Donald Thomas - Calling Me Home [PMRC]

[Soulstrutter 407]

Could this be same Don(ald) Thomas as Come On Train/Train Keep Moving?  Vocals sound very similar.

There's a comment on YT clip from label owner/producer which I've extracted in case the clip ever gets taken down:

"My name is Don A. Lackey and PMRC was and is my company.  I started PMRC back in college, and we produced, managed and recorded a number of individuals and groups.  This particular song was brought to me on a cold winter day by Donald Thomas.  He had the words mostly written out, and no other concept of how the song should go, tempo, chord changes or melody. He had no recording or professional music experience at that time. I gauged him to have a lot of potential, and so made a modest investment in my time and production money to put a recording session together.  I regret that I have lost track of Donald Thomas over the years, and have ask other folks in the Beaumont area about him several times, to no avail.  Back to the song,  I put all the rest together, including the arrangements, strings and rhythm section.  I played guitar on the cut.  It was recorded at Mickey Rouse's Lowland Recording Studio in Port Neches, Texas, and Mickey engineered the session. As I remember, we used the equivalent of a 4 track recorder be bouncing some tracks on two-track recorders. Mickey did not have a four-track up and running yet.  I can vouch for the fact that this recording IS original and indeed RARE.   Please feel free to contact me, should anyone want any other information.  PMRCmedia@Gmail.com
Don Lackey, Katy, Texas."

According to artist info on Discogs: Don Thomas's real name was Charles but he changed it to Don when joined the Drifters (1969) to avoid conflict with long standing member Charlie Thomas. 

He used Donald Thomas (and Donald R. Thomas) on writing credits on COT/TKM.   He left Drifters in 1971 so that may tie in with this release in 1971 before he cut COT?  However, Don Lackey mentions that he had no prev music experience at the time so perhaps not .... but the vocals do sound very similar especially if you compare with Train Keep Moving.

I can't find 'Calling Me Home' registered to Thomas on BMI but there are quite a few entries for Donald Ray Thomas (incl COT/TKM) among many others - wasn't aware that he wrote for others ... shame BMI doesn't link to releases!

http://repertoire.bmi.com/Catalog.aspx?detail=writerid&page=1&fromrow=1&torow=25&keyid=341629&subid=0

P.S. just noticed that a G. (Gene?) Townsel produced Come On Train/Train Start Moving ... strange how things interconnect!

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Soulstrutter