Chris Clark: Soul Sounds - 1967

Tall (six foot) blonde white singer Chris Clark was one of Motown's more surprising artists. She had a smoky, Dusty Springfield quality to her voice which suited much of the robust, soulful material that she recorded for Motown. In my opinion, the dice just didn't fall in Chris Clark's favour. She was a fine singer and released some really good material, all of which became sadly overshadowed. Was it a marketing thing? Maybe. Or was it simply bad luck? Probably a mix of the two. 

Anyway, on to her really underrated debut album. 

I Want To Go Back There Again, written by Berry Gordy with Chris was one of his favourite songs, apparently. It has a bit of a Burt Bacharach feel to it. It was also recorded by Diana Ross and Thelma Houston. 

Chris finally had an r 'n' b hit with the gutsy grinder, Love Gone Bad. She apparently based her singing style on it to Wilson Pickett's In The Midnight Hour. She achieved a certain soulfulness so it must have worked. The song was a big Northern Soul hit. You can hear why. Chris was ideal Northern Soul "cult artist" material too, wasn't she?

Born To Love You Baby is a late-night, smokey, very sixties slowie with a big chorus. It has that Dusty Springfield to it that I was talking about. If You Should Walk Away also has Chris doing her best Dusty. Check it out - you will instantly recognise what I mean. Whisper You Love Me Boy was her final Motown single and a great one it is too, with a killer bassline and a fine vocal from Chris. She was also eminently suited to cover The Beatles' Got To Get You Into My Life. She nails it. The lady could sing. 

Day By Day Or Never is a nicely string-orchestrated but still uptempo number with another fine, catchy beat to it. It packs a punch to it, despite the vocals that sound very archetypally ballady. 

Just how impossibly groovy and toe-tapping is From Head To Toe? Smokey Robinson covered his own carefree, jazzy and deliciously uptempo song with The Miracles on their 1965 Going To A Go-Go album. Elvis Costello also covered it impressively in the early eighties. Elvis knew his Motown. 

Do Right Baby Do Right was Chris' first Motown single (I think) and its is a bluesy, soulful number that showcased her Dusty Springfield-like voice. Check out the mid-song quirky saxophone solo too. It had no strings on it and is much the better for it. It kicks down 'n' dirty ass, big time. It is a proper Motown deep cut that became a Northern Soul floor filler.

Until You Love Someone is delightfully catchy, with Chris' voice sounding as f she were born to deliver Motown material. Put Yourself In My Place was also recorded by the Supremes, The Elgins and The Isley Brothers. It's got a great, archetypal Motown sax solo on it and Chris's vocal is suitably solid. She show again what a great voice she had and she certainly always gave of her best. Sweeter As The Days Go By was also released by Frank Wilson in 1965. It is a sensual, slow-paced number that had a groove to it i.e. it wasn't a full-on ballad. 

The songs here can all be found in excellent stereo on the double CD Chris Clark: The Complete Motown Collection.

A quick shout out before I leave for a few non-album tracks - 

Firstly, the attractive, brassy soul of Don't Be Too Long. I Love You is slightly more upbeat and chunky and is in possession of a really deep bassline. Solid stuff. The Beginning Of The End is a sumptuous ballad in comparison to its catchy 'a' side, From Head To Toe. Diana Ross & The Supremes later covered it on their 1969 album (and final one) Cream Of The Crop. I prefer Chris's version, actually.

Finally, on Do I Love (Indeed I Do), Chris adds her vocals to Frank Wilson's now iconic Northern Soul classic. The song is great, the backing great, Chris's vocals great. Nothing more to say, Love it. Yes sir! What a good singer she was. The song cooks from beginning to end.

Chris went on to have a successful career as a screenwriter and fine art photographer, so I guess she landed on her feet. Good.