By the 1960s, soul music began to influence musicians far beyond its African American roots, here in the States and, notably, across the pond. What started in the 1950s as a watered down, Pat Boone-ification of the genre was really an early development of what would become a full-fledged blue-eyed soul movement a decade later.
Bob Brady & The Con Chords :: Illusion (1968)
Vocalist Bob Brady sounds so damn close to Smokey Robinson that, when hearing his records for the first time, many have had their minds blown to the fact that this isn't Smokey himself. Hailing from Baltimore, Bob Brady & The Con Chords cut quite an impression as a popular live act around the Maryland/ Washington DC area, and seemed poised for stardom when their records received national distribution. Sadly, the group never had that elusive hit, although their records have been massive on the UK northern soul scene since the 1970s.
Lesley Gore :: No Matter What You Do (1966)
One of the quintessential figures of the girl group sound, Lesley Gore released several impressive records showcasing the sweetness of her vocals. However, when she teamed up with producer Quincy Jones, she cut one hell of a tough side in the masterpiece that is "No Matter What You Do". A superb song in and of itself, it's Quincy's production, here, that takes a great song and sends it completely over the top. Over an incredibly dense track full of fuzz guitar, heavy drumming, horns and hypnotizing, downright zombie-like backing vocals, Lesley delivers an outstanding vocal that cuts through the mix and demands attention.
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