Sam Dees

Lonely ('Lonely For You Baby' remake)



Sam Dees - Secret Admirer - Pen Pad PP 1002 (1989)

Side A - Lonely; Secret Admirer; All The World To Me; True Believers; Say It's Just A Rumour

Side B - Expert; After All; Heart; Turn The Love Lamp Up Higher; Thank God For Jesus & Grace; Love Triangle; Danger Everywhere
Produced By: Sam Dees

The old saying "it it ain't broke don't fix it" will apply here for many listeners. The first thing you notice about Lonely is the magnificent bass player on the 1969 original is not in attendance. When all the aggression inside against a new version wares-off, it ain't bad at all. I Don't like the saxophone introduction, so I left that off, but I must say it's a bit of a grower. New melodies and bridge changes have been included and it now had a fresh sound for the 80's. My version of the album doesn't have a sleeve and I not sure whether it had one later. In 1990 Secret Admirer came out on cd but with a different track listing that did not include Lonely!

Other medium tempo tracks include; All The World To Me, Say It's Just A Rumour, the rest of the album is mainly ballads. Guest artists are included; Harmonics, Person To Person & Freddie Jones. All tracks are written by Dees and the Pen Pal label was based at Compton, California. After All was released as a single in the UK on RCA records. The Voices From The Shaddows magazine cover refers to Sam's other Pen Pal album The Homecoming. The glossy uk mag was run by Rod Dearlove with a little help from 80's snooker champion Steve "Interesting" Davis who is a big soul music fan.

Sam Dees

Good Guys
Sam Dees - The Show Must Go On - Atlantic SD 18134 (1975)

Side A - Child Of The Streets; The Show Must Go On; Come Back Strong; Just Out Of My Reach; Claim Jumpin'

Side B - Troubled Child; What's It Gonna Be; Worn Out Broken Heart; Good Guys; So Tied Up

Produced by: Sam Dees

The guy's is most famous for being the writer of Larry Grayam's hit single 'One In A Million' on the mid 1980's, but he has been there behind the scene over the years writing good southern soul type songs, hits for ZZ Hill, Clarence Carter, & The Persuaders.

He worked with Bill Brandon on his Prelude album also featured in a previous Blog. Dees said in an 80's Voices interview that; "I wanted the tracks Signed Miss Heroin (a 7' single) and Heritage Of A Black Man included on the Atlantic album and there were other songs on that 16 track master that Atlantic holds". (apparently later seized my the FBI after a tax raid!) The track Signed Miss Heroin he took from a Birmingham (Alabama) newspaper headline and turned it into a song. He said drugs were taking over then just like now.

The track What's It Gonna Be is also a nice modern soul plodder, other great moments include ballads; So Tied Up and Worn Out Broken Heart. The track featured today was recorded at the Sound Of Birmingham Studios, Alabama. Glen Woods Guitar, David Caman Bass, Shermon Carson: drums.

Collectables: He has so many sort after 7's but Lonely For You Baby (recorded in Nashville) will Always Be The Biggest (£400-£500) and aways a big Northern floor filler, Fragile Handle With Care [Atlantic] (£60-80) is also selling well at the moment. Lonely for You Baby was pressed as a single for a recent Vampisoul boxset, and has sold for £25.

I've also included a rare chance to see a UK live TV performance by Sam in the early 90's. I recently had an email from Jimmy Ginn, the owner of Sam's US catalogue, he hadn't seen this footage before either, he said to say hello to Rod Dearlove & Ady Croasdall for me - done! I've included a link to his website below ginnmusicgroup.com.

Great news - Just had an email from Shotgun Records and they are about to put out the unreleased Fool Of The Year/Train To Tampa in August or September. The owner of the new label Paul Mooney also ran Ardent, Sam's other UK label in 1990's. Listen to clips plus other label tracks: http://www.myspace.com/selectarecords

Uploaded by mickeynold www.ginnmusicgroup.com 

Jimmy Ginn's website, Sam Dees USA catalogue 

Sam Dees Discography:

SSS Int.

Lonely For You Baby/I Need You Girl 732 (1968) Lo Lo

If It's All Wrong It's All Right/Don't Keep me Hanging On L 2103 (1969) 

Easier To Say Than Do/Soul Sister L 2306 (1970) Chess 

Can You Be A One Man Woman/Put You Back In Your Place 2109 (1971) 

Love Starvation/ Maryanna 2122 (1972) 

Funny (Unreleased Acetate, owned by DJ Sean Hampsey UK) 

Clintone

I'm So Very Glad/Claim Jumping CT 010 (1972) 

Atlantic

I'm So Very Glad/Just Out Of My Reach 2937 (1973)

Signed Miss Heroin/So Tied Up 2991A (1973) 

Worn Out Broken Heart/Come Back Strong 3205 (1975) 

The Show Must go On/Child Of The Streets 3243 (1975) 

Fragile, Handle With Care/Save The Love At Any Cost 328 (1975)

Big Tree (with Bettye Swann) 

Just To Be Sure/Story Book Children BT 16054 (1975) 

New London Int. 

In My World/Ext version 1003 (1977)

Polydor

Say Yeah/My World PD 14455 (1978) 

Pen pad

I'll Be Loving You/Just Wait Till I Get You Home 1000 (T) (1988) 

After All/Always Something (Inst) 1001 (T) 12 (1989) 

  UK Singles

Major Minor

If It's All Wrong/Don't Keep Me Hanging On MM 655 (1969) 

Atlantic 

Fragile.../Save The Love At Any Cost K 10676 (1975)

Storybook Children/Just Be Sure (With Bettye Swann) K 10719 (1975) 

Move

Survive/Fly Angel Fly (12") M SS 11 (1986) 

RCA

After All/True Believer/Always Something PB 43139/43140 (12") /cd single 

Ardent

Get The Message Out (Burning Hope mx)

       /Say It's Only A Rumour/Theme from After all ADS 9012 12' (1992) 

Walking On The Edge/Inst/Acapella ADS 9014 12' (1993) 

Soul City 

Lonely For You Baby/I Need You Baby 137 (2000 ish) 

Vampi Soul (Spain) 

Lonely For you/[other artist - with box set/has SSS int. label]

Albums

Atlantic 

The Show Must Go On SD 18134 (1975) 

Pen Pad 

Secret Admirer PP 1002 (1989)

 Secret Admirer (alt. tracks) PP 1005 CD (1990) 

The Homecomings (6 track) PP 1007 (1991) 

Gospel Tribute Album PP 2000 (1997) 

Lovers Do PP 2001 CD (1998) 

P-vine (Japan)

Cry To Me PCD 2855 CD (1994)

Ace/Kent (UK) 

Second To None CDKEND 125 (1995) 

Heritage Of A Black Man CDKEND 161 (1998) 

After All 

Sam Dees (1997) 

Thanks: Dave Allen for dates & some titles & Paul Mooney for corrections.

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

Dee Dee Warwick

Where Is That Rainbow (album stereo mix)

This is my 'all-time' greatest soul track, Where Is That Rainbow. There you go I've said it. The tightness of the production, Rene Hall by the way, when the fugal horns take over with the strings, the tears arrive every time. I remember playing it vividly on-air listening to it through the small studio speakers and thinking; "can this be effecting others like me" - I hoped so (perhaps it's just me, ooh well).

Then I have to listen a comment like; "the 45 version is better" it's different I'll agree to that, the 45 is a remix and personally I think it looses it's stepper feel. Anyway albums rule; sound quality; sleeves; wall-hanging you name it.

The first time I heard it was a soul-nite at The Canal Tavern, Thorne, about 100 miles east from my home town but we'd gone because Sam Dees was to make a guest P.A. and when the DJ put Dee Dee on I was gob smacked. (incidentally I was that close to Sam Dees he was spitting in my eye as he sang - he was fantastic though) The journey back though, was rough, through 50 miles of thick fog at about 15 mph, a night to remember.

I later found a copy of the Foolish Fool album in glorious stereo, courtesy of a friend and DJ, Dean Johnson in Manchester. Then it turned out to be produced by Ed Townsend, well I searched out all Ed's work and was never disappointed. The whole of this album rocks. It has three 2Steppers and two Northern/Modern dancers (Don't Ever Give Up On Me/When Love Slips Away), one gospel type song and two nice ballads. Whatever the man asks for this LP pay him!

Dee Dee Warwick is, as most know by now Dionne Warwick's sister and sadly has not been so successful, chart wise anyway. Northern collectors search out Worth Every Tear I Cry the 'b' side of Lover's Chant only issued on UK single, was also though on her other US stunning Mercury LP with two titles: I Want To Be With You/I'm Gonna Make you Love Me. The UK 45 has changed hands for up-to £343 ($686 usd).

Sad News: Dee Dee Warwick has now died. She was 63 years old. She died on Saturday 18th. October 2008 the day after Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops died. She was at a nursing home in Essex County, and had been in failing health in recent months. Dionne was with her when she died. In January 2008, Dee Dee is featured in the title song from Dionne's gospel album 'Why We Sing' and continued background vocal chores with her sister, also in February 2008, Dee Dee toured with Dionne's one woman show 'My Music and Me' in Europe. Dee Dee was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of Whitney Houston. Dee Dee Warwick was an R&B Foundation Pioneer Awardee, and was also was a two-time Grammy Award nominee. Thanks for the great music and please rest in peace.

Photos; UK Single, Canal Tavern-Thorne, Foolish Fool LP cover & Sam Dees at Thorne.