Johnny Adams “It’s You Baby, It’s You” / “Think About You (S4R45)

Kim Tolliver “Can’t Get Into You” / “The Show Must Go On” (S4R46)

Johnny Adams
New Orleans has always spawned a potpourri of musical styles. Native Johnny Adams, fondly nicknamed “The Tan Canary” due to his multi-octave range, epitomised the soul/blues ballad genre. However, he is probably best remembered for his late 1960s country-oriented hits “Release Me” and “Reconsider Me”, the latter of which demonstrated his stratospheric falsetto.

Adams’ recording career commenced a decade earlier on Joe Ruffino’s Ric set-up, for which he released several 45s including “A Losing Battle”, a Top 30 R&B chart entry. It culminated with a series of excellent Rounder albums in the 1980s and 1990s, including the much-acclaimed One Foot In The Blues.

Pitched roughly in the middle period (late 70s) was a tenure with producer Senator Jones and his Hep’ Me imprint. “It’s You Baby, It’s You”, a horn-led mid-tempo swayer, and the beat-ballad ‘Think About You”, were originally unreleased tracks, only appearing on the US Ace compilation Greatest Performance in 1993.
This soulful pairing now receives its debut release on a 7″ single and is a most worthy addition to the Soul4Real canon.

RAY ELLIS

Kim Tolliver
Born outside Nashville in 1937, Kim Tolliver was a truly dynamic singer. Despite her long career, she never once enjoyed a hit release. Raised in Cleveland, Kim joined the Metrotones (1954) before establishing herself as a solo artist.

By the early 60s, she was a major player on the Ohio club scene (Lou Ragland got his start in her band). Her first single, cut at Royal Studios in 1967, escaped on Sure-Shot. By 1975, further releases had followed on Rojac, Superheavy, Fantasy, Chess, Gar, Pathfinder and Castro but they didn´t sell well, her recordings only ever appearing in the USA, Venezuela and Spain.

After working live with Sam & Dave, she relocated to Miami and quickly established herself there. In the 70s she secured bookings in Australasia and immediately impressed local audiences. On one visit to New Zealand (1979), Zodiac Records licensed some recordings and released “Can’t Get Into You” / “He Touched Me” (Key K101). We’ve now coupled that 45’s top side with “The Show Must Go On” (previously unreleased).

JOHN SMITH

Alex Subinas
More info Email: soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com