Geater Davis – Don’t Marry a Fool
Geater Davis
Listen/Download Geater Davis – Don’t Marry a Fool
Greetings all
I thought we’d get the week started with some of that good, solid, stick to your ribs southern soul.
Thanks and credit go out to my man Kris Holmes, on who’s radio show (on Radio Ponsonby in NZ) I first heard today’s selection.
As has been discussed here before, I first found my way into the world of soul via its grittier, Southern variety, a la Stax, Goldwax et al.
The ensuing decades have brought all manner of soul and funk into my ears, but I always find myself rolling back to Memphis.
I don’t think I had ever heard anything by Geater Davis (though I knew his name) before Kris played this record on his show.
Vernon ‘Geater’ Davis was born in Texas in 1946, and recorded his first 45 (the one you’re listening to) in Memphis in 1970.
Davis recorded around two dozen 45s (for House of Orange, Seventy Seven, MT, Luna and Sunbelt) and a pair of LPs between 1970 and his untimely death in 1984.
He had a fantastic, bluesy voice with a gritty texture he could turn on and off at will, sounding at times like a deeper-voiced Bobby Bland.
‘Don’t Marry a Fool’, co-written by Davis and Reuben Bell, mixes bluesy guitar, a chugging rhythm section (the piano is quite nice) and a horn section to make a record that while not funk per se, is undeniably funky at its core.
The House of Orange label was the imprint of Allen Orange, who I’ve mentioned here before in relation to his early collaborations in New Orleans with Allen Toussaint.
If you want to read an amazingly in-depth tale of Orange, his recording and producing career, including a lot of info on Geater Davis, head on over to Red Kelly’s Soul Detective site.
The other side of this 45, the ballad ‘Sweet Woman’s Love’ edged its way into the R&B Top 50 in 1970. Davis had one more minor hit with ‘Your Heart Is Gold’ in 1973.
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you on Wednesday.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Themocracy