Ruby Andrews / Wayne Bennett – Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)
Miss Ruby Andrews
Listen/Download – Ruby Andrews – Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)
Listen/Download – Wayne Bennett – Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)
Greetings all.
I hope that the middle of the week finds you all well.
The tune(s) I bring you today represent one of the finest ‘love gone bad’ soul songs of the 60s, as well as a groovy instrumental spin on same.
Ruby Andrews was a Mississippi-born, Chicago-based singer who recorded for, and scored a string of R&B hits with the Zodiac label between 1967 and 1971.
I first heard Ruby via a mix tape that included the pulsing funk of ‘You Made a Believer Out of Me’, which was a Top 20 hit in 1969. That record was a big fave of mine for a few years before I finally scored a copy of Ms. Andrews biggest hit, the tune I bring you today, ‘Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)’.
An R&B Top 10 hit (and Pop Top 50) in the summer of 1967 (with Casanova spelled ‘Casonova’ on the label), ‘Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over), co-written by Joshie Armstead and Milton Middlebrook, and bearing a characteristically fantastic arrangement by the mighty Mike Terry, is a dramatic, emotional record that sounds years ahead of its time.
The second version of the tune came to me quite by accident.
Last year, during the Funky16Corners Pledge Drive and the premier of the Funky16Corners Soul Club, my man Tarik Thornton included the track ‘Rocking Funky Broadway’ by Wayne Bennett in his mix.
Not too long after that I spied that record on a sale list and picked it up.
It wasn’t until it fell through the mail slot that I discovered that the flip was a version of ‘Casanova’.
Bennett was a journeyman jazz/blues guitarist who had played on some of Bobby Bland’s landmark recordings.
His version of ‘Casanova’, basically his guitar lead overdubbed onto the original backing track from Andrews’ 45, was released on the Chicago-based Giant label (for which Armstead herself recorded some excellent 45s) in 1968. Bennett lays down the melody line with a bold, jazzy flair, creating a more memorable performance than one would expect from such a reworking.
There were later cover versions of the song by Loleatta Holloway (1975 Aware) and the disco group Coffee (1980 DeeLite).
I hope you dig the tunes, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Peace
Larry
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PS Head over to Iron Leg for some obscure, New England garage pop.
Themocracy
Looks like the Wayne one’s gone pop?! Posted a great versh of Satisfaction I reckon will hit your Soul spot today..oh and watch for last Friday’s guest post from Nick Saloman of Physic Circle records too…
Actually I think it’s my laptop having some grief…
Wha??
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Larry Grogan, Larry Grogan. Larry Grogan said: Dig Ruby Andrews and Wayne Bennett both working 'Casanova (Your Playing Days are Over) @ Funky16Corners https://bit.ly/g8EJFM […]
Hello my Name is Nefertiti lasha Bennett,Wayne Bennett is my father…I want to Thank those who keep him close to their hearts,those whom havent forgot about his wonderful music and talent if you may have any questions contact me by email please Thankyou