Barbara and the Browns
Encyclopedia
Barbara and the Browns were an American
soul
and gospel
vocal group, fronted by Barbara Brown (died 3 February 2010) who also recorded as a solo singer.
The group were from Memphis, Tennessee
, and originally comprised Barbara Brown with her sisters Roberta and Betty, and brother Maurice, with another brother, Richard, writing some of their material. In 1963 they auditioned with Chips Moman
, intending to record gospel music, but Moman persuaded them to record his secular song "Big Party". The song was released as a single on Wilmo Records, and after it became locally successful the master was leased to Stax Records
. The record rose to # 97 on the Billboard
Hot 100 during a period when no R&B chart was being published. Stax released two more singles by the group, "In My Heart" and "I Don't Want Trouble" in 1964-65, but neither were commercially successful.
The group were then signed by Gene Lucchesi to the XL label, who recorded the group - and, then, Barbara as a solo artist - using producer Charles Chalmers. Several singles were released on the Cadet, Atco and Tower labels, and on XL itself. Although subsequently highly regarded by critics and aficionados of Southern soul
, the records sold poorly at the time.
Barbara Brown did not record after 1972. A compilation of her recordings, Can't Find Happiness, including several unreleased recordings, was issued by Kent Records in 2007. She died in Detroit, Michigan
in 2010; she was in her seventies.
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...
and 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....
vocal group, fronted by Barbara Brown (died 3 February 2010) who also recorded as a solo singer.
The group were from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, and originally comprised Barbara Brown with her sisters Roberta and Betty, and brother Maurice, with another brother, Richard, writing some of their material. In 1963 they auditioned with Chips Moman
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...
, intending to record gospel music, but Moman persuaded them to record his secular song "Big Party". The song was released as a single on Wilmo Records, and after it became locally successful the master was leased to Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
. The record rose to # 97 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 during a period when no R&B chart was being published. Stax released two more singles by the group, "In My Heart" and "I Don't Want Trouble" in 1964-65, but neither were commercially successful.
The group were then signed by Gene Lucchesi to the XL label, who recorded the group - and, then, Barbara as a solo artist - using producer Charles Chalmers. Several singles were released on the Cadet, Atco and Tower labels, and on XL itself. Although subsequently highly regarded by critics and aficionados of Southern soul
Southern soul
Southern soul is a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues , country, early rock and roll, and a strong gospel influence that emanated from the sounds of Southern African-American churches. The focus of the...
, the records sold poorly at the time.
Barbara Brown did not record after 1972. A compilation of her recordings, Can't Find Happiness, including several unreleased recordings, was issued by Kent Records in 2007. She died in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 2010; she was in her seventies.
Singles
- "You Belong to Her" / "Big Party" (Wilmo, 1963)
- "You Belong to Her" / "Big Party" (Stax, 1964)
- "In My Heart" / "Please Be Honest with Me" (Stax, 1964)
- "I Don't Want Trouble" / "My Lover" (Stax, 1965)
- "I Don't Want to Have to Wait" / "Plenty of Room" (Cadet, 1966)
- "Can't Find No Happiness" / "A Great Big Thing" (Atco, 1968)
- "There's a Look on Your Face" / "Things Have Gone to Pieces" (Tower, 1968)
- "You Don't Love Me" / "If I Can't Run to You I'll Crawl" (XL / Sounds of Memphis, 1971)
- "Pity a Fool" / "If It's Good to You" (Sounds of Memphis, 1972)
- "Big Party" / "Watch Dog" (Sounds of Memphis, 1972)