The Imperial And Minit Years

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Clydie King is most well-known as one of the top backup singers in late 20th century rock and soul, on tours and studio sessions by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Joe Cocker. She's also done a fair amount of recording as a solo artist, however, issuing her first disc back in the mid-'50s, and putting out a good number of records in the '60s and '70s. This 22-track compilation focuses solely on her mid- to late-'60s material, with both sides of seven 45s she released on Imperial and Minit between 1965 and 1967 (one of them featuring duets with Jimmy Holiday), as well as eight previously unissued 1968 recordings that almost add up to an unreleased LP. In some ways, the material both explains why people kept recording King for years in spite of her inability to land a hit record -- and why she never did land that hit record. She has a nice, somewhat shy voice and understated, subtle delivery that comes as a refreshing contrast to the usual soul belters who try so hard to sing their hearts out. But the voice isn't so outstanding that it demands the attention that, say, Ronnie Spector's does, and the songs aren't so good that they seem like they should have attracted a much bigger audience than they did. The earlier singles have pretty fair Phil Spector-esque production, while she gets into somewhat gutsier pop-soul on the later 45s. The previously unissued 1968 tracks show her trying some pretty unexpected tunes by the likes of Mickey Newbury, Bobbie Gentry, and Phil Ochs, as well as some rootsier stuff like the bluesy "I'm Glad I'm a Woman," but it's more acceptable than notable. So it adds up to a release mostly of interest to soul specialists, though as that kind of thing goes it's above average, helped by liner notes giving a career overview speckled with quotes from King herself. ~ Richie Unterberger|