Jenny Lee And The Starlets, "What I Gotta Do" c/w "Show Me A Man (I Can Look Up To)," Congress 107 (rel. 10/1962)

 

At a small record show one week ago, I purchased a mere 20 singles. Most of them were heavy hitters (for softball prices), and through Monday I'll share some of the bigger discs I picked up there. Rudy Clark's name as songwriter was all the impetus I needed for today's platter. It's concurrent with James Ray's releases for Congress Records, which were masterminded by songwriter Clark and arranger Hutch Davie. 
    I knew this was a one-record artist from first sight. The utter lack of information about the record--even when new--confirmed this sense. Released in autumn 1962, this ambitious single, a triumph for its composer, came and went without notice in the music world. It's become a cult favorite due to the quality of the performances and the proto-feminist slant of both songs--among other attributes.

    "What I Gotta Do" opens with a tense clockwork sound and a chant from the vocalists. Then we hear the harmonica player from James Ray's singles on a more uptempo (yet still questioning) song that feels like Detroit soul of this period.
    This is a female protest against the process a young woman had to endure to snag a fella. And then, once a man was snagged, more effort and hard work went into keeping his good graces. Jenny does not sound happy with this scenario. A string section and crisp drumming bolster her performance and the soulful Starlets.

    The bridge introduces a marimba and gets into a brief, intense minor-key moment as Jenny further tallies up the situation. The Starlets offer a powerful Greek chorus on this twist-tempo protest song. A bluesy melody adds to the appeal of this declaration of general malaise towards the dating game.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oknrtsaa9cpbi7lta8dcj/2198a.mp3?rlkey=p2pux0pkt76veg7g7supfldva&st=wruhhbwx&dl=0

Rudy Clark is at his most ambitious on "Show Me a Man (I Can Look Up To)," a haunting minor-key waltz with touches of folk music and Broadway ballad in its musical DNA. Jenny Lee's performance is moving on this melodic, memorable song that digs deeper into the why-am-I-doin'-this-again? mood of the A-side.
    The Starlets get a larger part on this powerful ballad that would seem to be right up the alley of the popcorn/slow grind crowd but is yet-undiscovered. It got a second version from soloist Beverly Wright, released on United Artists in 1963. Her recording seems lumbering and overstated in comparison with Jenny Lee's original. The song did no better on its second try and was retired.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zw9vk6d1sireauv2vlt2j/2198b.mp3?rlkey=qp35xy1zirww8vwk2xibrpspg&st=e9qy3t4m&dl=0

Rudy Clark, who held a day job as a mail carrier, was a great songwriter and he wasn't afraid to try unusual approaches. These two songs are of the same quality as those he wrote for James Ray and are arranged and produced just right. None of the out-there aspects of the James Ray records (tubas, banjos) are involved. Mind you, I like those aspects of Ray's recordings, but it's satisfying to hear a more straightforward and effective pair of songs from this talent pool. It's a pity the label didn't promote this forward-thinking record and that the public didn't hear it. Jenny Lee (which may be a stage name) made no other records. Our loss!

Tomorrow: superb Black vocal group The Avalons lean into the future of soul music with a rare-as-the-dickens 1956 single for RCA's Groove imprint. Two stunning performances!