Lyn Collins
Encyclopedia
Lyn Collins (real name: Gloria Lavern Collins) was an African American
soul
singer best known for working with James Brown
in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins
, nor Catfish Collins
.
, U.S.A., she began her recording career aged 14. Her biggest solo hit was the James Brown-produced gospel
-style song "Think (About It)
", from her 1972 album
of the same name on People Records. The song contains 5 breaks
which have been widely sampled in hip-hop
and drum and bass
, most famously, the "Woo! Yeah!
" and "It takes two to make a thing go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
's It Takes Two
which is composed almost completely from samples of Think including a few lines of Collins' vocals. Furthermore, it was used in the early sociocritical eurodance classic I Can't Stand It by Twenty 4 Seven
. Another album followed in 1975 Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now. After the release of this album, she returned to performing mainly as a back-up vocalist.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance/club
diva, recording the house
single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall
singer Patra
, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)
"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissue
d in England
and the Netherlands
. Collins continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival
.
In February 2005, Collins embarked on her first ever solo tour. For three weeks, she performed in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tour was produced by the Soulpower organization. Shortly after returning from her European tour, Collins died aged 56 in Pasadena
, California
, of cardiac arrhythmia.
In 2006, Paris based Hi&Fly Records released a live album titled "Mama Feelgood", which included recordings from her European tour and some interview clips. This release was produced by German-born DJ Pari
, who has also produced for Marva Whitney
and who has managed Collin's last tour. An official anthology CD, also called "Mama Feelgood", was released on Universal Music that same year.
1975 - Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
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 best known for working with James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
, nor Catfish Collins
Catfish Collins
Phelps "Catfish" Collins was a rhythm guitarist known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently overshadowed by his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, Catfish played on many important and influential records by Parliament, Funkadelic, and Bootsy's Rubber Band.In 1968, the...
.
Early life and career
Born in Abilene, TexasAbilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, U.S.A., she began her recording career aged 14. Her biggest solo hit was the James Brown-produced 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....
-style song "Think (About It)
Think (About It)
"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
", from her 1972 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of the same name on People Records. The song contains 5 breaks
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
which have been widely sampled in hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, most famously, the "Woo! Yeah!
Woo! Yeah!
Woo! Yeah! is a drum break which includes James Brown's voice which has been repeatedly used in popular music, often in the form of a loop. It originates from the 1972 Lyn Collins recording "Think ", a song written and produced by Brown, and is one of 5 breaks contained in the recording...
" and "It takes two to make a thing go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock are a hip-hop duo from Harlem, New York who are best known for their hit "It Takes Two." The duo consists of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock .- Career :Their first U.S...
's It Takes Two
It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock song)
"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
which is composed almost completely from samples of Think including a few lines of Collins' vocals. Furthermore, it was used in the early sociocritical eurodance classic I Can't Stand It by Twenty 4 Seven
Twenty 4 Seven
Twenty 4 Seven is a Eurodance act, created by Dutch record producer Ruud van Rijen in 1989. Active sporadically ever since, the act has featured nine different vocalists, has performed across Europe and Africa, and as of 2010 is fronted by Li Ann and Stacey "Stay-C" Paton.One of the earliest...
. Another album followed in 1975 Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now. After the release of this album, she returned to performing mainly as a back-up vocalist.
In the late 80s and early 90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance/club
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
diva, recording the house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
singer Patra
Patra (singer)
Patra is a reggae singer. In her beginnings as a Female Dancehall deejay in the late 1980s, she used the stage name, Lady Patra...
, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)
Think (About It)
"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
d in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Collins continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
.
In February 2005, Collins embarked on her first ever solo tour. For three weeks, she performed in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tour was produced by the Soulpower organization. Shortly after returning from her European tour, Collins died aged 56 in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, of cardiac arrhythmia.
In 2006, Paris based Hi&Fly Records released a live album titled "Mama Feelgood", which included recordings from her European tour and some interview clips. This release was produced by German-born DJ Pari
DJ Pari
DJ Pari is a DJ of the genres funk, soul, jazz and Latin. He is mostly known as the founder of the Soulpower organisation and as manager and producer for Soul legends like Marva Whitney, Gwen McCrae, Lyn Collins amongst others....
, who has also produced for Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney is an African American funk singer. She is considered by many funk enthusiasts to be one of the "rawest" and "brassiest" music divas....
and who has managed Collin's last tour. An official anthology CD, also called "Mama Feelgood", was released on Universal Music that same year.
Trivia
- In October 2004, "Rock Me Again And Again" and "Think (About It)" featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San AndreasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
soundtrackGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrackThe soundtrack of the computer and video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is set in 1992 in the fictional U.S. West Coast state of San Andreas, required that the game's radio stations reflect the music tastes of the time and area, in addition to covering current events in the state of San...
, playing on fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. - "Rock Me Again And Again" was coveredCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by synth band The Human LeagueThe Human LeagueThe Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
on their 1984 album HysteriaHysteria (Human League album)Hysteria is the fourth album by the British synthpop band The Human League, released in May 1984. Following the worldwide success of their 1981 album Dare, the band struggled to make a successful follow-up and the sessions for Hysteria were fraught with problems...
.
External links
- [ Lyn Collins biography] at Allmusic
- Obituary
Discography
1972 - Think About It1975 - Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now