Roy Hamilton, "You're Gonna Need Magic" c/w "To The One I Love." Epic 5-9443 (rel. 4/1961)
For something different, we visit Roy Hamilton in the aftermath of his major 1961 hit "You Can Have Her." Hamilton was a fence-straddler: part pop, with all its mawkish trappings and part blues/jazz. The former dominates his Epic Records catalog; so many times he's made to be a Nat 'King' Cole clone, with strings, vocal chorus and that sheen of respectable dullness that marks so many MOR pop sides of their day.
"You Can Have Her" gave him a chance to dig more into r&b; as others have noted, it sounds like an Elvis song. Despite an overbearing arrangement, Hamilton sang with a renewed force and vigor. I dislike that recording, but Hamilton tries his hardest to break through all the marzipan that entraps him.
For a follow-up, the enchanted style of popcorn--mid-tempo songs with exaggerated arrangements and a scintilla of the odd and outrageous--entered the sound-picture. Irvin Levine and Bob Brass, who would bring young musician Al Kooper into their songwriting fold, provided the semi-soundalike "You're Gonna Need Music." Its arrangement is less disruptive than "You Can Have Her." In the wake of that single's success, Team Hamilton may have decided that super-overkill wasn't quite the right fit for this Black pop star. The crazy is dialed back just enough to let the r&b feeling in the room.
It is, one might argue, a better song than "You Can Have Her," which I've always found a bit brusque. The overall result is not quite in the league of The Drifters with Ben E. King, but far away enough from mere pop music to please. It got to #80 on the national charts--a far cry from the #12 of "You Can..." and a guarantee that fringe groups like the Belgium-based popcorn movement would latch onto it.
"You Can Have Her" gave him a chance to dig more into r&b; as others have noted, it sounds like an Elvis song. Despite an overbearing arrangement, Hamilton sang with a renewed force and vigor. I dislike that recording, but Hamilton tries his hardest to break through all the marzipan that entraps him.
For a follow-up, the enchanted style of popcorn--mid-tempo songs with exaggerated arrangements and a scintilla of the odd and outrageous--entered the sound-picture. Irvin Levine and Bob Brass, who would bring young musician Al Kooper into their songwriting fold, provided the semi-soundalike "You're Gonna Need Music." Its arrangement is less disruptive than "You Can Have Her." In the wake of that single's success, Team Hamilton may have decided that super-overkill wasn't quite the right fit for this Black pop star. The crazy is dialed back just enough to let the r&b feeling in the room.
It is, one might argue, a better song than "You Can Have Her," which I've always found a bit brusque. The overall result is not quite in the league of The Drifters with Ben E. King, but far away enough from mere pop music to please. It got to #80 on the national charts--a far cry from the #12 of "You Can..." and a guarantee that fringe groups like the Belgium-based popcorn movement would latch onto it.
SORRY: I had to upgrade to a new, worse version of Audacity. They've made the file saving protocol ten times harder and tricker. Here's the correct link.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9mre9l0ne216n03k8pix9/2160a.mp3?rlkey=41quh2ug7v3kurfbnwp84su9y&st=03h95wxf&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9mre9l0ne216n03k8pix9/2160a.mp3?rlkey=41quh2ug7v3kurfbnwp84su9y&st=03h95wxf&dl=0
Cash Box approved all the way!
The intended A-side is a collaboration of Hamilton and eccentric songwriter Lincoln Chase, whom we'll hear more from on this Thursday in an extra-special postalooza you won't want to miss! (Hint, hint.) "To the One I Love" bears strong evidence of Chase's hand. His long, elegant melodic lanes and poetic lyrics (that, irony noted, don't rhyme as a rule) dominate this philosophical song--a secular hymn to the power of kindness and love.
Here's a perfect example of the popcorn vibe: the eerie vocal choir, swooping strings, a Latin beat and mood for miles. I'm certain the lyrics are Chase's work; Hamilton had some input but the presentation is redolent of his collaborator. This side is a "grow on you" item, as Cash Box might've tagged it; it charms aren't spread all over its surface.
Hamilton has some Northern Soul biggies in his later discography that I keep an eye out for when browsing; I've learned that such records do pop up on occasion. And that's all for today.
Tomorrow: Ann Cole's most in-demand single--a sequel to her cataclysmic "Got My Mo-jo Workin'" with boss guitarist Mickey Baker in blazing support. A lovely ballad on the B-side on this 1957 Baton Records biscuit.
Tomorrow: Ann Cole's most in-demand single--a sequel to her cataclysmic "Got My Mo-jo Workin'" with boss guitarist Mickey Baker in blazing support. A lovely ballad on the B-side on this 1957 Baton Records biscuit.
I'm always amazed at these 45s you find that are so good and wonder why they really didn't become 'sales dynamite.' You're right: both these are Drifter's-adjacent—especially "This Magic Moment" copycat "To The One I Love"—which to me is not a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteIt never fails to surprise me how much great music didn't click with the public. The supply so overfilled demand that every year contains several hundred top singles that went unheard or overlooked. It's what keeps me digging--I never know what's gonna turn up!
DeleteGreat to hear these for the first time--thanks, Frank! Another incredible singer. Sometimes Hamilton's vocal performances drifted into hybrid Brook Benton/Jerry Butler ballad territory (still fantastic singing, though)...but my favorite of his has always been "Don't Let Go." Very nuanced and cleanly pitched and fun. Unfortunate how he died so young...what a healthy-looking guy he was at the time. Sad.
ReplyDelete