James & Bobby Purify "I'm Your Puppet: The Bell Recordings 1966-1969" 2CD set 6/14/19

Description
JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY shot to fame in late 1966 with their debut single for Bell Records, 'I'm Your Puppet', which quickly became established as a soul classic. Written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, the song was a smash hit, reaching the US Top 10 Pop and R&B Billboard charts, and was nominated for a Grammy. Thereafter, the pair recorded two albums and several singles for Bell before eventually leaving Bell in 1968..Named after their biggest hit, I'M YOUR PUPPET includes all of James And Bobby Purify's recordings during that dizzy two-year period, including both LPs, all non-album tracks and a clutch of recordings which only surfaced in 2002. Many tracks are currently unavailable on CD..Assembled by the same team behind last year's acclaimed Staple Singers box set of their Epic albums, this worthwhile double-CD set shines a welcome light on one of the classiest soul duos of the Sixties - cousins James Purify and Robert Dickey, who harked from Florida and were discovered by producer Don Schroeder..I'M YOUR PUPPET includes the pair's many other US hits, namely 'Wish You Didn't Have To Go' [[#38 Pop, #27 R&B), 'Shake a Tail Feather' [[#25 Pop, #15 R&B), 'I Take What I Want' [[#41 Pop, #23 R&B) 'Let Love Come Between Us' [[#23 Pop, #18 R&B, #51 UK), 'Do Unto Me' [[#73 Pop, #38 R&B), 'I Can Remember' [[#51 Pop, #42 R&B), 'Help Yourself [[To All Of My Lovin')' [[#94 Pop, #31 R&B), 'Untie Me' [[#47 R&B)..After disbanding, James Purify worked as a solo singer before forming a new-look James & Bobby Purify with new singing partner Ben Moore, recording for Casablanca Records and enjoying renewed success with a re-recorded version of 'I'm Your Puppet' in 1976. The pair continued to tour well into the 1980s. While James also continued with a solo career, Bobby did likewise [[with encouragement from Ray Charles) and eventually joined acclaimed gospel outfit The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama.

Track listing TBA

Amazon USA
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QRN3Y9K/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QRN3Y9K/?tag=imwan-21

Will be a good one! Thanks -

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

Description
JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY shot to fame in late 1966 with their debut single for Bell Records, 'I'm Your Puppet', which quickly became established as a soul classic. Written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, the song was a smash hit, reaching the US Top 10 Pop and R&B Billboard charts, and was nominated for a Grammy. Thereafter, the pair recorded two albums and several singles for Bell before eventually leaving Bell in 1968..Named after their biggest hit, I'M YOUR PUPPET includes all of James And Bobby Purify's recordings during that dizzy two-year period, including both LPs, all non-album tracks and a clutch of recordings which only surfaced in 2002. Many tracks are currently unavailable on CD..Assembled by the same team behind last year's acclaimed Staple Singers box set of their Epic albums, this worthwhile double-CD set shines a welcome light on one of the classiest soul duos of the Sixties - cousins James Purify and Robert Dickey, who harked from Florida and were discovered by producer Don Schroeder..I'M YOUR PUPPET includes the pair's many other US hits, namely 'Wish You Didn't Have To Go' [[#38 Pop, #27 R&B), 'Shake a Tail Feather' [[#25 Pop, #15 R&B), 'I Take What I Want' [[#41 Pop, #23 R&B) 'Let Love Come Between Us' [[#23 Pop, #18 R&B, #51 UK), 'Do Unto Me' [[#73 Pop, #38 R&B), 'I Can Remember' [[#51 Pop, #42 R&B), 'Help Yourself [[To All Of My Lovin')' [[#94 Pop, #31 R&B), 'Untie Me' [[#47 R&B)..After disbanding, James Purify worked as a solo singer before forming a new-look James & Bobby Purify with new singing partner Ben Moore, recording for Casablanca Records and enjoying renewed success with a re-recorded version of 'I'm Your Puppet' in 1976. The pair continued to tour well into the 1980s. While James also continued with a solo career, Bobby did likewise [[with encouragement from Ray Charles) and eventually joined acclaimed gospel outfit The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama.

Track listing TBA

Amazon USA
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QRN3Y9K/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QRN3Y9K/?tag=imwan-21

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Another one to look forward to. Thanks you for the info. Good to see we are still getting a few physical compilations in this dreaded digital age.

I take it that James & Bobby are still on this side of the living? Anyone know why the split?

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Originally Posted by mr_june

I take it that James & Bobby are still on this side of the living? Anyone know why the split?

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One of them [[Robert) passed away in 2011, apparently he quit the group for health reasons in '71 and was replaced by Ben Moore for their third LP on Casablanca.

Here is their detailed story : http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/James%2...%20Purify.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phil

One of them [[Robert) passed away in 2011, apparently he quit the group for health reasons in '71 and was replaced by Ben Moore for their third LP on Casablanca.

Here is their detailed story : http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/James%2...%20Purify.html

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I loved the 1976 remake of "I'm your puppet". It was a much bigger hit in the UK than the original. Sadly it is not included on this set, but i hope that album makes it on to cd one day. There was also a great remake of Seals and Crofts superb "closer to you"

I'm a big Blind Boys of Alabama fan and when Ben joined the group, I thought "That guy looks familiar." I realized he was the same guy I had seen singing I'M YOUR PUPPET on one of those T.J. Lubinsky PBS specials.

After one Blind Boys concert, they stayed behind to meet their fans. I was able to speak briefly with Ben. When I said "Aren't you the guy that sings I'M YOUR PUPPET?", he looked sort of embarrassed and one of his groupmates said "He's the one." Ben only said "I'm with the Blind Boys now." I said "Very cool" and that was that.

Has anyone bought this set yet?

"Shake a Tail Feather" and "I Take What I Want" are familiar tunes...did they have the original versions of these? I thought "Tail Feather" was more from the earlier part of the 60s, by someone like Charlie & Inez Foxx maybe.

It's an interesting package. I'd love to hear a few of the tracks before buying, but "I'm Your Puppet" is sure a great song.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kenneth

"Shake a Tail Feather" and "I Take What I Want" are familiar tunes...did they have the original versions of these? I thought "Tail Feather" was more from the earlier part of the 60s, by someone like Charlie & Inez Foxx maybe.

It's an interesting package. I'd love to hear a few of the tracks before buying, but "I'm Your Puppet" is sure a great song.

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Not sure if they are the originals but I believe the Five DuTones did SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER before James and Bobby. I also think Sam and Dave did I TAKE WHAT I WANT before them.

@reese, now I do remember the Sam and Dave version of "I Take" is the one I remember. I'll have to seek out the Five DuTones "Feather" and see if that's the one I've heard also. I think it probably is.

As usual, reese, you know everything!

original "Shake A Tail Feather" was the Five Du-Tones from 1963. Tina Turner & the Ikettes use to do a baadass version LIVE.

and as a added bonus there is a Motown connection to "Shake A Tail Feather" because Andre Williams is one of the writers. The record by the Five Du-Tones was HUGE on Miami POP radio in 1963. When I got older & started getting Billboard Magazine I later learned it did not even make the Top 40, which surprised me.