The Jukebox Rebel

After several years as a session singer with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jerry Butler and Nina Simone to name but a few, the potential of Doris Curry was noted by Jerry Williams Jr. who signed her to his RRG label. With Jerry’s business know-how, “I’m A Loser” was on the streets in a matter of months – there was no messin’ around with that boy. He done her proud with this platform – the Capricorn Studios musicians are ace soulsters, and Jerry had a decent set of songs ready for her, together with two covers from Clarence Carter’s “Testifyin’” LP from earlier in the year. The shrewd producer even chipped in with a name change – Doris Duke seemed like quite a good choice since the name was already in the public consciousness via the gossip column’s favourite tobacco heiress! Album opener “He’s Gone” is a great soul ballad for starters – everything about it oozes cool… the unusual rhythm, the soul in the vocal, the atmosphere of the band. The completely fantastic Clarence Carter cover follows, “I Can’t Do Without You”, and right away you just know you’re going to be in for a good one. “Feet Start Walking” is next – it’s first class soul fare – a stone-classic. The album is flyin’ high by this stage. On “Your Best Friend”, she’s got the coolest groove going on, and with “I Don’t Care Anymore”, her gritty delivery simply slays: “I found out his sweet talkin’ led to my street walkin’”. Damn. What a girl. What a debut…

The Jukebox Rebel
10–Jan–2010

A1	[04:36] Doris Duke - He’s Gone (Jerry Williams Jr., Larry Harrison) Soul Ballad
A2	[02:10] Doris Duke - I Can’t Do Without You (George Jackson, Ronald Townsend) Soul
A3	[02:29] Doris Duke - Feet Start Walking (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds) Soul
A4	[03:08] Doris Duke - Ghost Of Myself (Jerry Williams Jr.) Soul Ballad
A5	[02:49] Doris Duke - Your Best Friend (Jerry Williams Jr., Larry Harrison) Soul
A6	[02:47] Doris Duke - The Feeling Is Right (George Jackson, Mickey Buckins) Soul
B1	[03:10] Doris Duke - I Don’t Care Anymore (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds, Maurice Gimbel) Soul
B2	[02:06] Doris Duke - Congratulations Baby (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds, Maurice Gimbel) Soul
B3	[03:32] Doris Duke - We’re More Than Strangers (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds) Soul Ballad
B4	[02:31] Doris Duke - Divorce Decree (Jerry Williams Jr., Maurice Gimbel) Soul
B5	[02:39] Doris Duke - How Was I To Know You Cared (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds) Soul
B6	[02:58] Doris Duke - To The Other Woman (I’m The Other Woman) (Jerry Williams Jr., Gary Bonds) Soul Ballad

ratings by TJR