Sam Dees – Lonely For You Baby
Sam Dees, truly lonely…
Listen/Download – Sam Dees – Lonely For You Baby
Greetings all.
I’m gonna start things off by telling you that you really should tune in to this week’s Funky16Corners Radio Show, Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. I have concocted an hour’s worth of the hottest soul party 45s, so what you need to do is put on your dancing shoes, tuck into the intoxicant of your choice (if that’s how you roll, since these 45s are so powerful getting oiled up might be interpreted as overkill), roll up the carpet and grab yourself a partner. I guarantee a good time.
As is always the case, I have something of a story to tell, so I figured I’d close out the week with something interesting (which also happens to be a monumental soul 45).
Sometime last year a reader sent me a message that the old Funky16Corners organization had been getting props on Sean Rowley’s ‘Joy of Music’ show on the BBC.
I tracked that week’s show down, gave it a listen and was pleased when Mr. Rowley had some very kind things to say about the blog.
That, though, is neither here nor there, but it does get us to the point I’m trying to make.
When I clicked on the link and started to play the show in question, the very first song he played knocked me flat on my ass.
I gave it a second listen, and then decided that I really ought to keep listening to the show to find out what this record was.
When Mr. Rowley announced the name Sam Dees and the title ‘Lonely For You Baby’ I opened up another tab on the browser and set out into the wilds of the interwebs to see if I might procure a copy of this wonderful record for my own.
Unfortunately I discovered in rather short order that ‘Lonely For You Baby’ is as rare as it is kick-ass, ranging in price from three to five hundred dollars (sometimes more).
Now I have spent a great deal of money on records over the years, but never that kind of scratch on a single 45 (or dozen 45s for that matter). In fact, I question the sanity of anyone spending five hundred smackers on a single record. Even the most rarified items on my want list ( a couple of soul, funk and psyche 45s) couldn’t get me to pony up that kind of dough.
I have a wife, kids, and surprisingly enough a conscience, all of which prevent me from indulging in that particular variety of insanity.
This is not to say that there are people that would question my sanity in this regard (on both sides of the issue, i.e. some suggesting that my limits are too high, as well as those for whom expenditures in that league are common), but I have decided that no matter how much a 45 blows my mind, nothing so fleeting is worth that much, at least to me.
That said, thanks to a fair amount of record nerds who operate in the same way – whether by choice or necessity – there has been for decades a brisk market in vinyl reissues.
And I’m not talking about 180g audiophile nonsense for someone to unsleeve with kid gloves and place on their scientifically engineered, space age turntable in their gold lined listening cave, but rather records (mostly 45s) pressed up and sold to DJ types so that even though they have not been lucky (or rich) enough to find an original copy of a record like ‘Lonely For You Baby’, they still might have a copy of same in their record box that they can whip it on folks on the dance floor of their choice.
The really interesting thing (at least to me, once again record nerd related) is that some of these reissue 45s themselves become somewhat rare.
Nothing like several hundred dollars rare, but much more than the seven to ten dollars they initially sell for.
You tend to see a lot of this in the Northern Soul market, so much so that I have several UK-only repressings of records (some obviously so, others pressed to fool the less discriminating among us*) dating back to the very early 70s, a time when a number of 1960s soul records reentered the charts in England, thanks to the soulies.
The tune I bring you today only set me back around 20 bucks, but not only is it worth every copper penny and more, but it carries with it another interesting tidbit.
Back in the day (that being the 60s), a very tasteful and prescient chap named Dave Godin – verily the godfather of soul music in the UK (who would also go on to give name to the Northern Soul phenomenon) – opened a record shop by the name of Soul City.
Before long, Soul City also became a record label, founded with the express purpose of issuing hard to find US soul sides in the UK market. Between 1968 and 1970, Soul City issued a few dozen 45s in the UK (including Chuck Edwards ‘Downtown Soulville’, a Soul City issue of which holds a special place in my crates), at least one of which, Gene Chandler’s ‘Nothing Can Stop Me’ made it onto the UK charts.
It’s important to note that what labels like Soul City, Mojo and Action were doing wasn’t really “reissuing” records in the commonly understood sense, but rather pressing what were by and large contemporary (within a year or two) issues of records for the overseas market. Many US record companies either had their own UK/Euro subsidiaries or licensees, but sometimes it took folks like Dave Godin to see the value in (or at least the demand for) a more obscure US record.
At some point**, someone (I’m not sure who, since Godin passed away in 2004) reactivated the Soul City imprint, using the same basic logo and color scheme and started reissuing 45s, which is where this particular pressing of ‘Lonely For You Baby’ comes from.
Now, the record itself is undeniably a wonder.
‘Lonely For You Baby’ was Sam Dees’ debut 45, recorded in 1968 for SSS Intl.
The record opens with a hypnotic drum and bass riff that lulls you into submission, and before you know it your feet start moving, your hips start swaying and then Dees’ vocal and the horns come in and the record (and the listener) really blasts off.
Dees’ vocal is incredible, and the arrangement is a marvel of powerful simplicity. Though you really only heard the bass, drums, piano and horns (and the barest bit of rhythm guitar) there’s a serious amount of rhythmic propulsion here, so much so that ‘Lonely For You Baby’ is a big fave with the dancers on the Northern scene.
Dees only recorded this one 45 for SSS Intl before leaving, going on to record for Lolo, Chess and eventually Atlantic. Dees eventually worked mainly as a producer and songwriter, penning hits for a number of other performers, the biggest being Larry Graham’s recording of ‘One In a Million You’.
I hope you dig the tune (I’m sure you will) and I’ll be back on Monday.
Peace
Larry
*The John Manship record guide includes a marking indicating whether or not a record has been bootlegged. There are a LOT of them
** As far as I’ve been able to tell this pressing is between 10 and 15 years old.
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Digging, Funky16Corners, Northern Soul, Reissues, Soul, Soul 45
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Funky16Corners, Northern Soul, Soul
Themocracy
That one’s in my top ten soul tunes of all time. Cheers!
Love this tune – that bass…
This is one of my favourites, I have an alternate mix of this that has female backing vocals. They sing ‘for ya babe’ along with the piano (after he sings ‘lonely’ and ‘truly lonely’). It is on a best of SSS International CD.
You’re a rare treasure, Larry!
Larry, enjoyed your post – as usual.
I would be interested to know what you think about the nu jazz/ soul scene. At the not so tender age of 50 something, I’ve recently been listening to this and have been very pleasantly surprised. The scene is big in the UK and Europe, in a kind of underground, new club scene kind of way. Here are some of the musicians I’ve been digging – Bahama Soul Club, Juju Orchestra, Jazztronik, Nicola Conte and Mop Mop. I’m no expert – I can see that, I hear you say – but the music is certainly toe-tapping stuff and more. Anyway,enough of my musings, Mixloud here: https://www.mixcloud.com/ladysmiles_ukjazzradio_show/ explains it better than I can. Regards, John H
Larry: Your “…grab yourself a partner,” in para. 1,puts me in mind of Fats Waller in The Joint is Jumpin’, “…..check your weapons at the door, grab anybody’s daughter.” Good stuff………………………Pop
Great, great, great tune.
Stumbled across this on a cheapo UK Northern Soul comp many moons ago.
Thanks for making me listen to it again.
Just reallly, really good!
Stu, Glasgow, Scotland
Stormin’ tune.
You can pick up 7″ vinyl re-issue [Outta Sight Records] on Juno [UK Site]. B-side is alternative edit with chorus. Only £8.99….
Link below.
https://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/409424-01.htm
I’m sure it must be available in the states. Probably Dusty Groove as a starting point.
UK shops like Juno, Fat City Records, Phonica, Crazy Beat Recs. and of course Jazzman are excellent for all new re-issues and of course all ship abroad.
I agree about paying over the odds for a rarity. I do sometimes indulge but not at that price. Anyway there are so many available re-issues of 7/12/LP vinyl at reasonable prices just now. A brilliant time to pick up some great sounds in mint condition. Check aforementioned online shops
Jim, Falkirk, Scotland