line-up 1

- Little Royal (aka Royal Torrence) (RIP 2016)

  -- vocals

  supporting musicians: (as The Showmasters)

- Charles Able -- bass

- Randy Boss  --

- Donnie Chillis --

- Ray Clark -- guitar

- Doug Gray -- percussion

- J. Burnett Jackson -- bass

- Kevin Jordan (RIP) --

- Ronnie Jordan -- 

- Stanley Little -- guitar

- Doug Mckinzie -- sax

- Teddy Pendergast -- drums, percussion

- Marvin Shears (RIP) -- drums, percussion

- Andrew "Andrea" Sims (RIP 2022) -- sax

- Andrew Taylor -- bass

- Patricia Watts-Boss --

- Woody Woodson -- drums, percussion

.

- Little Royal and the Swingmasters

Genre: soul

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Jealous

Company: Tri-Us

Catalog: KS 1145 498

Year: 1972

Country/State: Durham, North Carolina

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: signed copy "All my love to Shirley - Little Royal"

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $40.00

The late Little Royal (Royal Torrence) is frequently musically, stylistically and physically compared to James Brown.  Frankly I don't hear or see the comparison.  His material lacks the originality, or power of Brown's material and his voice is at best a pale imitation of Brown.  Royal's dry, raspy delivery reminds me more of a young Joe Tex.  Not that I have anything against Joe Tex.  As far as similar looks ...  well you can judge for yourself.

Spanning some five decades, Royal's discography isn't large, but is surprisingly convoluted.  Moving from North Carolina to Washington D.C. in his twenties, Royal's initial foray into music was as a member of the local gospel group The Bards.  Urged to move into secular sounds, he started his own band and began playing Washington area clubs such as The Coco, The Colt Lounge, The Mark lV and The Penthouse.

He made his debut with a self-penned 1967 single on Joe Evans and Paul Williams' New York based Carousel Records.  A highly orchestrated bluesy ballad, to my ears the song simply wasn't all that memorable.

- 1967's "I Can Tell" b/w "You Know (You Made Me Love You)" (Carousel catalog number CAR-531)

Five years later Royal reappeared on the Starday-affiliated Tri-Us label.  In addition to releasing six singles over the next couple of years, he released his lone album for the label - 1972's Huey P. Meaux produced "Jealous".  Exemplified by material like "My Love Needs Company" and "Jealous" (the latter baring more than a passing resemblance to Garland Green's "Jealous Kind of Fellow"), the ten tracks reflected a mixture of Royal originals (credited to Royal Torrence) and outside covers.  Again, I didn't really hear the James Brown comparisons, rather Royal's dry, rugged voice reminded me more of a young Joe Tex, or a less goofy Rufus Thomas. Royal's performances were enthusiastic, but his penchant for extended spoken word vamps wasn't a bonus.  To my ears, backed by The Swingmasters, the album's two best songs were the instrumentals "Rainbow" and "Panama Red".  Following closely behind were covers of "That's My Desire" and "I'll Come Crawling".  Was "Jealous" a great album?  Not even close, but it had its moments - Royal much better on the up-tempo, funkier material.  Shame he didn't get to record another collection, perhaps with a more sympathetic producer than Meaux.

"Jealous" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Jealous (Royal Torrence) - 2:58 rating: *** stars

Credited as a Royal original, "Jealous" bore more than a passing resemblance to Garland Green's earlier "Jealous Kinda Fellow".  Add to that the spoken word vamp consumed almost half of the song.  Still, released as a single credited to Little Royal and the Swingmasters, once you got past the vamp the track served to highlight Royal's pleasant voice, serving as a decent slice of old school soul. It also provided Royal with his biggest radio hit.

- 1972's "Jealous" b/w "Razor Sharp" (instrumental) (Tri-Us catalog number TR-13)  # 15 US Billboard top-100 R&B 

YouTube has a Clip of Royal lip-synching the song during a 1972 appearance on the Cincinnati Soul Street television show: "Soul Street".  Be sure to check out his suit.  Wow, talk about an early-'70s timepiece. Even better was Royal's performance of the non-LP instrumental "Razor Blade":  You got to see him trotting out some of his best James Brown wannabe moves: Little Royal on Soul Street, 1972 - YouTube

2.) I'll Come Crawling (Edith Wayne - Ron Dunbar) - 2:30 rating: **** stars

With backing from The Royal Showband,  I'll Come Crawling" had been issued as a single prior to the release of his debut album.  I knew the song from the Danny Wood and the Chairmen of the Board release (found on their eponymous 1970 "Chairmen of the Board" LP.  Royal's arrangement wasn't all that different, but his vocals added a bit of additional energy and desperation to the song.  

- 1971's "I'll Come Crawling" b/w "Panama Red" (Tri-US catalog number 908)

3.) Keep On Pushing You Luck (Maurice Vann - David Parker) - 2:30 rating: *** stars

A breezy, horn-powered slinky tale of retribution, "Keep On Pushing You Luck" would not have sounded out of place on a Joe Tex album. Come to think of it, Royal's dry, raspy delivery recalled Tex.  The track was released as a single.  Producer Meaux's Pacemaker label subsequently reissued the song as a 1977 single.

- 1977's "Keep On Pushing Your Luck" b/w "That's My Desire" (Pacemaker catalog number PM 1980)

4.) Losing Battle (Mac Rebennack - John Dauenhauer) - 4:08 rating: ** stars

An old school soul ballad, Royal's cover of "Losing Battle" reminded me more of Solomon Burke rather than something out of James Brown's songbook. Docked a star for the needless spoken word vamp.  

5.) Panama Red  (instrumental) (Cheryl Brandt - Jimmy Jones) - 2:50 rating **** stars

Featuring some powerhouse horns and awesome drums, the instrumental "Panama Red" was quite funky.  Would have given the Tower of Power a run for their money.  The song also appeared as the "B" side to Royal's "I'll Come Crawling" 45.

(side 2)
1.) You'll Lose a Good Thing (Barbara Lynn Ozen) - 4:17 rating: *** stars
The late Barbara Lynn wrote it and recorded the definitive version ...  That's not to say Royal's version was bad; just not as good as the original.  The opening spoken word vamp didn't help. That didn't stop it from being released as a single:

- 1972's "You'll Lose a Good Thing" b/w "I'll Come Crawling" (Tri-Us catalog number TR-913)

2.) That's My Desire (Carole Loveday - Helmy Kresa) - 2:40 rating: **** stars

"That's My Desire" has been recorded dozens of times, ranging from Louis Armstrong to Patsy Cline.  This is one of the covers where Royal's bouncy beach music version surpassed most of the other versions.  Love the scratchy guitar that powers the arrangement.  The song also appeared as the "B" side of his 1977 reissue of "Keep On Pushing Your Luck".

3.) Soul Train (Huey P. Meaux) - 2:52 rating: **** stars

Okay, name checking an all-star cast of soul acts (Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, James Brown, The Allman Brothers !!!, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Rufus Thomas, etc.),  I'll admit "Soul Train" was funky.  If there was a track that came close to James Brown, this was it.  

4.) Rainbow (instrumental) (Andrew Sims) - 3:15 rating: **** stars

Penned by Showmasters leader Andrew Sims, the instrumental "Rainbow" essentially served as a showcase for Sims' tenor sax.  Very jazzy and very different from the rest of the album.

5.) My Love Needs Company (Royal Torrence) - 2:50 rating: *** stars

Another old school ballad that should appeal to Solomon Burke fans.  The song was also used as the "B" side on the forthcoming non-LP "I'm Glad To Do It" single.

There are also a number of non-LP singles; probably the best of the lot being a rollicking cover of The Cate Brothers' "(I Want To Be Free) Don't Want Nobody Standing Over Me":

- 1973's "Switchblade" (instrumental) b/w "Rainbow" (Tri-Us catalog number TR-914)

- 1973's "I Surrender" b/w "Soul Train" (Tri-Us catalog number TR-915)

- 1973's "I'm Glad To Do It" b/w "My Love Needs Company" (Tri-Us catalog number TR-916)

- 1973's "Keep on Pushing Your Luck" b/w "(I Want to Be Free) Don't Want Nobody Standing Over Me" (Tri-Us catalog number #917)

- 1973's "(I Want To Be Free) Don't Want Nobody Standing Over Me" b/w "Keep On Pushing Your Luck" (Black Pride catalog number BP-105-A/B)

- 1975's "Miss Lady" b/w "Rainbow" (Try-It catalog number TI-711

Royal continued to write and performer through his seventies; finding new life on the mid-Atlantic "Beach Music" scene.  82 years old and  having previously suffered a stroke, he died in September 2016.

Amazingly there's a Facebook page dedicated to Royal and the Swingmasters:  It isn't very active, but still ...  https://www.facebook.com/LRSwing/

© Scott R. Blackerby July 2025