#merryclayton

[dicemagazine]

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Rape, murder! It's just a shot away. #merryclayton

[theiridescentgoddess]

WHAT I DIDN'T LEARN IN HISTORY: Merry Clayton is the VOICE in the background. You might not know her face but you know her voice. Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Carole King, Peal Bailey, The Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd all owe her a debt of gratitude.The powerhouse vocals behind industry classics, she's definitely on your playlist or at least your favorite artists has sampled her in someway. Merry Clayton certainly embodies the lines from one of my favorite songs by Lou Reed "walk on the wild side", were "the colored girls go: doo doo doo doo...". Reed references the ever soulful presence of the black woman's voice in all things we love about music. Merry, born on Christmas in 1948, began singing in the church. Clayton really began to get exposure as a Raelette for Ray Charles. Her most notable pairing though was Mick Jagger in The Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter" from their 1969 album "Let it Bleed". The band was in turmoil with lead singer Jones having been kicked out and ODing and the raging counterculture of the time. Keith wrote the tune, Mick the lyrics but felt they needed a woman's voice. In walks a very pregnant Clayton in the middle of the night, rollers in her hair ready to sing for some English men she'd never met. Three takes of the bone chilling "Rape! Murder! It's just a shot away, IT'S JUST A SHOT AWAY!" rang out from Clayton shaking the room. That song was a striking classic afterwards, encapsulating the pain of the era. Clayton started making her own music, she suffered a miscarriage and immersed herself into her career but sales were disappointing. Her solo work never took flight and honestly no one knows why. In the Oscar winning documentary "20 feet from Stardom", depicting the lives of background singers Clayton being one, Sting comments often times it has nothing to do with talent but rather simple luck and circumstance. Clayton came out around Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, the role of black diva had been filled. Clayton never stopped working but suffered from a severe car crash resulting in the loss of both her legs at the age of 66. #blackhistorymonth #merryclayton #therollingstones #singers #melanin #blackgirlmagic

[djactionslacks]

This song from 51 years ago has circled its way back to us to become so representative of the past 5 years. I thought this large fabric print I made for a feminist party decoration should really just hang out on my wall now. #MerryClayton #RollingStones #SoulMusic https://www.instagram.com/p/CKsLQq7BqlK/?igshid=mueaw8mukff0

[budaallmusic]

Taj Mahal ‎– Mo' Roots #Columbia 1974 🇺🇸 US Backing Vocals – Sister #CaroleFredericks, Miss #ClaudiaLennear, Miss #MerryClayton, Brother #TommyHenderson Bass – #BillRich Congas, Tambourine, Percussion – Kwasi "Rocki" Dzidzornu #RockiDzidzornu Drums [Trap Drums], Timbales, Percussion – Kester "Smitty" Smith #KesterSmith Electric Guitar – #HoshalWright Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Harmonica [French Harp], Whistle, Organ, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano, Finger Cymbals – #TajMahal Organ – #MerlSaunders (tracks: B1, B3) Piano [Ska] – #Aston FamilyManBarrett (tracks: B1) Producer – Taj Mahal Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute – #RudyCosta https://www.instagram.com/p/CKbl2E_sR2P/?igshid=peatxifs26u4

[olusheyi31]

#CCHPounder #SissySpacek #MerryClayton #BarbraMandrell #MacPowell #ConradHilton #RodSterling and #humphreybogart https://www.instagram.com/p/B6fUuK0pqEyl55nkPPrb4E3R3iwaNCnmHlA4HQ0/?igshid=ec7m8ttzl2cf

[black-mixtape]

Beside her great solo career, soulful Merry Clayton recorded with Ray Charles (as one of the Raelettes), The Blackbyrds, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker, Neil Young and many other major performing artists. -- #MerryClayton #Soul #SoulMusic #Soulful #Gospel #TheRaelettes #RayCharles #TheBlackbyrds #MusicLegend #Music #AfroAmerican #AfricanAmerican #BlackHistory #BlackCulture #BlackMusic #BlackMixtape https://www.instagram.com/p/B0p1AXjpBjF/?igshid=1i100qvi3yw8q

[djactionslacks]

Tonight on my @kmhd_jazz_radio radio show I’ll bid farewell to #ClydieKing who passed away on Jan 7. It was just recently that I shared this clip of #VenettaFields & Clydie from the 70s version of “A Star Is Born”. . Clydie & Venetta provided backup vocals on countless records from the 60s & 70s. In fact, as the music industry became more homogenized in the 1970s & opportunities for soul singers began to dwindle, artists who once had burgeoning solo soul careers found themselves being called in to soulfully enhance records by white pop and rock stars throughout the 1970s. Sometimes the back-up artists were given credit, often times they were little more than a fine print, liner note listing (if that). . Tonight, along with Clydie, during the 10 pm hour, I will feature soul recordings released by women backup singers: #MerryClayton, #GloriaJones, #CissyHouston, #PatLewis, #ClaudiaLennear, #JeanKing, and more! Join me tonight and each Thursday 9 - 11 pm at 89.1 fm! Stream it live worldwide at kmhd.org. . #Portland #SoulMusic #60sSoul #70sSoul #TheAndantes #Andantes #SweetInspirations #TheBlossoms #DarleneLove https://www.instagram.com/p/BseWPTSBgVQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=shnwtgn0h4fz

[djactionslacks]

It’s Merry Time! #MerryClayton has garnered a good amount of attention in recent years, finally. It's her birthday today! Please join me in celebrating her always arresting vocals, as well as this cool vintage ad of her one-time group, #SistersLove. #SoulMusic https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0fZtphuaK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=12ahslj6q5a5z