Fontella Bass Obituary

Bass and McClure followed their early success with "You're Gonna Miss Me" that summer, a song that had mild success, reaching the Top 30 on the R&B chart, although it made no significant impression on the pop chart. After a brief tour, Bass returned to the studio. The culmination of one particular session was an original composition with an aggressive rhythm section; backing musicians on the track included drummer Maurice White (later the leader of Earth, Wind, & Fire), bassist Louis Satterfield (fellow future Earth, Wind, & Fire alumnus) and tenor saxophonist Gene Barge, with the young Minnie Riperton among the backing singers.[2] The resulting song, "Rescue Me" shot up the charts in the fall and winter of 1965.[10] After a month-long run at the top of the R&B charts, the song reached No. 4 on the US pop charts and No. 11 in the UK, and gave Chess its first million-selling single since Chuck Berry a decade earlier.[2] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[11]

If "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" put Bass on music lovers' radar, her follow-up Checker single, "Rescue Me," planted her solidly on AM radios and jukeboxes and on film and television soundtracks. A song in the classic Stax/Volt mode, with a driving bass line and crackling horn section, the song also features spinetingling gospel call-and-response vocals. The song shot to number one, on the combined strength of Bass's vocal performance and rhythm piano, the instrumental support of horn man Gene Barge and drummer Maurice White, and backup singing from Minnie Riperton. It reached number one on the R&B charts, and crossed over to the pop charts in England and the United States. The song's writing credits went to Carl William Smith and Raynard Miner, although Bass claimed to have created the song's melody over that pair's lyrics and rhythm. "I was part of the writing team at Chess Records in Chicago," Bass told People magazine writer Steve Dougherty. "One day I stopped by the studio and Raynard was in the rehearsal room. We made up the whole thing, lyrics and everything on the spot. I played rhythm piano and sang the melody lines."

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Bass recorded one more moderate hit for Checker titled "Recovery," but felt that the label was simply trying to create a formula out of "Rescue Me." She recorded advertising jingles for Sears, Nehi soft drinks, Lincoln-Mercury, and AC Delco Spark Plugs. By this time, Lester Bowie was ensconced in the jazz avantgarde of Chicago with his band the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Bass traveled with the band to Paris for a three-year stint. She returned to the United States to raise her children in the 1970s, and divorced Bowie in 1978. She recorded sporadically throughout the 1980s and even re-teamed with Oliver Sains for a spell, but with little success. In 1994 she recorded Breath of Life with the World Saxophone Quartet. She signed with Nonesuch Records in 1995 and recorded No Ways Tired, a gospel album with jazz and blues overtones. Dougherty described Bass's performance on the album: "Just because she's gone upper case and holy doesn't mean she has lowered the flame. This collection rocks. Singing her perfect-pitch praises of the Lord as fervently and enticingly as she ever called a lover, Bass gives traditional sounding gospel numbers like 'You Don't Know What the Lord Told Me,' 'All My Burdens,' and 'Everlasting Arms' an irresistible, head-over-heels swing." The album featured musicians Harvey Brooks on bass guitar, saxophonist David Sanborn, and organist Donald Smith. After several more gospel releases, Bass performed guest vocal duties on the Cinematic Orchestra's 2002 album and tour. In 2003 the Westside label released Free, a collection of recordings Bass made on the Paula label in the 1970s.

Following his two years in the service Hinds returned to St. Louis and immediately headed to CMC and KBK studios to see about staff musician opportunities. They had no idea what he was talking about so he headed over to Archway. Hinds knew he wanted to record but even more than that he wanted to become a producer and arranger. That was fine with Sain who knew Hinds focused approach to his Fender Precision bass and his ear for music.

Evans had grown up in music. Her father, Leonard Bolar, was the lead trumpet in the jazzy George Hudson Band when his 16-year-old Marsha joined their singers, The Georgettes. Becoming a big band jazz soloist and working with the acclaimed mini Motown East St. Louis model cities program, the Young Disciples, paid dividends. It led to a lifelong-friendship with another extraordinary bassist, Gus Thornton and ultimately to meeting Oliver Sain. She became a mainstay at his Archway Records (vocals and background) and with his band.

Her excellent single of "Am I the Same Girl" (1968) was also produced by Eugene Record. Dusty Springfield covered the song and took it into the UK Top Fifty, but its fate in America is much more intriguing. The musicians on Acklin's version included Eldee Young (bass) and Isaac Holt (drums). Brunswick were so taken by the backing track that they released it separately and it made No 3 in America under the name of "Soulful Strut" by Young- Holt Unlimited.

In early 1959, Holly formed a new band that included Waylon Jennings on bass which he took on the road for the Winter Dance Party Tour when he was killed in a plane crash. The plan was for The Crickets to reunite with Holly for recording and touring after the winter tour. be457b7860