Doris who? Well, that is what I said when I was going through a used record store some 20 years ago. I looked at the back of the record, and saw it was released on Apple records, way back in 1970. Well, since it was on Apple, I bought it, and promptly filed it away with my other records. Never did get around to playing it ... until this time last year, when I read the Peter Frampton autobiography. Frampton has always been one of my favorite artists. Liked him in Humble Pie, then solo before he got big, while he was big, and after he was big. Couldn't wait to read about his life. Great book and I learned a lot.
Like when he was 19 years old and George Harrison asked him to come over to the Apple Studios. He was producing an album by an American Soul singer. She was introduced to George by Madelline Bell. George heard her , liked her, and signed her to Apple records. Her name was Doris Troy.
Doris came in with a few songs, and then she and George wrote a few together. George invited some friends to write, including one Richard Starkey. Soon they were ready to record, hence the Peter invite. Peter started , laying back for George to lead. George said no, Peter, you lead. So he did, playing on the album opener Ain't that Cute. Sounded great, so George invited some other friends in, like Stephen Stills, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Jim Keltner, Ringo, Klaus Voorman, Billy Preston. Sounded even better! The album was produced by Doris and George. But Alan Klein never got behind it and unfortunately the album went nowhere!
So I cracked the album out last year . Did some research and found an expanded version on Itunes that included a cover of Get Back. This may have been one of the first covers of that song, and she did a great version of it, really made it her own. I have played this album nonstop this past year and have humbly dubbed it my album of the year. I encourage any of you who like soul, rock, blues and gospel to search out this album or get it from your streaming service. Give Me Back my Dynamite , written with George, is perhaps my favorite cut. A couple covers are also strong, including Games People Play and I"ve Got to be strong by another Apple artist, Jackie Lomax. Enjoy!
I'm now 75 years old and P.Mannix when I read what you wrote, I thought "Doris Troy??!! I know that name then a big hit from the early 1960's came to mind I heard on the radio a lot that year!
Robert Dee: yes indeed. Doris had a big hit back in 1963 , Just One Look. It did well internationally, which brought her to Britain. She was about 27 when her first hit came out, and about 33 when she recorded for Apple. What an exciting period that must have been in 1970 with the great list of guest stars playing with her. A shame it never went anywhere. And just amazing that over 50 years later some people , like me, are still excited about it!
Another interesting find on her album was a cover of a Stephen Stills/ Buffalo Springfield song called Special Care. I just found I had that song on BS retrospective. Stills version is quite slow where Doris makes it a rocker. I suspect Stills is playing the piano on Doris's version. One of my favorite cuts on her album . Would love to have been in the studio when they came up with her version of that song!
