Dee Irwin

 

Listen/Download Dee Irwin – I Can’t Stand the Pain

Greetings all

The end of the week is fast approaching, so it’s time to remind you to tune in to the Funky16Corners Radio Show, this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at airtime, you ca keep up with the show by subscribing to the show as a podcast in iTunes.

The tune I bring you today is something I picked up a few years back, and promptly fell in love with.

Big Dee Irwin (aka Erwin, Ervin, full name DiFosco Ervin) recorded for a variety of labels, under a variety of names (or at least spellings) between 1959 and 1978.

He got his start as a member of the Pastels, before starting his solo career for the Hull label in 1959.

Irwin had his only hit in a duet with Little Eva on the old standard ‘Swinging On a Star’, which made it into the Pop Top 40 in 1963 (it was a Top 10 hit in the UK).

He continued to record for Dimension, 20th Century Fox, Roulette, Fairmount and others before hooking up with Imperial in 1968.

Irwin recorded two solo 45s for the label, as well as three duet 45s (all very cool) with Mamie Galore in 1968 and 1969.

Today’s selection was his second solo outing for Imperial, coming out in 1968. ‘I Can’t Stand the Pain’, written by Maurice Dollison (aka Cash McCall) and Monk Higgins, arranged by Higgins and co-produced by Higgins and Irwin (credited on the label as Ervin), is one of those records that really ought to have been a much bigger deal that it was.

‘I Can’t Stand the Pain’, pushed along by an insistent bass (I’d love to know who the bassist is), combines a great vocal by Irwin (nice female backing singers, too) and a fantastic arrangement by Higgins, featuring flute, strings and a powerful rhythm section.

Despite its obvious quality, this seems to be one of those records that just slipped through the cracks, failing to chart anywhere, never gathering the kind of following inclusion on a Top DJs set list can inspire (though it does seem to have gotten a UK release on Minit).

‘I Can’t Stand the Pain’ is – like much of Irwin’s catalog – unjustly forgotten, but that’s why Funky16Corners is here, slipping it into your ears so that it might find a home in your heart.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.