Laura Lee
Band members Related acts
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- Laura Lee (aka Laura Lee Rundless,, aka Laura Lee Newton) --
vocals
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- The Meditation Singers
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Love More Than Pride Company: Chess Catalog: CH 50031 Year: 1972 Country/State: Chicago, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2229 Price: $40.00
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Adopted by a Detroit reverend, like so many other soul singers, Laura Lee started her musical career in Gospel. Her adopted father Reverend E. Allan Rundless had been a member of the Soul Stirrers. and by the time she was in her teens, Lee was singing in her church choir. As a 21 year old she was tapped to replace Della Reese in The Meditation Singers. recording and touring with the Gospel group.
In 1965 she started her secular career, singing in various Detroit clubs. That attracted the attention of Joanne Bratton and Ed Wingate's small Ric-Tic label, which signed her to a contract. She subsequently made her debut with the wonderful Motown-influenced single:
- 1966's 'To Win Your Heart' b/w 'So Will I' (Ric-Tic catalog number RT-111)
The following year found her signed to Chess where she was packed off to record material with Rick Hall's FAME label where she recorded a series of 45s over the next three years:
- 1967's 'You Need Me (As Much As I Need You)' b/w 'Stop Giving Your Man Away" (Chess catalog number 1989) - 1967's 'Dirty Man' b/w 'It's Mighty Hard' (Chess catalog number 2013) # 68 pop; # 13 R&B - 1967's 'Wanted: Lover, No Experience Necessary ' b/w 'Up Tight, Good Man' (Chess catalog number 2030) A side # 84 pop; B side # 93 pop; # 16 R&B - 1968's 'As Long As I Got You' b/w 'A Man With Some Backbone' (Chess catalog number 2041) A side #123 pop; # 31 R&B - 1968's 'Need to Belong' b/w 'He Will Break Your Heart' (Chess catalog number 2052) # 44 R&B - 1969's 'Hang It Up' b/w 'It's How You Make It Good' (Chess catalog number 2062) - 1969's 'Love More Than Pride' b/w 'Mama's Got A Good Thing' (Chess catalog number 2068)
Laura Lee spent 1967- 69 signed to Chess, recording a string of seven singles for the label. She enjoyed a couple of minor pop and R&B hits for the label, but in spite of the company's investment in her career, Lee never broke out. Chess quickly lost interest in Lee and by 1969 she'd moved on to Atlantic's Cotillion subsidiary.
Apparently looking to clean out their vaults and perhaps earn back a little on their earlier investments, 1972 saw Chess release "Love More Than Pride". An eleven track compilation, the album pulled together a mixture of previously released "A" and "B" sides, as well as material that had been shelved. The eleven tracks basically reflected two categories of material - tunes recorded in Chicago with producers Gene Barge and Cash McCall, and material recorded in Muscle Shoals with producer Rick Hall. Exemplified by material like the title track, 'Mama's Got a Good Thing' and 'That's How It Is' the Chicago songs tended to have a bluesier feel. Hall produced tunes like 'It Ain't What You Do ', 'Dirty Old Man', and 'It's How You Make It Good' were more soul oriented. Lee's performances were good across bother categories, though I'd give the edge to the Rick Hall numbers. There were plenty of highlights including
1.) Mama's Got a Good Thing (Ellington Jordan - Billy Foster) - 2:08 Serving as a nice introduction to Lee's wonderfully gritty voice, 'Mama's Got a Good Thing' was a little more hardcore soul that her singles for Hot Wax. While that may have been a turnoff to some folks, coupled with a strong melody, this was a killer performance. You had to wonder how it was relegated to being a "B" side on 1968's 'Love More Than Pride'. rating: **** stars 2.) Another Man's Woman (Gene Barge - L. Jordan) - 2:37 Lee certainly had the chops to handle a bluesy, cheatin' hearts number like 'Another Man's Woman'. The problem with this one was the song simply wasn't all that great. You've heard this theme dozens of times before; virtually all more impressive than this one. rating: ** stars 3.) It Ain't What You Do (J. Hughes) - 2:10 The funky 'It Ain't What You Do' showcased that special Muscle Shoals sound, underscored by the Muscle Shoals Horns and a stinging Duane Allman guitar solo. This was the genre Lee was made to work in. Wonderful tune that I would have made a single. rating: **** stars 4.) She Don't Love You (Jerry Butler - Curtis Mayfield - C. Carter) - 2:36 I have to admit I originally didn't think much of Lee's country-tinged cover of this Butler-Mayfield classic. And then out of the blue I realized my initial views were simply wrong. Yeah, there was a distinctive country-feel here, but Lee's vocals were amazing and the combination of the Hammond B-3 and the neat little guitar refrain made this a keeper. rating: **** stars 5.) It's All Wrong, But It's Alright (M. Green - E. Hinton) - 2:41 ' It's All Wrong, But It's Alright' marked a return to a bluesier, Chicago sound. I've always liked Lee when she employed her deeper, huskier voice and this was a great example of that approach. rating: *** stars 6.) I Need To Belong To Somebody (Curtis Mayfield) - 2:22 The opening borrowed liberally from Mayfield's 'People Get Ready'. Actually, the whole song bore a resemblance to that song ... Since Mayfield wrote both of them, I guess it wasn't a case of plagiarism ... This one had previously released as a single (with a slightly different title): - 1968's 'Need to Belong' b/w 'He Will Break Your Heart' (Chess catalog number 2052) # 44 R&B rating: **** stars
(side 2) 1.) Dirty Old Man (Bobby Miller) - 2:45 The kind of "gimmick" tune that Rufus Thomas would have flipped for ... The sad thing about this one is there are a couple of generations that have never heard Lee's version, instead having to grow up with Josh Stone's lame cover version. This was another one that had previously been released as a single: - 1967's 'Dirty Man' b/w 'It's Mighty Hard' (Chess catalog number 2013) # 68 pop; # 13 R&B rating: **** stars 2.) But You Know I Love You (Mike Settle) - 2:48 Hard to believe this was originally a hit for Kenny Rogers and The First Edition ... Producers Gene Barge and Cash McCall didn't mess with the song's basic melody, but Lee literally wiped Rogers and company with her cover. rating: **** stars 3.) That's How It Is (Maurice Dollison) - 2:34 Always loved the magnificent Hammond powered opener - few singer do lovelorn better than Lee and this was one of her best ballads. rating: **** stars 4.) It's How You Make It Good (Gene Barge - L. Webber) - 2:25 With a distinctive Muscle Shoals feel (meaning it was more funk than blues), 'It's How You Make It Good' was another standout performance. It had previously appeared as the "B" side to the 1969 single 'Love More Than Pride'. rating: **** stars 5.) Love More Than Pride (Maurice Dollison - Gene Barge - 2:34 'Love More Than Pride' served as Lee's final single for Chess and should have made her a star. Imagine a female version of Percy Sledge's 'When A Man Loves A Woman' and you'd get a feel for how good this smokin' ballad was. One of the best things she ever recorded. - 1969's 'Love More Than Pride' b/w 'Mama's Got A Good Thing' (Chess catalog number 2068) rating: **** stars
Lee's next stop was with Atlantic's Cotillion subsidiary where she released a pair of instantly obscure singles:
- 1969's 'Separation Line' b/w 'What a Man' (Cotillion catalog number 45-44054) - 1968's 'But You Know I Love You' b/w 'Together' (Cotillion catalog number 44073)
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: The Two Sides of Laura Lee Company: Hot Wax Catalog: HA 714 Year: 1972 Country/State: Chicago, Illinois Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: cut out notch on spine Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2202 Price: $20.00
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The following year found her signed to Chess where she was packed off to record material with Rick Hall's FAME label where she recorded a series of 45s over the next three years: Laura Lee's
sophomore album for Hot Wax teamed her with producer William Weatherspoon
and executive producer Ronald Dunbar. 1972's "The Two Sides
of Laura Lee" wasn't a major departure from the debut.
Like the debut, the album showcased Lee's instantly recognizable voice on a
mixture that included blues ('Every Little Bit Hurts'), Gospel
('You've Got To
Save Me'), supper
club jazz ('Guess
Who I Saw Today'), and
more radio friendly numbers. Like the debut, the debut tracks like 'If
You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)', 'Rip Off' and the
wonderful 'Crumbs off the Table' seemed intent on showcasing Lee as a
feminist icon. Ironically, those "message" tunes were also
some of the album's highlights. Highly commercial and reflecting a
street smart, humorous edge, it was the kind of material that put Millie
Jackson and others to shame. 1.) At Last (Harry Warren - Mack Gordon) - 4:38 It's easy to second guess folks, but you have to wonder why Hot Wax decided to put this in the leadoff slot ... There wasn't anything wrong with Lee's breezy cover of 'At Last', though the opening vamp didn't add anything to the mix. Fact of the matter was there wasn't anything in this performance that was going to make you forget Etta James' classic version. Supposedly the reference to the the "shy guy from Memphis" was a nod to then boyfriend Al Green. (I really disliked the spoken word vamps and the "'la la las ..." rating: *** stars 2.) Every Little Bit Hurts (Edward Cobb) - 6:08 A wonderful, bluesy ballad that showcased her sweet voice and ability to channel heartbreak like few singers, all I can say is you wouldn't want to upset this lady. rating: **** stars 3.) Guess Who I Saw Today (Elisse Boyd - Murray Grand) - 3:51 I'm not a big fan of songs that start out with spoken word vamps and this wasn't an exception. 'Guess Who I Saw Today' was a slow, heavily orchestrated, jazzy track that didn't score high on my list. The woman-done-wrong lyric wasn't any great shakes. I will admit that it showed off just how powerful Lee's voice was, but the song was just kind of bland. rating: ** stars 4.) Crumbs off the Table (Edith Wayne - Ronald Dunbar - Sherrie Payne) - 3:34 Ah, more like it ... classic Laura Lee. Sherrie Payne wrote it while a member of The Glass House and while their slower, bluesy version was a killer, Lee essentially made this her song. Kicked along by one of the best bass lines you'll ever hear, this was a classic slice of in-your-face, early-'70s feminism with a dance edge that should have made everyone smile. Only complaint was the track wasn't long enough. Included in a double 'A' side single this one managed to hit # 40 on the R&B charts. rating: ***** stars
(side
2) Back by some amazing bass work, 'If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)' was the album's funkiest and most commercial tune Always loved the nifty little nod to Betty Wright's 'Clean Up Woman'. One of her finest performances, the song was tapped as a single:
- 1972's 'If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)/ b/w 'If I'm Good Enough to Love (I'm Good Enough to Marry)' (Hot Wax catalog number HS 7207) # 65 pop; # 31 R&B rating: **** stars 2.) Workin' and Lovin' Together (Angelo Bond - Doris Weathersoon - William Weatherspoon) - 2:33 'Workin' and Lovin' Together' was another wonderful example of how Hot Wax managed to effortless combined soul and pop genres into a highly commercial mix. Lee's double tracked voice was the perfect instrument for their efforts. Another track that would have been a dandy single. rating: **** stars 3.) Rip Off (William Weatherspoon - Angelo Bond) - 3:15 'Rip Off' was the ultimate "payback" tune. Imagine Millie Jackson or Betty Wright without the crassness ... For goodness sakes, geez guess she was pretty pissed off given she was gonna take the carpet off the floor. The track was released as the album's leadoff single:
- 1972's 'Rip Off' b/w 'Two Lovely Pillows' (Hot Wax catalog number HS 7204) # 68 pop; # 3 R&B 4.) When a Man Loves a Woman (Carl Lewis - Andrew Wright) - 5:19 Like the leadoff song, there was nothing wrong with Lee's cover of 'When a Man Loves a Woman', but she simply didn't bring anything to the remake. The extended angry-woman opening vamp was simply irritating. rating:*** stars 5.) You've Got To Save Me (Doris Weathersoon - William Weatherspoon) - 3:16 Her roots were in Gospel so the supercharged Gospel number shouldn't have come as a surprise, though it's choice as a single was somewhat odd:
- 1970's 'You've Got To Save Me' b/w 'Crumbs off the Table' (Hot Wax catalog number HS-7210) rating:*** stars B side # 40 R&B
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: The Best of Laura Lee Company: Hot Wax Catalog: HA 715 Year: 1972 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG/VG Comments: small out out hole bottom left corner; still in shrink wrap; played once to tape Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4638 Price: $20.00 Cost: $66.00
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To my ears Laura Lee's a far better singer than Millie Jackson or anyone else working in that particular soul genre. Her stand-up-for-yourself rap was far more effective that anything Jackson ever did and under the care of the Holland-Dozier-Holland organization, her output was far more commercial.
1972's "The
Best of Laura Lee" was a curious 'best of' set
given it was drawn from Lee's first two studio sets for Hot Wax. The
eight tracks include most of Lee's commercial highlights, but coming so
earlier in her career it wasn't the ultimate 'best of' set since it ignored
her wonderful singles for Chess and Cotillion, as well as ignoring quite a few
of her post-1972 classic. Among the vital missing in action efforts
were Wedlock Is a Padlock', 'I'll Catch You When You Fall', and 'Two
Lonely Pillows'. While virtually every one of these tracks would have
made a dandy single, highlights include her cover of 'Crumbs Off the Table'
(it kicked The Glass House version to pieces), 'If You Can Beat Me Rockin'
(You Can Have My Chair)' and her signature tune 'Woman's Love Right'.
For casuals Laura Lee fans, or those that are simply curious, it was a
good place to start. 1.) Crumbs Off the Table (Ronald Dunbar - Edith Wayne - Scherrie Payne) - 3:35 Ah, more like it ... classic Laura Lee. Sherrie Payne wrote it while a member of The Glass House and while their slower, bluesy version was a killer, Lee essentially made this her song. Kicked along by one of the best bass lines you'll ever hear, this was a classic slice of in-your-face, early-'70s feminism with a dance edge that should have made everyone smile. Only complaint was the track wasn't long enough. Included in a double 'A' side single this one managed to hit # 40 on the R&B charts. rating: ***** stars 2.) Love & Liberty (Angelo Bond - William Weatherspoon) - 3:04 3.) Woman's Love Right (Angelo Bond - Weatherspoon) - 4.) If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair) (Lamont Dozier - Ronald Dunbar - Brian Holland) - 2:54 Back by some amazing bass work, 'If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)' was the album's funkiest and most commercial tune Always loved the nifty little nod to Betty Wright's 'Clean Up Woman'. One of her finest performances, the song was tapped as a single:
- 1972's 'If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)/ b/w 'If I'm Good Enough to Love (I'm Good Enough to Marry)' (Hot Wax catalog number HS 7207) # 65 pop; # 31 R&B rating: **** stars 5.) Rip Off (Angelo Bond - William Weatherspoon) - 3:17 'Rip Off' was the ultimate "payback" tune. Imagine Millie Jackson or Betty Wright without the crassness ... For goodness sakes, geez guess she was pretty pissed off given she was gonna take the carpet off the floor. The track was released as the leadoff single from "Two Sides of Laura Lee":
- 1972's 'Rip Off' b/w 'Two Lovely Pillows' (Hot Wax catalog number HS 7204) # 68 pop; # 3 R&B
(side
2) 2.) At Last My Love Has Come Along (Harry Warren - Mack Gordon) - 4:38 It's easy to second guess folks, but you have to wonder why Hot Wax decided to put this in the leadoff slot ... There wasn't anything wrong with Lee's breezy cover of 'At Last', though the opening vamp didn't add anything to the mix. Fact of the matter was there wasn't anything in this performance that was going to make you forget Etta James' classic version. Supposedly the reference to the the "shy guy from Memphis" was a nod to then boyfriend Al Green. (I really disliked the spoken word vamps and the "'la la las ..." rating: *** stars 3.) Guess Who I Saw Today (Elisse Boyd - Murray Grand) - 3:51 I'm not a big fan of songs that start out with spoken word vamps and this wasn't an exception. 'Guess Who I Saw Today' was a slow, heavily orchestrated, jazzy track that didn't score high on my list. The woman-done-wrong lyric wasn't any great shakes. I will admit that it showed off just how powerful Lee's voice was, but the song was just kind of bland. rating: ** stars
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