3 from SSS International Records

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SSS?

Sam Dees - Lonely For You Baby
1
14%
Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson - Soulshake
3
43%
Betty Harris - There's A Break In The Road
3
43%
 
Total votes: 7

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3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 14 Oct 2018, 01:39

Sam Dees - Lonely For You Baby


Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson - Soulshake


Betty Harris - There's A Break In The Road


Which ones do you love, or love the most?

Any other SSS faves?
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 14 Oct 2018, 02:22

I got the 45 of "Soulshake" when I was three years old. I saw it in the store and asked my mom to get it for me. Why? Because the label design reminded me of the Apple Records one(s), so I figured it must be good. It was. The b-side was "We Were Made For Each Other" but was a different song from the Monkees one of the same name - that made an impression on my three year old mind. I remember showing Mom the drum intro to the latter song (the Scott/Benson one, I mean) by pounding it out on my belly, maybe a couple of days after bringing the record home - she laughed. I also remember being surprised when Delaney & Bonnie covered "Soulshake" a few years later, even though I was only vaguely aware of who THEY were - I was surprised that anybody besides me had heard it, I guess! I personally never ever heard it (either version) on the radio until the late '80s or '90s (on Oldies stations) - and then not much.

Like a lot of Shelby Singleton productions, it sounds cheap - literally, like they just hired a skeleton crew of maybe-union-maybe-not musicians to make some "demos" that somehow ended up getting released as real records (I'm not saying that's what happened, only that that's what it sounds like) - but somehow that just makes it groovier. The electric sitar/steel guitar combination was always a good one.

That's my favoritemost, but "There's A Break In The Road" is some bad craziness, and I love it nearly as much. It sounds like Allen Toussaint and The Meters just trying every off the wall thing they can think of just for the hell of it - I love the totally gratuitous guitar feedback and the even-more-twisted-than-usual drumming - but it's Betty who holds it together and puts it across. She deserved stardom.

Sam Dees is a relatively run of the mill singer, but "Lonely For You Baby" is a fair song, and I dig the spareness of the arrangement (that "cheap" quality again). The piano in particular is just right (sounds like it could be the same player from "Soulshake").
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 14 Oct 2018, 03:05

Great stuff, Charlie; do you still have the 45 of 'Soulshake'? I know with the singles that I got as a little kid, just holding them still gives me a thrill.


Charlie O. wrote:That's my favoritemost, but "There's A Break In The Road" is some bad craziness, and I love it nearly as much. It sounds like Allen Toussaint and The Meters just trying every off the wall thing they can think of just for the hell of it - I love the totally gratuitous guitar feedback and the even-more-twisted-than-usual drumming - but it's Betty who holds it together and puts it across. She deserved stardom.

That's perfect! :)
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 14 Oct 2018, 03:20

fange wrote:Great stuff, Charlie; do you still have the 45 of 'Soulshake'?

The original 45 disappeared within a couple of years. But I found a replacement in the late '80s and was very happy to renew old acquaintances.
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Count Machuki » 14 Oct 2018, 03:42

Break in the Road is the shit!
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby TG » 14 Oct 2018, 06:20

I went for the Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson. I knew the Delaney & Bonnie version first but love this original for many of the same reasons that Charlie O. mentioned.

I’ll also nominate this track by the fantabulous Johnny Adams. He cut several records for SSS Int’l and lots of other labels but this is a particularly fine track.

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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 14 Oct 2018, 06:41

TG wrote:I’ll also nominate this track by the fantabulous Johnny Adams.

Great song. Written by Myra Smith and Margaret Lewis, the same team what writ "Soulshake". Someone should do a comp of their songs, or a tribute album or something.
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 14 Oct 2018, 07:49

Wonderful! Johnny Adams has such a great voice. His falsetto on 'I Won't Cry' raises the hairs on my neck.

Here's anothet SSS fave, Mr. Jamo (Thomas), tellin' us to shake what we brought with us. That sitar sound is so fucking good.

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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Jock » 14 Oct 2018, 16:03

I love them all, but, Soulshake is my favourite
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Jock » 14 Oct 2018, 16:27

Charlie O. wrote:I got the 45 of "Soulshake" when I was three years old. I saw it in the store and asked my mom to get it for me. Why? Because the label design reminded me of the Apple Records one(s), so I figured it must be good. It was. The b-side was "We Were Made For Each Other" but was a different song from the Monkees one of the same name - that made an impression on my three year old mind. I remember showing Mom the drum intro to the latter song (the Scott/Benson one, I mean) by pounding it out on my belly, maybe a couple of days after bringing the record home - she laughed. I also remember being surprised when Delaney & Bonnie covered "Soulshake" a few years later, even though I was only vaguely aware of who THEY were - I was surprised that anybody besides me had heard it, I guess! I personally never ever heard it (either version) on the radio until the late '80s or '90s (on Oldies stations) - and then not much.

Like a lot of Shelby Singleton productions, it sounds cheap - literally, like they just hired a skeleton crew of maybe-union-maybe-not musicians to make some "demos" that somehow ended up getting released as real records (I'm not saying that's what happened, only that that's what it sounds like) - but somehow that just makes it groovier. The electric sitar/steel guitar combination was always a good one.

That's my favoritemost, but "There's A Break In The Road" is some bad craziness, and I love it nearly as much. It sounds like Allen Toussaint and The Meters just trying every off the wall thing they can think of just for the hell of it - I love the totally gratuitous guitar feedback and the even-more-twisted-than-usual drumming - but it's Betty who holds it together and puts it across. She deserved stardom.

Sam Dees is a relatively run of the mill singer, but "Lonely For You Baby" is a fair song, and I dig the spareness of the arrangement (that "cheap" quality again). The piano in particular is just right (sounds like it could be the same player from "Soulshake").

I got Soulshake around 1971/72. A guy who worked with my mum and was a part time DJ gave me it.A favourite ever since
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 14 Oct 2018, 17:00

fange wrote:Here's another SSS fave, Mr. Jamo (Thomas), tellin' us to shake what we brought with us. That sitar sound is so fucking good.


Jamo's another guy who deserves a comp. He really wasn't much of a singer at all, but he nonetheless managed to put out about a dozen 45s on almost as many labels, under almost as many variations on his name, and every one that I've heard is at least fun. "I Spy (For The F.B.I.)" is golden, of course, but my favorite has always been "Bahama Mama".
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby TG » 14 Oct 2018, 20:26

On a slight tangent, but clicking on Charlie’s songwriter’s link led me to find this. I never knew it existed and, while it’s not great, it’s interesting. Conway and Loretta doing Soulshake-

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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 15 Oct 2018, 00:55

Charlie O. wrote:
fange wrote:Here's another SSS fave, Mr. Jamo (Thomas), tellin' us to shake what we brought with us. That sitar sound is so fucking good.


Jamo's another guy who deserves a comp. He really wasn't much of a singer at all, but he nonetheless managed to put out about a dozen 45s on almost as many labels, under almost as many variations on his name, and every one that I've heard is at least fun. "I Spy (For The F.B.I.)" is golden, of course, but my favorite has always been "Bahama Mama".

Damn straight. If there's no proper comp., the only reason would probably be the legal complexities of getting stuff from all those different labels, right Charlie?

Will be interesting to see in a few more years when the copyrights end, if a label like Real Gone or someone has public domain rights and can put something good out.
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 15 Oct 2018, 03:26

fange wrote:Damn straight. If there's no proper comp., the only reason would probably be the legal complexities of getting stuff from all those different labels, right Charlie?

That doesn't help, certainly.

But I suspect it has more to do with the fact that he really wasn't much of a singer, and cut so many records that basically sound alike that didn't sell. :lol:

But if I had my own label, it's something I'd think about looking into!
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 15 Oct 2018, 03:27

TG wrote:On a slight tangent, but clicking on Charlie’s songwriter’s link led me to find this. I never knew it existed and, while it’s not great, it’s interesting. Conway and Loretta doing Soulshake-


That's pretty wild! I would expect the lyric to be well out of their wheelhouse(s), but Loretta at least sounds like she's really enjoying it.
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 15 Oct 2018, 03:42

Charlie O. wrote:But I suspect it has more to do with the fact that he really wasn't much of a singer, and cut so many records that basically sound alike that didn't sell. :lol:

:D

There is that. Though, you can probably say much the same about Alvin 'Twine Time' Cash and he got a double CD compilation set out! :lol:
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby fange » 15 Oct 2018, 04:04

Jock wrote:I got Soulshake around 1971/72. A guy who worked with my mum and was a part time DJ gave me it.A favourite ever since

Good to see you around again, John!
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Jock » 15 Oct 2018, 16:50

fange wrote:
Jock wrote:I got Soulshake around 1971/72. A guy who worked with my mum and was a part time DJ gave me it.A favourite ever since

Good to see you around again, John!

Thought i'd give it another go :)
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Muskrat » 15 Oct 2018, 16:54

Charlie O. wrote:
That's my favoritemost, but "There's A Break In The Road" is some bad craziness, and I love it nearly as much. It sounds like Allen Toussaint and The Meters just trying every off the wall thing they can think of just for the hell of it - I love the totally gratuitous guitar feedback and the even-more-twisted-than-usual drumming - but it's Betty who holds it together and puts it across. She deserved stardom.



Sounds to me like a Lee Dorsey out-take.
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Re: 3 from SSS International Records

Postby Charlie O. » 15 Oct 2018, 17:45

Muskrat wrote:Sounds to me like a Lee Dorsey out-take.

Not on SSS International, but I'll seize any excuse:


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