I have been meaning to post this song for sometime but just hadn't got round to it until last week when in the comments section to a post on a rather splendid new free tune from The School, over at the always excellent Linear Tracking Lives (and that's not just because this blog was mentioned in favourable terms) kevinpat mentioned Chris Clark in relation to Do I Love You.
Chris Clark I think that it is okay to say didn't fit the bill of most people's idea of a Motown female vocalist in so much that she was a six foot, blue eyed platinum blond. According to legend she strolled into Berry Gordy's office at Hitsville and gave a rendition of the Etta James song "All I Could Do Is Cry" and was immediately signed to the label. The fact that the song that she sung had been co-penned by Gordy might have aided her cause, however Gordy's instincts may have been a little more base than that, as a few years later Clark was to become Berry's mistress. Clark released 3 singles each on the Tamla and VIP labels and two albums, 1967's Soul Sounds and the much sought after CC Rides Again in 1969. She became an exec for the Film and TV division of Motown on the West Coast after her recording career had come to an end. She also co-wrote the screen play for Lady Sings The Blues which starred Diana Ross in the role of Billie Holiday.
I have to confess I'm not the biggest fan of Chris Clark, I find her vocal a little too slight a lot of the time. I do however love this 1966 recording which was unreleased until the mid noughties and was the flip side of the Isley Brothers My Love Is Your Love (Forever) from the Motown 7s Box released in 2013.
Chris Clark - Something's Wrong
3 comments:
Nice.
That is quite an interesting story, Drew. The song is very nice too. I read a lot about Motown product this past weekend after listening to that Frank Wilson song numerous times. Did you ever get those Motown singles box sets that were sold by the year, such as The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 5: 1965? They are expensive, but these seem like stellar collections I may start looking for... although it seems the 1966 box is already impossible to find.
I never did buy those box sets Brian. To be honest a lot of the Motown stuff is a bit poppy for me. I prefer the less glossy stuff that was trying to immitate the Hitsville sound. Don't get me wrong I love loads of it but when it came to buying a compilation or one 7" single that I really love, I go for the single evry time
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