Sam Baker (14 June 1941 – 6 February 2019) was an underrated southern soul singer who recorded a string of great 45s for producer John Richbourg from '65 to '69.
He was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and unlike many of his contemporaries in the music business went straight to professional secular singing rather than graduating from a gospel group. His influences were bluesmen as well as gospel singers, and he did early gigs with people like Jimmy Reed and Clyde McPhatter who encouraged him to take up a career in performing.
His first 45, which came out around the turn of the 60s was for the locally based Copa label (not related apparently to the better known Texas concern). “Crazy About You Baby” was a fine 12 bar rocking blues, and the ballad flip ListenSo Long, highly sought after by doo-wop collectors because of the male backing chorus, is a really splendid showcase for his soaring vocal. His next sessions were for Nashville DJ Hoss Allen in 1963 and 1964. Hoss issued 3 singles on labels under his control, and tracks from the session also appeared on Chicago’s USA. Perhaps the pick of these cuts was Baker’s fine interpretation of the great blues ballad Best Of Luck To You a hit for Earl Gaines on HBR not long after, although “Stormin’ And Rainin’ Blues” and his version of the celebrated “Sweet Little Angel” are first class straightahead blues as well. Southern soul enthusiasts will recognise “You’d Better Check What You Got” as Joe Tex’s “Hold What You Got” in a not terribly effective disguise.
A one-off Miami recording featuring Frank Williams Rocketeers completed his pre-SS7 output – and what a fine release it was. “These Blues Are Getting Me Down” is another of those fine blues ballads at which he excelled, and “Do Right Man” is a sassy southern workout, much in demand by the funk crowd. Just love that baritone sax! After a strange one-off duet with Nancy Cohen for Ted Jarrett’s budget Hit label, Baker joined Sound Stage 7 for the most settled and artistically satisfying period of his life.
Apart from Joe Simon, Baker had more 45s issued by John Richbourg on his SS7 label than any other artist – a tribute to both to his talent and Richbourg’s enduring good taste. His second 45, the outstanding Sometimes You Have To Cry, may just be his best ever release. Cut at Stax with the house band in superlative form, Baker is simply unstoppable on his first pure soul effort. The Nashville recorded beat ballad “You Can’t See The Blood” was a good follow-up, but the deep “Let Me Come On Home” and the excellent “Just A Glance Away” were superior. Even better still was the Memphis session that produced That’s All I Want From You and “I Believe In You” with the AGP band doing their usual high quality job in the background.
After a artistic dip, Baker returned to scratch with the lovely, well crafted slowie “I Love You” in 1969, and his best uptempo song for Richbourg “It’s All Over” later the same year. Throughout his stay with SS7 Baker reportedly had many personal problems. Richbourg and he parted company before the last 45 was issued. Baker’s Hollywood single was very good indeed. The blues “Slow Down Baby” is fine, but the plodding flip Why Does A Woman Treat A Man So Mean which builds to a fine climax as the horns push Baker further and further into his higher register, is one of his very best vocals of them all.
In terms of singles, that was it. Baker was still active in the Jackson area during the early 70s as witnessed by his name appearing as producer on Geater Davis’ excellent Ace cut “Nice And Easy”. Sam’s Sound Stage 7 recordings were amongst the best on the label, and are rightly held in high esteem by southern soul fans. His other, more obscure, recordings aren’t so widely known, as in the main they haven’t been reissued, and the fact that many of them are blues hasn’t endeared them to soul fans either – but that’s their loss. They all feature his flexible, crying tenor voice, with some great near falsetto excursions, and should therefore be considered indispensable.
Sam suffered an aneurysm in 1992, and was confined to a wheelchair. He was last reported in a managed facility in his home town of Jackson, Mississippi, where he died on February 06, 2019 at the age of 77 years.
(Edited
from Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven, Red Kelly & Legacy.com)