Wednesday 21 March 2018

Lula Reed born 21 March 1926



Lula Reed (born Lula Marietta McCleland or McClelland, (March 21, 1926 – June 21, 2008) was an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer who recorded in the 1950s and 1960s. She had two R&B hits in 1952 as vocalist with pianist and bandleader Sonny Thompson, and later recorded with guitarist Freddy King. She was occasionally credited as Lulu Reed.
 
Reed was born in Mingo Junction, Jefferson County, Ohio. As a child her family moved to Port Clinton, Ohio, where she sang in her local church choir. She was mentored by blind gospel singer Professor Harold Boggs, before winning an audition over 50 other contestants in Toledo to become the vocalist with Sonny Thompson's band.
 
 
                               

Credited as vocalist on Thompson's records, she made her recording debut for King Records in Cincinnati in late 1951, on the song "I'll Drown in My Tears" written by Henry Glover. The song reached no.5 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1952, and was recorded by Ray Charles in 1956 as "Drown in My Own Tears", with wider commercial success. Reed's next record with Thompson, "Let's Call It A Day", also written by Glover, reached no.7 on the Billboard R&B chart. 
 
Most of her later records for King were credited in her own name, although she continued to record with Thompson, who became her husband in 1954. She was a versatile singer, performing some gospel songs as well as blues and R&B. Her 1954 recording, "Rock Love", was later covered by Little Willie John. She remained popular, being voted no.4 R&B singer in the Cash Box annual poll in 1954, and continued to record for the King label until 1956. However, Reed failed to have any further chart hits. King released an album of her recordings, Blue And Moody, in 1958.
 
Reed and Thompson recorded for the Chess Records subsidiary Argo between 1958 and 1960, before returning to Cincinnati and starting to record for King's subsidiary Federal label in 1961. She released seven singles on Federal over the next two years, on many of them accompanied by Freddy King, but none made the charts. Accompanied by King and Thompson, she also released an album on Federal, Boy-Girl-Boy, in 1962. She then moved to the Tangerine label set up by Ray Charles, and recorded a series of singles in the early 1960s. Her final single was released in 1967.

 
 
She then left the music business, and later refused to talk about her career singing and recording secular rhythm and blues music. She died in Detroit, Michigan in 2008 at the age of 82.
 
(Info edited from Wikipedia)

6 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Lula Reed – I’m A Woman (But I Don’t Talk Too Much) – The Best of the Rest 1952-1962” go here:

http://www36.zippyshare.com/v/cKvSBnBW/file.html

1. HEAVENLY ROAD
2. MY MOTHERS PRAYERS
3. THE WILD STAGE OF LIFE
4. AIN'T IT A SHAME
5. MY POOR HEART
6. I'M LOSING YOU
7. BUMP ON A LOG
8. IF THE SUN ISN'T SHINING IN YOUR WINDOW
9. WHAT COULD I DO BUT BELIEVE IN JESUS
10. A QUIET TIME WITH JESUS
11. THREE MEN
12. SAMPLE MAN
13. EVERY SECOND
14. WASTE NO MORE TEARS
15. ANYTHING TO SAY YOU'RE MINE
16. GIVE ME THE RIGHT
17. COME ON HOME
18. HE'S MY EVERYTHING
19. LOVIN'
20. IDLE GOSSIP aka LET THEM TALK
21. I'M A WOMAN (But I Don't Talk Too Much)
22. I KNOW
23. PUDDENTANE
24. I GOT A NOTION
25. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING
26. YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT GREEN
27. WHAT MAKES YOU SO COLD
28. AIN'T NO COTTON PICKIN' CHICKEN (Gonna Break This Chicken Heart Of Mine)
29. YOUR LOVE KEEPS A-WORKING ON ME

There have been several CDs of Lula's King and Federal material but there has never been a complete collection. The 30 tracks that Jasmine have gathered here in 2016 also include six sides released on the Chess subsidiary Argo Records which have rarely been reissued. So if you own any of the compilations of her work issued in the CD era you will need this CD to complete your collection through to 1962.

Features her sought after gospel recordings such as 'Heavenly Road' along with the rock and roll favourite 'Bump on a Log'.

Sadly Lula Reed withdrew herself from the music industry in 1964 never to return but this excellent new CD from Jasmine once again shows us what a superb and versatile talent she was. (Jasmine notes)

Thanks to Mijas & ACM2 for original post.

For “The Soulful Side Of Lula Reed” go here:

http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/JRTcN60K/file.html

1. WALK ON BY ME
2. BABY, BABY (YOUR LOVE)
3. ANYTHING TO SAY YOU'RE MINE
4. GIVE ME THE RIGHT
5. I GOT A NOTION
6. SAMPLE MAN
7. COME ON HOME
8. HE'S MY EVERYTHING
9. AIN'T THAT LOVE
10. CAUGHT ME WHEN MY LOVE WAS DOWN
11. WASTE NO MORE TEARS
12. I'M A WOMAN (BUT I DON'T TALK TOO MUCH)
13. LOVIN'
14. EVERY SECOND
15. THE KIND OF BABY
16. CALL ME DARLIN'
17. PUDDENTANE
18. GABBIN' MOUTH BLUES
19. JUST KEEP IT UP
20. THERE HE GOES
21. TAKE YOUR TIME
22. IDLE GOSSIP
23. WHAT MAKES YOU SO COLD
24. THREE MEN
25. TROUBLE IN MIND

This 2011 collection covers the recordings Lula did for ARGO- KING / FEDERAL & Ray Charles TANGERINE label.......25 tracks of songs from tough to sweet.........16 of which have their first airing on CD.

Thanks to Egroj @ Egroj World for original post.

Pudge said...

Thank you Bob & Egroj.

carlos said...

Maravilloso!!!..muchas gracias y saludos desde España.

RFelis said...

It would be fantastic to recover Lula Reed's music. Super grateful.

boppinbob said...

Hello RF, Here's Lula...

Best Of The Rest
https://www.imagenetz.de/msrQJ

Soulful Side
https://www.imagenetz.de/fdR95

RFelis said...

Great, great job. Always grateful. Much appreciated.