THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,209) Brenda and the Tabulations — “That’s in the Past”
How was this ‘68 Philly soul stirrer A-side not a hit? Derek says:
A very dense, busy production but DAMN it sure does work (not to mention swing like a mofo!). . . . I love how, starting at about 1:30, the swirl of sound gets so strong Brenda just keeps pushing harder and harder to be heard. Quite a performance from all involved.
http://dereksdaily45.blogspot.com/2010/09/?m=1
It does swing like a mofo!
As to Brenda and the Tabs, Ron Wynn writes:
Among the better Philadelphia soul groups of the ’60s and ’70s, Brenda [Payton] & the Tabulations made some fine heartache ballads, particularly “Dry Your Eyes” and “Right on the Tip of My Tongue.” . . . “Dry Your Eyes” was their biggest hit, reaching number eight on the R&B chart and number 20 pop in 1967. They continued recording for Dionn until 1969, then Top & Bottom from 1970 to 1973, followed by stints with Epic and Chocolate City. “Right on the Tip of My Tongue” returned them to prominence in 1971, peaking at number ten R&B, and the follow-up, “A Part Of You,” was number 14 that same year. The group enjoyed some sporadic success on the disco circuit in the late ’70s with the LP I Keep Coming Back for More. The single “Let’s Go All the Way (Down)” attracted some international and club interest.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/brenda-the-tabulations-mn0000614776
The Jamie Record Co. tells us:
[A]t a Philadelphia playground during the summer of ‘66[,] vocalist Brenda Payton and organist Maurice Coates . . . put[] on a show for the neighborhood kids[.] Gilda Woods fortuitously happened by and heard their youthful performance[.] . . . Maurice Coates[] answer[ed] in the affirmative when Gilda asked whether they wrote any of their own material. They had, to that point, never written a song, but they had started one Brenda and Maurice hammered out their iconic song, “Dry Your Eyes.” Maurice Coates recalled, Gilda Woods “was cruising by in her convertible and stopped, slammed on the brakes[.] She asked us how long we’d been together. I said, ‘We’ve been together for awhile.’ We’d only been together for one week. And she said, ‘Do you have any original tunes?’ I said yes. Which we didn’t. She said, ‘I’ll meet you next Saturday.’ And Brenda turned around and said, ‘Maurice, we don’t have no original songs!’ I said, ‘Yes, we do! Don’t you remember the one we were working on the other day?’” A scant two days later, Brenda and Maurice had created the breathtaking doo-wop-infused ballad “Dry Your Eyes.” “We collaborated. I just did the music, and she did all the lyrics,” says Maurice. “We had to do something in a couple days to convince Gilda that we did have an original tune. So it was just impulse and good dumb luck!” Woods auditioned the group and their brand-new song at Maurice’s home. “She loved it,” says Coates. “We got a contract offer, and we went through it and signed it. The next week, we went in the studio. Devising a catchy moniker for the group was the first order of business. “All these names came up, and I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, guys, listen. Think about money. This is what it’s all about!’” says Maurice. “So I came up with the word ‘tabulation.’ And they said, ‘Well, what does tabulation mean?’ I said, ‘Well, tabulate! You’re counting the money!’”
http://jamguycom.jamroomhosting.com/brenda-and-the-tabs
Nice!
Here they are “live”:
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