Gwen McCrae (born Gwen Mosley, December 21, 1943, Pensacola, Florida)
is an American R&B singer, best known for
her March, 1975 hit "Rockin' Chair".
Gwen was the youngest of five children (three sisters: one called
Delores and one brother Herman), She grew up singing in her Pentecostal
church and later discovered secular singers like Sam Cooke and Aretha
Franklin. She began performing in local clubs as a teenager, and
singing with local groups like the Lafayettes and the Independents.
In 1963, she met a young sailor named George McCrae, whom she married
within a week.
From 1963 she recorded as a duo with her husband George, and was
first to receive a solo recording contract, with Henry Stone's TK
Records.[1] George and Gwen were discovered in 1967 by singer Betty
Wright, who helped get them signed to Stone's Alston record label.
Their debut single, "Three Hearts in a Tangle," was released
in 1969; the follow-up, "Like Yesterday Our Love Is Gone," marked
the first time they worked with the writing team of Clarence Reid
(who would later morph into the bawdy comic Blowfly) and Willie Clarke.[1]
Both were regional hits, as was third single, "No One Left to
Come Home," although none of those records broke nationally;
meanwhile, the McCraes and Wright were collectively earning a reputation
as stellar session vocalists.[1]
She found success on the U.S. R&B charts with her cover version
of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On" in 1970, followed by "For
Your Love".[1]
Following husband George’s unexpected solo success with "Rock
Your Baby", Gwen went on to have a major hit of her own in March,
1975 with "Rockin' Chair", a #1 R&B hit which also
reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.[1] The follow-up "Love
Insurance" also made the R&B chart.[1] By this time, the
separate successes were taking their toll on the McCrae's marriage
(Gwen has since alleged that her husband beat her frequently).[1]
A 1976 duet single, "Winners Together, Losers Apart," fell
short of the R&B Top 40, and a full album of duets failed to
assuage matters.[1] The couple split later that year, and Gwen scored
what turned out to be her last chart hit for Cat, "Damn Right
It's Good."[1]
After TK Records collapsed, McCrae moved to New Jersey, and signed
with Atlantic Records, having another hit with "Funky Sensation" in
1981.[1] She continued to record, and the success of some of her
earlier recordings on the UK's Northern Soul scene maintained her
popularity as a live act in Europe.[1] McCrae moved back to Florida,
recorded a one-off single for the small Black Jack label in 1984
called "Do You Know What I Mean," and temporarily retired
from the music industry.[1]
She travelled to the UK to record a couple of singles for Rhythm
King in 1987.[1] Pleased with her enduring popularity in the UK,
McCrae eventually recorded an entire album for the British Homegrown
Records label in 1996, entitled Girlfriend's Boyfriend.[1] Upon returning
to the U.S., she signed with the revived Goldwax label, distributed
by Ichiban Records, and recorded another album later that year, Psychic
Hot Line.[1] In 1998, Ichiban reissued Girlfriend's Boyfriend in
the U.S. and McCrae returned in 1999 with Still Rockin', which received
favorable reviews in blues and classic soul circles.[1]
In 1999, the French house music duo Cassius released the single "Feeling
for You", which sampled the vocals of McCrae's "All This
Love That I'm Giving". It was a Top 20 hit in the UK Singles
Chart.[3] The track also appeared on Cassius' album, 1999.
In 2004 McCrae released her first gospel album. In 2008, rap DJ/producer
Madlib released his album, WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip which includes
the song "Gamble on Ya Boy", based on a "I Found Love" sample,
from McCrae's album, Melody of Life.
In the summer of 2005, McCrae teamed up with the Soulpower organization,
which is also responsible for the comebacks of Marva Whitney, Lyn
Collins, Martha High, Bobby Byrd and RAMP. McCrae's two-year collaboration
with Soulpower resulted in more than five dozen live performances
with The Soulpower Allstars all over Europe, and the 2005 release
of her album Live in Paris (Hi&Fly Records.)
Gwen McCrae released her latest single "Now I Found Love" in
December 2010, released through Plain Truth Entertainment. "Now
I Found Love" was mixed and produced by Steve Sola and composed
by David Seagal. Also in 2010, her single "Funky Sensation" was
heavily sampled in the German Language single "Get Up," by
DJ Thomilla featuring Afrob.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
1974: Gwen McCrae (Cat 1603)
1975: Rockin' Chair (Cat 2605)
1975: Together (with George McCrae) (Cat 2606)
1976: Something So Right (Cat 2608)
1978: Let's Straighten It Out (Cat 2613)
1979: Melody of Life (Cat 2614)
1981: Gwen McCrae (Atlantic 19308)
1982: On My Way (Atlantic 80019)
1996: Psychic Hotline (Goldwax 4221)
1997: Girlfriend's Boyfriend (Ichiban 1511)
1999: Still Rockin' (Phat Sound 0199)
2004: I'm Not Worried (Lewmar 7154)
2006: Live in Paris at New Morning (Hi & Fly)
2006: Sings TK (Henry Stone Music 6001)