NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Songwriter and producer Ted Jarrett, whose 1957 hit “You Can Make It If You Try” turned him into a rhythm and blues icon, has died at 83, a hospice said on Monday.
Jarrett, who also numbered “Love Love Love” among his hits, died on Saturday of liver failure, officials at Nashville Alive Hospice said.
Jarrett wrote hits for singers Earl Gaines and Gene Allison and had No. 1 songs on both the country and R&B charts. “You Can Make It If You Try” crossed over to pop and wound up on the debut 1964 album by the Rolling Stones.
Jarrett was also credited as a writer, producer and label chief on songs from the Grammy-winning “Night Train to Nashville” album.
(Reporting by Pat Harris in Nashville; editing by Michael Conlon)
Here are two of the songs composed by the prolific songwriter Ted Jarrett.
“You Can Make It If You Try” performed by Gene Allison in 1958. #3 R&B , #38 Pop “This Is The Life” performed by Freddie Waters & The Free Spirits in 2002
Bobby DeBarge playing congas on Soul Train with Switch
The Bobby DeBarge Tribute Page has received the third highest number of visits here at OSML since the blog’s inception. Since Bobby is loved so much and readers are curious about his music, I have updated the page again to include more music, photos and information.
Please enjoy the update and let me know what other additions you would like to see.
Also I wanted to let you know that a great place to discuss the music of Bobby DeBarge, Switch and all other things Debarge is the Yahoo Group “The DeBarge Family.” The group has been around since 1999 and the people are friendly and the moderator is superb. If you are a fan check it out at the link indicated above.
I used to confuse Motown producer-songwriter Ivy Joe Hunter with the singer of this wonderful song — Ivory Joe Hunter — thinking that I was reading misspellings in print. It took me a while to figure out that they were two completely different talented musical artists.
The great Country Bluesman, pianist, composer and businessman, Ivory Joe Hunter, recorded this wonderful song when I was but a babe of two years old and yet somehow this has been one of my favorite ballads as long as I remember. I really don’t recall how and why I have known this song but I do. It is one of my top ten “feel good” songs.
Usually I can recall if a song was a favorite of my Mother of Father but with this song I just know I know it and have loved it always!
In the early 1940s, Hunter had his own radio show in Beaumont, Texas on KFDM, where he eventually became program manager, and in 1942, he moved to Los Angeles, joining Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers in the mid-1940s. When he wrote and recorded his first song, “Blues at Sunrise” with the Three Blazers for his own label, Ivory Records, it became a regional hit. [2]
In the late 1940s, Hunter founded Pacific Records, and in 1947, he recorded for Four Star Records and King Records. Two years later, he recorded his first R&B hits; on “I Quit My Pretty Mama” and “Guess Who” he was backed by members of Duke Ellington’s band. [3]
After signing with MGM Records, he recorded “I Almost Lost My Mind,” which topped the 1950 R&B charts and would later (in the wake of Hunter’s success with “Since I Met You Baby”) be recorded by Pat Boone. “I Need You” was a number two R&B hit that same year. With his smooth delivery, Hunter became a hot R&B commodity, and he also began to be noticed in the country-Western music community. In April, 1951, he made his network TV debut on You Asked For It.
By 1954, he had recorded more than a hundred songs and moved to Atlantic Records. His first song to cross over to the pop charts was “Since I Met You Baby” (1956). It was to be his only top-40 pop song, climbing to the number 12 position. (Source: WIKI)
Just as some of the other male vocalists that I have discussed in the past week, Hunter was a sorely under appreciated artist IMHO. It baffles (and angers) me that this artist never “crossed-over” into Pop fame and yet when artists such as Elvis Presley or Pat Boone covered his tunes they had great success, i.e., chart toppers.
Oldies.Com has a biography on Mr. Hunter where you can read more about his long lived career. But first check out this wonderful vintage LIVE performance of Mr. Hunter singing “Since I Met You Baby”.
Now this is one funky girl group! This group was formed in 1960 when lead Delores Johnson (Flora Williams), Eloise Hester, and Joshie Armstead sang backup for Tina Turner on her first recording, “A Fool in Love.” They cut “I’m Blue” on the Atco label the following year, with Tina singing background for them, and it zoomed to #3 on the R&B charts and #19 on the Pop charts. In fact it charted eight higher than Ike & Tina’s “Fool In Love” release.
Unfortunately after this release The Ikettes couldn’t seem to get another hit as big as this one, but this tune insured their rock and roll legacy. Ike penned this track so you must give him his props as well.
The song was featured prominently in the original Hairspray movie and on the 1988 Soundtrack.
Last but not least — another girl group, Salt ‘N Pepa, turned “I’m Blue” into “Shoop” on London Records in 1993. So the song lived on for over 30 decades still charting that year at the top spot (#1) on the Dance chart, Rap Single chart, and Top 40 chart – plus #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart !
The Toys – A Lover’s Concerto (1965) #4 R&B, #2 Pop
Composed by songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, “A Lover’s Concerto” was a big part of my youth. This was probably the first “Girl Group” I fell in love with. I have vivid memories of having my Barbie doll sing this song, along with Petula Clark’s “Downtown”, whenever I put on Barbie’s black strapless sequined gown for her to sing on stage at the imaginary nightclub.
I also remember that whenever my friend Laura and I would sing together pretending that we were our own “Girl Group”, this is the song we would sing. She took the melody and as the alto I provided the harmony. Oh those good old days!
This classic single went to #2 on the Billboard Pop Charts and #4 on the R&B Charts. It is such a great song and it really got robbed of the number one sport because of the Beatles and Rolling Stones British invasion here in America. The album entitled “The Toys Sing “A Lover’s Concerto” and Attack!”, released on the DynoVoice label, went to #2 on the R&B charts, but only #92 Pop (Hmm).
According to “The History of Rock Website”:
The Toys, June Montiero, Barbara Harris, and Barbara Parritt, were formed in the early Sixties in Jamaica, New York. Harris and Parritt were both born in North Carolina, but moved to New York at an early age. They met June Montiero while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in New York and formed a group. After graduation they continued to sing together. The rest of the history of the group can be found here at their site .
Of course like most little girls of the era I took piano lessons and I tried to “swing” Anna Magdalena Bach’s “Minuet in G Major” (the classical piece that the composers adapted for “A Lover’s Concerto) which was of course frowned upon by my piano teacher (LOL).
Here are some great YouTube (Don’t you just love that site?) clips of The Toys performing their hit on TV shows of the time. I do recall that they did all of the shows of the times – you know Hullaballo, Shindig, etc.
Now we all know that the Supremes knew a good thing when they heard it. They covered “A Lover’s Concerto” on their 1967 “I Hear a Symphony” Album (sort of a rip-off of The Toys don’t you think?). This is their version.
By now I guess you have figured out that the musical theme for the month of May is Girl Groups! And we have started out with two of the best! Also check out three previous posts I have made on the talented Shirelles:
Old School Music Lover 