Felice Taylor @ Chess

[Roburt]

Seems that around the time that the Florian Taylor 45 was picked up by Chess Records (from Groovy), Felice made a trip over to Chicago to see the guys at the company.

In the attached (see below), she states that she was at Chess at the time Fontella Bass was recording "Recovery". Now "Recovery" was released in December 65 and was probably cut a few weeks ahead of that date, say November 65. BUT the Florian Taylor 45 didn't escape on Chess till September 66, so Felice being over in Chicago as early as November 65 seems very unlikely to me.

Anyone have any info on these events ??  . . . BTW the quote comes from around a year after her Cadet 45 came out, so the details must still have been fairly fresh in her mind.

P.S. can't say I agree with her choice of fave 10 tracks ...

Edited December 18, 2018 by Roburt

[Tattoodave]

If it's any help, the 26th November listed in the flyer in the corner of the article is 1967

[Roburt]

Yes, I added that in, it wasn't there originally. I just wanted to show just about the most important gig she landed on that UK trip. Her Top 10 was printed in NME on 25th Nov 67 and the ad for her gig was in the same edition.

She was in good company playing the Saville Theatre in London back then. The place was leased / run by Brian Epstein & the Beatles members would attend on a regular basis. I was there on the night in May 67 when Garnet Mimms was the main support act to top of the bill Jimi Hendrix. Others that topped the bill around then at the venue were the 4 Tops and Jnr Walker.

Edited December 18, 2018 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Felice certainly was keeping busy back in the mid 60's ......

Early in 65 she was still in the Sweets (with her 2 sisters ?) and they had a 45 out on Valiant in March 65. Then she must have gone solo quite soon afterwards as her Groove / Cadet 45's escaped in summer / September 66 (credited to Florian Taylor). But in December 66 she had her first Mustang / Barry White produced outing released "It May Be Winter Outside", so that must have been cut around November time (this 45 was released by President in the UK in Jan 67). Her 2nd outing under Barry White's direction escaped in March 67 (US / April 67 (UK) before her big international hit "I Feel Love Coming On" (which didn't even get a US release) hit the UK record shops in Sept 67.

Her initial 2 singles on President were both radio / club hits here but the 3rd outing on President made the UK pop charts in November 67 and prompted a number of UK trips / tours over the next 12 months or so. Have the Sweets who had the Soultown 45 out around Oct 67 got anything to do with Felice's group ? 

[Dukeofburgundy]

Two of us have just sorted out the Wikidepia entry for Felice Taylor, Here real name was Florine Corella Flanaghan. Taylor was her married name  and she was four years older than her record company stated. She passed on in June 2017 completely unheralded.