Welcome to vol. 13 of
my globetrotting series
BANDSTANDS IN
FOREIGN LANDS!
SAM
BROWN
In this special edition of "Biffle" I am proud
to introduce English blue-eyed soul singer,
songwriter and musician Sam Brown. Sam
rose to fame in the late 80s and placed six
singles on the UK chart. In the studio as a
session backing vocalist, Sam has worked
with big name artists like George Harrison,
Adam Ant and Pink Floyd. How Sam and
her great talent eluded me all these years
is an unsolved mystery. Today I present
the best of Sam's recordings along with
a few of her classic live performances.
Let's begin in 2001 with Sam doing a gospel-tinged R&B song written
by Leiber and Stoller and first recorded by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer
LaVern Baker in 1960. Sam gave this incendiary live performance of
"Saved" at a star-studded Tribute to Leiber & Stoller concert in London.
"Saved" - Sam Brown
(2001 live perf. at A Tribute to Leiber and Stoller
concert in London, England)
LOW AUDIO - PLEASE TURN WAY UP,
AND BE SURE TO WATCH BEYOND
THE 1:40 MARK AS SAM SHEDS
HER JACKET AND DOES SOME
SERIOUS SOUL SHOUTING ON
THE FINALE OF THE SONG!
In 1966 a little known Philadelphia gospel/R&B
singer named Lorraine Ellision was summoned
to a recording studio in a last-minute booking.
Frank Sinatra had canceled his session, and
the record company asked producer Jerry
Ragovoy to make productive use of the
studio time and the 46-piece orchestra
that had already been hired to back Sinatra.
With no time to rehearse, Lorraine walked
into the studio and nailed the deep soul
song "Stay With Me Baby" in a single
take. Her towering performance
stunned the veteran musicians.
Fast forward to 1990. In an appearance on the British television program
Jools Holland's The Happening, Sam Brown reached deep into her own soul,
deeper than any other artist who has attempted the song since Lorraine Ellison.
Experience the raw intensity as Sam explodes with a hysterical wail that is
essential to a truly authentic performance of the tear-jerking soul classic.
"Stay With Me Baby" - Lorraine Ellison
cover by Sam Brown (1990 live perf. on English
TV show Jools Holland's The Happening)
Here's another fantastic live Sam Brown
performance. In mid 1990, Sam covered
Aretha Franklin's signature song "Respect"
in an appearance on the Australian TV
show Tonight Live with Steve Vizard.
Sam was backed by the studio band
and singers Vika & Linda Bull.
"Respect" - Aretha Franklin
cover by Sam Brown
(1990 live performance on
Tonight Live with Steve Vizard
in Melbourne, Australia)
Now here's a song and single from
Sam Brown's 1988 debut album
Stop! The recording features the
guitar work of then-Pink Floyd
member David Gilmour. Listen
how Sam's voice glides up to
the heavens as she sings--
"This Feeling."
"This Feeling" - Sam Brown
(Aug./Sept. 1988, highest
chart pos. #23 Belgium,
#32 The Netherlands,
#82 Canada, #91 UK,
from June '88 album Stop!)
I'm bringing you the very best of the UK's soulful songbird Sam Brown.
Sam's music videos are great, but her live performances are even better.
Behold the magic as Sam sings with energy and enthusiasm doing her
1990 hit single "With A Little Love" on the Dutch TV series Telebingo.
"With A Little Love" - Sam Brown
(Feb. 1990, highest chart pos. #27 Australia,
#44 UK/#52 Germany, Feb. 5, 1990, live perf.
on the Dutch TV series Telebingo)
SHADY SEAWEED'S
PICK TO CLICK!
Truth be told, every one of these Sam
songs is my Pick to Click, but this next
one tops them all. If you only have time
to watch one of Sam's videos from start
to finish, I urge you to make it this one.
It's her 1989 cover of a song that was a
hit for Marvin Gaye in late 1963. Sam's
rollicking rendition is sheer delight -
clean outta sight - a classic in its
own right - the best version since
Marvin's. Judge for yourself as
Sam lays down the law in the
courtroom and asks the musical
question-- "Can I Get A Witness?"
"Can I Get A Witness" - Sam Brown
(May/June 1989, highest chart pos. #9 New Zealand,
#15 UK & Ireland/#17 Australia, from 1988 album Stop!
Finally here is Sam doing her biggest and best
known hit "Stop!" The song was featured in
the soundtrack of Roman Polanski's 1992
erotic romantic thriller Bitter Moon. When
first released in 1988 this single fizzled in
the UK but went top 3 in Belgium and in
The Netherlands. Upon its re-release in
1989, Sam's record reached the top 5 in
the UK. It's amazing that this fine single
fell short of the top 50 in the U.S. Here
now is sultry blue-eyed soul sista Sam
Brown singing "Stop!" on the Dutch
music television show TopPop.
"Stop!" - Sam Brown
(Apr. thru June 1988,
highest chart position
#1 Belgium/#2 Netherlands,
#7 Germany, performance
on Dutch TV show TopPop)
I hope you enjoyed this introduction
to the simply sensational English
sparrow Sam Brown
in this special edition of
BANDSTANDS IN
FOREIGN LANDS!
stay tuned for the next
hip trip coming soon.
Have a Shady day!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteSam Brown is new-to-me but a lovely discovery. I, especially enjoyed her hit song, "Stop". I love how breathy she is in the beginning of the song, a sound I love a lot! The other song I like in this set is "This Feeling". I will jump over to YouTube when I have time to sample more of her original mewsic.
I appreciated your visit this morning. We're doing another staycation next week, so my presence in Blogosphere will be little. Actually the whole month is looking like this. lol Have a blessed Christmas season, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for hurrying over to take the first day Early Bird title, dear friend!
I was hoping you'd agree with me about the greatness of UK blue-eyed soul thrush Sam Brown. At times she sings in an intimate, breathy style, and at other times she belts and soul shouts. I'm glad you found a couple of standouts in this song set, specifically her top 30 international hit "This Feeling" and her biggest hit "Stop!" I'm glad you were impressed by her talent to the extent that you want to search for more of her performances on YouTube.
I understand that you might be absent from the blogosphere off and on through the holiday season. Family comes first, especially during this difficult year.
Thank you again for making time for a visit, dear friend Cathy. I wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas as well!
Thanks for introducing us to the lovely Sam Brown... she really does have a great voice!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteYou narrowly missed being the Early Bird, dear friend. Thanks for coming!
I'm happy to know that you appreciated this introduction to the vocal prowess of English sparrow Sam Brown. As Curtis Mayfield would have put it, "Woman's Got Soul," and that's a quality I listen for and admire in an artist.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Kelly!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteSam Brown is new to me as well, but she was perfect for a celebratory day that today was. I was on cloud 9, so out of it that I lost track of time, and I feel like I wasn't quite paying attention. I'll e-mail you the good news. :)
Tomorrow is office day, and tomorrow I should be back to "normal" so I will give the lovely Sam Brown a closer listen tomorrow.
Have a great Wednesday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for dropping in to check out the song styling of the UK's alabaster soul queen Sam Brown, dear friend! I'm happy to hear that you were on cloud 9 today. I suppose I will get the details on your post or in that email. I hope you can make good on your pledge to give Sam's performances your full attention at some point. She's too good to miss.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend JM, and stay safe at the office tomorrow!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI sent you the good news about an hour ago via e-mail! I'm going to hold off on blogging it for a little bit, maybe I'll announce it at the beginning of the year, after I open my Happiness Box. :)
I gave Sam Brown my full attention yesterday while I was in the office. Wow! She's the perfect found for celebration. I absolutely love her energy and she does an amazing job covering those performances. I'm in love!
I love how you highlight unfamiliar artists because your selections open a whole new world to me! I'll have to check out more of her performances.
Have a great Friday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for honoring your word and returning to check out Sam Brown's song styling. I haven't looked at my email yet today, but I will do so after writing this reply. Seems like you have some exciting good news. That makes me happy.
I'm delighted that you see and hear what I do in Sam Brown. As I told another friend, I can't think of any female singer I have ever presented in my 12+ years of blogging that is better than Sam. For me Sam checks all the boxes. She's beautiful, soulful and able to perform a variety of styles from whispery ballads to scorching, tear-jerkers like Lorraine's deep soul classic "Stay With Me." If I had to rank the top 5 Sam songs in this set, I'd pick "Witness" as #1 because I love that Marvin Gaye hit and also because of the humorous music video that takes us inside a British courtroom. Sam makes the song her own. Next I think I'd pick her rendition of the above mentioned "Stay With Me." There is genuine agony in Sam's voice as she pleads with her lover to "Stay." Next I think I'd pick "With A Little Love," then "Stop!" and finally, to round out the top 5, her fiery live performance of "Saved." Simply put, everything Sam touches turns to gold.
I'm glad you appreciate my introductions to new to you artists and songs. You do the same for me when you post Twizted, ICP, Mac Miller and others that you like.
Thanks again for giving Sam Brown your full attention, dear friend JM, and have a super weekend!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI agree with you there! I absolutely love Sam because she checks all of the boxes. I might have to give more of her songs a listen and I might plan to add her to my Happiness Box playlist next year. :) Music and joy and emotions go hand in hand. There's something restorative about music and I think Sam fits that bill.
It felt great sharing the great news with friends. It definitely made Hanukkah a bit more special this year. :) This weekend was even more special!
Have a great Monday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI'm happy to know things are looking up in your world. Each and every one of us needs to count our blessings after the year we've gone through.
I'm pleased that you found so much value in Sam Brown. She might have lost her voice a few years ago, but her legacy is intact. She will go into the music history books as one of the greatest vocalists ever to come out of the UK or any other country for that matter.
Have a wonderful week, dear friend JM!
Sam Brown is a wonderful talent and I enjoyed "With a little love" and "Stop" the best. I'd never heard of her before but leave it to you to find these little gems to share here! Thanks for that and I hope you have a good week. I'm tying up all the last of Christmas shopping and taking care of Jack as he is getting better each day but still pretty tired. We've decided not to gather with family this Christmas and that was a super hard decision to make but better to be safe than sorry. I've had former coworkers get sick with Covid and family that was exposed but thankfully have stayed healthy and tested negative. Take care Shady and stay safe!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you for coming to the Sam Brown concert, dear friend! I'm thrilled that you appreciate her singing. As you saw, I already named my Pick to Click for this set of performances. I was just trying to think of which other songs of hers are my favorites. I actually love every single one in this post, but I have to agree that "With A Little Love" and her big hit "Stop!" are among my top 5.
I am pleased to learn that Jack continues to get better day by day. Like you, Mrs. Shady and I decided not to host our annual large family Christmas dinner. We will probably do what we did for T-giving, conduct a ZOOM session with family members coast to coast. I am very happy to know that your family has avoided the dreaded virus.
Thanks again for making time to meet Sam Brown. Take good care of yourself and Jack and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!
Hi Shady! Sam Brown is one exciting songstress! What a voice, that changes and evolves as the story and mood of the song dictates! She really does some great covers and is pretty also.
ReplyDeleteI especially like her covers of "Saved" (great band) and "Can I Get A Witness"! That was so popular and a good dance song, and Sam really nailed it. The video was great also.
Sam's singles bring out her true colors though, and I am glad I got to hear and see her perform. "With a Little Love" is very good, and I totally enjoyed "Stop"!
I should mention that with "Stay With Me Baby", Sam throws the emotions out there, doesn't she!
Well, Shady-boy, this is a great Foreign Lands post! I believe you picked a true winner with some fun videos. I hope you are doing well. I am a bit tired, trying to get Christmas ready, and keeping Shawn in line, or should I say he keeps me in line, haha! Have a great weekend dear friend!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteWelcome to Shady's Holiday Ghost Town, dear friend! :) I feel silly now, because I just discovered I've had a big sign hanging at the front entrance that says "BAH HUMBUG - KEEP OUT!" :) Thank you for being one of the few brave souls who came thru the door regardless.
I'm delighted that you enjoyed Sam Brown. In my 12+ years of blogging I have never encountered or presented a finer singer. At times Sam reminds me of another female "Sam" artist who was making records in the U.S. during this same time period - Sam Phillips. As you pointed out, Sam has the ability to go from a subdued, intimate, breathy style of singing to an explosion of soul shouting. On her live TV performance of Lorraine Ellison's 1966 signature song "Stay With Me," Sam summons forth the raw emotion necessary to do justice to the song. She screams. She wails, almost in hysterics. I have heard other artists attempt that song, and midway through their performances I find myself saying "No! That's not authentic." Sam delivers the goods - rendering the song authentically. I love every single Sam Brown performance in this post. You can tell by the reactions and facial expressions of the musicians, backing singers and show hosts who introduce Sam that they know she's the real deal - perhaps the UK's best kept secret all these years. On top of her vocal talent and genuine soulfulness, Sam is a beautiful woman. She has an off-kilter, Diane Keaton-ish quality about her that I find very appealing. Many of the great ones have it, and Sam is truly great. I get such a kick out of watching her courtroom video as she covers Marvin's "Can I Get A Witness."
I'm thrilled that you got so much enjoyment out of this special edition of my Biffle series as I shine the much deserved spotlight on English warbler Sam Brown.
I realize that you have a heap to do to get ready for Christmas, and I again thank you for making time for a visit. Please take good care of yourself and Scootie, dear friend Suzanne, and join me if you can next week for the latest edition of That Was Then - This Is Now! Till then, enjoy the rest of your week and have a wonderful weekend!
I never heard of her either. Even since the Year of Our Lord Nineteen-Hundred and Sixty-Four, the number of British rock/pop stars who achieved just as much success in the US as they have in the UK has been truly staggering, so it's odd to find one of her obvious talent who has not. Has she ever performed on American soil? I see one of her songs made the Canadian charts. Why would she be a hit there and not here?
ReplyDeleteAll her songs here are great, but I think I like "Saved" the best. Such an enthusiastic performance.
Hi, Kirk!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over, good buddy! I'm happy to have you here to take a look and a listen as Shady Seaweed introduces the amazing Sam Brown.
To better understand Sam Brown's talent and showmanship, let's examine her pedigree. Sam's father is Joe Brown, a well known UK rock & roll singer and guitarist. As Wiki explains, Joe << is highly regarded in the music business as a "musician's musician" who "commands respect and admiration from a wide spectrum of artists". >> The same can be said about Joe's daughter Sam Brown. The boys in the band know the real deal and Sam is the real deal, commanding respect everywhere she performs. By the way, Joe Brown will turn age 80 a few months from now and Sam is now 56.
Sam's mother, Vicki Brown, was also a popular UK singer and background vocalist, and Sam and Vicki sang backing together on several albums. Known by her birth name Mary Haseman before she changed it to Vicki Brown,Sam's mum was a member of two famous UK girl groups: The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways. I have an entire CD of The Breakaways greatest hits and posted some of their recordings on my old blog several years ago.
As you can see, Sam's mother Vicki was also a dazzler:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/266344-Vicki-Brown/images
https://josvg.home.xs4all.nl/cits/vicki.html
Sadly Vicki Brown died young of breast cancer at age 50.
Another interesting piece of trivia about Sam Brown. When you arrange her six solo studio albums in the order they were released, you can see that the first letters in the titles begin to spell out "Sam Brown."
(S) Stop!
(A) April Moon
(M) (43) Minutes...
(B) Box
(R) ReBoot
(O) Of the Moment
Wiki sez: << Brown said that she was unaware of the pattern, but once it was brought to her attention she vowed to continue the trend, asking fans to submit suggestions for the next title beginning with 'O'. Of the Moment was released in September 2007; its title was suggested by a fan via Brown's website. >>
Sadly, Sam Brown lost her singing voice in 2007 and has not been able to record or perform since. She had a cyst removed from her vocal cords but the procedure didn't correct the problem.
You pose good questions, Kirk, but I don't know the answers. I think Sam could have been successful in the U.S. I just checked a reliable site that shows numerous Sam Brown singles were released in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, but only one title was released in the U.S., her first single Stop!
I'm delighted that you enjoyed Sam's rousing live performance of "Saved" at the concert honoring Leiber & Stoller. The casting off of an outer garment as Sam did with her jacket is a technique that was used by soul artists like James Brown and Gene Chandler to excite the audience.
Thanks again for joining Sam's Club, good buddy Kirk!
Hello Mr. Shady..I hope life is treating you well despite...everything. I enjoyed learning about this star which just shows how famous many people are in the rest of the world but not really North America. I wonder if there is something nefarious going on to push people from here than others who are often better like this gal. She truly has power of feeling that is represented in her voice. She has quite the range from the silky smooth to the soul pumping and, I bet, if she had the training, she could perform songs reserved for people like Julie Andrews. I read, above, that she lost her voice which is just cruel. I wish there was an hour interview with this lady, Julie Andrews and Linda Ronstadt since all 3 have amazing voices and truly loved what they do only to have it taken away. How they cope and find strength despite this huge loss.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThis is another wonderful comment, dear friend, and I thank you very much! I'm excited that you admire Sam Brown's vocal artistry and showmanship as much as I do and wonder why she didn't emerge as a major star including here in the U.S.A. where singers with less talent prospered during the same time period.
You're right, it's a terrible shame that Sam lost the use of her vocal instrument. I suspect that she can still sing, but that she is such a perfectionist that if she can't hit or hold notes as well as she once did, she would rather not do it at all, thereby preserving her legacy and "going out on top" as they say.
I also agree that it would be instructive if Sam Brown, Julie Andrews and Linda Ronstadt could all take part in a discussion about how they coped with the loss of their singing voices. I did manage to find on YouTube this 75 minute Zoom chat interview with Sam Brown conducted during the pandemic in April of this year. If you're interested in watching it, Sam starts by talking about her earliest musical influences and experiences, for instance how when she was a child her rock musician dad and pop session singer mom invited music stars over to their home recording studio and partied all night long. The interview really gets rolling around the 11 minute mark when Sam says a friend of her mum was the cousin of Madeline Bell, the black singer from the U.S. who found greater success and fame in the UK. Sam proceeds to talk about her recording and performing career. Near the end, she states that she started losing her voice in mid 2006 before the completion of her final album. To me it's telling that Sam's vocal deficit coincided with a severe emotional breakdown as a result of divorce from her longtime husband Robin Evans. She said she started screaming her vocals to get the pain out. Exhibiting maximum candor, Sam also speculates that psychological issues and/or menopause might have something to do with the loss of her vocal ability.
As you noticed in my reply to Kirk (above) the first letters in the titles of Sam's solo studio albums partially spell out her first and last name. At the very end of Sam's Y/T interview, she reports that a live album she recorded circa 2005 has been mixed and will soon will released with a "W" title and that she is still writing songs and hopefully can record an "N" titled album to complete the spelling of her name. She's a wonderful lady! Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpHfrohWEWA&t=202s
Thank you again for your kind visit and splendid comment, dear friend BB!
Sam's really got some pipes! I have to say that you were spot on with the one that you HAVE to listen to, and I think that style suits her better than the power ballads. But what do I know, I'm up too late, just stopped in after getting started on the second annual TM Christmas Bash, hosted by Elvis and featuring the Beatles! This includes me and John making at least temporary peace (you never know with us) and of course, the Beauty Contest! It is projected to go live Christmas Eve Day, and if you can't make it then, well, the internet is forever! Hope you are doing well and have a great holiday!
ReplyDeleteHi, Chris!
DeleteI almost missed your comment, good buddy. Thanks for dropping by!
I'm very pleased to have you over to meet English blue-eyed soul songstress Sam Brown, daughter of a well respected British rocker (dad Joe) and a mother (Vicki) who was one of the famous Vernons Girls and also a founder of The Breakaways, the backing singers that can be heard on hundreds of Brit pop recordings of the 60s. I have a CD of The Breakaways greatest hits and featured them years ago on Shady Dell Music & Memories at H-ween when Alfred Hitchcock presented The British Birds. You might have seen that post.
You seem to be the only other person who gets how great Sam Brown is on that courtroom cover of the Marvin Gaye hit "Can I Get A Witness." It cracks me up, she kicks butt on the song and I never get tired of watching the vid.
Thanks for inviting me to your second annual Time Machine Christmas Bash & Beauty Contest feat. up-and-coming artists Elvis the Pelvis and The Beatles. May I assume that Misty Martin will be picking the BC weiner? I will be there with bells on, Chris!
Thanks again for joining the fun and meeting Sam Brown and for kindly inviting me to your Christmas Bash and BC. Merry Christmas to you, Laurie and Misty, good buddy Chris!