BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE FIRST SUNDAY, AUGUST 2ND 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE HELD THE SECOND SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH AT 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
We labeled and stamped over 2200 postcards at last month’s meeting advertising our upcoming record show and they are now mailed. Thanks to all those who were able to drop by and help out. Sending out these postcards is very essential to getting the word out about the show.
This month we will be tidying up any loose ends as we prepare for the record show and take a look at the career of our 2026 inductee into the BRC Music Hall Of Fame – Candi Staton. We also hope to have time for some music to enjoy. Joe Reddick will be playing some recordings by female artists both solo and group. Drop by for snacks, refreshments, fellowship and music.
2026 RECORD SHOW
Don’t forget to attend this years’ show August 14-16 at the Gardendale Civic Center. Friday from 10-2 will be for BRC members only. From 2-7 we are open for the public. Saturday hours are 9-5 and Sunday 10-4. Bring a friend. Once again we will have over 100 tables of vinyl for customers to browse through, all formats and all genres. See ya there!!
R&B GOES COUNTRY
Two months ago I did a piece on country hits from the late 50’s and into the 60’s that I heard growing up that crossed over to the pop charts. Then last month Ed Salamon, a DJ who was playing country cross-over hits and vice versa in the 1970’s did a piece for us on his first-hand experience. Well, we have one more journey down the C/W path before we move on from the country genre. Let’s take a look at R&B artists who covered country songs.
I will start with something I have said before. I am not a musicologist, music historian or anything like that. What I write here is from some research and some memory. I learn as much as you do when I do these type articles. If I leave someone out, please excuse me. Send me anything you think I should have included.
In 1962 Ray Charles released the LP, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music. That same year Vol Two was released. When 45’s were pressed using some of these songs I am not sure how many listeners knew these were original C/W songs if they did not know the name of his LP. I was not a teenager in 1962 and all I did was listen to the radio. LP’s didn’t mean that much to me so I was in the category of people who did not know these were C/W songs. They were just good songs and boy I loved ‘em. From the first LP he had 4 pop charted songs (‘Careless Love’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’, ‘Born To Lose’ and the #1 hit, ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’) and 2 R&B charted songs (‘You Don’t Know Me’ and ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’, also #1). Volume Two produced another 5 pop charted songs (‘You Are My Sunshine’, ‘Your Cheating Heart’, ‘Take These Chains From My Heart’, ‘Making Believe’ and ‘No Letter Today’) and 3 R&B songs (‘You Are My Sunshine’, ‘Your Cheating Heart’ and ‘Take These Chains From My Heart’). Ray had hits with two other country songs. In 1963 he hit #4 on the pop charts with ‘Busted’ and before all these C/W songs, in 1959 he hit #40 on the pop charts and #11 on the R&B charts with his cover of the Hank Snow song, ‘I’m Moving On’. So, Ray is probably the best-known R&B singer who did C/W but here are some others that covered C/W songs.
Brook Benton released two country LP’s. The first in 1964 entitled On The Countryside and in 1966 he released My Country. The first LP produced the #35 pop & R&B hit, ‘Going, Going, Gone’. Click title to hear. The 2nd LP produced no charted songs but had some great covers of songs like ‘Hello Walls’, ‘Gone’ and ‘He’ll Have To Go’. With one of the great voices of my time, he didn’t miss a beat covering these.
Arthur Alexander had at least two country covers but neither charted. Both were on the LP You Better Move On. He recorded Willie Nelson’s composition ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ and Bobby Edwards composition and a pop & C/W charted song, ‘You’re The Reason’. Click the song title to hear the beginning of Bobby Edwards original version then Arthur Alxander’s version.
Etta James put her stamp on some C/W songs also. From the 1970 LP Etta James Sings Funk she covered the Louvin Brothers ‘When I Stop Dreaming’. She would also record and do a fine job of the David Houston C/W hit, ‘Almost Persuaded’. Click song title to hear the beginning of David Houston’s origianl version then Etta James version. It would chart #79 on the pop chart and #32 on the R&B chart. Her last LP, released in 2011 just months before her death was entitled The Dreamer . It included the Bob Mongomery composition and a C/W hit for Eddy Arnold and Ferlin Husky, ‘Misty Blue’.
In 1973 Ivory Joe Hunter released the LP I’ve Always Been Country. No songs from that LP charted after its release but one of the songs, ‘City Lights’, a Bill Anderson composition had been released in 1959 and went to #92 on the pop chart. Among the songs on the 1973 LP was ‘She Thinks I Still Care’, ‘San Antonio Rose’ and the Merle haggard song, ‘Today I Started Loving You Again’.
Esther Phillips released an LP in 1962 (the same year Ray Charles released his C/W LP’s) entitled Release Me! reflections of country and western greats. The title song, ‘Release Me’ went to #1 on the R&B chart and it would be the first song she would have on the pop chart going to #8. In fact her first three pop chart songs would come from this LP. Others were ‘I Really Don’t Want To Know’ went to #61 and ‘Am I That Easy To Forget’ made a showing at #112.
Even Tina Turner went country when she released her LP, Tina Turns The Country On!. None of the songs made either chart. Some of the notable songs included were ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, ‘If You Love Me (Let Me Know)’ and “I’m Moving On’.
Do you know Linda Martell? Linda is a black singer who started in Soul & R&B but never had any success as a solo artist. She was heard singing country songs on an Air Force base and was soon in Nashville signing a contract with Shelby Singleton. She had three songs make the C/W chart including her version of ‘Before The Next Teardrop Falls’ which she did 5 years before Freddy Fender’s release. Click song title to hear Linda’s version. Linda’s version went to #33 on the C/W chart. In 1969 she would perform at the Grand Ole Opry becoming the first black female singer to do so. She would make a total of 12 appearances at the Opry.
I will end with this early R&B singers who went country piece with Candi Staton, this year’s inductee for the BRC Music Hall Of Fame. Candi had many R&B songs chart and then she released the LP, Stand By Your Man which was recorded at Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals. When I first heard her cover of ‘Stand By Your Man’ I was just floored. Click song title to hear the beginning of Tammy Wynette’s original version then Candi’s version. For her to take a chance to record a version of such an iconic country song was amazing in the first place but then in my opinion to make the song ‘her own’ in an R&B style was incredible. The song went to #4 on the R&B chart and #24 on the pop chart. Another cover of a C/W song on that LP was ’He Called Me Baby’. Again, a really great version.
I have run out of room. But before I close let me mention these R&B artists who covered C/W songs. Al Green, Solomon Burke, Millie Jackson and Bobby Womack. Womack even released an LP entitled B. W. Goes Country in 1976. Included in that LP was a cover of ‘Behind Closed Doors’. And how about Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ being recorded and become a smash hit for Whitney Houston. Having these country classics and some unknows be given a soulful and R&B sound is what the love of music is all about. Everyone has their own interpretation of a song. In 1994 MCA released the LP Rhythm Country and Blues. It had duets with R&B and C/W singers. A few singers include Little Richard with Tanya Tucker, Vince Gill with Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole with Reba McEntire, B. B. King with George Jones, Chet Atkins with Allen Toussaint, Sam Moore with Conway Twitty and many more. This R&B doing country is still going on. Music has always been said to bring people together. I think all this proves this statement correct. Whether R&B, C/W, Soul, Pop or Rock I still love the smell of vinyl in the morning (noon, afternoon, evening, midnight, etc).
See ya,
Charlie