Merry Clayton
Encyclopedia
Merry Clayton is an American
soul
and gospel
singer (both solo
and back-up
), and an actress. She has provided a number of back-up vocal
tracks to song
s recorded by major performing artists during the 1960s, most notably with her duet
with Mick Jagger
on The Rolling Stones
song "Gimme Shelter
".
career in 1962 at the age of fourteen, singing "Who Can I Count On? (When I Can't Count On You)" as a duet with Bobby Darin
on his album "You're The Reason I'm Living". A year later, she recorded the first version of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)
", although it was Betty Everett
's version of the same year that reached the top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100
. Her early career included performances with artists including Ray Charles
(as one of The Raelettes), Pearl Bailey
, Elvis Presley
, Phil Ochs
, and Burt Bacharach
. In 1971 she co-wrote the song "Sho' Nuff", which is about her mother. She contributed vocals to Nicholas Roeg's 1968 film Performance
.
Clayton also sang backup on several tracks from Neil Young
's debut album Neil Young
, originally released in 1968.
She is best known for her 1969 performance in a duet with Mick Jagger
on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter
". (Originally, the Stones had intended to have Bonnie Bramlett
sing, but Bramlett was not available, possibly because of illness.) Clayton also sang backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd
's "Sweet Home Alabama
". Also, early in her career, Clayton sang backup vocals for Tom Jones
, Joe Cocker
("Feelin' Alright
") and Carole King
. She also originated the role of the Acid Queen
in the original 1972 London
production of The Who
's Tommy. More recently, Clayton has provided background vocals for Sparta
's latest album Threes
on the songs "Atlas" and "Translation". As an actress, she co-starred with Ally Sheedy
in the 1987 film Maid to Order
, and played Verna Dee Jordan in the final season of Cagney & Lacey
.
In 1970, Clayton recorded her own version of "Gimme Shelter," and it became the title track of her debut solo album, released that year. Her version would be the first of five singles under her name to crack the Billboard Hot 100
, reaching #73. She continued to release solo albums throughout the next decade, notching several minor R&B singles. Clayton performs a live version of what has been deemed the Black National Anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing, on the soundtrack for the 1970 Robert Altman
film Brewster McCloud
.
Clayton sang "You're Always There When I Need You," the main title for 1980's The Nude Bomb
, the first Get Smart
movie, which starred Don Adams
. She also sang the song "Yes" that was in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
, and featured on the soundtrack album. This tune became her biggest hit to date to crack the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #45 in 1988. She also recorded backing vocals for and sang the infamous 'Man with the Golden Gun' bridge on Tori Amos
's 1994 hit, "Cornflake Girl
".
artist Curtis Amy
until his death in 2002. Clayton's brother is the Little Feat
percussionist Sam Clayton
.
She had a miscarriage upon returning home from recording Gimme Shelter; some hypothesize this was due to the strain associated with reaching such high notes whilst singing.
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....
singer (both solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
and back-up
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
), and an actress. She has provided a number of back-up vocal
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
tracks to song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s recorded by major performing artists during the 1960s, most notably with her duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
on The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
song "Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter
"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
".
Biography
Clayton began her recordingSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
career in 1962 at the age of fourteen, singing "Who Can I Count On? (When I Can't Count On You)" as a duet with Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
on his album "You're The Reason I'm Living". A year later, she recorded the first version of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)
"The Shoop Shoop Song " is a song written by Rudy Clark. The song was made a hit when recorded by Betty Everett, who hit #1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B charts with it in 1964...
", although it was Betty Everett
Betty Everett
Betty Everett was an African-American soul singer and pianist, best known for her biggest hit single, the million-selling "The Shoop Shoop Song ".-Early career:...
's version of the same year that reached the top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100
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...
. Her early career included performances with artists including 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...
(as one of The Raelettes), Pearl Bailey
Pearl Bailey
Pearl Mae Bailey was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She won a Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, and Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
. In 1971 she co-wrote the song "Sho' Nuff", which is about her mother. She contributed vocals to Nicholas Roeg's 1968 film Performance
Performance (film)
Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
.
Clayton also sang backup on several tracks from Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's debut album Neil Young
Neil Young (album)
Neil Young is the self-titled debut studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, which was his debut release as a solo artist following his departure from the band Buffalo Springfield...
, originally released in 1968.
She is best known for her 1969 performance in a duet with Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter
"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
". (Originally, the Stones had intended to have Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett
Bonnie Bramlett is an American singer and sometime actress known for her distinctive vocals in rock and pop music. This began in the mid 1960s as a backing singer, forming the husband-and-wife team of Delaney & Bonnie, and continuing to the present day as a solo artist.-Life and career:Bramlett...
sing, but Bramlett was not available, possibly because of illness.) Clayton also sang backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
's "Sweet Home Alabama
Sweet Home Alabama (song)
"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that first appeared in 1974 on their second album, Second Helping.It reached #8 on the US charts in 1974, and was the band's second hit single.-Creation and recording:...
". Also, early in her career, Clayton sang backup vocals for Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
("Feelin' Alright
Feelin' Alright
"Feelin' Alright" also known as "Feeling Alright" is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic from their eponymous 1968 album, Traffic...
") 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...
. She also originated the role of the Acid Queen
Acid Queen
"The Acid Queen" is a song written by Pete Townshend and is the ninth song on The Who's rock opera Tommy. The song tells the attempts of Tommy's parents to try and cure him. They leave him with a gypsy, a self-proclaimed "Acid Queen"...
in the original 1972 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
production of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's Tommy. More recently, Clayton has provided background vocals for Sparta
Sparta (band)
Sparta is an American band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. Founding members Jim Ward and Tony Hajjar are former members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In...
's latest album Threes
Threes (album)
Threes is the third studio album by Sparta, released on October 24, 2006 and peaked at #83 on the Billboard 200. It is their first album with new guitarist Keeley Davis, previously of Engine Down and Denali. Several new tracks, including the single "Taking Back Control" are available for streaming...
on the songs "Atlas" and "Translation". As an actress, she co-starred with Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
in the 1987 film Maid to Order
Maid to Order
Maid to Order is a 1987 comedy/fantasy film starring Ally Sheedy.-Plot:Rich and spoiled twenty something Jessie Montgomery winds up in jail after a life of wild partying...
, and played Verna Dee Jordan in the final season of Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
.
In 1970, Clayton recorded her own version of "Gimme Shelter," and it became the title track of her debut solo album, released that year. Her version would be the first of five singles under her name to crack the Billboard Hot 100
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...
, reaching #73. She continued to release solo albums throughout the next decade, notching several minor R&B singles. Clayton performs a live version of what has been deemed the Black National Anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing, on the soundtrack for the 1970 Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
film Brewster McCloud
Brewster McCloud
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 movie, directed by Robert Altman, about a young recluse who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wings so he can fly. He is helped by his fairy godmother, played by Sally Kellerman....
.
Clayton sang "You're Always There When I Need You," the main title for 1980's The Nude Bomb
The Nude Bomb
The Nude Bomb is a 1980 comedy film based on the television series Get Smart. It starred Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, and was directed by Clive Donner...
, the first Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
movie, which starred Don Adams
Don Adams
Don Adams was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart in the television situation comedy Get Smart , which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart...
. She also sang the song "Yes" that was in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, and featured on the soundtrack album. This tune became her biggest hit to date to crack the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #45 in 1988. She also recorded backing vocals for and sang the infamous 'Man with the Golden Gun' bridge on Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
's 1994 hit, "Cornflake Girl
Cornflake Girl
"Cornflake Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her second studio album Under the Pink. It was released on January 10, 1994 by EastWest Records in the UK and on May 5 by Atlantic Records in North America...
".
Personal life
Clayton was married to jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
artist Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy
Curtis Amy was an American West Coast jazz musician known for his work on tenor saxophone. He also explored many mediums, including soul jazz and hard bop.-Biography:...
until his death in 2002. Clayton's brother is the Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
percussionist Sam Clayton
Sam Clayton
Sam Clayton has been a singer and percussionist, primarily focusing on drums; conga and djembe, throughout his musical career. He is best known for his membership as percussionist and supporting vocalist with the American rock band Little Feat since 1972....
.
She had a miscarriage upon returning home from recording Gimme Shelter; some hypothesize this was due to the strain associated with reaching such high notes whilst singing.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||||||||
| 1970 | Gimme Shelter
|
— | — | ||||||
| 1971 | Celebration
|
— | — | ||||||
| Merry Clayton
|
180 | 36 | |||||||
| 1975 | Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow
|
146 | 50 | ||||||
| 1979 | Emotion
Fontana Records Fontana Records is a record label which was started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records; when Philips restructured its music operations it dropped Fontana in favor of Vertigo Records. In the seventies PolyGram acquired the dormant label.... |
— | — | ||||||
| 1994 | Miracles
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:... |
— | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles (selected)
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||||||
| 1970 | "Gimme Shelter Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling... " |
73 | — | — | Gimme Shelter | ||||
| 1972 | "After All This Time" | 71 | — | — | Merry Clayton | ||||
| 1973 | "Oh No Not My Baby Oh No Not My Baby "Oh No Not My Baby" is the name of a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song's lyrics describe how friends and family repeatedly warn the singer about a partner's infidelities, but the singer refuses to believe them... " |
72 | 30 | — | Non-album song | ||||
| 1975 | "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" | 45 | — | — | Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow | ||||
| 1988 | "Yes" | 45 | 79 | 70 | Dirty Dancing Dirty Dancing (soundtrack) Dirty Dancing is the original soundtrack of the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. The album became a huge commercial success in the USA. It spent 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went multi-platinum. It spawned a follow-up album entitled More Dirty Dancing . Executive Produced by... (soundtrack) |
||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||