Bill Brandon

I Just Can't Walk Away

Bill Brandon - Same (Prelude Records PRL 12149) 1977.

Can't We Just Sit Down And Talk It Over; Just Can't Walk Away; You Don't Have To Say; Hands Full Of Nothing; We Fell In Love While Dancing; Baby, Love Is A Two Way Street; You Made My Life So Bright; No Danger Of Heartbreak Ahead.

Produced by: Homer Banks & Jesse Boyce.

I Just Can't Walk Away has that fine Southern soul type production, written by Lorraine Johnson (who also had a nice album on Prelude) & Bill Brandon. The track features Brenton Banks and The Nashville Strings, Moses Dillard (of My Elusive Dreams fame) on guitar, Jesse Boyce on Bass. The Modern soul track on this set has to be Baby, Love Is A Two Way Street. The big Boogie track from this set is We Fell In Love While Dancing, recentlly selling on a promo 12" for £180, infact neally all Brandon's singles a collectable. The Streets Got My lady (Northern fave) on Piedmont £200, Whatever I'm, Yours on Moonsong MS 900 (promo) £180.

Bill Brandon was born on October 7, 1943 in Huntsville, Alabama and was raised in a very musical environment. Brandon started his career with Quin Ivy cutting some southern soul. Brandon cut many songs at the Quinvy studios, even though only two more 45s, on Tower and Quinvy, were issued.

Rainbow Road was leased to Tower as a on-off, and the B side You’ve Got That Something Wonderful is a good 1960s dance track. After Quin Ivy stopped issuing records Brandon recorded five high quality singles for Clinton Moon’s Moonsong label in the then thriving soul city of Birmingham, Alabama, under the production of genius Sam Dees and Frederick Knight. The rhythm track for the former was cut at MSS and the class shows. A brilliant one-off Tag Tag for the Nashville based Piedmont label followed in 1976.

This lovely melodic ballad with it’s lovely Dees lyric and subtle arrangement was recorded as part of his Moonsong material and totally overshadows the rather overblown but considerably more famous Street Got My Lady. Brandon then signed for producers Moses Dillard and Jesse Boyce who had a licence deal with Prelude. They took Brandon back to Muscle Shoals to the Wishbone studios where he cut three 45s for the New York label and his only LP to date.

The last Prelude single came out in 1978 and since then no further Brandon recordings have surfaced. Since leaving the music business in 1987 Brandon has earnt a living as a long distance truck driver, and has no regrets over his career choices. My only regret is that the only people who hear him sing these days are the other members of the congregation of his church in Harvest, Alabama.

Bill Brandon Discography:

• Full grown lovin' man / Self preservation South Camp 7006 (1967)
• Rainbow road / Something wonderful Tower 430 (1968)
• Strangest feeling / Since I fell for you Quinvy 7007 (1970)
• I'm a believer now / Stop this merry-go-round Moonsong 9001 (1972)
• Whatever I am I'm yours / Johnnie Mae Wright Moonsong 9003 (1973)
• I am free of your love / Piece of your heart Moonsong 9004 (1973)
• Doing right don't wrong nobody / It's all wrong it's all right Moonsong 9005 (1973)
• Let's make our new love something special / (Let me be your) full time groover Moonsong 001 (with Lorraine Johnson) (1973)
• The streets got my lady / Tag tag Piedmont 078 (1976)
• You made my life so bright / Can't we just sit down and talk it over ~ Prelude 71098 (1977)
• We fell in love while dancing / same (long version) Prelude 71102 (1978)
• Special occasion / Get it while it's hot Prelude 71105 (1978)
• Bill Brandon ~ Prelude LP 12149 (1977)
• Bill Brandon ~ Sequel CD 746 (1995)
• Bill Brandon - Over The Rainbow Soul Scope 7001 CD