Smorgasbord Music Column – William Price King with The Duets – #1960s – 1967 – Otis Redding and Carla Thomas – Tramp, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

In this series for 2024, William will be sharing some of the iconic duets from the 1960s onwards. Collaborations between artists that were hits around the world and are still enjoyed today.

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you will enjoy this trip down memory lane with me in coming months. William

1967 – Otis Redding and Carla Thomas – Tramp

“Tramp” was penned by West Coast blues artists Lowell Fulton and Jimmy McCracklin. It was first recorded by Fulson in 1967, and was his highest-charting single since “Reconsider Baby” in 1954. It reached #56 in Canada.

The song was covered by Otis Redding in a duet with Carla Thomas, and the duo’s version outsold Fulson’s original and peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top Selling R&B singles and #26 on the Hot 100 charts. Otis and Carla gave “Tramp” their own stamp. There is quite a lot of dialogue between them in the song, with Carla putting Otis down for not wearing fine clothes and is in dire need of a haircut … and laments that he couldn’t afford to buy her fine furs and cool cars. She repeatedly calls him a “tramp” from the Georgia woods.

The single “Tramp” peaked higher in the UK, where it reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart.

1967 – Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was composed by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label from Motown Records. According to record producers, Terrell was a bit nervous and intimidated during the recording sessions. She consequently recorded her vocals alone and Marvin Gaye’s vocals were added later. “Ain’t No Mountain” reached #19 on the Billboard pop charts, and went to #3 on the R&B charts.

The composition became a hit again in 1970 when recorded by Diana Ross and became Ross’ first solo #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best female Pop Vocal Performance.

Thanks for joining me today and look forward to hearing from you… William.

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Website: William Price King – Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial – Regular Venue – Cave Wilson