Customer Reviews

I'm a Loser: The Swamp Dogg Sessions and More

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The first time I heard Doris Duke's recording of "To the Other Woman (I'm the Other Woman)." I was living in Detroit listening to the radio, WCHB as a matter of fact, I can't remember the jock, but I do know he introduced Doris' record and played it like two consecutive times and then opened the phone lines for comments from his listeners. He wanted to know if he should keep playing it on his program or dump it.

I called in and told him to keep playing it, the song had blown me away.

Here was a female singer, who didn't have the most exceptional voice, but she was singing about a real life situation...one I'd seen many women going through in my neighborhood. But it was the first time, I'd ever heard someone sing so honestly about being involved in a compromising situation. I immediately went and bought the 45 single, which was released by Canyon Records, a black label with silver lettering. I read every piece of writing on the single, because I wanted some idea of who was this singer called Doris Duke. I learned the producer of this smoldering piece of soul was Jerry Williams AKA Swamp Dogg.

I added "To the Other Woman," to my own personal playlist and eventually flipped it over and played the B-Side "I Don't Care Anymore," which knocked me out even more. On this tune, Doris sang about being from "the deep south" and arriving in a big city for a chance at a better life.
But it seemed like nothing had gone right for the country girl and after a string of misfortunes and plain old bad luck, she got involved with a pimp who turned her out.

"Hotel rooms, west side, east side. Men Knocking at My Door...And I Don't care Anymore..."

To my teenage ears, Doris Duke was a great storyteller, not an exceptional singer, at least not like Aretha Franklin or Etta James, but she was singing about things those two soul sirens would never have dared...being the third party in an adulterous affair and prostitution.

I had to buy Doris Duke's album. It was titled I'M A LOSER and just reading those words alone made me eager to hear what other tales Doris Duke would share. I waited for the album to arrive at my favorite record store. I waited and waited some more, but I never did get a copy of that album. I found out that Doris Duke's record label had experienced financial difficulties and other setbacks includinf distribution problems and resistence from disc jockeys to play its records, particularlty those by Doris Duke. Eventually Canyon closed down. It seeemd as if the title of Doris' album applied to her record label as well.
The jocks at WCHB stopped playing "To The Other Woman."
I moved on to records by the Jackson 5 and Freda Payne in the early 1970s and I forgot abouu Doris Duke.
I eventually lost the single I had bought.

Now, all of these years later, I've rediscovered Doris Duke and finally got a chnnce to hear her album I"M A LOSER:THE SWAMP DOGG SESSIONS AND MORE, which has been reissued by ACE/Kent.
The album was produced by Williams (now renowned as a legendary soul music writer and producer), who collaborated with other talented songwriters like George Jackson and Gary "U.S." Bonds and came up with the majority of the 25 tracks that are collected on this long lost soul classic.

The late Dave Godin, who was a soul music connoisseur in the UK, reportedly called IM A LOSER one of the greatest deep soul albums of all time. Deep Soul, I've come to learn, refers to music often created by blacks in the northern region of America or the deep south. This music is often much "deeper" in emotion, topic and its very execution than the sounds coming out of Detroit (Motown) or Philadelphia (although some deep soul gems have come from these places as well).) Swamp Dogg was a master at producing deep soul records and Doris Duke was just one of the many artists he worked with over the eyars.
To be an effective deep soul singer, one need not have a pretty voice and Duke fit the bill. She didn't have the soaring vocal style of an Aretha Franklin. Doris had a strong, deep and soulful sounding contralto that she used to good effect on songs that told compelling stories like "To the Other Woman," and "I Don't care Anymore," which she performs with just the right touch of weariness and desperation.
Those two tunes are included on this set along with a whole batch of other classics like "Feet Start Walking," "Your Best Friend," "I Wish I Could Sleep," "Divorce Decree," and "I'd Do It All Over You," a cleverly titled number that sounds just as sly as its title.
The liner notes tell the story of how these songs came to be and gives some insight into what and who Doris Duke was. It seems she didn't fully believe in the material she recorded with Swamp Dogg over 30 years ago. Could the title have been some marketing attempt to convey something about Doris' attitude or state of mind at the time?
However, time and the good folks at Ace/Kent Records int he UK have brought this entertaining soul classic back for a new generation of soul music lovers to discover, and eventually judge for themselves, whether the hype about this being one of the greatest deep soul albums of all time is justified.
I say it is.

I have never written a review for anything before, but I feel as if I have to encourage anyone who stumbles on this rerelease of Doris Duke's "I'm a Loser" to buy the bloody thing. You will not regret it.

I absolutely adore what Dave Godin referred to as Deep Soul. This might epitomize the genre. All of the tracks were produced by Swamp Dogg. The First twelve tracks are from the album "I'm a Loser" and the rest are from a follow-up album on the same label and maybe a few extras.

I travel for work quite a lot and people always end up in my car. Doris Duke is always in the player. People inevitably ask who she is. People might inquire because her voice has a raw quality quite unlike any of the other more polished sould singers of whom she was never quite a contemporary. It's that unpolished quality that draws me back to this disk time and time again. In Cleveland, a girl from Torrence, CA told me that the "I'm a Loser" part of this CD was her life story. I thought that was great.

There are four or five tracks (13 - 18) that are great. It does seem as if the second album lacked the cohesiveness of the first. Don't buy this because of the compilation aspects of it. Buy it because "I'm a Loser" may be one of the greatest Soul albums ever produced!

Kudos to Ace/Kent for making this music available. Keep 'em coming.

I am avid listener of Southern music and have to say that I would stack the first dozen tracks of this CD up against anything ever recorded at Stax or Muscle Shoals or Philly International. Duke borrowed her stage name from the tobacco heiress, figuring it might help her career, and went into the studio with Swamp Dogg to create some serious alchemy. The covers towards the end of the CD are victimized by poor arrangements (ex "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is tough on the ears) but the stuff from her first album and side 1 of her second effort are top-shelf.

Hopefully someone will reissue Swamp Dogg's "Total Destruction to Your Mind" for another blast of Deep Soul.

Like "Goodbro" I have waited for this album for many years. I used to sell records in the early 1970's and the shop where I worked specialized in soul music. The 45 "To The Other Woman" was the epitome of the soul ballad in my opinion and I played it frequently in the store. Men liked it and women LOVED it. We were able to get a few copies of the LP when it was released and luckily I saved one for myself because it went unavailable for the next 30 years. Her singing is so plaintive you must tear up if you have a heart. I can't believe she never got famous. If you enjoy artists like Ann Peebles, give this one a listen.

Can't add a lot to the previous reviews, just want to confirm everything said. This is true Southern Soul music. Doris doesn't impress you so much with the range of her voice, just her conviction. You feel every word she sings, and this to me makes for the best vocals. Want to also praise the Swamp Dogg production. Lots of nice touches and embellishments that makes this not only a great soul album, but a pop gem as well.

If you love classic Memphis soul of the 60s-70s (Bettye Swann, Candi Staton, Ann Peeples, Syl Johnson, Al Green), you'll love this disc.

Lost Treasure: Doris Duke

Doris Curry was a session singer in New York before releasing several singles in 1967 under her married name, Doris Wellingham. After her divorce and second marriage she was privately Doris Logan, but professionally became Doris Duke, as in the "Black Doris Duke" to the Anglo-American tobacco-fortune heiress of the same name; a stage name much like that of rapper Jackie-O or DJ Coco Channel.

I'M A LOSER: THE COMPLETE SWAMP DOGG SESSIONS... AND MORE consists of 26 songs, comprised of the 1969 Canyon LP "I'm a Loser" (tracks 1-12), the 1971 Mankind LP "A Legend in Her Own Time" (tracks 13-23), and three Jay Boy recordings from 1967 (tracks 24-26). Disc packaged in black jewel case; total running time: 79:07. Booklet includes an extensive essay (in small font) by Tony Rounce, several photographs, original album covers, images of several 45 record singles, and songwriter credits (some chart position information is provided in the essay; producer credits and musician personnel are not included). Sound quality is good.

The disc concludes with three songs from 1967; track 24 was previously unissued (another song, "Make It on Out" was not included due to time restraints). The other tracks are taken from Doris's two albums produced by Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams Jr. Among the gems from these classic Soul albums are "Feet Start Walking", the up-tempo "Congratulations Baby", the bluesy "Ghost of Myself", "I Don't Care Anymore", the ballad "I Wish I Could Sleep", and "If She's Your Wife (Who Am I)". Familiar songs include "I'd Do It All Over You" (also recorded by Irma Thomas), "Since I Fell for You", and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix".

The song "I Don't Care Anymore" includes these lyrics: "Then I met a guy as smooth as silk, in a midtown bar / He said with my good looks, I'd go very far // I didn't know what he meant / I thought he was heaven-sent // Until I found out his sweet talkin' / Added up to street walking". There are other great lyrics as well as great melodies, music, and vocals.

Doris's voice is very similar to that of contemporary Blues singer Shemekia Copeland.

This UK import is not widely available, and often expensive, but is a great addition to any collection of late 60s and 70s Soul music.

Yep, the "I'm a Loser" album is the best deep soul affair ever waxed. The other album and extra tracks are just a bonus to let us know that "I'm a Loser" is far and away the best. Swamp Dogg Williams' production is spot on and the songs are full of pain and angst. Whenever I play this to friends and/or party-goers it stops all coversation; not a bad recommendation. I had the "I'm a Loser" album on vinyl and was presently suprised to find it on CD; I bought it without a second thought and play it when I need a dose of deep, heartbreaking soul. Go out and get it now; I'll wait!

I think that despite the accolades for "I'm A Loser", Doris Duke still gets underrated. She's not a singer on par with Aretha, Mavis Staples, or Betty Lavette. But the control on these songs make me think she was masterful. Listen to the way she swoops around on "Feet Start Walking", using volume to express emotion.

And the playing on these albums is mind-boggling. The drummer (who was he?) seems to lead things, taking the tempo up & down at will. Fantastic.

"You took away my womanhood/stripped me of my pride/now when you left you didn't give a damn/whether I lived or died". That line is one of many that she delivers in a way you'd never expect. I think Jerry Williams Jr. (Swamp Dogg) is a genius and this is the culmination of his work.

If you are an R & B fan, particularly the style from the '60's, as I am, you'll LOVE this C.D. and this singer. Someone has got to convince Oprah to re-discover Doris Duke and make her famous as she should have been along with Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves and Carla Thomas. Yes, she is THAT good. I'm absolutely delighted that Doris came to my attention now. Better late than never. What a God-given voice!