Saturday, December 10, 2022

Merry Clayton - Please Send Me Someone to Love - Non-Album Tracks (1967-1975)

Merry Clayton had a long history as a backing vocalist for many famous musical acts. She's best known for singing the remarkable female vocals on the classic Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter." But she's had an intermittent career as a lead vocalist as well. In particular, I recommend her 1970 album "Gimme Shelter" and her 1971 album "Merry Clayton."

I've also previously posted a short live album from her. Here's the link to that:

https://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com/2020/11/merry-clayton-soul-wnet-studios-new.html

What I find most interesting about Clayton's music is that she came from a soul and gospel background, yet she got heavily involved with rock and roll due to her singing backing vocals for many rock artists. So her music often consisted of rock songs done in a soul or even gospel style.

You can definitely see that on this collection of stray tracks. For instance, four of the songs here are Bob Dylan covers. She also covers an Elvis Presley song ("Suspicious Minds"), a song by the Who ("Acid Queen"), and a Carole King song ("Oh No, Not My Baby").

Clayton's solo career never really caught fire. She certainly had the talent, with an incredible voice, but she didn't have the luck or whatever the "it" factor is. She was most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In addition to the albums she put out then, all the songs here are officially released. Four of them are A- or B-sides. The rest are from movie soundtracks or various artists compilations.

This album is 42 minutes long.

01 Please Send Me Someone to Love (Curtis Amy with Merry Clayton)
02 I Know You Love Me (Sisters Love with Merry Clayton)
02 The Times They Are A-Changin' (Brothers & Sisters of L.A. with Merry Clayton)
03 The Mighty Quinn [Quinn the Eskimo] (Brothers & Sisters of L.A. with Merry Clayton)
04 All Along the Watchtower (Brothers & Sisters of L.A. with Merry Clayton)
05 Poor White Hound Dog (Merry Clayton)
06 Lift Every Voice and Sing [Black National Hymn] (Merry Clayton)
07 Oh No, Not My Baby (Merry Clayton)
08 Suspicious Minds (Merry Clayton)
09 The Acid Queen (Merry Clayton)
10 Jump Back (Tom Scott & the L.A. Express with Merry Clayton)
11 Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (Merry Clayton)
12 Rainy Day Women No. 12 and 35 (Merry Clayton)

https://www.upload.ee/files/15102260/MerryClay_1967-1975_PleaseSendMeSomeonetoLve_atse.zip.html

I don't know exactly where or when the cover photo is from, but it looks to be from this time period. I kept the photo exactly as is, with lots of red lighting, and just added the parts above and below it.

3 comments:

  1. This looks excellent! Thank you. Maybe she also got into rock through the influence of her brother Sam Clayton (who was a member of Little Feat)?

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    1. Good point. It could be. I didn't know that.

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