Welcome to volume 3 of my series
How Sarah Got Her Groove Back!
NADV 1502031AM1 Sarah Collins. Picture : Adrian Murray (1502031AM1)
Sarah Collins, as you recall, is the mum of two in Yorkshire, England,
who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, bounced back to health
and became a sensation on YouTube in recent years with shot-at-home
videos in which she sings covers of Northern Soul favorites.
who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, bounced back to health
and became a sensation on YouTube in recent years with shot-at-home
videos in which she sings covers of Northern Soul favorites.
Sarah also appears at clubs in England
and other parts of Europe fronting the
Northern Soul band Keep The Faith.
So captivated am I by Sarah's story
and soulful singing that I created
this series to showcase her covers
along with the original versions.
and other parts of Europe fronting the
Northern Soul band Keep The Faith.
So captivated am I by Sarah's story
and soulful singing that I created
this series to showcase her covers
along with the original versions.
THE TAMS
The five man Atlanta R&B group The Tams derived their name from
the tam o'shanter's caps they wore on stage. The Tams specialized
in Carolina Beach Music, the style of music and dance
the tam o'shanter's caps they wore on stage. The Tams specialized
in Carolina Beach Music, the style of music and dance
(the shag) popular in the Southeastern U.S.
The Tams' biggest hit came at the
beginning of 1964 when "What Kind
of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" reached
the top 10, no small feat at the height
beginning of 1964 when "What Kind
of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" reached
the top 10, no small feat at the height
of Beatlemania. The group landed their
last record on the Hot 100 in 1968.
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
was a minor pop hit and penetrated
the top 30 on the R&B chart.
last record on the Hot 100 in 1968.
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
was a minor pop hit and penetrated
the top 30 on the R&B chart.
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
The Tams (July 1968, highest chart
pos. #61 Hot 100/#26 R&B)
The Tams (July 1968, highest chart
pos. #61 Hot 100/#26 R&B)
SARAH COLLINS
Now listen to the exuberant cover performed
by the UK's singing mum, Sarah Collins.
"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy"
Tams cover by Sarah Collins
Tams cover by Sarah Collins
WILSON
PICKETT
Raw, gritty and sweaty are three
adjectives that describe the singing
style of Wilson Pickett, nicknamed
The Wicked Pickett by Atlantic
records executive Jerry Wexler.
In late winter of 1966, Pickett
topped the R&B chart with
adjectives that describe the singing
style of Wilson Pickett, nicknamed
The Wicked Pickett by Atlantic
records executive Jerry Wexler.
In late winter of 1966, Pickett
topped the R&B chart with
"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.),"
written by Memphis greats
written by Memphis greats
Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper.
"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" - Wilson Pickett
(Feb/Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#13 Hot 100)
SARAH COLLINS
Now here's Sarah Collins, a zinger who never phones it in,
with her exciting rendition of "634-5789."
"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)"
Wilson Pickett cover by Sarah Collins
Wilson Pickett cover by Sarah Collins
MARVIN GAYE
AND KIM WESTON
By 1964 Marvin Gaye was an established
hit maker for Motown. In the spring of
the year, Marvin released a hit double-
sider as a duo with Mary Wells, "Once
Upon a Time" and "What's The Matter
With You Baby." Both sides cracked
the top 20. At the beginning of 1967
Marvin teamed up with Kim Weston
and scored his biggest duet single to
hit maker for Motown. In the spring of
the year, Marvin released a hit double-
sider as a duo with Mary Wells, "Once
Upon a Time" and "What's The Matter
With You Baby." Both sides cracked
the top 20. At the beginning of 1967
Marvin teamed up with Kim Weston
and scored his biggest duet single to
date, reaching the R&B top 5 with
"It Takes Two," a slab that was also
Marvin's first major hit in the UK.
Marvin's first major hit in the UK.
"It Takes Two" - Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
(Feb. 1967, highest chart pos. #14 Hot 100/#4 R&B,
dancers on Jan. 1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
dancers on Jan. 1967 ep. of American Bandstand)
START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:15 MARK!
SARAH COLLINS
Now once again here is featured artist Sarah Collins
with her interpretation of "It Takes Two."
"It Takes Two"
Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston cover by Sarah Collins
Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston cover by Sarah Collins
I hope you enjoyed
the originals along with
these killer kovers by my
good friend in the UK
the originals along with
these killer kovers by my
good friend in the UK
Sarah Collins.
Have a Shady day!
She has a really nice voice. I like her It Takes Two cover.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for being the early bird, good buddy!
You've been following my blogs for a few years now, and I am sure you remember previous posts that featured Sarah Collins. I'm glad you like her vocals and agree that she does a fine job on her cover of Marvin and Kim's duet hit "It Takes Two."
Thanks again for your visit and comment, good buddy Alex!
I'm not usually one for covers. (I tend to call them remakes when well-known bands/singers cover well-known songs) I remember Sarah Collins from when you featured her before. Nice cover of 634-5789. I also liked Jonny Lang (et al) singing it in Blues Brothers 2000.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for coming to see and hear my third post paying tribute to English sparrow Sarah Collins. I am excited to know that you have been following me long enough to remember volume 2 of my Sarah series. I'm glad you appreciated her soulful rendition of "634-5789."
I hope your week is off to a great start, Kelly. Thanks again for coming. Please give Pat a hug and a Milk Bone for me and enjoy your day and week!
Your references to Pat always make me laugh. I'm off to do exactly what you've requested. :D
DeleteOh, that's sweet of you, Kelly! I think you are getting an idea of how much I love dogs... and all animals, for that matter. Whenever I visit the homes of people with pets, I spend most of my time and focus most of my attention on the animals rather than the people. :)
DeleteI hope Pat enjoyed his hug and biscuit. Thanks so much, dear friend Kelly!
Me...ow like them all, friend Shady. Original versions as well as Sarah's cover versions. Have been researching and following her ever since you introduced us to her awesomeness ^.^ Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteHow are you today, dear kitty friend? Thanks for coming down to experience the third installment of my series on Sarah Collins and her capable covers! I'm thrilled that you were inspired to learn more about Sarah and follow her YouTube channel after I introduced you to her. I am very happy you told me that.
So glad you enjoyed today's musical menu featuring Sarah and the recordings made by the original artists. Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend cat, and enjoy the rest of your day and week!
Being not so young, fairly foolish, and very happy..most days..even rainy ones like today..I always enjoy it when you feature Sarah Collins. She sure hits it perfect! Her story is inspirational and her dimples are to die for! I think I missed your last post I really apologize. I enjoy coming here for good music and fun. I hope all is good with you. We've been busy at work as the corporate world keeps making changes, making staff cuts, and making me happy that I'm retiring next year. Anyway, have a good week and stay cool down there as always!
ReplyDeleteHi, Yaya!
DeleteThanks for dropping by, dear friend! I'm delighted to see you. I figured you must be very busy because you missed Ward and the Beaver and didn't publish a Sunday evening post of your own as you usually do. I'm sorry your job at the hospital is being made more unpleasant and difficult by the corporate world. Hang on, dear friend. You know how quickly a year can pass. Before you know it you'll be enjoying life as a retiree.
More rain up your way? Down here, too! It has rained nearly every day for the last two weeks or more and we having standing puddles in our back yard - not good considering the increased threat from mosquito borne illness this year.
You have been following my blogs long enough to have seen all three volumes of the Sarah Collins series I posted thus far. I still have one or two more in the pipeline. The Brit songbird never ceases to amaze me with the soulfulness of her singing. She sounds very much like an African American R&B singer and does a fantastic job on these covers.
Thanks again for setting aside time for a visit and for your cheery comments. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!
Hi Shady! Guess I'm "tardy for the pardy"! It's been a 105 temp day, and a busy one also.
ReplyDeleteThat cute Sarah is really cranking out the tunes, and doing a stand-up job! I love Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston with "It Takes Two"! And, what a great video of Bandstand with their song and the fun dancers! I still enjoy watching DicK Clark as he introduces an entertainer, then watching the teens with their bouffant hairstyles and great dance moves. What a good job Sarah did on this one...she's got that good ole soul in her voice. And, Sarah is reminiscent of some of the girl singers, like Mary Wells and The Ronettes.
Wilson Pickett will always be a household name in my world! He gave it his all. That is what made him so great! Everyone danced and sang 634-5789 with Pickett-the song was so soulful and "smooth". This song was done back in the day when area codes were mainly used for out of state calls. Right off the 'bat', I could feel the soul in Sarah's voice, and see the joy she experienced while singing this one.
You know, Shady, "Be Young, Be Foolish, etc" by the Tams is a good song. However, I believe Sarah took better control by adding a more personal feeling to the song...she didn't just sing the words! I do like the Tams "What Kind of Fool do You Think I am".
You dug up some pretty good examples of great covers, Shady! Sarah is clearly a class act, and she should be proud. I think she displays a joyful and an air of excitement as she sings. Thank you for this fun post, dear Shady!
Have a great week, dear friend! School starts on Monday in a few days, and Scootie says he's nervous! That's the case a lot of the time with students! Thank you again, Shady and stay cool! ♫
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend. Thanks for swinging by!
As one of my oldest and most faithful followers, you have been with me plenty long enough to be familiar with Sarah Collins from past posts. I am so glad she goes over well with you and the other readers. It means a lot to me that you appreciate Sarah because I know you have a musical background and an ear for good singing. You know the real deal when you see it and hear it and Sarah is the real deal. Like you I appreciate the deep soulful feeling and unbridled joy with which she sings. She also uses authentic enunciation and diction, making her sound black like the original artists she covers. I'm sure her live shows fronting a UK based Northern Soul band are thrilling.
Carolina Beach Music was big up and down the east coast. I remember both Tams recordings, "What Kind Of Fool" and "Be Young," because they were both played heavily on radio in my area and in the Philadelphia market. Marvin and Kim and The Wicked Pickett were also very popular in Central PA. and Philly. I'm glad you enjoyed watching the dancers on AB. I will be presenting more great vintage clips from Dick Clark's show in a special series I am putting together. Just wait and see (and hear)!
105 degrees in the DFW area today? Wow! That's like the desert southwest, Suzanne. It was stifling hot here today, too, but we got a late afternoon shower that cooled us down a little. I always felt tinges of dread and anxiety when a new school year was about to start. I wish master Scootie well as he begins his year. I know that you and his teachers will be there to help him every step of the way.
Thank you again for coming to the Sarah Collins karaoke party, dear friend Suzanne. Take care and enjoy the rest of your week!
om,
ReplyDeleteI remember very well Sarah's story and am happy to tune into your next episode in this series. All three covers of these great classics Sarah did fantastic. I wonder if she's ever auditioned for Britian's Got Talent or other types of shows. If she did, then that might be a wonderful shot in her mewsical career. She has a fabulous voice. Thanks for sharing more of the lovely Sarah Collins with us this morning! Have a songsational day, my friend.
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteI am pleasantly surprised to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming back over this week in the middle of your month long blog hiatus!
I'm happy to have you here to sample the sounds of Sarah Collins as she covers these American soul and R&B artists so convincingly. You pose a great question. I wonder if she ever auditioned for one of those TV talent shows. I received an email from her a while back. I'll have to check into that.
I'm so glad you appreciate Sarah's soulful singing. I do indeed have a couple more volumes of this series coming up, so stick around.
Thanks again for joining the fun today, dear friend Cathy. Have a tunetastic, songsational day and week!
Listening to Wilson Pickett belt that song out I thought there's no way this Sarah chick can compete, but then she's goes and hits it out of the ball park--or, being that she's from Britain, maybe the cricket park.
ReplyDeleteThat very beginning of the American bandstand clip--Paul Revere and the Raiders over the Beatles? Those kids didn't LOOK like they were on drugs...
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming by, good buddy! I don't remember if you were with me for vol. 2 of Sarah Collins, but it seems you like her style. I'm happy to know it. Sarah has the ability to authentically sing sweet soul music as well as gritty southern style R&B like Wilson Pickett. I applaud her for keeping the music alive in her stage shows and on her YouTube channel. Stay tuned for more volumes of How Sarah Got her Groove Back.
I need to throw the red flag on the ground and march off a 15 yard penalty, good buddy. You were supposed to start playing that Bandstand video at the 1:15 mark! :) Actually, I never watched that segment at the beginning in which the kids vote for the band they'd most like to see in a movie. I too am shocked so many of them said The Raiders at a time when the Beatles and Monkees were at their peak. The final tally of that poll was: Beatles 7, Raiders 5 and Monkees 2. Let's do some detective work here. That Bandstand program aired Feb. 11, 1967. That means it was taped a few weeks before that. In early 1967, Dick Clark's other TV series, Where The Action Is, was still airing and Paul Revere & the Raiders were the show's house band. I'm thinking the Bandstand producers briefed the teens in advance and told a bunch of them to plug PR&R to please Dick and help promote his pet band and his other show.
Thanks again for coming over to play, good buddy Kirk. Enjoy the rest of your week!
I believe I am all caught up. Glad you are covering this lady again. She sings so well and needs nothing added to her voice the way many famous singers need. She has a strong voice that can do many different styles which is great
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI've got carpal tunnel from replying to all these comments of yours, dear friend. :) Thanks for taking time to write three in a row!
I'm happy to know you remember English thrush Sarah Collins, the exciting zinger who fronts a band and is a sensation on YouTube doing these karaoke style covers of American soul and R&B classics. You make a good point. Sarah's voice is strong. She doesn't need to use studio technology and tweak her vocals to make them sound better. She's the real deal. I'm thrilled that you appreciate her singing. She'll be back, so stay tuned.
Thanks again for the triple play today, dear friend BB. I'll see you tamale!
WOW !
ReplyDeleteAs usual you have gone crazy and full of information.
What I want to know is your 'writers den" full of bookshelves with music music music ! A long table with 5 computers and 12 T.V's on the wall like a news station !
parsnip
Hi, Gayle!
DeleteThanks a lot for dropping in, dear friend! I was just thinking to myself the other day how much I have learned about music and other subjects since I started blogging 10+ years ago. To get information for my posts, I rely on my three "bibles" - Joel Whitburn Record Research volumes - and half a dozen other music books I own. I also rely heavily on the internet. You can learn a lot simply by reading comments on YouTube and discussions among music lovers on message boards. I enjoy doing research. It invariably leads to discoveries of new artists and songs and provides content for posts.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend Gayle. Stay tuned for more of Sarah Collins, more music music music, and more memories!
In my mind you write in the the above writers dem.
Delete:) Thank you, Gayle! I wish you and your animals a safe, healthy and happy weekend!
DeleteHi Shady!
ReplyDeleteThis was so uplifting I feel like I should go outside and do something more invigorating than office work ;-) Then again, it’s 105 degrees and steadily rising, so I think not. Sarah has a fantastic voice; vibrant with terrific pitch and surprising range. She chooses great songs to cover too! Nothing against the original artists, of course. It’s nice to see someone enjoying what they do so much. Do you suppose it has to do with being in your own space?
Thanks for the smiles!
Hi, diedre!
DeleteI'm pleased to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming by!
I'm glad you found the post uplifting, and that it gave you a burst of energy. Sarah Collins and her capable covers have the same effect on me. Over the years, Sarah has uploaded hundreds of these shot at home singing videos to her YouTube channel to the delight of her many fans. Sarah knows the music well. She has performed just about every American soul and R&B classic you could name. I think Sarah sings with such joy because she was granted a new lease on life following her brain tumor scare and surgery. She is living life to the fullest, making every minute count, a lesson for us all.
105 degrees at your in your area and going even higher? I don't know how you get through those long hot summers out there in the southwest. At least here on the peninsula the temp stays below 100 most of the time. In our case, you know what they say: "It's not the heat so much... it's the humidity." :)
Thanks again for coming to the party and enjoying my special guest entertainer Sarah Collins. She'll be back with more great covers, so please stay tuned. Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend diedre!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteSarah Collins is amazing! I love the original songs and the covers she did. I'm glad she recovered.
Worked overtime this week, as well as the library. I'm a pretty tired gal right now...ill listen more tomorrow.
Have a great evening!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks a lot for making time for a visit, dear friend! I think you might have been following me long enough to have experienced all three song sets by the talented Brit bird Sarah Collins. I have drafts for one or two more posts in this series, so please stay tuned.
I hear you when you say you are tired. Mrs. S and I are in another city and will be here for the coming week. I am writing this reply on a borrowed laptop. Yesterday was a busy one. I saw your comment and TT post last night but needed to sleep before replying here and reading Happiness Box.
Thanks again for your visit and comment and have a great day, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteGood luck and I hope that you have a safe trip. See you when you get back.
Have a great Sunday!
is Sarah Collins father is Phil Collins?
ReplyDeleteHi, Endy!
DeleteThanks for dropping by Shady's Place! I never read anything to suggest that Sarah Collins and Phil Collins are related. I'm sure if they were there would be mention of it on her Facebook page.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, Endy!