THE UNIQUES
''UNIQUELY YOURS''
1966
31:26
1 You Aint Tuff (K. Henderson, L. Puckett) 02:23
2 From Heaven To A Heartbreak (P. Davidson, D. Hawkins) 02:08
3 Midnight Hour (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) 02:14
4 All These Things (N. Neville) 04:00
5 Not Too Long Ago (J. Stampley, M. Kilgore) 02:22
6 Fast Way Of Living (R. C. Stampley, J. Rhodes) 02:17
7 Treat Her Right (R.Head) 02:50
8 Georgia (On My Mind) (H. Carmichael, S. Gorrell) 03:10
9 Strange (J. Stampley, R. C. Stampley, M. Kilgore) 02:15
10 Never Been In Love Before (J. Stampley) 02:18
11 Don't Be A Fool (M. Carr, J. Stampley) 02:08
12 House Of The Rising Sun (Traditional, Arr. Joe Stampley) 03:15
Joe Stampley - Organ, Lead Singer
Ray Mills - Lead Guitar
Bobby Sims - Rhythm Guitar
Bobby Stampley - Bass Guitar
Mike Love - Drums
REVIEW/AMG
Richie Unterberger
Like many LPs of its time, the Uniques' debut album had a bunch of songs taken from previously released singles, with several of these dozen tracks showing up on 1965-1966 45s. But even if it was pasted together to some degree, it's a surprisingly strong (given the patchy standards of the era) set of mid-'60s Southern rock, mixing garage rock, blue-eyed soul, and swamp pop. "You Ain't Tuff," the somewhat "Gloria"-derived nasty garage stomper, is certainly the most famous of these cuts, and deservedly so. But there are also some pretty good originals, usually written by lead singer Joe Stampley. Stampley proves himself an unusually versatile rock vocalist, capable of fairly nasty R&B-pop on "You Ain't Tuff" and "Strange," but also more subtle and smoother soul-pop on "Not Too Long Ago" (which is slightly reminiscent of B.J. Thomas' early material), "Never Been in Love Before," and "Don't Be a Fool." And while this LP (again like many of its time) is padded out with covers, Stampley and the band do well on these too, especially on Aaron Neville's "All These Things" and (more surprisingly, considering how familiar the song is) "The House of the Rising Sun," where his odd ghostly organ is also a highlight.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Steve Leggett
The first version of the Uniques formed in 1966 when two members of the Techniques, Slim Smith and Franklyn White, joined with Roy Shirley to create a new group. The original lineup recorded a few ska sides for J.J. Johnson that year before disbanding, only to reform again almost immediately, this time with a front line of Smith, Lloyd Charmers, and Jimmy Riley (and occasionally Cornel Campbell). The reconstituted Uniques had a brief run from 1967 to 1969, recording several vocal trio classics with producer Bunny Lee, including two impressive covers (Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth," tracked as "Watch This Sound," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman") as well as their signature song, the brilliant "My Conversation." Led by Smith's high and emotional tenor, the Uniques represented, by many accounts, the pinnacle of Jamaica's harmony trio genre. The group folded in 1969, with each member pursuing a solo career. Smith's tragic death in 1973 ended any possibility of the group reuniting.
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''UNIQUELY YOURS''
1966
31:26
1 You Aint Tuff (K. Henderson, L. Puckett) 02:23
2 From Heaven To A Heartbreak (P. Davidson, D. Hawkins) 02:08
3 Midnight Hour (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) 02:14
4 All These Things (N. Neville) 04:00
5 Not Too Long Ago (J. Stampley, M. Kilgore) 02:22
6 Fast Way Of Living (R. C. Stampley, J. Rhodes) 02:17
7 Treat Her Right (R.Head) 02:50
8 Georgia (On My Mind) (H. Carmichael, S. Gorrell) 03:10
9 Strange (J. Stampley, R. C. Stampley, M. Kilgore) 02:15
10 Never Been In Love Before (J. Stampley) 02:18
11 Don't Be A Fool (M. Carr, J. Stampley) 02:08
12 House Of The Rising Sun (Traditional, Arr. Joe Stampley) 03:15
Joe Stampley - Organ, Lead Singer
Ray Mills - Lead Guitar
Bobby Sims - Rhythm Guitar
Bobby Stampley - Bass Guitar
Mike Love - Drums
REVIEW/AMG
Richie Unterberger
Like many LPs of its time, the Uniques' debut album had a bunch of songs taken from previously released singles, with several of these dozen tracks showing up on 1965-1966 45s. But even if it was pasted together to some degree, it's a surprisingly strong (given the patchy standards of the era) set of mid-'60s Southern rock, mixing garage rock, blue-eyed soul, and swamp pop. "You Ain't Tuff," the somewhat "Gloria"-derived nasty garage stomper, is certainly the most famous of these cuts, and deservedly so. But there are also some pretty good originals, usually written by lead singer Joe Stampley. Stampley proves himself an unusually versatile rock vocalist, capable of fairly nasty R&B-pop on "You Ain't Tuff" and "Strange," but also more subtle and smoother soul-pop on "Not Too Long Ago" (which is slightly reminiscent of B.J. Thomas' early material), "Never Been in Love Before," and "Don't Be a Fool." And while this LP (again like many of its time) is padded out with covers, Stampley and the band do well on these too, especially on Aaron Neville's "All These Things" and (more surprisingly, considering how familiar the song is) "The House of the Rising Sun," where his odd ghostly organ is also a highlight.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Steve Leggett
The first version of the Uniques formed in 1966 when two members of the Techniques, Slim Smith and Franklyn White, joined with Roy Shirley to create a new group. The original lineup recorded a few ska sides for J.J. Johnson that year before disbanding, only to reform again almost immediately, this time with a front line of Smith, Lloyd Charmers, and Jimmy Riley (and occasionally Cornel Campbell). The reconstituted Uniques had a brief run from 1967 to 1969, recording several vocal trio classics with producer Bunny Lee, including two impressive covers (Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth," tracked as "Watch This Sound," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman") as well as their signature song, the brilliant "My Conversation." Led by Smith's high and emotional tenor, the Uniques represented, by many accounts, the pinnacle of Jamaica's harmony trio genre. The group folded in 1969, with each member pursuing a solo career. Smith's tragic death in 1973 ended any possibility of the group reuniting.
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