The King Pins, "It Won't Be This Way (Always)" c/w "How Long Will It Last," Federal 45-12484 (rel. 4/1963)
Chicago is our last stop on a sleeper week for this blog. Everyone must be on vacation or something! Perhaps this week's posts will be discovered later on. Bluesky is down this morning, which doesn't help matters.
For the very few who stop by, our best to you and thanks for checking in. Today we'll hear from The King Pins, secular alias for gospel singers The Kelly Brothers. Andrew, Curtis and Robert Kelly were the group's core, with T. C. Lee and Offe Reese to fill out the quintet.
Their singles for Nashboro Records as The Kelly Brothers led to the group's complete conversion to secular soul music, where they ruled the roost at Sims Records. Their work of the later 1960s is much admired by connoisseurs of deep soul. The King Pins have a lighter touch--akin to the beach music sound. Like Nothern Soul or popcorn, beach music is a curated genre that describes bright and happy-sounding r&b and soul that avoids drama or heartache. The King Pins got one hit for their effort--today's single--though it stalled at #89 on the pop charts in the spring of 1963. It was enough for Federal's main label, King, to issue an album, seen above. It goes for far more than their seven singles combined.
"It Won't Be That Way (Always)" has a lilting Latin beat with understated saxophone and crisp percussion. The Kelly Brothers' harmonies are stellar; their gospel background is evident, and the passion and polish they exhibit is impressive. It'd be easy for such a record to sound bland and over-rehearsed.
The King Pins have just enough grit to make this plea for reconciliation touching and earthy. It performed well on the rhythm and blues charts--#12 or 13, depending on the source--and was enough for King to issue an album, with its low-rent cover image, which looks like it was lensed by horror filmmaker Herschel Gordon Lewis.
"How Long Will It Last" opens with a sweet piece of spoken word testifyin', backed with thrumming bass guitar. That low-register nervous vibration underscores an elegant harmony stand by these fine singers. It recalls The Impressions' earliest sides--appropriate, since the brothers came from Chicago--with a touch of Sam Cooke and a healthy scoop of doo-wop. This is perhaps the strongest side of the single to modern ears; the A-side's apparent arrangement does sound slick in comparison. I wonder if any of The Kelly Brothers' church-going fans knew they trafficked in the devil's music on the side?
The Kelly Brothers' Sims recordings are among the crown jewels of deep soul harmony singing. These siblings' contribution to Black music is important; they sang with passion and grace to moving and edifying effect.
Tomorrow: Lloyd "Fatman" Smith blows the roof offa Monday morning with a sizzlin' single from OKeh Records, circa early 1957. I hope we'll see more people visiting this site!
What voices! What power! Love 'em!
ReplyDeleteFrank! Have been checking in but am in San Diego since Wednesday for a wedding.I don't have a proper way to listen here but look forward to catching up with your posts after I recover from the redeye flight back later this eveningI Gets into Philadelphia at 6:30 AM. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteHi Dean--no worries, and I appreciate your concern. It's just funny how readership drops off at times. I'm sure we'll have another uptick. August is kinda the doldrums. I hope you'll enjoy the backlog of posts when time permits.
DeleteTwo great-sounding recordings! Especially like the first track and wow, excellent lead and BG vocals on it. Love the tasty and restrained percussion, too.
DeleteDefinitely hear that Sam Cooke-like voice with more grit in "It Won't Be That Way (Always)" and less so in "How Long...". These guys sure could harmonize and both songs were recorded exceptional to catch all their voices.
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