Felice Taylor

[Roburt]

Felice Taylor's solo recording career started with a bang, got her international success & was over in a flash .... By all accounts, she upset US radio DJ's and hence, the management at her US record label and was quickly dumped.

But not before, 3 or so of her LA recordings (masterminded by guys like Barry White with help from Frank Wilson and assocs) had hit the bigtime in the UK (and from there, in Europe also). She visited the UK to promote her President 45's, made TV appearances (does video of any still exist ... is the "Winter Outside" video a UK effort ?). She even recorded here, with Eddie Grant being her producer ... but she returned to the States and instantly disappeared off the music scene.

A few questions ..... did she make any UK club appearances, singing live ... She spent some weeks over here but I'm sure she didn't play any northern venues. Maybe she did a couple of London clubs, but I have no details of which (if she actually did).

Why wasn't I Feel Love Coming On" released in the US ??     

Why wasn't a US cut track utilised as the A side of her last UK 45, why get Eddie Grant to produce a poppy cut in a London studio instead ??

I believe that the cut of "I Feel Love" included on the BOSS SOUL CD is different to the UK 45 track, why ??

Who decided to cut Linda Carr on the song & release that version in the US ?

 

?

It seems that she's still around in LA, perhaps a UK promoter could fetch her back over here for a live show or two. 

Edited October 30, 2017 by Roburt

[The Yank]

I would almost swear the "It May Be Winter Outside" clip is from U.S. tv. Seem to remember seeing her on either "American Bandstand" or its 

spinoff "Where The Action Is" . Not sure if that video is from either show or a different one from the U.S. 

[Ljblanken]

How did she “upset” radio DJs? Just curious...

[Venus]

@the yank clip is from American Bandstand 1967. There is also another clip of 'Felice Taylor - I feel love coming on' but that is from 'Beat Club' which is a German Music Tv Show  

 

[KevH]

Didn't the Kent release of " I can feel your love (coming down on me)", come out on UK President? Sure i've got one under the bed.

[Graym]

Believe she appeared at Clouds in Derby but can't remember the year - wasn't there but the story goes that she collapsed on stage halfway through her second song.

Rumours abound regarding cause of said collapse !

Shelly also corroborated the same story 

[Mick Reed]

On 01/11/2017 at 16:45, Venus said:

@the yank clip is from American Bandstand 1967. There is also another clip of 'Felice Taylor - I feel love coming on' but that is from 'Beat Club' which is a German Music Tv Show  

 

Love this vid.

[Roburt]

With regard to her upsetting DJ's ..... it's said that when she went on radio stn visits to help promote her Mustang releases, she acted very high-handed, was bad mannered and basically 'upset the DJ's' she had interviews with. So, after she'd left the stn, they refused to play any of her records again .... not something that's gonna please the guys back at your record company.

So "I Feel Love Coming On" was never released by Mustang in the US and they allowed her to sign with Kent Records. Her version of the song (a Barry White composition) was produced by Barry White, so he must have been mad to stop one of his own songs being released. The Linda Carr version of the song followed about 6 to 8 months later (in April 68), did escape in the US and both sides of this Ranwood 45 featured Barry White written songs ... although I have no idea if he was actually directly involved with Linda's version, it seems he had some input (hence her cutting 2 of his songs to form her 1st Ranwood 45 -- Ranwood being run by Randy Wood of Mira / Mirwood Records)..   

[The Yank]

I'm about 99% sure Ranwood was started in 1968 by Randy Woods (from Dot Records) and Lawrence Welk.

The Mirwood label was started by the other Randy Wood after he left Vee Jay.

 

Edited November 3, 2017 by the yank

[Geoff]

She appeared at the Saville Theatre in London in the series of Sunday evening concerts put on by Brian Epstein who had leased the theatre in 1965, initially to put on plays. I was a regular visitor to the Sunday concerts and remember Felice. If my memory is correct she sang three songs, think they included I Feel Love Coming On, It May Be Winter Outside and I'm Under The Influence Of Love, but I may be wrong, don't hold me to it. It must have been in 1967.

At the time I thought she was okay but to me heavily influenced by Diana Ross. Just my opinion of course.

[Roburt]

11 minutes ago, Geoff said:

She appeared at the Saville Theatre in London in the series of Sunday evening concerts put on by Brian Epstein who had leased the theatre in 1965, initially to put on plays. I was a regular visitor to the Sunday concerts and remember Felice. If my memory is correct she sang three songs, think they included I Feel Love Coming On, It May Be Winter Outside and I'm Under The Influence Of Love, but I may be wrong, don't hold me to it. It must have been in 1967.

At the time I thought she was okay but to me heavily influenced by Diana Ross. Just my opinion of course.

Thanks for that. I went to see a show @ the Saville ---- Garnett Mimms & Jimi Hendrix ... though we walked out before Hendrix had finished his act (not to our liking, playin the guitar between his legs, throwing it on the floor & setting fire to it, no really decent songs) .... most Sunday night concerts (when Epstein was running it) would have one or more of the Beatles in attendance (in a private box).  

[Steve G]

Florian Taylor too (Chess / Cadet).

[Soulatthedale]

On 04/11/2017 at 12:25, Geoff said:

She appeared at the Saville Theatre in London in the series of Sunday evening concerts put on by Brian Epstein who had leased the theatre in 1965, initially to put on plays. I was a regular visitor to the Sunday concerts and remember Felice. If my memory is correct she sang three songs, think they included I Feel Love Coming On, It May Be Winter Outside and I'm Under The Influence Of Love, but I may be wrong, don't hold me to it. It must have been in 1967.

At the time I thought she was okay but to me heavily influenced by Diana Ross. Just my opinion of course.

Her voice was a bit too weak imo, but still love the inst flip of I Feel Love Coming On.

[Roburt]

The 3 versions from 67/68 of "I Feel Love Coming On" ....

Lori Hampton was working with Bob Keene as late as October 68. By then, Felice had enjoyed 2 US 45's on Kent and cut further tracks for the label with Eddie Grant in the UK.

The Bunny's from the Playboy Club in London also cut a version, as did Rusty Greenfield (think that was a UK 'Embassy type cheap LP' track originally -- which was then released in Germany) and a French singer also cut a version of the song.   

 

 

Edited November 18, 2017 by Roburt

[Roburt]

More old bits about Felice ....

 

[Roburt]

Another US TV show clip of Felice ... from the Hy-Lit show ...

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Roburt

[Philip Crane]

I saw Felice Taylor at The Nelson Imperial Ballroom around 67/68. I always wondered who the entourage with her was? It looked like Bob Keene, Barry White a musical director plus band and a a bodyguard? Does anybody know, please?

[Dukeofburgundy]

Hi Philip ,

I worked on her Wikipedia page awhile back as the original entry was a bit basic. Her real name was Florain Corella Flanagan and she was a few years older than advertised for her tour in the UK.

Her entourage included her husband Johnny B Taylor who doubled as her manager. I gathered that Barry White stopped working with her after some disagreements with her management.

She died age 73 in 2017. 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Dukeofburgundy
Correction

[Bernard Roberts]

Felice appeared at The Stockport Tabernacle club on Sunday 8th September 1968 also on the bill was State Express.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Interesting thread this.

I was just perusing an excel file of a music catalogue and came across 2 Felice Taylor tunes which I can't identify:-

"Where Can I Turn To" and "Your Heart And Soul"

Does anyone know these two tunes and, if so, when were they made and who produced them? I have reason to believe that they're from the Barry White era but can't clarify as yet. 

Ian D 

 

 

 

[Dukeofburgundy]

Hi Ian,

’Your heart and soul’ was recorded and produced by Barry White and appeared on the ‘No limit to love’ Lp released in 1974. The LP is on Supremacy, a subsidiary of Scepter and consists of cuts from the late 60s.

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Dukeofburgundy