45RPM: 102 To Love Somebody - James Carr (1969)

To Love Somebody/ These Ain't Raindrops

Goldwax Records

Produced by Quinton Claunch and Rudolph Russell

Released March 1969

R'n'B Chart #44

A-Side: To Love Somebody

B-Side: These Ain't Raindrops

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Have to admit to not knowing an awful lot of detail about the single apart from the fact that the A-Side was recorded at Muscle Shoals and they were hoping to record at least another three songs with James Carr but apparently he was not in a good state at all! He was having a severe bout of manic depression that seemed to leave him speechless for hours. But he did manage to record this rather fascinating cover of the Bee Gees 1967 hit song To Love Somebody.

The B-Side, These Ain't Raindrops (one of my favourite songs by James Carr), had first appeared in 1967 on his brilliant Debut Album You Got My Mind Messed Up. No doubt that this was chosen due to the fact that he was clearly unable to sing another note at the recording session in Muscle Shoals!

I chose to add this one to the 45RPM Series solely on the sheer quality of the voice of James Carr. Knowing that he was really struggling it's amazing to think that he managed to get this great cover version out in one take. (You can read a little about that particular session here in a great piece by Robert Gordon).