Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 2, 1993 TAG: 9307020109
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That is taking nothing away from David Clayton Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears, who will headline Saturday's July 4 - or rather, July 3 - concert at Kenneth Dobson Stadium at Pulaski County High School.
David Clayton Thomas is a pretty soulful guy.
But it could be Clarence Carter who stirs Pulaski's first summer music festival audience the most - and walks away stealing the show.
It may only take him one song to do it, too, with his provocative R&B hit of a few years back, "Strokin'." The song is always a whopping showstopper, and will register as the concert's only genuine hit from the last decade.
When was the last time radio played a new David Clayton Thomas or Blood, Sweat & Tears track?
Carter also is the only true soul singer on the bill, which also will include sets from The Impressions, George Penn and Power Force, Face to Face, and Don and the Deltones.
He hails from the old school of Otis Redding and Muscle Shoals. In fact, early on in his career, Carter and Redding had close ties.
Carter and his band would back Redding when he performed in Carter's hometown, Montgomery, Ala. In return, Redding gave Carter his first showcase at New York's Apollo Theatre.
Even after Redding's death in a plane crash in 1967, there remained a connection. For years, Carter's road manager was Redding's little brother, Rodgers Redding.
An Alabama native, Carter went blind at an early age and attended the Alabama School for the Blind. He taught himself guitar by playing along with blues records by Lightnin' Hopkins and Arthur Crudup. Eventually, he earned a music degree from Alabama State College in 1960.
He spent four months teaching school but quit to form a singing duo, Clarence and Calvin, with Calvin Scott, another Alabama soul singer.
The pair never enjoyed more than a regional following, and in 1966 Carter broke away to make some solo recordings on his own at the famed Muscle Shoals studios.
Initially, he planned to pay for the sessions himself and go back home.
But at Muscle Shoals, Rick Hall of Fame Records signed him to a record contract instead.
A string of soul hits followed, including, "Tell Daddy," "Looking For a Fox," "Too Weak to Fight," and his two blockbusters, "Slip Away" and "Patches."
Carter's devilish bass laugh and songs about slipping away with other men's women earned him a certain reputation and several nicknames, including "Back Door Santa" and "The 60-Minute Man."
Disco then killed Carter in the 1970s. Soul singers just didn't mesh with disco.
In 1981, however, he staged a comeback with the release of his "Let's Burn" album. The single, "Working on a Love Building" was a moderate hit on the R&B charts.
He followed with even bigger success, releasing the albums "Messin' With My Mind" and "Dr. C.C.," on which he played all the instruments himself. "Dr. C.C," which cost a meager $4,000 to record, yielded the smash, "Strokin'."
The album stayed on the Billboard charts for 52 weeks.
Since then, Carter has stayed busy on the concert and club circuit. He calls Atlanta his home now, and he is still producing his authentic brand of soul.
In recent years, Carter has maintained a presence on the R&B charts with the songs, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," "I Got a Thing For You, Baby" and "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be."
Tickets for Carter, David Clayton Thomas and company at the 10,000-person capacity Kenneth Dobson Stadium are $18 in advance and $20 at the gate. The show begins at 5 p.m.
Music Fest Summer '93: Saturday, 5 p.m., Kenneth Dobson Stadium, Pulaski County High School, Pulaski. $18 advance through TicketMaster locations; $20 at gate. For directions, see "Going Somewhere?" at right.
Keywords:
PROFILE
by CNB