EDDIE & THE TROPICS, "WE'VE GOT SOMETHING" C/W “Don't Monkey with Another Monkey's Monkey,” JOSIE 930 (REL. 3/1965)

 

Eddie Lovette became a reggae star in the 1970s. Prior to his hit single “Too Experienced” (a #95 charter in Billboard), the Cairo, Georgia-born singer and composer worked in the greater Miami area, where he and his group The Tropics sang a light, easygoing mix of r&b, soul and showed some of the characteristics of reggae. Someone in charge heard and liked them, and Josie Records took a flier on them for one single, released in the late winter of 1965.

The results sound Southern but have a distinct, playful sound. One odd touch is the insistent rhythm guitar that comprises the first 19 seconds of “We’ve Got Something.” This was enough to kill the record’s chances at radio play. That is an eon of playtime on AM radio, and were it played, most listeners, impatient for singing, would’ve changed the station. For those with patience, a Sam Cooke-esque, raggedy soul bouncer was their reward.

Lovette’s voice is expressive but unusual, with a sort of lisp to it. The Tropics provide bright, fervent harmony backup. The overall sound does point towards Jamaican music; its Caribbean sound is much lighter and easier than other Southern soul records of the day. None of the polish of Detroit or Chicago soul is here; just a joyful good-time sound which is engaging and endearing.

Another of those Cash Box throwaway "reviews."

That rhythm guitar makes a shorter intro for “Don't Monkey with Another Monkey's Monkey,” a fast-paced song of hard-luck advice. This parable about not messing with others’ sweethearts whips up a bright, frantic sound that sounds even less like Stax-style Southern soul.

This song shared a title with one recorded by outlaw country icon Johnny Paycheck in 1967. You can’t keep a good title down, and though both songs have similarities, it’s unlikely either artist heard the others’ work. Just one of those happy coincidences.

Condemned with a brief, dismissive review in Cash Box, the single died upon birth, and the group appears to have made one other single for the mysterious Bird Bowl Lounge imprint, which I’d guess was from Miami. This mega-rare, undated single pairs two r&b standards. It may have been a private pressing intended for nightclub sales. No copies are reported in anyone’s collection.

Lovette reinvented himself as a reggae singer and enjoyed some success without ever breaking into the big time. Steady work can be its own reward; Lovette went to college and earned a degree in psychology. In 1984, the Canadian Reggae Awards (I didn’t know there was such a thing) voted Lovette vocalist of the year. That, my friends, is all I’ve got on this offbeat one-shot.

Tomorrow: Carole King adopts a Caribbean sound, coupled with an elegant downer ballad, on the rarest of her three early solo singles for Dimension Records. A rare one from 1962.