Sandy Wynns aka Edna Wright

Listen/Download -Sandy Wynns – Love Belongs To Everyone MP3

Greetings all.

One of my favorite things, is when I start to research a record in one place and find myself carried away by the current in a completely different direction.

I first heard of Sandy Wynns years ago, via her Northern Soul fave ‘A Touch of Venus’. It is a storming, stylish number written and produced by West Coast pop genius Ed Cobb (who also made some beautiful 45s with Gloria Jones).

I picked up the 45 you see before you today on the strength of that record, and I was not disappointed.

So when I pulled it out of the box to write up here on the blog, I figured I was just going to rave about another obscure but wonderful 45 and that – as they say – would be that.

Then I started looking for information and the story became a lot more interesting.

‘Sandy Wynns’ as it turns out was a pseudonym for a Los Angeles singer named Edna Wright.

Edna Wright, was the sister of none other than Darlene Love. She recorded alongside Love in the Crystals and the Blossoms, and then a few years after putting the ‘Sandy Wynns’ name to rest, went on to be the lead vocalist in the Honey Cone!

Wright recorded a handful of 45s for west coast labels like Champion and Canterbury between 1964 and 1967.

‘Love Belongs To Everyone’ was her follow-up to ‘A Touch of Venus’ in 1964 and it takes the promise of that record to another level entirely.

The arrangement (by Lincoln Mayorga) is a stunner, with a relentless rhythm section led by a chiming rhythm guitar, and subtly applied horns moving things along at a brisk place. The song is filled with hooks and Wynns/Wright’s vocal is just beautiful.

Cobb’s production is fantastic, letting the instrumental power come through without getting in the way of Wynns’ voice.

The flipside, ‘Yes I Really Love You’ is very cool too, with a repeated refrain that sounds like it was lifted from the backing vocals to the Supremes ‘Come See About Me’.

It really boggles the mind that a record like this wasn’t a hit. You look at someone like Cobb, who followed this in 1965 with both ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Heartbeat’ for Gloria Jones, both of a similar high quality, and both met with the same commercial indifference. Fortunately, fame would catch up with Wright with the Honey Cone, who would have nine R&B and Pop hits between 1969 and 1972.

It’s a great record, and I hope you dig it as much as I do.

See you on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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