrd; Clarence Avant - record executive and Sussex record label owner; Burt Bacharach - influential songwriter, record producer and pianist; Tim Bachman - guitarist and singer with Bachman Turner Overdrive; Chuck Badie - New Orleans bass player; Russell Batiste Jr - drummer with the Meters; Rose Battiste - Detroit based soul singer; Nidra Beard - member of disco band Dynasty; Keith Beaton - member of Blue Magic; Jeff Beck - English guitarist with the Yardbirds and solo; Harry Belafonte - US calypso/folk singer, actor and civil rights activist; Tony Bennett - singer whose career spanned over 70 years (pictured above); R L Boyce - Mississippi bluesman; Victor Brox - UK blues singer with Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation; Jimmy Buffett - US rock singer and restaurant chain owner; Bobby Caldwell - jazz and R and B singer; Steve Calloway - member of soul group the Professionals; Brian Cassar - Liverpool singer aka Casey Jones; Larry Chance - singer with doowop group the Earls; Lawrence Cohn - producer of Robert Johnson box set; David Crosby - singer/songwriter, member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash (pictured below);

Ms Cubie - Detroit R and B singer; Lee Curtis - Liverpool born singer with the All Stars; David Dee - East St Louis blues singer; Lola Dee - fifties singer; Errol Dixon - Jamaican born blues singer and pianist; Jack Earls - Tennessee born rockabilly singer; Bobby Eli - founder member of Philadelphia band MFSP; Billy 'The Kid' Emerson - fifties R and b and rock and roll singer; Junior English - Jamaican reggae singer; Raymond Froggatt - English songwriter and singer; Astrud Gilberto - Brazilian bossa nova singer; Otis Grand - UK based R&B guitarist and bandleader; Dickie Harrell - drummer with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps; Rolf Harris - disgraced Australian artist and singer; Wee Willie Harris - British rock & roll pioneer; Fuzzy Haskins - singer with Parliament and Funkadelic; Ray Hildebrand - Paul of Paul and Paula; James Holland - Chicago based soul singer; Redd Holt - drummer with Ramsey Lewis and Young-Holt Unlimited; Rudolph Isley - founder member of the Isley Brothers; Chuck Jackson - R and b and soul singer who recorded for Wand and Motown; Ahmad Jamal - jazz pianist and composer; Fanita James - member of the Blossoms; Stu James - singer with the Mojos; James 'Tail Dragger' Jones - Chicago bluesman; Howie Kane - member of Jay and the Americans; Bill Kenwright - actor, theatre producer, singer and Everton chairman; Terry Kirkman - member of the Association; Jean Knight - New Orleans singer best known for 'Mr Big Stuff' (pictured below);

Linda Lewis - English singer/songwriter; Denny Laine - musician, singer and founder member of the Moody Blues and Wings; Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian singer/songwriter; Toussaint McCall - Louisiana R and B singer and organist; David McCallum - star of 'The Man From Uncle' and recording artist; Shane McGowan - Irish singer/songwriter with the Pogues; Tony McPhee - British singer and guitarist with the Groundhogs; Randy Meisner - founder member of the Eagles; Jerry Moss - record executive co-founder of A & M Records; Napoleon XIV (Jerrold Samuels) - novelty hit maker and songwriter; Arlie Neaville - gospel, soul and rockabilly singer, AKA Dean Carter; Sinead O'Connor - Irish singer/songwriter and activist; Kendrick Patrick - Trinidad born calypso and ska singer aka Lord Creator; Berman Patterson - founder member of the Cleftones; Bill 'Howl'n'Madd' Perry - bluesman; Johnny Powers - rockabilly singer and guitarist; Lisa Marie Presley - singer songwriter daughter of Elvis; Otis Redding III - soul singer son of famous father; Robbie Robertson - Canadian guitarist and songwriter who worked with Bob Dylan and the Band; Sixto Rodriguez - Detroit musician made famous by movie 'Searching For Sugar Man'; Richard Roundtree - US actor, star of 'Shaft'; Ritchie Routledge - singer with the Cryin' Shames; Peter Shelley - seventies pop singer, originator of Alvin Stardust persona; Robb Shenton - UK rock and roll singer; Don Shinn - keyboard player with the Soul Agents; Wayne Shorter - jazz saxophonist and bandleader; Huey 'Piano' Smith - New Orleans rock and roll pioneer (pictured below);

Seymour Stein - music executive, co-founder of Sire records; Lester Sterling - Jamaican trumpet and saxophone player; April Stevens - vocalist sister of Nino Tempo; Chris Strachwitz - record producer, founder of Arhoolie Records; Barrett Strong - Motown singer and songwriter; Ted 'Kingsize' Taylor - Liverpool rock and roll singer and band leader of the Dominoes; Charlie Thomas - member of and later lead singer of the Drifters; Nick Todd - fifties pop singer, brother of Pat Boone; Top Topham - blues guitarist with the Yardbirds and Duster Bennett; Tina Turner - former wife of Ike and global superstar; Conny Van Dyke - Motown recording artist; Lillian Walker-Moss - member of the Exciters; Cynthia Weil - songwriting partner of Barry Mann; Fred White - member of Earth Wind and Fire; Roger Whittaker - British folk singer/songwriter; Spencer Wiggins - Memphis deep soul singer who recorded for Goldwax; Reuben Wilson - soul jazz organist; Gary Wright - singer and keyboard player with Spooky Tooth; Benjamin Zephaniah - British dub poet (pictured below).

Brenda Lee 's Christmas Number 1

It's only taken 65 years but Brenda Lee has reached the US number one spot at last with her seasonal offering 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'. Recorded in 1958 when she was just 13 and known as 'Little Miss Dynamite', the song makes an annual appearance in the Christmas music charts, alongside other dirges - sorry songs - by the likes of Mariah Carey, Wham, Bing Crosby, Shakin' Stevens and the Pogues. But it's only now that Brenda's contribution to Christmas has made it to the top spot - and it's rising in the UK charts as well. Christmas songs are mostly pretty awful (although those on the Phil Spector Christmas album are an exception) but Brenda's teenage ditty is one of the better ones. A huge star in the sixties, Brenda is all but forgotten these days, apart from at Christmas, and her many LPs fetch very small sums. But I have a soft spot for her run of hits. 'Sweet Nuthin's' was the first number one in my personal top ten chart in March, 1960, and she went on to have another 12 entries in my top ten, including 'Let's Jump The Broomstick', 'Dum Dum, 'Fool Number One' and 'Here Comes That Feeling'. Her Christmas offering got to number eight in my top ten when it was released as a single in the UK in 1962. Like many US artists, including fellow female star Connie Francis, she went out of fashion as the sixties progressed and her hits dried up, although she still had a strong following and a successful career as a middle of the road cabaret favourite. It was good to see her when she performed at Viva Las Vegas in 2017, although her act was a long way removed from the rock and roll that dominates the festival. My take on her performance was: 'Still little, but looking more like a granny, she mostly does cabaret shows these days and it showed. There was too much chat and attempts at audience requests that the band didn't know, with some good old US patriotism thrown in. She had a go at 'Sweet Nothin's' and 'Dum Dum', but her quavery voice struggled somewhat on ballads such as 'Losing You', 'Fool Number 1', 'As Usual' and 'All Alone Am I'. 'Let's Jump The Broomstick' wasn't too bad, as was the unseasonal 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree,' but, great though it was to see a legend who I hadn't seen since 1963 when she toured the UK with Chris Montez and the Beatles bottom of the bill, this was a disappointing set.' Despite that. it's good to know that at the age of 78 her career continues to thrive - at Christmas time anyway. Photo above shows Brenda at Viva Las Vegas while the bottom one is of Alan Lloyd, John Howard and myself at the festival on that day. The three of us have plans for further music trips in 2024 so watch this space.