PAULINE SHIVERS - Opex - Wont You Come Back Home

Bought this some time back for £15 off SP and have to say I think it's one of the best female records I've ever bought. Beautiful slab of mid-tempo 6T'S femme angst, high class production, class melody and absolute Northern Soul perfection in my book...Vocally, it reminds me of that old CAROLINE COOKE thing on RCA, the same awesome high notes right when your not expecting them.

Does anybody know anything about PAULINE SHIVERS? I've heard clips of her other record but apart from the fact she's from Chicago, I can't find any info on her anywhere. This is the type of record that really fascinates me, not ultra rare, cheap but utterly fantastic creatively - the perfect recipe for Northern Soul neglect I suppose, but how people have never got seriously behind this magnificent little beauty is truly beyond me.

Hi Pete,

I love this tune as well i found this on the NME website

best

Sidney "Birdlegs" Banks (b. 13 October 1929, Chicago, Illinois, USA) and Pauline Shivers Banks (b. 28 April 1933, Memphis, Tennessee, USA). This Rockford, Illinois R&B married duo are known for one hit, "Spring", a hit in the spring (naturally) of 1963. Banks had been performing for nearly 10 years before he and his wife were recorded for the first time with "Spring", on Cuca Records, in Sauk City, Wisconsin. After it was leased to Chicago-based Vee Jay, the record reached the Top 20 on the national R&B charts, and received considerable airplay. As a result of the record's success, Banks and his wife toured with a group, a female duo called the Versatility Birds, and a back-up band that included Mack and Floyd Murphy; the latter pair later worked with the Blues Brothers. Cuca released an album by Birdlegs And Pauline called Birdlegs, but their later recordings for Vee Jay were never released. After the couple divorced in the late 60s, Pauline, under the name Pauline Shivers, recorded a number of songs in the deep-soul style for the Chicago-based Opex label

Edited June 21, 200916 yr by Pete Morgan

Hi Pete,

I love this tune as well i found this on the NME website

best

Sidney "Birdlegs" Banks (b. 13 October 1929, Chicago, Illinois, USA) and Pauline Shivers Banks (b. 28 April 1933, Memphis, Tennessee, USA). This Rockford, Illinois R&B married duo are known for one hit, "Spring", a hit in the spring (naturally) of 1963. Banks had been performing for nearly 10 years before he and his wife were recorded for the first time with "Spring", on Cuca Records, in Sauk City, Wisconsin. After it was leased to Chicago-based Vee Jay, the record reached the Top 20 on the national R&B charts, and received considerable airplay. As a result of the record's success, Banks and his wife toured with a group, a female duo called the Versatility Birds, and a back-up band that included Mack and Floyd Murphy; the latter pair later worked with the Blues Brothers. Cuca released an album by Birdlegs And Pauline called Birdlegs, but their later recordings for Vee Jay were never released. After the couple divorced in the late 60s, Pauline, under the name Pauline Shivers, recorded a number of songs in the deep-soul style for the Chicago-based Opex label

Great info.

I never knew that Pauline Shivers was one half of Birdlegs & Pauline!

Sean

Also had a release on Opex as Pauline CHIVERS.

Thanks Pete, quality info and like Sean, I certainly never realised PAULINE SHIVERSwas the 'PAULINE' with 'BIRDLEGS'! Cheers for that....

(PS, I'm not 'Pete' tho!)

Here's three i have by her. Not sure why she's called Chivers on Tough Stuff and i asked on here a while ago. I think the concensus was it was a mistake by the type setters at the pressing plant.

Thanks for those shots, yeah I agree, I think somebody probably thought her name had been mispelt and changed it (wrongly!).

CHIVERS does not quite have the same ring to it though does it lol!!!

It would be interesting to know whether she is still alive? Anybody?

Pauline Shivers - Wont You Come Home -

just for anybody who browses and does not know this little gem...

It would be interesting to know whether she is still alive? Anybody?

Maybe she is here : Pauline Shivers

Edited June 21, 200916 yr by Philippe

Now that is interesting!

No, sadly I have now learnt PAULINE SHIVERS is another soul artist who is no longer with us. Her Nephews however have an interesting site dedicated to new US musical talent and also celebrating the talents of original soul artuists such as their aunt.

The site is called afreshmusic.com and 'Wont you come back home' is proudly featured in tribute!

Probably yet another talented artist who never knew how her records touched people's hearts so deeply in the UK.

RIP

Thanks Pete, quality info and like Sean, I certainly never realised PAULINE SHIVERSwas the 'PAULINE' with 'BIRDLEGS'! Cheers for that....

(PS, I'm not 'Pete' tho

Sorry,

My friend in Australia is chorlybloke ( on Here ) you may know him ? ( Pete F )

anyway apologies for wrong name but i was happy with the results ....good old google

best

pete morgan

Lol! No I don't know him!

Yeah, good old Google - it threw me up PAULINE SHIVERS Nephew's Website as mentioned in the last post. Nice to see young black americans of the hip hop generation paying serious tribute to unknown artists from the original soul era.

Thanks again for 'BIRDLEGS' facts!