Jump to content

Has A Kid Ever Made A Decent Soul Record?


Recommended Posts

Has anyone below the age of 12 ever made a great soul record? Take something like Reggie Garner's 'Call Me on the Hotline' - its likeable but hardly great. Little Stevie Wonder, Cubie Burke, Michael Jackson Five in the early years, were they up to it or a nice novelty? My theory is 'you win nowt with kids'. So name a great soul record by someone below the age of 12.

Link to comment
Social source share

  • Replies 35
  • Views 2.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Most active in this topic

Most active in this topic


I'm not 100% sure but i think Edward Hamilton, Fifes,Arabians etc. was pretty young when he cut the likes of 'Baby Don't You Weep', 'Call Me' etc. also Gene Woodbury was a tender age of 'Ever Again' fame again not sure, not very helpful i'm sorry...i'll get my coat...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Link to comment
Social source share

I'm not 100% sure but i think Edward Hamilton, Fifes,Arabians etc. was pretty young when he cut the likes of 'Baby Don't You Weep', 'Call Me' etc. also Gene Woodbury was a tender age of 'Ever Again' fame again not sure, not very helpful i'm sorry...i'll get my coat...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I'll check on the CD Mark that came out with all the Del Val stuff on it as I think there may be a write up on Gene Woodbury

Tony Michaels was only about 13 I think when he recorded 'I Love The Life I Live'

Grant

Link to comment
Social source share

I'll check on the CD Mark that came out with all the Del Val stuff on it as I think there may be a write up on Gene Woodbury

Tony Michaels was only about 13 I think when he recorded 'I Love The Life I Live'

Grant

Grant, i have that cd must be where i read it, also seen a promo photograph of him looked a snip of a teenager i think.

Mark Bicknell.

Link to comment
Social source share

I'll check on the CD Mark that came out with all the Del Val stuff on it as I think there may be a write up on Gene Woodbury

Tony Michaels was only about 13 I think when he recorded 'I Love The Life I Live'

Grant

He'd have had a job, he was lead singer with The Reflections (I think)

Link to comment
Social source share

Grant, i have that cd must be where i read it, also seen a promo photograph of him looked a snip of a teenager i think.

Mark Bicknell.

He looks a bit like that little fella of that American comedy that used to be on years ago with the two black brothers, one was called Willis, he was the other one :shades:

Link to comment
Social source share

I was thinking of a couple of fabulous records featuring (what sound like) kid lead singers:

The Admirations - heaven is in your arms (and the one on peaches)

Pee Wee, Shuck & Huey - Besides myself (not such a well known record but brilliant Jackson 5 impersonation...well sort of jackson 5)

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest TONY ROUNCE

Five stairsteps 'stay close to me' on curtom Cubie is very young on that recording

The only 5 Stairsteps record that Cubie actually sings on is "New Dance Craze", so "Stay Close To Me" doesn't count...

TONE :shades:

BTW assuming we're counting "Little" Stevie Wonder, "Contract On Love" (made when he was 11) and "Castles In The Sand" (made when he was 12-13) are pretty good records, I think. Also, slightly away from soul - but still with a Northern connection of sorts - Brenda Lee made some of her best early hits (e.g. "I'm Sorry") when she was 12-13 years old.

...and to be fair, the Jackson Five's "Big Boy" (on Steeltown, made when Wacko Jacko was about 10) is a real stunner.

Link to comment
Social source share

I know this will sound totally bizarre but I heard Stevie Wonder's "Castles in the sand" for the first time EVER about 3 weeks ago, I've even had the record but never played it because for some reason I thought it was a mawkish ballad, I've definitely got it mixed up with something else, but my goodness, what a brilliant brilliant track...

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest TONY ROUNCE

:shades:

He'd have had a job, he was lead singer with The Reflections (I think)

Indeed he was, guv.

TONE :lol:

I know this will sound totally bizarre but I heard Stevie Wonder's "Castles in the sand" for the first time EVER about 3 weeks ago, I've even had the record but never played it because for some reason I thought it was a mawkish ballad, I've definitely got it mixed up with something else, but my goodness, what a brilliant brilliant track...

...those strings will break your heart if you let them....

TONE :(

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest Darks

The only 5 Stairsteps record that Cubie actually sings on is "New Dance Craze", so "Stay Close To Me" doesn't count...

TONE :shades:

BTW assuming we're counting "Little" Stevie Wonder, "Contract On Love" (made when he was 11) and "Castles In The Sand" (made when he was 12-13) are pretty good records, I think. Also, slightly away from soul - but still with a Northern connection of sorts - Brenda Lee made some of her best early hits (e.g. "I'm Sorry") when she was 12-13 years old.

...and to be fair, the Jackson Five's "Big Boy" (on Steeltown, made when Wacko Jacko was about 10) is a real stunner.

Jackson 5 is a great record, love it.

I'll throw in Little Jimmy Gandy "I'm not like the others" Roulette. Similar feel to Jackson 5. Superb crossover/two step if youre into labels. Big Manchester record.

That said, I have a hunch he might have been just a bit older than 12. The B side is called "Cool 13" if memory serves me.

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest Awake 502

..and to be fair, the Jackson Five's "Big Boy" (on Steeltown, made when Wacko Jacko was about 10) is a real stunner.

How about the Jackson Five on Dynamo ?

Gwen Owens ?

Darrow Fletcher ?

Link to comment
Social source share

I know this will sound totally bizarre but I heard Stevie Wonder's "Castles in the sand" for the first time EVER about 3 weeks ago, I've even had the record but never played it because for some reason I thought it was a mawkish ballad, I've definitely got it mixed up with something else, but my goodness, what a brilliant brilliant track...

Pete,

I envy you. Having known of a record, but not playing it or hearing it thinking it is something else.... Then 30 years later you hear and think wow!! Must be a unique situation for a record thats not the rarest in the world?

I'm sure Carl Willingham used to play it, as well as Contract on Love?

Always been a big fan of Stevie's 60s stuff. Saw him live in Manchester in 71. Believe it or not, I was disappointed as he had just hit the Wonderlove phase, and just did a brief medley of his 60s stuff, but what a voice.

His version of I hear a Symphony is my favourite ever sound, and thats after 36 years on the northern scene.

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest Matt Male

Five stairsteps 'stay close to me' on curtom Cubie is very young on that recording

He joined the band when he was three, and he was four when it was recorded. I doubt he appears on the record. I think it was a token signing... a bit like Theo Woolcott.

I really like Hotline actually. How old was Reggie Garner?

Link to comment
Social source share

Pete,

I envy you. Having known of a record, but not playing it or hearing it thinking it is something else.... Then 30 years later you hear and think wow!! Must be a unique situation for a record thats not the rarest in the world?

I'm sure Carl Willingham used to play it, as well as Contract on Love?

Always been a big fan of Stevie's 60s stuff. Saw him live in Manchester in 71. Believe it or not, I was disappointed as he had just hit the Wonderlove phase, and just did a brief medley of his 60s stuff, but what a voice.

His version of I hear a Symphony is my favourite ever sound, and thats after 36 years on the northern scene.

It's just dawned on me that I was confusing it with Don McLeans' Castles In The Air...doh!

Link to comment
Social source share

I really like Hotline actually. How old was Reggie Garner?

Heard he was about 10 when he was signed by ABC as a Michael Jackson rival. Maybe even features on some records as Little Reggie Garner. Not 100% sure tho.

I love Hotline too. But its great black pop rather than soul, he said, sounding like a Mecca purist with a copy of Linda Jones rammed up his back passage.

Link to comment
Social source share

Personally I love the child vocal - they sound so innocent yet sing lyrics you wouldn't normally hear children of that age sing. Yay :shades:

Link to comment
Social source share

Yarr,

There is a record by a whippersnapper by the name of "Little Dion"...

Sounds like he's about six.

Aharr.

Little Dion had two 45s on RCA both produced by H.B.barnum, all 4 sides are brilliant Northern Soul backing, sadly his twee 5 year old voice ruins them!

The Lil' Soul Brothers - Heartaches / If This Is Love - Wheelsville / D-Town

Now this is great! Anything else by them? I love em'.

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest rachel

Gwen Owens ?

Bobbie Smith(on American Arts)

How old were these two? Never occurred to me that they sounded particularly young :)

Link to comment
Social source share

Guest TONY ROUNCE

Bobbie Smith was in her 20s when she made "Walk On Into My Heart". Dunno about Gwen, sorry!

TONE wink.gif

How old were these two? Never occurred to me that they sounded particularly young :)

Link to comment
Social source share

Junior McCants and Bobbie Smith(on American Arts) are my favourite kids

:)

Was Junior McCants a child pillion passenger when the motor cycle crashed killed him, or was he old enough to ride it legally? I'm sure in the Kent CD notes it tell you how old he was when he cut his two King outings

Link to comment
Social source share

Little Dion had two 45s on RCA both produced by H.B.barnum, all 4 sides are brilliant Northern Soul backing, sadly his twee 5 year old voice ruins them!

The Lil' Soul Brothers - Heartaches / If This Is Love - Wheelsville / D-Town

Now this is great! Anything else by them? I love em'.

little dion "little sister" on rca, I was given this record many years ago, I seem to remember that the backing track is awesome however the vocal is not, the conversation in the pub at time centred around "if only we could get rid of the singing we,d have a monster"

anyone have a copy and the technology (just for fun) :)

Link to comment
Social source share

Get involved with Soul Source

Add your comments now

Join Soul Source

A free & easy soul music affair!

Join Soul Source now!

Log in to Soul Source

Jump right back in!

Log in now!



×
×
  • Create New...