Gene McDaniels | |
|---|---|
 McDaniels in 2010 (Photo by Frank Beacham) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eugene Booker McDaniels |
| Also known as | Eugene McDaniels, The Left Reverend McD |
| Born | (1935-02-12)February 12, 1935 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | July 29, 2011(2011-07-29) (aged 76) Kittery Point, Maine, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, saxophone, trumpet |
| Years active | 1960–2011 |
| Labels | Liberty,London,Columbia,RCA,Atlantic,Ode |
| Website | genemcdaniels |
Eugene Booker McDaniels (February 12, 1935[2] – July 29, 2011) was an American singer, producer andsongwriter. He had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s, reaching number three on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" and number five with "Tower Of Strength", both hits in 1961. He had continued success as a songwriter with "Compared to What".
Born inKansas City, Kansas,[2] McDaniels grew up inOmaha,Nebraska. As well as singinggospel music in church, he developed a love ofjazz learning to play the saxophone and trumpet. After forming a singing group, the Echoes of Joy, later known as the Sultans, in his teens, he studied at theUniversity of OmahaConservatory of Music before joining the Mississippi Piney Woods Singers, with whom he toured inCalifornia.
In California McDaniels began singing in jazz clubs, achieving recognition with theLes McCann Trio, and came to the attention of Sy Waronker ofLiberty Records.[3][4]
After recording two unsuccessful singles and an album, McDaniels teamed with producerSnuff Garrett, with whom he recorded his firsthit, "A Hundred Pounds of Clay", which reached number 3 in theBillboard Hot 100chart in early 1961 and sold over one million copies, earninggold disc status.[2] Its follow-up, "A Tear", was less successful but his third single with Garrett, "Tower of Strength", co-written byBurt Bacharach, reached number 5 and won McDaniels his second gold record.[3] "Tower of Strength" reached number 49 in theUK Singles Chart, losing out toFrankie Vaughan's chart-topping version.[5]
In 1962, McDaniels appeared performing "Another Tear Falls" in the movieIt's Trad, Dad! directed byRichard Lester. He continued to have hit records, including "Chip Chip", "Point Of No Return", and "Spanish Lace". Each record was released in 1962, but his suave style of singing gradually became less fashionable, as the public started to favorBritish acts such asThe Beatles. In 1965, "Point Of No Return" was recorded by the British R&B bandGeorgie Fame and the Blue Flames on their UK Columbia EPFame At Last. Also in 1965, McDaniels moved toColumbia Records, with little success, and in 1968, after theassassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, he left the US to live inDenmark andSweden where he concentrated on songwriting.
After the late 1960s, McDaniels turned his attention to a more black consciousness form of music, and his best-known song in this genre was "Compared to What", a jazz-soulprotest song made famous (and into a hit) byLes McCann andEddie Harris on their albumSwiss Movement. It was alsocovered byRoberta Flack,Ray Charles,Della Reese,John Legend,the Roots,Sweetwater, and others.[4] He returned to the US in 1971 and recorded thereafter asEugene McDaniels.[3]
McDaniels also attained the top spot on the chart as a songwriter. In 1974, Flack reached number 1 with his "Feel Like Makin' Love" (not to be confused with theBad Company song of thesame name), which received aGrammy Award nomination. McDaniels received aBMI award for outstanding radio airplay; at the time he was given the award, the song already had over five million plays.
In the early 1970s, McDaniels recorded on theAtlantic label, which released his albumsHeadless Heroes of the Apocalypse andOutlaw.
In the 1980s, McDaniels recorded an album with the percussionistTerry Silverlight, which was not released. In 2005, McDaniels releasedScreams & Whispers on his own record label.
In 2009, it was announced that McDaniels was to release a new album,Evolution's Child, which featured his lyrics, and a number of songs composed or arranged with pianist Ted Brancato. Some of the songs featured jazz musicianRon Carter on concert bass andTerri Lyne Carrington on drums. McDaniel's "Jagger the Dagger" was featured on theTribe Vibesbreakbeat compilation album, after it had beensampled byA Tribe Called Quest.
McDaniels also appeared in films. They includedIt's Trad, Dad! (1962, released in theUnited States asRing-A-Ding Rhythm), which was directed byRichard Lester. McDaniels also appeared inThe Young Swingers (1963). He is briefly seen singing in the choir in the 1974 filmUptown Saturday Night. He was the original voice actor for "Nasus", a champion in the computer gameLeague of Legends.[6]
In 2010 he launched a series ofYouTube videos on his website, featuring his music and thoughts on some of his creations.
McDaniels lived as a self-described "hermit" in the state ofMaine.
McDaniels died peacefully on July 29, 2011, at his home, survived by his third wife and six children.[7]
| Year | Album | Record Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | In Times Like These | Liberty Records |
| Somestimes I'm Happy Sometimes I'm Blue | ||
| 1961 | 100 Lbs. of Clay! | |
| Tower of Strength | ||
| 1962 | Hit After Hit | |
| Gene McDaniels Sings Movie Memories | ||
| 1963 | The Wonderful World of Gene McDaniels | |
| 1966 | The Facts of Life | |
| 1970 | Outlaw | Atlantic Records |
| 1971 | Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse | |
| 1975 | Natural Juices | Ode Records |
| 2004 | Screams and Whispers | Genepool Records |
As Universal Jones
| Year | Album | Record Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Universal Jones Vol. 1 | MGM Records |
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Peak chart positions | Record Label | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AC | R&B | UK | ||||
| 1960 | "In Times Like These" b/w Once Before" (Non-album track) | – | – | – | – | Liberty Records | In Times Like These |
| "Green Door" b/w "The Facts of Life" | – | – | – | – | Sometimes I'm Happy Sometimes I'm Blue | ||
| 1961 | "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" b/w "Come On Take A Chance" (Non-album track) | 3 | – | 11 | – | 100 Lbs. Of Clay! | |
| "Take Good Care Of Her" b/w "Are You Sincere" | – | – | – | – | |||
| "A Tear" b/w "She's Come Back" (Non-album track) | 31 | – | – | – | Tower Of Strength | ||
| "Tower Of Strength" b/w "The Secret" | 5 | – | 5 | 49 | |||
| "Chip Chip" b/w "Another Tear Falls" (Non-album track) | 10 | – | – | – | Hit After Hit | ||
| 1962 | "Funny" b/w "Chapel Of Tears" (Non-album track) | 99 | – | – | – | Tower Of Strength | |
| "Point Of No Return" b/w "Warmer Than A Whisper" (Non-album track) | 21 | – | 23 | – | Hit After Hit | ||
| "Spanish Lace" b/w "Somebody's Waiting" (Non-album track) | 31 | – | – | – | Spanish Lace | ||
| 1963 | "The Puzzle" b/w "Cry Baby Cry" (Non-album track) | – | – | – | – | Golden Greats | |
| "It's A Lonely Town (Lonely Without You)" b/w "False Friends" | 64 | 30 | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| "Anyone Else" b/w "The Old Country" (fromThe Wonderful World Of Gene McDaniels) | – | – | – | – | |||
| 1964 | "Make Me A Present Of You" b/w "In Times Like These" (fromIn Times Like These) | – | – | – | – | 100 Lbs. Of Clay! | |
| "(There Goes The) Forgotten Man" b/w "Emily" | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1965 | "Walk With A Winner" b/w "A Miracle" (Non-album track) | – | – | – | – | The Very Best Of Gene McDaniels | |
| "Will It Last Forever" b/w "Hang On (Just A Little Bit Longer)" | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1966 | "Something Blue" b/w "'Cause I Love You So" | – | – | – | – | Columbia Records | |
| 1967 | "Touch Of Your Lips" b/w "Sweet Lover No More" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1971 | "Tell Me Mr. President" b/w "The Lord Is Back" | – | – | – | – | Atlantic Records | |
| 1973 | "River" b/w "Ol' Heartbreak Top Ten" | – | – | – | – | MGM Records | |
As Universal Jones
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) | Peak chart positions | Record Label | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AC | R&B | UK | ||||
| 1972 | "River" b/w "Feeling That Glow" | 115 | 37 | – | – | MGM Records | Universal Jones Vol. 1 |
| "We All Know A Lot Of Things But It Don't Never Show" b/w "Tuesday Morning" | – | – | – | – | |||
| Year | Artist | Album | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bobby Hutcherson | Now! (Bobby Hutcherson album) | Blue Note |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
