Barbara Acklin

Barbara Acklin - Mr Sunshine (Where Is My Shadow)



Barbara Acklin - Seven Days Of Night - MCA MUPS 410 (1970)

A Raggedy Ride, Go With Love, Seven Days Of Night, Just Ain't No Love, Where Would I Go, Am I The Same Girl, Until You Return, This Girl's In Love With You, Here Is My Heart, Mr. Sunshine (Where Is My Shadow), Love Had Come To Stay

Produced by Unknown

The first single of Barbara's that I purchased was Am I The Same Girl in 1969 and this album also contained this little 2-Step all-time classic! But today I'm spinning Mr. Sunshine because the sun is out here in Birmingham today. The other big hit at the time although not on this album was Love Makes A Woman. Pressed up on the UK's 'Soul Bag' series of Brunswick US releases. Barbara Acklin (February 28, 1943 - November 27 1998) was a soul singer of the 1960s and 1970s. Her biggest hit was "Love Makes a Woman" in 1968 which reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Born Barbara Jean Acklin, the only child of Herman and Hazel Acklin, she began singing in church and then as a teenager in nightclubs while attending Dunbar Vocational High school in Chicago. Upon graduation, she was hired as a secretary for a local record label by her cousin, saxophonist and producer Monk Higgins. Her first release was under the name Barbara Allen on his Special Agent label. Later, Higgins used Acklin as a background singer on his Chess Records sessions with artists like Etta James and Fontella Bass.

In 1966, Acklin began working as a receptionist for record producer Carl Davis at Brunswick Records in Chicago. She persistently asked Davis to record her. Davis finally agreed but encouraged her to keep writing songs. Cornering Brunswick star Jackie Wilson, Acklin had him listen to a tune that she co-wrote with David Scott (formerly of The Exciters Band and later to join the Chi-Lites for a time). Wilson liked it and passed it on to Davis. Released in September 1966, "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" went to number 5 R&B and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song helped to re-launch Wilson's career and, returning the favor, he helped Acklin to secure a recording contract with Brunswick.

Acklin's first chart success as a singer came with "Show Me the Way to Go," a duet with another Brunswick artist, Gene Chandler, which reached number 30 R&B in the spring of 1968. In July the same year, Acklin had a hit of her own with the extremely catchy "Love Makes a Woman," which went to number three R&B and number 15 on the Hot 100. The song, co-written by producers Carl Davis and Eugene Record together with arranger Sonny Sanders and guitarist Gerald Sims, also won a BMI Award. Another Chandler/Acklin duet followed in October 1968. "From the Teacher to the Preacher" reached number 16 R&B and number 57 pop.

Acklin's next charting singles were "Just Ain't No Love," "Am I The Same Girl" (covered by Dusty Springfield, Swing Out Sister and The Manhattan Transfer), "After You", "I Did It," "Lady Lady Lady," and "I Call It Trouble."

She was reportedly disappointed with Brunswick when, prior to releasing her version of "Am I the Same Girl", her voice on the track was replaced by the piano part and released as an instrumental. "Soulful Strut" became a massive hit for Young-Holt Unlimited, reaching the top 3 of both the Hot 100 and R&B charts. Unfortunately for Acklin, her release some months later in early 1969 did not enjoy the promotion or reaction of "Soulful Strut", managing only #33 R&B and #79 pop. However, Barbara was also proficient as a songwriter - in addition to "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", she co-wrote "Have You Seen Her", a major hit for The Chi-Lites with the group's lead singer, Eugene Record, and several of their other biggest songs: "Oh Girl", "Stoned Out Of My Mind" and "Toby" as well as her own releases. Her distinctive voice also featured occasionally on background vocals on some of The Chi-Lites' records.

Acklin departed Brunswick in 1974 for Capitol Records. Her first single, "Raindrops," was an R&B hit (#14) in the summer of that year. The song and resulting album were produced by Willie Henderson, another Brunswick regular who had also just left the label. A few subsequent singles failed to register strongly and Acklin's recording career subsided. Barbara Acklin died from pneumonia on November 27, 1998 while in Nebraska. She had lived for some years with Eugene Record and the two had a son. -Wikipedia

Barbara Acklin Discography:

I'm not mad any more/nobody cares special agent 203

Love makes a woman/soulful strut eric 4503

Love makes a woman DAU 1015

Brunswick

Fool fool fool/your sweet loving 55319 (1967)
Love won't start/show me the way to go +Gene Chandler 55366 (1967)

Seven days of nites/a gaggidy ride 55379 (1968)

Come and see me baby/love makes a woman 55379 (1967)

From the teacher ../anyware but nowhere +Gene Chandler 55387

Just ain't no love/please sunrise please 55388 (1967)

Am i the same girl/by my side 55399 (1968)

Will i find love/little green apples +Gene Chandler 55405 (1968)

After you/more ways than one 55421 (1968)

Someone else's arms/is it me 55433 (1968)

Did it/i'm living with a memory 55440 (1969)

I can't do my thing/make the man love you 55447

Lady, lady, lady/stop look and listen 55465

Love you are mine today/i call it trouble 55486 (1971)

Love makes a woman/old mach maker be by 554137

I'll bake me a man/i call it trouble 55501 (1972)

CapitolRaindrops/here you come again 3892 (1973)

Give me your sweet love/fire love 4016 (1974)

Special loving/you give him everything but i 15807 (1975)

Kresent

Your the one/inst. 12" [no number] (1990)

albums:

Love Makes A Woman Brunswick (1968)

Seven Days of night Brunswick (1970)

Someone els's arms Brunswick (1970)

I Did It Brunswick (1971)

A place in the sun Capitol st11377 (1975)

Groovy Ideas (uk) Kent 072 (1987)

The Complete Barbara Acklin Edsel 2xcd's (2004)