Roscoe Shelton was born in Lynchburg, Tenn., but he grew
up in Nashville. Despite having a guitar-playing uncle who introduced him to
the music of jump blues singers like Amos Milburn and Ivory Joe Hunter, Shelton
was initially a first-rate gospel vocalist. When he was eighteen Roscoe joined
the legendary Fairfield Four, a gospel quartet from the '30s and '40s. It is
important to note here that Shelton's friend Bobby Hebb also played guitar in
the Fairfield Four, though not while Shelton was with the act.
After singing
lead for that group Roscoe spent four years in the military. Upon his release
from military duty he joined a spin off
of the Fairfield Four, which became known as the Skylarks. Between 1956 and 1957 the Skylarks recorded for Nashboro Records, a gospel label owned by Excello Records proprietor Ernie Young. After his gig with the Skylarks, Shelton performed live with his childhood friends DeFord Bailey, Jr. and Bobby Hebb. Hebb noted that Shelton sang spirituals before he went into the blues.
of the Fairfield Four, which became known as the Skylarks. Between 1956 and 1957 the Skylarks recorded for Nashboro Records, a gospel label owned by Excello Records proprietor Ernie Young. After his gig with the Skylarks, Shelton performed live with his childhood friends DeFord Bailey, Jr. and Bobby Hebb. Hebb noted that Shelton sang spirituals before he went into the blues.
It was never a problem for the singer and guitarist to
get together. They would see each other in the neighborhood quite often. And it
was the same with DeFord Bailey, Jr., son of the legend he was named after, who
lived only two or three houses away from the Hebbs when Bobby and DeFord were
children. Bobby Hebb was a sideman with DeFord Bailey, Jr. -- considered the
first electric bass player in Tennessee -- and they had a variety of singers
including Roscoe Shelton. Roland Grisham would perform on guitar when Hebb had
other commitments.
According to writer Bill Dahl Roscoe recorded at Excello Records between
October 1958 to February 1961, the material showing up on his album debut,
1961's Roscoe Shelton Sings. Bobby Hebb played guitar on some of the original
Excello sides, including a minor hit, "Something's Wrong," written by
Shelton/Hall. Roscoe would cover only one composition from his friend and
neighbour, the song-a-day man Bobby Hebb. That tune from circa 1959/1960 is
entitled "My Best Friend," with lyrics slightly altered from Hebb's
original.
Forty-fives were being released on various labels after the debut
album, Roscoe recording for Ted Jarrett's Valdot label in 1962, those sides
getting licensed to Battle Records. In 1964-1965 the work was issued on the
Simms imprint, resulting in the hit
"Strain on My Heart." Simms was absorbed by Sound Stage Seven, a label operated by former DJ John Richbourg, aka John R of Rich Records fame. Sound Stage Seven released the singer's music between 1965 and 1967, hitting with "Easy Going Fellow."
"Strain on My Heart." Simms was absorbed by Sound Stage Seven, a label operated by former DJ John Richbourg, aka John R of Rich Records fame. Sound Stage Seven released the singer's music between 1965 and 1967, hitting with "Easy Going Fellow."
Following the death of friends Sam Cooke and Otis Redding
late in 1967, Roscoe was never the same. Overcome with sadness and often unable
to perform, Roscoe Shelton quit the music industry all together in 1969/70 for
the private sector, becoming the dorm administrator for Meharry Medical College
in Nashville. He didn’t return to his music for nearly 25 years. The gap is
huge between the work on Sound Stage 7 in 1966 and the 1994 release of material
by Shelton, Earl Gaines, and Clifford Curry
under the title of the Excello
Legends. This was actually recorded for what was to be a reactivated Excello
Records, but the company sold out to AVI, the disc getting licensed to Magnum
and finding re-release in 1998 on Ripete.
Fred James produced many of Shelton's recordings in the
'90s and the new millennium, touring the U.S. and Europe with the singer
several times. Those records include Let It Shine and She's the One from 1996,
and the Earl Gaines and Roscoe Shelton 1998 recordings entitled Let's Work
Together.
Amazingly, Gordon cut Memphis, Tennessee, his first-ever full-length LP, in 2000; the record is a sorely overlooked date that featured him performing his signature hits backed by the stinging guitar of Duke Robillard and a fine band. The album earned him a W.C. Handy award nomination. Several more CDs were released up to the singer's passing. Always a heavy smoker, he succumbed to cancer in Tennessee on July 27, 2002. (Edited mainly from AllMusic)
Amazingly, Gordon cut Memphis, Tennessee, his first-ever full-length LP, in 2000; the record is a sorely overlooked date that featured him performing his signature hits backed by the stinging guitar of Duke Robillard and a fine band. The album earned him a W.C. Handy award nomination. Several more CDs were released up to the singer's passing. Always a heavy smoker, he succumbed to cancer in Tennessee on July 27, 2002. (Edited mainly from AllMusic)
5 comments:
For “Roscoe Shelton – Sings” go here;
https://www.upload.ee/files/12183709/Roscoe_Shelton_-_Roscoe_Sings.rar.html
1 Are You Sure 3:06
2 Think It Over 2:45
3 Pleadin' For Love 2:14
4 I Was Wrong! Played With Love 2:05
5 I've Been Faithful 2:42
6 Say You Really Care 2:24
7 It's My Fault 2:26
8 Something's Wrong 2:16
9 Baby Look What You're Doin' To Me 2:20
10 Miss You So 2:52
11 Is It Too Late Babe 2:41
12 Let Me Believe In You 2:18
13 Crazy Over You 2:52
14 We've Been Wrong 2:51
15 Baby It's True Love 1:59
16 A Fool Wrapped Up In Love 2:20
17 Blue And Miserably Unhappy 2:27
18 I'm So Ashamed, But I Didn't Know 2:14
19 I'm Tellin' You Baby, That's All 2:21
20 Lonely Heartaches 2:01
21 Why Didn't You Tell Me (For So Long) 2:09
22 Why Do You Worry Me 2:25
23 There Is Nothing I Can Do 2:29
24 Save Me 2:38
25 Want Your Lovin' Sometime 5:47
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For “The Best Of Roscoe Shelton” go here;
https://www.upload.ee/files/12183727/Roscoe_Shelton_-_Best_Of.rar.html
1. Strain On My Heart
2. My Best Friend
3. Worry
4. Love Is The Key
5. I'm Tryin' To Quit
6. Love Comes And Goes
7. Master Mind
8. Keep Your Mind On Me
9. Wedding Cake
10. The Fire Still Burns
11. My Eyes (I Can Cry If I Want To)
12. I Know Your Heart Has Been Broken
13. Easy Going Fellow
14. Roll With The Punch
15. Who Walks In (When I Walk Out)
16. You're Living Too Fast
17. Soon As Darkness Falls
18. A Man's Love
19. I'm In Way Too Deep
20. Tonight's My Night
21. Running For My Life
22. There's A Heartbreak Somewhere
23. I Can't Stand To Be Without You
24. I Want To Keep You (If You Want To Stay)
25. You Ought To Take Time Out For Your Love
26. I'm Ready (To Love You Now)
27. You're The Dream
28. I'm Still The Man
This bountiful 28-track compilation of Roscoe's SS7 years offers the most in-depth examination yet of a soul music pioneer's most productive period, his mellifluous voice never failing to thrill. Nashville soul at its finest!
I have also noticed on the wonderful Groovy Gumbo Blog that he has not only posted all of Shelton's complete 45 output from 1958 to 1969 ... 23 of em in total. But also a whopping 21 unissued tracks all @ 320kbs. So pay him a visit here:
http://groovygumbo.blogspot.com/2018/04/its-almost-sundown.html
Thanks for The Best Of.
Hi!
Thanx for this one. May have some of his on R&B/Soul comps. but mostly a "new artist" here = "new" hears here too.
Great find! Can you please reup the Roscoe Shelton albums? Thanks in advance
Hello Stefano, Here's Roscoe...
Best Of
https://krakenfiles.com/view/piEzKoLcL5/file.html
Sings
https://krakenfiles.com/view/eI8aP8NY3H/file.html
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