Customer Reviews

The Best of Gene Mcdaniels - Hundred Pounds of Clay

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I write this, it's been a year since a review was done, some of the most articulate writing I have ever seen in this forum. This package of tunes contains essentially all of Gene McDaniels' best work, except for the later song he'd write for Roberta Flack, "Feel Like Making Love" (and himself). There's the classic "100 Pounds of Clay", "Tower of Strength", "Point of No Return", my favorite, "Spanish Lace" and the noteworthy "A Tear" (which was covered by at least one other artist). Everything else is a bonus. All in all, four stars. Recommended.

Collectables has this annoying habit of putting out a multi-track CD offering the "best of" an artist - only to leave off one legitimate hit. And while Funny, which only made it to # 99 Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962 was a very minor success, it at least should have been given a spot in this CD in place of any one of the "previously unreleased" selections. Because how - by any stretch of the definition - do these qualify as the "best of" Gene McDaniels?

Born on February 12, 1935 in Kansas City, he got his start singing gospel at the Omaha University and Conservatory of Music before securing a contract with Liberty in 1960. The following year he had his first hit with A Hundred Pounds Of Clay which, b/w Take A Chance On Love, made it to # 3 Hot 100/# 11 R&B in May. Three months later A Tear [b/w She's Coming Back] levelled off at # 31 Hot 100, and before 1961 ended he added Tower Of Strength which reached the # 5 spot on both the Hot 100 and R&B charts b/w The Secret.

Chip Chip came next, peaking at # 10 Hot 100 in March 1962 (b/w Another Tear Falls) followed in April by trhe above-mentioned Funny which had Chapel Of Tears as the flipside. He then took Point Of No Return to # 21 Hot 100/# 23 R&B in September [b/w Warmer Than A Whisper], and ended the year with Spanish Lace which tooped out at # 31 Hot 100 around Christmas b/w Somebody's Waiting. All of the foregoing hits were backed by The Johnny Mann Singers.

After that, except for It's A Lonely Town (Lonely Without You). which made it to # 20 on the recently-introduced Adult Contemporary (AC) charts and # 64 Hot 100 in September 1963 b/w False Friends, further Hot 100/R&B hits eluded him.

It has been said that, at this stage of his career, McDaniels took an angry turn to the left, eschewing the mundane pop hits fed to him in the past by the likes of Bacharach and David, Goffin and King, and Pomus and Shuman and, instead, began recording only songs that delivered a "message" about the social ills of the U.S., perhaps best summed up in his 1970s Atlantic LP Outlaw. He also made the AC charts in 1972 when River reached # 37 b/w Feeling That Glow for MGM/Verve, under the billing Universal Jones.

Well ... maybe. More likely he was angry with his inability - like many others in that period - to figure out a way to get heard on the airways over the sounds assailing North American ears by the British Invasion. Even so, the hits he did have were among the more memorable of the early Sixties, and the only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is the absence of that one, lonely little hit and all of the B-sides.

While he didn't have a slew of hits, "100 Lbs. of Clay" and "Tower of Strength" hold up today as well as any other songs of that genre but we have yet to see Gene join any of the revival shows of artists from that era. Where are you now, Gene? We miss you!

I only remembered Gene McDaniels for "Tower of Strength". Used to think it was great. I love all the songs on the CD. Really good to be able to purchase those old favourites. Thank you amazon.

The quality and sound are great it's better than the old records. I felt like I had stepped back in time. Fantastic love it.

A wonderful album of old favorites from Gene McDaniels. Play this CD and it will make your day.

I heard many of these songs on the radio, Hundred Pounds of Clay was one of my favorites from those early years.I hesitated buying this, as often happens, you get something from the past, and you wonder what it was thet made you think this would be worth owning. Gene's music sounds just as good, even better than I remember. Ohh!, for the days when all you needed was talent.

I believe it came all the way from Europe! It was in excellent condition and I received it in a timely manner! The quality of sound and music was superb! My girl loved it and she didn't think I could ever find it for her B-Day--surprise!!!! It is an excellent gift for any music lover of the fifties and sixties!

I'm an old Gene Fan. He has a beautiful voice and he made some splendid albums like 'Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm blue".
But Gene stop crying about your hits. On the inlay Gene's comment on every hit is "I didn't want to record this stuff".
I don't understand why he gives this comment. Alzenheimer?

I reviewed this for you months ago I will not waste my time again!