Duke Fakir, last original Four Tops member, RIP - updated

Duke Fakir, last original member of the Four Tops, has died at the age of 88. Duke was a founder member of the group who had countless hit records from 1964 onwards for Motown. The original line up of Duke, Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton and Obie Benson got together in 1953, when they called themselves the Four Aims. Changing their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames brothers they initally recorded for Chess, but it wasn't until they joined Motown in 1963 that their long run of hits began. Their first, 'Baby I Need You're Loving', was an instant smash (a number one in my personal top ten at the time) and it was followed by such great records as 'Ask The Lonely', I Can't Help Myself', It's The Same Old Song', 'Shake Me Wake Me'. 'Something About You', 'Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever', 'Reach Out I'll Be There' (their biggest hit), 'Standing In the Shadows Of Love', 'Bernadette', 'Seven Rooms Of Gloom' and countless others. After leaving Motown in the early seventies they moved to ABC Dunhill where they had hits with 'Keeper Of the Catle', 'Ain't No Woman Like The One You Got' and 'Are You Man Enough'. 'When She Was My Girl' was a big success for Casablanca in the early eighties and they returned to Motown with 'Back Where I Belong' in 1983. Duke was a regular member throughout and it was only a few days ago that I read that he had at last retired from the group, which continues to this day with a much changed line up. Yet from their formation in the fifties until 1997, when Lawrence Payton died, their line up remianed unchanged - a record for any vocal group I suspect. RIP Duke, and the original Four Tops. You are missed.

It's farewell also to the 'Godfather of British Blues' John Mayall, who has died aged 90. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers was a highly influential blues band from the mid sixties onwards and just about anyone who was anyone in the UK blues arena was a member at one time or another. The list includes John McVie, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Mick Fleetwood, Keef Hartley, Mick Taylor, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Andy Fraser. He also recorded with American musicians, including Paul Butterfield, Don 'Sugarcane' Harris and Freddy Robinson. Despite this he never had a hit, although his albums sold well. He moved to the US in the early seventies and toured extensively for many years

Sandy Posey RIP

Sorry to hear of the death, aged 80, of Sandy Posey who made some memorable pop/country records in the mid sixties including 'Born A Woman' and 'Single Girl'. Born in Alabama, she moved to West Memphis where she became a backing singer for Chips Moman, including on Percy Sledge's 'When A Man Loves A Woman, and for Elvis, Bobby Goldsboro, Tommy Roe and Joe Tex. Her first solo recording for Bell was under the name of Sandy Carmel and wasn't successful but her demo of the Martha Sharp song 'Born A Woman', which is something of an anti feminist anthem, impressed Chips, who produced her recording in Nashville for MGM. This sold over a million copies and her follow up, 'Single Girl' also sold well and reached the UK top 20. She had further success with 'What A Woman In Love Won't Do' and 'I Take It Back'. Sandy moved into the country field in the seventies, produced by Billy Sherrill for Columbia, and had some success with 'Bring Him Safely Home To Me' but later recordings, for Monument and Warner Brothers, failed to become major hits.

Another recent music death is that of Kinky Friedman, (79) who was an offbeat singer. songwriter, humorist and politician, even standing for election as Governor of Texas in 2006. Musically, he formed a surf band King Arthur and the Carrots in 1966 and the satirical but controversially named Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys in 1973. His break came when Commander Cody, of Lost Planet Airmen fame, introduced him to Vanguard records and he recorded an album for ABC and toured with Bob Dylan. Not afraid of bad publicity his songs 'They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Any More' and 'The Ballad of Charles Whitman' received a mixed reception and a performance in Buffalo ended early when he lampooned feminism. It's fair to say that he was an acquired taste - one I failed to acquire - but he certainly made his mark. For more information it's worth reading Garth Cartwright's excellent obituary in The Guardian.