Debra Laws

Meant For You

Debra Laws - Very Special ( Electra Records ELK 52281) 1981

On My Own; Meant For You; Very Special; Be Yourself; Long As We're Together; Your Love; How Long; All The Things I Love.

Produced by Ronnie & Hubert Laws

I was going to spin How Long, as it was a Grey & Hanks number, but then I thought Meant For You was perhaps a far nicer track. You can hear G&H's other versions in my other Bloggs. It's a David Lasley and Roxanne Joy Seaman song. Debra is of course the sister of producer's Ronnie and Hubert Laws the jazz musicians who have made many good albums themselves. Aways There being the classic Ronnie hit track covered by everybody & their dog. Eloise laws her sister, sang with Aqaurian Dream on their hit Your're A Star.

Other nice steppers on board this album as usual marked in green; Be Yourself & As Long as We Are Together (this colouring-in is getting a bit tedious I hope it's of-use.) Debra hasn't got the greatest voice on earth, but she has a good go. Bobby Lyle is found on piano, Nathan East on bass and David Lasley on background vocals who has had an album on himself recently.

The other suprise on this album is the jazzy ballad Very Special a duet with Ronnie Laws, who also plays alto sax on it, this sells on 12" promo single for upto £130 ($260). A 10 second sample from this was used in a Jennifer Lopez/LL Cool J song All I Have and is an on-going law case between Debra Laws & Sony. The Very Special album is also now on CD.

Thelma Jones

How Long

Thelma Jones - Same (CBS Records 35485) 1978.


I Second That Emotion; Lonely Enough To Cry Anything; Now That We Found Love; Angel Of The Morning; I Can Dream; How Long; Stay Awhile With Me; I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love; Want What You Want; Salty Tears.

Produced by: Bert DeCoteaux.

Great little debut album with hit single Salty Tears, two fine extra ballads: I'd rather Leave, I Wan't What You Want, and the steppers I Can Dream and How Long by writers Grey & Hanks.

Thelma Jones was born 4th May 1942 Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a music background in gospel. She was introduced into the music business by her husband James Hazley, who owned a record company called Uptown in New York. Her first recording came in 1967 with the single Never Leave Me/Stronger on Barry Records/Sue UK. The single did quite well on the R&B charts, and Jones remained at the label until 1970.

During those three years Thelma cut several sides for the label including the original version of The House That Jack Built (UK Soul City label run from a record shop in London, owned by David Nathan), later recorded by Aretha Franklin. Whilst at Barry Records, Thelma began working clubs in New York, and at 20 years of age, she worked at the amateur talent show at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem as well as a showcase at Small's Paradise, also in Harlem.

The success of Never Leave Me led to her first major engagements at the Apollo, performing for one week and undertaking five or six shows per day. These shows led to regular appearances at the venue moving on to larger venues such as the Shea Stadium alongside Kim Weston, Johnny Nash and James Brown.

After leaving Barry Records in 1970 Jones moved to Tampa in Florida where she performed on the hotel circuit. Through a friend of hers, George Chavous (a promo man from CBS), Thelma moved to the label. She then set about constructing the 'Thelma Jones' album working alongside Brad Shapiro, the man behind many of Millie Jackson's, Wilson Pickett's and Joe Simon's major hits.

The first CBS single was Salty Tears, penned by Teddy Randazzo, from the album that was recorded at Media Sounds New York was finally released in 1978, other singles from this set were, I Can Dream written by Leon Ware, Lonely Enough To Try Anything, penned by Sam Dees and of course the popular 2step tune How Long, written by Len Ron Hanks and Zane Wallace Grey. Backing vocals by Gwen Guthrie, Ullanda McCullough and Brenda White.
Kent Records UK have just released (June 2007) a Barry/CBS anthology CD. Collectables; Oh Here Comes The Heartache/Gotta Find A Way Barry £75, House That Jack Built UK Soul City £30 and Never leave me/Stronger UK Sue £35.

She also has her own www.myspace.com/thelmajones page.

Thelma Jones Discography:

Never Leave Me/Stronger Barry 1010 / Sue WI 4047 ('66)
Oh Oh, Here Come The Heartbreak/Gotta Find A Way Barry 1014 ('67)
Souvenirs Of A Heartbreak/I Won't Give Up My Man Barry 1018 ('67
The House That Jack Built/Give It To Me Straight Barry 1023 ('68)
Mr. Fix It/Second Chance Barry 1024 ('68)
Salty Tears/You're The Song (That I Can't Stop Singing) CBS 10403 ('76)
I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love/Love Look What You've Got Me Into CBS 10657 ('77)
I Want What You Want / I'm Lonely CBS 10728 ('78)
I Second That Emotion / I Can Dream CBS 10814 ('78)

Lp's
Thelma Jones - CBS 35485 ('78)
Barry/CBS recordings KENT ('07)

Jean Terrell

How Can You Live Without Love

Jean Terrell - I Had To Fall In Love (A&M SP 4676) 1978

Don't Stop Reaching For The Top; No One Like My Baby; Rising Cost Of Love; Change Up; How Can You Live Without Love; I Had To Fall In Love; That's The Way Love Grows; You've Been So Good To Me; No Limit.

Produced by: Bobby Martin

How Can You Like Without Love is a 'Gray & Hanks' (Len Ron Hanks & Zene Gray) song that I mentioned in my Gray & Hanks Blogg. They also recorded this song as you'll now know. Other 2step contenders here are No Limit & Rising Cost Of Love also by our writing heroes.

Jean Terrell was born November 26, 1944, she is the sister of the former WBA heavyweight boxing champion, Ernie Terrell, who famously fought Muhammad Ali.

Moving to Chicago at an early age, she was guided by her family to sing, and in late 60's she and her brother formed a group called Ernie Terrell and the Heavyweights. It was while singing in Miami, Florida Motown president Berry Gordy discovered the 24 year old singer performing with her brother at a club in Miami Beach.

Gordy first signed Terrell to Motown as a solo artist, but then decided to drop her into The Supremes as Diana Ross's replacement.Terrell was made an official member after Ross's farewell tour with the group in Las Vegas on January 14, 1970. Terrell took lead in the group's first 70s hits Up the Ladder to the Roof, Stoned Love, River Deep Mountain High (with The Four Tops), Nathan Jones, and Floy Joy, quite a run of good tunes.

Between 1970 and 1973, Terrell served as the official lead singer of the group until contractual disputes led to her exit from the group. Signing a contract with A&M Records, Terrell had finished a solo recording, I Had To Fall in Love, in 1978 but due to her Jehovah's Witness beliefs disagreeing with promoting the recording in a specific way the record label wanted, she semi-retired.

In the early 1980s Terrell put together a one woman show and did limited touring throughout the United States. Terrell went on to form the Former Ladies of the Supremes (FLOS for short) with Payne and Laurence in 1986; she left FLOS to pursue business interests and was replaced by Laurence's sister, Sundray Tucker aka Cindy Scott. Terrell has since released a biographical DVD of her life and has continued to sing onstage with jazz musicians. FLOS did an interview for PCRL in the early 90's.

Grey And Hanks

How Can I Live Without Love

Grey & Hanks - You Fooled Me RCA AFL1-3069 (1978)

You Fooled me; Never let You Down; How Can I Live Without Love; I Can Tell Where Your Head Is; Gotta Put Something In; Dancin'; Way Out To Get In; Closer To Something Real.

Produced by: (Len) Ron Hanks And Zane Grey.

The singing team was also the writing team, cuts costs, helps as well if you play all instruments, some do, record companies love them, Omar & Stevie Wonder, people like that. Ron & Zane though are some of the 70's 2Step best writers.

Today's track is 'a one-miss wonder' or should I say three-miss wonder, How Can I Live Without Love, it was well played over our way anyway! Grey & Hanks had also recorded this song along with the Rising Cost Of Love on Jean Terrell in 1978, a trick they would do later with many singers. Oh and Dave Allen tells me Les McCan recorded How Can I Live Without Love as well - thanks Dave!

As a group it looks like they were around just for two years recording only two albums for RCA. But as a songwriting team they were more successfull starting we think about 1971, later hits like Back To Love for L.T.D., Rising Cost Of Love first by Jean Terrell (1978,) then Darrow Fletcher (1979) and then Millie Jackson (1979) and finally Loose Change (1979). How Long first by Thema Jones (1978), and later by Debra Laws (1981), Never Had A Love Like This Before by Tavares and Norman Connors' Party Town.

The list goes on ... Mystique Feat: Ralph Johnson If Your In Need, later by Lenny Williams, Breakwater's No Limit. Modern soulies love Grey & Hanks for Darrow Fletchers Changing By The Minute (1971 on Uni Records.)

Discography: (* 2 albums/5 singles)

You Fooled Me (album) RCA AFL1-3069 (1978)

*You Fooled Me/(Same) RCA (12") PD 11347 (1978)

Dancin'/How Can I Live Without Love RCA PB 11460 (1978)

Dancin'/How Can I Live Without Love (12") RCA PD 11458 (1978)

Gotta Put Something In/I Can Tell Where Your Head Is (12") RCA PD 11582 (1978)

*Prime Time (album) RCA AFL1-3477 (1980)

Now I'm Fine/Love's In Command RCA 12" PD 11923 (1980)

Prime Time/Since I Found You (12") RCA PD 12016 (1980)