Miss LaVell, "Run To You" c/w "Why Young Men Go Wild," Duke 372 (rel. 12/1963)
Photo in today's marquee is by Ralph Arvesen - https://www.flickr.com/photos/rarvesen/13891203979/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32484381
At 96 years, LaVelle White is still with us, though no longer performing. She was still active on the blues scene a decade ago. She first recorded in 1958 for Duke Records, part of Don Robey's nefarious Texas music empire. Robey was the shark they talk about when they use the phrase swimming with sharks. He was the hardest case in a business loaded with tough customers. Like a certain corpulent spray-tanned grifter who will host tattooed lummoxes harming one another for his entertainment as he wolfs down Big Macs and sweats in the heat and humidity of a DC summer, while plotting his own crimes and misdemeanors to come, Robey was...well, you get the picture. Not a decent human being, like a certain corpulent spray-tanned grifter who celebrates its 80th orbit around a sun that would rather not shine upon him, were it possible.
Born in Louisiana in 1929, Miss LaVell (as she was known) transcended her humble beginnings as the child of sharecroppers. She became interested in singing and songwriting in her youth. A move to Texas led to her public performances, where she impressed local legend Johnny Copeland. He recommended her to Don Robey, who first recorded her in 1958. Robey's usual shenanigans occurred: top of the list was the theft of songwriting credit. Ms. White co-wrote Bobby "Blue" Bland's major r&b hit "Lead Me On;" Robey removed her name and replaced it with Deadric Malone, his alias for song copyrights. His attitude about such actions was y'all are lucky to get to make a record.
Born in Louisiana in 1929, Miss LaVell (as she was known) transcended her humble beginnings as the child of sharecroppers. She became interested in singing and songwriting in her youth. A move to Texas led to her public performances, where she impressed local legend Johnny Copeland. He recommended her to Don Robey, who first recorded her in 1958. Robey's usual shenanigans occurred: top of the list was the theft of songwriting credit. Ms. White co-wrote Bobby "Blue" Bland's major r&b hit "Lead Me On;" Robey removed her name and replaced it with Deadric Malone, his alias for song copyrights. His attitude about such actions was y'all are lucky to get to make a record.
Today we'll hear the next-to-last of White's Duke singles, issued at the end of 1963 as America struggled with the shared trauma of President John F. Kennedy's assassination; only the arrival of The Beatles in February 1964 would provide suitable distraction. This was a fertile time for Black music. It was into its transition from the classic rhythm and blues sound to what would be called soul music. The bossa nova sound from Brazil had hit American music and influenced all its styles, save country (tho' it wouldn't surprise me to hear a hillbilly bossa nova from this period).
Ms. White gets songwriter credit for both sides of this single, which offers a fascinating range of styles. "Run To You" is in a minor key, with eerie flute and a sinister sound from a tight, tough rhythm section. The guitarist and drummer are in excellent form, as are the brass and woodwinds that emerge like a child going "boo!"
White's vocal style is immersive. She maintains a conversational tone and expresses emotions without overdoing the drama on this urgent song of romantic desire. It's her show all the way: no instrumental solos, save the flute flourish at the start. No arrangment here; just the song, its singer and enough support to move it all along.
Soul fanatics are only interested in her earlier single "Stolen Love," which became a DJ favorite in the club scene. This isolationist approach to a performer's catalog annoys me no end; all of Miss LaVell's Duke singles are excellent and deserve to be heard.
"Why Young Men Go Wild" is more typical Duke Records fare. To a New Orleans-flavored beat that recalls Barbara George's 1963 hit "I Know," Ms. White offers a thesis on the galling behavior of the opposite sex. It's a 12-bar blues with the classic repeated lines and gospel-inspired melody. The song's lyrics may have had female listeners in a chorus of mm-hms as they listened. I may do this song a dis-service by playing it last, but I prefer the moody vibe of "Run To You." See what you think...
Miss LaVell's Duke contract expired while she was on the road touring. She did not re-up and never made another single under her own name. She was half of the duo Johnny and Lilly who had one release on the Wet Soul label in 1970. A move to Chicago saw her work local clubs, including an eight-year residency at The Kingstone Mines, where she became a favorite; she returned to Houston for a similar conquest of its blues scene. Without recordings, she won awards and gained fans. Many asked the same question: ain't you got an album?
She answered that plea with 1994's Miss Lavelle, issued on Antone's Records. By this time she'd moved to Austin, TX and performed in Antone's popular blues club. Two more albums followed, the last issued in 2003. Ms. White continued to perform into the new century. She doesn't appear to be taking the stage any longer, but she's had a long, successful career that transcended the chicanery of Don Robey.
May this No Kings Day be a good one for you. Whether you attend an event or not, keep the faith. The horrors we endure on a daily basis will end. There will be accountability for bad actions. There has to be.
Tomorrow: Chuck Berry is back with a 1960 Chess Records twin-spin delight. Not the usual hits on this one.
May this No Kings Day be a good one for you. Whether you attend an event or not, keep the faith. The horrors we endure on a daily basis will end. There will be accountability for bad actions. There has to be.
Tomorrow: Chuck Berry is back with a 1960 Chess Records twin-spin delight. Not the usual hits on this one.
Love these! Her enunciation is impeccable. "Run To You"' and its bossa nova makes you want to move your feet. "Why Young Men Go Wild" sure delivers da horns and da funk.
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