Skip to main content

Derek Martin

 


Derek Martin | Soul Express | 25025

Soul, Jazz, R&B and gospel singer Derek Don Martin (also known as Derek Ray) was born in Detroit, Michegan on 2 July 1938. When he was 17 he was singing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In 1954 he joined the vocal group The Pearls. For some time he has lived in France.

“Daddy Rolling Stone” was first recorded in 1953 by Otis Blackwell. Blackwell was a very successful songwriter; as well as this song, he wrote “Fever”, “All shook up” and many other classic rock and roll songs.

The record was not the first time that Derek Martin had recorded the song! He first recorded it with The Pearls in 1954, then with Jimmy Ricks & The Raves in 1962. The recording of 1963 was issued on American Sue’s subsidiary label Crackerjack, to avoid allegations of payola, since his other recordings for American Sue usually appeared on the Sue label itself.

The Sue UK single’s label suffered from a frequent problem for Island and Sue records: omissions and spelling errors, in this case they spelled his name wrong on the label.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

June Bateman

June Bateman-Watts was born Marian June Batemon on November 17, 1939. The recording  “Believe me darling” by June Bateman appears on ILP 920, “50 Minutes 24 Seconds of Recorded Dynamite” as well as single WI 347. A single, "I don't wanna"/"Nobles Theme" was issued on Sue WI 347 in July 1965. June was understood to have retired to DeLand, Florida in 1984 and for some years played an active role in the annual  Noble “Thin Man” Watts festival .  "Rate Your Music" note that June Bateman died on  13 February 2016. Can anyone confirm, please. Chart position data not available. June Bateman | Undated | Jungle Hop | 14659 103 | 11 June 2025 | Updated
Post a Comment
Read more

Owen Gray

  Owen Grey | Copyright Control | 25006 Singer and song writer and musician Owen Gray was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 5 July 1939 and is regarded as a pioneer of Jamaican popular music. He won his first talent contest aged nine. By twelve he had joined a band, playing drums, guitar and keyboards. He became associated with Chris Blackwell in 1960, and was one of the first artistes to be produced by Blackwell. In 1962 he emigrated to the United Kingdom, toured Europe in 1964, and since 1966 became recognised as a soul as well as reggae singer. In the 1970s he relocated to New Orleans and then back to Jamaica. Since the 1980s he lived in Miami, Florida. Owen Grey died in London, UK, on 20 July, 2025.
Post a Comment
Read more

Anita Wood

  Anita Wood | Copyright Control | 25007 Anita Marie Wood Brewer was born in 1937 and was a girl friend for a time to Elvis Presley.  Her recording of  "Dream Baby"/ “This has happened before” (US Santo 9054, 1964) was issued on Sue WI 328. She sang with Andy Williams, uncredited, on his 1959 hit of “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” and appeared regularly in his television series. Anita Wood died  of pneumonia at St. Dominic's Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi,  on 29 June 2023, age 85.
Post a Comment
Read more