Gene Allison (August 29, 1934 – February 28, 2004) was an American pioneer of the Nashville R&B sound in the 50’s.
Gene Allison was born Versie Eugene Allison on August 29,
1934 in Pegram, Tennesee and he grew up in Nashville singing in the
church choir with his brother Leevert (later a professional gospel singer). As a teenager, Allison was offered a chance to sing with The Fairfield Four and, later, The Skylarks. In the latter group, Allison would often fill in for lead vocalist Sam McCrary which brought him to the attention of songwriter and producer Ted Jarrett, who convinced him to sign to his Calvert label and pursue a career in secular music. He also recorded for Jarrett’s Champion and Cherokee labels.
church choir with his brother Leevert (later a professional gospel singer). As a teenager, Allison was offered a chance to sing with The Fairfield Four and, later, The Skylarks. In the latter group, Allison would often fill in for lead vocalist Sam McCrary which brought him to the attention of songwriter and producer Ted Jarrett, who convinced him to sign to his Calvert label and pursue a career in secular music. He also recorded for Jarrett’s Champion and Cherokee labels.
It wasn’t long before Jarrett got him a recording contract
with Vee-Jay Records along with Larry Birdsong. Allison's debut single was
"You Can Make It If You Try", written by Ted Jarrett and released in
1957; it became a hit in the U.S., where it
entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1958. Jarrett's evangelical composition and the swelling organ accompaniment would later be copied on countless soul recordings. This early fusion of secular and sacred sounds on a pop record helped start a trend that persists today.
entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1958. Jarrett's evangelical composition and the swelling organ accompaniment would later be copied on countless soul recordings. This early fusion of secular and sacred sounds on a pop record helped start a trend that persists today.
Mr. Allison was a singer's singer. Sam Cooke, another early
soul stylist, once said, ''I wish I could sing like Gene Allison.'' The record
was such a success that Allison was able to open his own Nashville restaurant,
a 24-hour soul food joint called Gene's Drive-In -- his mother was even
installed as manager. He returned to the R&B charts with two more Top 20
hits, "Have Faith" and "Everything Will Be Alright," You
Can Make It If You Try’ was covered by The Rolling Stones’ in 1964.
In the 60s after he left Vee Jay, his releases appeared on a
variety of labels, and although his gospel phrasing and timing were ideally
suited to the emerging southern soul styles he never really made it as a soul
singer. Some of these later 45s he cut reprised earlier material for Jarrett’s
Ref-O-Ree, but “Almost Sundown” from ’65 is a quite superb blues ballad.
Probably the pick of his later work is the spare, stark “If I Ever Needed Your
Love” which features a pleading, tortured vocal, his most intense performance
on wax, only accompanied by a small rhythm section. This side originally
appeared on the Ohio based S & H 205 but is more readily available on Del
Neita. Although the raw, soulful power
of his voice remained undiminished in the years to follow, he never again
matched his initial success.
Allison recorded for many labels including Decca (1957),
Vee-Jay (1957 – 1960), Cherokee, (1960), Oldies (1963), Paradise
(1964),Monument (1965). By 1969, he was still going strong. He had signed to
Ted Jarrett’s Ref-O-Ree label, and covered Somebody Somewhere. This was penned
and produced by Ted Jarrett, but arranged by Bob Holmes. After which he stopped recording, and while
he continued to live in Nashville, he shunned the public eye for many years.
A shy man, he rarely gave interviews; however, he had considered returning to the recording studio just before he died from liver and kidney failure on February 28, 2004, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.He was 69 years old.
A shy man, he rarely gave interviews; however, he had considered returning to the recording studio just before he died from liver and kidney failure on February 28, 2004, at the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee.He was 69 years old.
(Edited from Wikipedia, SirShambling.com & NY Times)
3 comments:
A big thank you goes to Groovy Gumbo who has collected the near entirety of Allison's efforts from other uploaders on the web. I found two other tracks which I’ve added as a bonus. All mp3’s would not fit one one CD so I’ve split them into two lots.
For “Gene Allison – Collection 1956- 1969 go here;
https://mega.nz/file/d7xHgYAC#OoJGyVJE7bckI8Igza66E9UochZC6xDdh5wCmQcaF-o
CD1
01. Gene Allison - 1956 - You're My Baby (Calvert 106)
02. Gene Allison - 1956 - Somebody, Somewhere (Calvert 106)
03. Gene Allison - 1957 - You Can Make It If You Try (Vee-Jay 256)
04. Gene Allison - 1957 - Hey, Hey, I Love You (Vee-Jay 256)
05. Gene Allison - 1958 - My Heart Remembers (Vee-Jay 273)
06. Gene Allison - 1958 - Have Faith (Vee-Jay 273)
07. Gene Allison - 1958 - I Don't Know Why (Vee-Jay 286)
08. Gene Allison - 1958 - Let's Sit And Talk (Vee-Jay 286)
09. Gene Allison - 1958 - Everything Will Be Alright (Vee-Jay 299)
10. Gene Allison - 1958 - I'm A Fool Wanting You (Vee-Jay 299)
11. Gene Allison - 1959 - Goodbye My Love (Champion 1008)
12. Gene Allison - 1959 - If Things Don't Change (Champion 1008)
13. Gene Allison - 1959 - I Understand (Champion 1019)
14. Gene Allison - 1959 - Now That We're Together (Champion 1019)
15. Gene Allison - 1959 - You're Gonna Be Sorry (Champion 1022)
16. Gene Allison - 1959 - I Know I Can Make It (Champion 1022)
17. Gene Allison - 1959 - Reap What You Sow (Vee-Jay 305)
18. Gene Allison - 1959 - Tell Me The Truth (Vee-Jay 305)
19. Gene Allison - 1959 - Everybody But Me (Vee-Jay 317)
20. Gene Allison - 1959 - I Believe In Myself (Vee-Jay 317)
21. Gene Allison - 1959 - Let There Be Women (Vee-Jay 329)
22. Gene Allison - 1959 - I'll Be Waiting For You (Vee-Jay 329)
23. Gene Allison - 1960 - Why Do You Treat Me So Cold (Vee-Jay 341)
CD2
24. Gene Allison - 1960 - Oh Yeah I'm In Love (Vee-Jay 341)
25. Gene Allison - 1961 - Why Did You Have To Go (S&H 201) (Del-Nita 1011)
26. Gene Allison - 1961 - If I Ever Needed Your Love (I Need It Now) (S&H 201)
27. Gene Allison - 1962 - Midway (Valdot 7000)
28. Gene Allison - 1962 - Stay A Little Longer (Valdot 7000)
29. Gene Allison - 1964 - Hey Lover (Fortune 565)
30. Gene Allison - 1964 - Your Star (Fortune 565)
31. Gene Allison - 1964 - Not Even Judgement Day (Paradise 1010)
32. Gene Allison - 1964 - Fading Love (Paradise 1010)
33. Gene Allison - 1965 - Walking In The Park (Monument 876)
34. Gene Allison - 1965 - I Didn't Know Which Way To Turn (Monument 876)
35. Gene Allison - 196X - I'm Not Afraid Anymore (Tee Jay 8703)
36. Gene Allison - 196X - I Still Remember (Tee Jay 8703)
37. Gene Allison - 1969 - It's Almost Sundown (Ref-O-Ree 703)
38. Gene Allison - 1969 - Having A Party (Ref-O-Ree 703)
39. Gene Allison - 1969 - It's Almost Sundown [Alt] (Ref-O-Ree Unissued)
40. Gene Allison - 1969 - Somebody Somewhere (Ref-O-Ree 709)
41. Gene Allison - 1969 - I Understand (Ref-O-Ree 709)
42. Gene Allison - 1969 - I Understand [Alt] (Ref-O-Ree Unissued)
43. Gene Allison - 1969 - (Medley) You Can Make It If You Try - Have Faith (Ref-O-Ree 727)
44. Gene Allison - 1969 - How Long's The Train Been Gone (Ref-O-Ree 727)
BONUS TRACKS
45. Gene Allison - 1958 - Three Times Seven (Vee Jay Unissued)
46. Gene Allison - 1958 - Without You (Vee Jay Unissued)
thank you from Aussie
Many thanks
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