K-Bee
10-03-2003, 01:01 AM
This is the 2nd part of a regular series of artist profiles from the world of 80s black music that i'll put up in these boards from now on.
Up this time is one of my favorite female peformers: Gwen Guthrie
By many, she was considered a one hit wonder mainly because of her "Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent" hit single in 1986 - a track that made it to the top of the UK Charts.
bio from www.allmusic.com :
"Born July 14, 1950 in Okemah, OK
Died Feb. 3, 1999 in New Jersey
Gwendolyn (Gwen) Guthrie died February 4, 1999 of uterine cancer in Orange, NJ at the age of 48. Born in Okemah, OK in 1950, but raised in Newark, NJ, she's best known for her #1 R&B single "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent, " a popular self-written bouncer.
A prolific songwriter and a good pianist, she penned "Supernatural Thing" for Ben E. King, "This Time I'll Be Sweeter, " for Martha Reeves, which was later popularized by Angela Bofil and Issac Hayes.
Many thought Guthrie and songwriting partner Patrick Grant had the potential to become another Ashford & Simpson. In all, Guthrie has approximately 50 compositions logged in BMI & ASCAP's databases. Guthrie started singing in High School with a female quartet called the Ebonettes. One of the members, Brenda White King, like Guthrie, pursued music and became in demand as a session singer.
After graduating from college, Guthrie taught first grade in New York and performed on the side. She gigged with Larry Blackmon's (of Cameo, ) East Coast Band (ECB), Blackmon was 22 at the time. Guthrie sang lead, Blackmon loved her voice and writing skills. ECB had a house gig at Smalls Paradise in Harlem, co-owned by Wilt Chamberlain. The band would later evolve into the New York City Players, and then into Cameo.
Guthrie's big break came when she was asked to do a background session for Aretha Franklin. That's Guthrie warbling in the background with Cissy Houston, Judy Clay and Diedre Tuck on "I'm in Love, " the Bobby Womack song. Aretha's lead and the quartet's gospel backing propelled Franklin's rendition to #1 R&B on May 18, 1974, for two weeks.
Six months later she signed as a staff writer with Bert Coteaux productions and with Grant wrote "Love Don't Go Through No Changes, " the first hit for Sister Sledge, and many others. The collaboration didn't last long. Guthrie continued to write with a variety of partners, and supplied backing vocals to many recording sessions.
Working with Peter Tosh in the late '70s, Guthrie befriended reggae stars Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare who invited her to Nassau to record vocals for an album they were producing. Hearing her unique voice in the studio, Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell, inked her to a contract, and the Dunbar/Shakespeare project, assisted by David Conley of Surface became her first solo release.
The self-titled LP was like watered down Chic, the first side tracks were run together and Guthrie didn't have much writing input, still it was a start. She did score a dance-floor hit in the '80s in the U.K. with "It Should Have Been You, " a ballad from the first album.
Her second LP, Portrait, released in 1983, followed the same formula, simplistic dance tracks, and trite grooves. The most enjoyable cuts were the ballads written by Guthrie. Bernie Worrell, the famed P-Funk keyboardist, appeared on the LP. Album number three, Good to Go Lover dropped in 1986, and spawned her chart topper, "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent, " and the torching ballad, "You Touched My Life." Worrell is again credited as a musician.
On Lifeline (1988), Guthrie was more involved with the writing. She wrote and produced nearly every track, and the set is more satisfying than previous efforts despite the lack of a big hit. Flautist Bobbi Humphrey blows a soulful flute, and rapper Gangster-B is featured with Guthrie on "Can't Love You."
Hot Times was Guthrie's final LP release, it hit the streets in 1990. Like the previous LP, she wrote nearly everything, except for a moving remake of Stephanie Mills' "Never Knew Love Like This Before." As on all her albums, Sly & Robbie played major roles.
Guthrie also had two LP releases: Just for You (1985) and Ticket to Ride (1988) on Fourth & Broadway Records. Urban rapper, Foxy Brown, cites Guthrie as an inspiration. Ironically, the week that Guthrie passed, Brown's second CD, Chyna Doll, debuted with an update of "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent." Also, India recently remade "This Time I'll Be Sweeter."
Gwendolyn Guthrie is survived by her mother, Mabel, two daughters, Kamilah Ross and Iyanka Wakefield, a brother and a grandson. Her husband, Donald Wakefield, died in 1995. -- Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide "
Favorite Guthrie tracks of mine:
They Long To Be (Close to You) (1986) - a stunning cover of the Carpenters classic, but done very differently - this is vintage Guthrie
Love In Moderation (1984) - a somewhat obscure LP only cut from her vastly underrated "Just For You" album
Up this time is one of my favorite female peformers: Gwen Guthrie
By many, she was considered a one hit wonder mainly because of her "Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent" hit single in 1986 - a track that made it to the top of the UK Charts.
bio from www.allmusic.com :
"Born July 14, 1950 in Okemah, OK
Died Feb. 3, 1999 in New Jersey
Gwendolyn (Gwen) Guthrie died February 4, 1999 of uterine cancer in Orange, NJ at the age of 48. Born in Okemah, OK in 1950, but raised in Newark, NJ, she's best known for her #1 R&B single "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent, " a popular self-written bouncer.
A prolific songwriter and a good pianist, she penned "Supernatural Thing" for Ben E. King, "This Time I'll Be Sweeter, " for Martha Reeves, which was later popularized by Angela Bofil and Issac Hayes.
Many thought Guthrie and songwriting partner Patrick Grant had the potential to become another Ashford & Simpson. In all, Guthrie has approximately 50 compositions logged in BMI & ASCAP's databases. Guthrie started singing in High School with a female quartet called the Ebonettes. One of the members, Brenda White King, like Guthrie, pursued music and became in demand as a session singer.
After graduating from college, Guthrie taught first grade in New York and performed on the side. She gigged with Larry Blackmon's (of Cameo, ) East Coast Band (ECB), Blackmon was 22 at the time. Guthrie sang lead, Blackmon loved her voice and writing skills. ECB had a house gig at Smalls Paradise in Harlem, co-owned by Wilt Chamberlain. The band would later evolve into the New York City Players, and then into Cameo.
Guthrie's big break came when she was asked to do a background session for Aretha Franklin. That's Guthrie warbling in the background with Cissy Houston, Judy Clay and Diedre Tuck on "I'm in Love, " the Bobby Womack song. Aretha's lead and the quartet's gospel backing propelled Franklin's rendition to #1 R&B on May 18, 1974, for two weeks.
Six months later she signed as a staff writer with Bert Coteaux productions and with Grant wrote "Love Don't Go Through No Changes, " the first hit for Sister Sledge, and many others. The collaboration didn't last long. Guthrie continued to write with a variety of partners, and supplied backing vocals to many recording sessions.
Working with Peter Tosh in the late '70s, Guthrie befriended reggae stars Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare who invited her to Nassau to record vocals for an album they were producing. Hearing her unique voice in the studio, Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell, inked her to a contract, and the Dunbar/Shakespeare project, assisted by David Conley of Surface became her first solo release.
The self-titled LP was like watered down Chic, the first side tracks were run together and Guthrie didn't have much writing input, still it was a start. She did score a dance-floor hit in the '80s in the U.K. with "It Should Have Been You, " a ballad from the first album.
Her second LP, Portrait, released in 1983, followed the same formula, simplistic dance tracks, and trite grooves. The most enjoyable cuts were the ballads written by Guthrie. Bernie Worrell, the famed P-Funk keyboardist, appeared on the LP. Album number three, Good to Go Lover dropped in 1986, and spawned her chart topper, "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent, " and the torching ballad, "You Touched My Life." Worrell is again credited as a musician.
On Lifeline (1988), Guthrie was more involved with the writing. She wrote and produced nearly every track, and the set is more satisfying than previous efforts despite the lack of a big hit. Flautist Bobbi Humphrey blows a soulful flute, and rapper Gangster-B is featured with Guthrie on "Can't Love You."
Hot Times was Guthrie's final LP release, it hit the streets in 1990. Like the previous LP, she wrote nearly everything, except for a moving remake of Stephanie Mills' "Never Knew Love Like This Before." As on all her albums, Sly & Robbie played major roles.
Guthrie also had two LP releases: Just for You (1985) and Ticket to Ride (1988) on Fourth & Broadway Records. Urban rapper, Foxy Brown, cites Guthrie as an inspiration. Ironically, the week that Guthrie passed, Brown's second CD, Chyna Doll, debuted with an update of "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent." Also, India recently remade "This Time I'll Be Sweeter."
Gwendolyn Guthrie is survived by her mother, Mabel, two daughters, Kamilah Ross and Iyanka Wakefield, a brother and a grandson. Her husband, Donald Wakefield, died in 1995. -- Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide "
Favorite Guthrie tracks of mine:
They Long To Be (Close to You) (1986) - a stunning cover of the Carpenters classic, but done very differently - this is vintage Guthrie
Love In Moderation (1984) - a somewhat obscure LP only cut from her vastly underrated "Just For You" album