Barbara Randolph - Can I Get a Witness

Presenting a fantastic cover version of Marvin Gaye's 1963 hit written by  Holland, Dozier, Holland and recorded in 1968 by Barbara Randolph.  Randolph apparently only released two singles for Motown (on the Soul Label).  It's a fantastic arrangement, with a late 60s funky soul sound.

Barbara Randolph - Wikipedia

YouTube Barbara Randolph - Can I Get a Witness

Dean Parrish - Tell Her

Here's anther version of a song that I had never heard.  I've only known The Exciters' version of "Tell Him."

Turns out, according to Wikipedia, that "Tell Her" was originally recorded in 1962 by Gil Hamilton aka Johnny Thunder. "Tell Her" was also a single for Ed Townsend before Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced the version by the Exciters released - as "Tell Him" - in October of 1962.

The Dean Parrish version of "Tell Her" didn't come along until 1966.

It's hard-driving, hot, sweaty, and rough-around-the-edges, especially when compared to The Exciters version.  And look at that fantastic "Boom" label and sleeve!  When I bought the 45, there was no mention of the original sleeve being included.  Beautiful!

Tell Him/Tell Her - Song, Wikipedia
Tell Her - Dean Parrish - YOUTUBE

The Exciters - Do-Wah-Diddy

I recently stumbled onto an old blog which had been inactive for more than a year.  It was subtitled "rare 60s soul and vintage r&b" so I was excited.  Remarkably, all the posted podcasts (14 of them)  were still available, and they had been created in a way (no mixing) that made it relatively easy to separate the individual tracks.  With 10 to 13 tracks per podcast, it turned out to be a treasure of material, much of which I didn't have and hadn't heard before.

This is the number one reason that I love music on the internet.  You have this incredible ability to stumble into someone else's record collection and hear what they've determined to be the very best.

Today's track, Do-Wah-Diddy by the Exciters is one of the tracks from the blog.  Who knew?  I'd never heard their version, and it turns out that their version was the first.  It's fantastic!

I immediately set out searching for the 45, and last week I got lucky...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ep-JvUqyU