I was first introduced to her music during my radio days in the late nineties through what was then some contemporary "soul-blues" recordings she released with guitar player Clarence Holliman. The soul blues scene emerged in the 1980s after traditional soul music had lost favor with the general public. It was in this scene that some 1960s soul artists (Irma Thomas, Etta James, Johnnie Taylor, Ann Peebles, Bobby Blue Bland, etc) were able to find a second career when record labels like Malaco, Black Top and Bullseye repackaged southern soul, called it blues and marketed it towards dudes who were really into "the Blues Brothers". At least that's how I imagine the idea came about. If you ever want to see the kind of dudes I'm talking about, spend a day at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival this summer and look for the shirtless middle-aged white guys. I used to kind of resent this industry-created genre, but now I feel differently. At least some artists were able to continue their careers after their music lost it's wider popularity. Not to mention, had it not been for the "soul-blues" scene of the 80s and 90s, it probably would have been a lot longer before I had found out about Carol Fran since her mid-century records weren't exactly easily accessible in Olympia, WA.
Carol is one of those artists who's had a lengthy career with very little commercial success. Perhaps she was a victim to over-saturation of the soul market, or maybe she just didn't land on a label with enough power to get her radio play. One thing is for sure, with the distinct quality of her voice and her creative delivery, she should have been a huge star. Carol Fran stands out. If you want to learn more about her you can find a detailed biography here http://allmusic.com/artist/carol-fran-p77338/biography and here's a great article about her http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/lady-sings-the-blues/Content?oid=1242771
Please join me in appreciating some of her finest recordings.
Her earliest sides were cut for swamp blues/r&b label Excello.
This is sequel to the above.
One of my all-time favorites.
And listen to how she handles a ballad. I dare you not to melt into a great big puddle right here on the spot.
- Post by Portland's DJ Action Slacks of Sugar Town
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