Freddie Scott
Encyclopedia
Freddie Scott was an American
soul
singer and songwriter
. His biggest hits
were "Hey, Girl
", a top ten
US pop
hit in 1963, and "Are You Lonely For Me
", a no.1 hit
on the R&B chart in early 1967.
, and sang in his grandmother's gospel
group, Sally Jones & the Gospel Keyes, touring England with them at the age of 12. He studied medicine at the University of Rhode Island
and then at Paine College
in Augusta, Georgia
, but began singing again with the Swanee Quintet Juniors, and gave up his medical career.
In 1956 he recorded as a secular singer with the J&S
label in New York City
, releasing his first solo single
"Running Home". He also wrote the top 10 R&B hit "I'll Be Spinning" for the label's duo, Johnnie & Joe
, and his song "Baby I'm Sorry" was recorded by Ricky Nelson
for his 1957 debut album Ricky
. He was then called up
to serve in Korea
, but continued to record for small labels with little success. After leaving the military, he turned to songwriting, joining the Aldon Music
publishing company set up by Al Nevins
and Don Kirshner
in the Brill Building
, where he recorded many of his own demo
s and also worked as a producer
with Erma Franklin
. He also continued to release his own records, including "Baby, You're a Long Time Dead" for Joy Records
in 1961.
In 1962, he worked with fellow songwriters Gerry Goffin
and Carole King
on their song "Hey, Girl", recording a demo for singer Chuck Jackson
. When Jackson failed to turn up to a recording session, Scott recorded the song himself, and, when eventually released by the Colpix
label some months later, it rose to no. 10 on both the pop and R&B charts. He followed it up with a slow version of Ray Charles
' "I Got a Woman", which again made the charts. When Colpix collapsed, he moved to its parent label Columbia
, which tried to market him, with little success, as a middle-of-the-road crooner
. He left Columbia Records in 1965, and moved to the Shout
label, a subsidiary of Bert Berns
' Bang Records
. There, he recorded Berns' song "Are You Lonely for Me", reputedly requiring over 100 takes before it was finished. The record stayed at the top of the R&B charts for four weeks, and reached no. 39 on the pop charts.
He followed up with a version of "Cry To Me
", another Berns song that had previously been a hit for Solomon Burke
. Although he continued to have success with R&B chart hits including "(You) Got What I Need", written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and a version of Van Morrison
's "He Ain't Give You None", his career was affected by Berns' sudden death at the end of 1967. Scott continued to perform, but spent much of the next two years without a record deal. He eventually signed with the small Elephant V label, before moving on to Probe Records
, where he had his last R&B hit in 1970 with a version of Bob Dylan
's "I Shall Be Released
." He continued to work with his songwriting partner Helen Miller, wrote advertising jingle
s, and took minor roles as an actor in films, including Stiletto
. He also recorded in the early 1970s for the Vanguard
, Pickwick International and Mainstream labels, and continued to perform concerts.
Scott later worked on the oldies circuit, and released a new album, Brand New Man, in 2001. He also performed "Brown Eyed Girl
" on the Van Morrison tribute album Vanthology, released in 2003. He died in New York City in 2007 at the age of 74.
His 1968 song "You Got What I Need" was sampled
for the 1989 Biz Markie
hit, "Just a Friend". It was also sampled for Ghostface Killah
's "Save Me Dear" in 2004. The song was also parodied by New York DJ Rob Gee.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. His biggest hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
were "Hey, Girl
Hey Girl (Freddie Scott song)
"Hey Girl" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, first recorded by Freddie Scott in 1963. It became a hit, peaking at number ten on both the Billboard Pop Singles and R&B charts. In 1966, the Righteous Brothers covered this song on their Soul & Inspiration album from Verve Records...
", a top ten
TOP TEN
TopTen is an Estonian record label which has started the career of a number of successful Baltic chart acts, including the internationally successful girl group Vanilla Ninja, who are currently the label's most successful act....
US pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit in 1963, and "Are You Lonely For Me
Are You Lonely for Me (Freddie Scott song)
"Are You Lonely for Me", written and produced by Bert Berns , is a song first recorded by Freddie Scott.The single was Scott's highest charting single on the R&B chart, hitting the number-one spot for four weeks, in early 1967. "Are You Lonely For Me" was also Freddie Scott's second and last Top...
", a no.1 hit
R&B number-one hits of 1967 (USA)
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1967:See also: 1967 in music, List of number-one R&B hits...
on the R&B chart in early 1967.
Life and career
He was born in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, and sang in his grandmother's gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group, Sally Jones & the Gospel Keyes, touring England with them at the age of 12. He studied medicine at the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
and then at Paine College
Paine College
Paine College is a private Historically Black college located in Augusta, Georgia.-Mission:The Mission of Paine College, a church-related private institution, is to provide a liberal arts education of the highest quality that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social...
in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, but began singing again with the Swanee Quintet Juniors, and gave up his medical career.
In 1956 he recorded as a secular singer with the J&S
J & S Records
J & S Records was a New York record label started in 1956 and continued through to the 1960s. The owner was Zelma “Zell” Sanders , one of the few woman label owners in the record business....
label in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, releasing his first solo single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Running Home". He also wrote the top 10 R&B hit "I'll Be Spinning" for the label's duo, Johnnie & Joe
Johnnie & Joe
Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain, Across the Sea."Johnnie Louise Richardson and Joe Rivers Johnnie & Joe were an American R&B vocal duo from The Bronx, who were best known for their 1957 hit "Over the Mountain,...
, and his song "Baby I'm Sorry" was recorded by Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
for his 1957 debut album Ricky
Ricky (album)
Ricky is the solo debut album by actor and singer Ricky Nelson, released in November 1957. Much of the album is in the pop-rock genre, focusing mostly on standards...
. He was then called up
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
to serve in Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, but continued to record for small labels with little success. After leaving the military, he turned to songwriting, joining the Aldon Music
Aldon Music
Aldon Music was a New York-based music publishing company, founded by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in 1958. Aldon is regarded as having played a significant role in shaping the so-called "Brill Building Sound" in the late 1950s and 1960s....
publishing company set up by Al Nevins
Al Nevins
Al Nevins, born Albert Tepper , was a renowned musician, producer, arranger, guitarist and violinist. He was also member of a pop trio called the Three Suns and is considered one of the major forces behind the evolution of the 1950s music into the early 1960s pop/rock music.-The Three Suns:Al...
and Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner , known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", was an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies.-Early life:Don Kirshner was born to Gilbert Kirshner, a tailor,...
in the Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
, where he recorded many of his own demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
s and also worked as a producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
with Erma Franklin
Erma Franklin
Erma Franklin was an American gospel and R&B singer. She was the oldest daughter of Barbara and the Reverend C. L. Franklin and the elder sister of Aretha Franklin...
. He also continued to release his own records, including "Baby, You're a Long Time Dead" for Joy Records
Joy Records
Joy Records was a New York record label and was owned by Hal and Mariam Weiss. It began in 1958 and finished 1965 after releasing 80 or so singles...
in 1961.
In 1962, he worked with fellow songwriters Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
and Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
on their song "Hey, Girl", recording a demo for singer Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
. When Jackson failed to turn up to a recording session, Scott recorded the song himself, and, when eventually released by the Colpix
Colpix Records
Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia and Pictures . It was founded by Jonie Taps and Harry Cohn in 1958, and was based in New York City. Paul Wexler headed the label. Stu Phillips was in charge of A&R...
label some months later, it rose to no. 10 on both the pop and R&B charts. He followed it up with a slow version of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
' "I Got a Woman", which again made the charts. When Colpix collapsed, he moved to its parent label Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, which tried to market him, with little success, as a middle-of-the-road crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
. He left Columbia Records in 1965, and moved to the Shout
Shout Records
Shout Records was a record label subsidiary of Bang Records, active between 1967 until 1972. When Bang was sold to Columbia Records the masters of Shout were also transferred....
label, a subsidiary of Bert Berns
Bert Berns
Bertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
' Bang Records
Bang Records
Bang Records was created by Bert Berns in 1965 together with his partners from Atlantic Records: Ahmet Ertegün, Nesuhi Ertegün and Jerry Wexler...
. There, he recorded Berns' song "Are You Lonely for Me", reputedly requiring over 100 takes before it was finished. The record stayed at the top of the R&B charts for four weeks, and reached no. 39 on the pop charts.
He followed up with a version of "Cry To Me
Cry to Me
"Cry to Me" is a song written by Bert Russell a/k/a Bert Berns, first recorded under the production of Bert Berns by Solomon Burke, reaching #5 on the R&B charts in 1962....
", another Berns song that had previously been a hit for Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
. Although he continued to have success with R&B chart hits including "(You) Got What I Need", written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and a version of Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's "He Ain't Give You None", his career was affected by Berns' sudden death at the end of 1967. Scott continued to perform, but spent much of the next two years without a record deal. He eventually signed with the small Elephant V label, before moving on to Probe Records
Probe Records
Probe Records was a sub-label of ABC-Paramount Records. It was started in 1968 as their label for psychedelic rock and progressive rock.-Releases:Number - Title - Artist [Release Date]...
, where he had his last R&B hit in 1970 with a version of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "I Shall Be Released
I Shall Be Released
"I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus...
." He continued to work with his songwriting partner Helen Miller, wrote advertising jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s, and took minor roles as an actor in films, including Stiletto
Stiletto (1969 film)
Stiletto is a 1969 American crime film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and starring Alex Cord, Britt Ekland and Patrick O'Neal. A playboy works as a hitman for an international crime syndicate, but wishes to retire after one final job.-Cast:...
. He also recorded in the early 1970s for the Vanguard
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
, Pickwick International and Mainstream labels, and continued to perform concerts.
Scott later worked on the oldies circuit, and released a new album, Brand New Man, in 2001. He also performed "Brown Eyed Girl
Brown Eyed Girl
"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the...
" on the Van Morrison tribute album Vanthology, released in 2003. He died in New York City in 2007 at the age of 74.
His 1968 song "You Got What I Need" was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
for the 1989 Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
hit, "Just a Friend". It was also sampled for Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
's "Save Me Dear" in 2004. The song was also parodied by New York DJ Rob Gee.
Chart singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
||
| 1963 | "Hey, Girl Hey Girl (Freddie Scott song) "Hey Girl" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, first recorded by Freddie Scott in 1963. It became a hit, peaking at number ten on both the Billboard Pop Singles and R&B charts. In 1966, the Righteous Brothers covered this song on their Soul & Inspiration album from Verve Records... " |
10 | 10 |
| "I Got A Woman I Got a Woman "I Got a Woman" is a song co-written and recorded by American R&B/soul musician Ray Charles and released as a single in December 1954 on the Atlantic label as Atlantic 45-1050 b/w "Come Back Baby." Both sides later appeared on his 1957 album Ray Charles .-Origin:The song builds on... " |
48 | n/a | |
| 1964 | "Where Does Love Go" | 82 | n/a |
| 1966 | "Are You Lonely For Me Are You Lonely for Me (Freddie Scott song) "Are You Lonely for Me", written and produced by Bert Berns , is a song first recorded by Freddie Scott.The single was Scott's highest charting single on the R&B chart, hitting the number-one spot for four weeks, in early 1967. "Are You Lonely For Me" was also Freddie Scott's second and last Top... " |
39 | 1 |
| 1967 | "Cry to Me Cry to Me "Cry to Me" is a song written by Bert Russell a/k/a Bert Berns, first recorded under the production of Bert Berns by Solomon Burke, reaching #5 on the R&B charts in 1962.... " |
70 | 40 |
| "Am I Grooving You" | 71 | 25 | |
| "He Ain't Give You None" | 100 | 24 | |
| 1968 | "(You) Got What I Need" | - | 27 |
| 1970 | "I Shall Be Released I Shall Be Released "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus... " |
- | 40 |
Albums
- Everything I Have Is Yours (1964)
- Freddie Scott Sings and Sings and Sings (1964)
- Are You Lonely For Me? (1967)
- I Shall Be Released (1970)
- Brand New Man (2001)