OPEN POST: Manor Music Monday With The Explosive Ann Peebles!

Greetings fellow hussies, and welcome to another kickin' edition of Manor Music Monday. I say "kickin'' cause DJ Li'l Scratch will be playing some fantastic tunes to get you movin' and grovin' tonight at our exclusive after-hours "Love Hole Lounge." Hold on tight - wheeeee! - 'cause were speeding straight to the heart of Memphis soul with a songstress who was born in Missouri. Confused? Don't be. But be prepared to be wowed.

Yes, it's the invincible Ann Peebles. Born in Missouri to a family of 11 children, she started singing as a wee one in the choir of her father's church - and also with the family's group, The Peebles Choir, who were often the opening act for touring gospel stars like Mahalia Jackson and the Soul Stirrers. It wasn't long before she was stepping out as a solo performer, and in the 1960s, she was slaying with her own brand of gritty, deeply felt R&B at clubs in St. Louis, then Memphis. It was in Memphis where she was spotted by the legendary producer, Willie Mitchell, who quickly offered her a recording contract at the equally legendary Hi Records.

Ann has often compared to Muddy Waters and Aretha Franklin, but Ann is wholly different, I think. Her vocals have a trembling urgency - as if her petite frame were about to explode from the all the emotions just beneath the surface. Her song "I Can't Stand The Rain," which she co-wrote, became an instant classic upon its release and remains one to this day. It's been covered by many artists since, including Tina Turner, of course, but really, Ann brings it home like none other:

Though she scored many more hits throughout the 1970s, her career stalled when Hi Records closed up shop in the early 1980s, and a late career resurgence, enjoyed by the likes of Tina Turner, was not to be. Still, she pressed on, releasing new albums well into the 2000s. 

But then success looks different to different people, right? Mitchell, who produced most of her LPs, once said that he didn't think Ann put as much energy into her career as other people, a point she didn't entirely disagree with. After Hi Records was shuttered, for example, she was happy to step away from the demands of her work and enjoy time with her husband and child, a break which stretched into several years and which she did not regret.

Still, I'd be hard-pressed to think of another R&B singer who's so criminally neglected these days. She gives herself completely to anything she performs, but unlike some contemporaries, favors a "slow-bubble-then-boil" build up  instead of outright vocal pyrotechnics (though she's more than capable of delivering the later when a song calls for it). For me, this enhances the drama of her songs, leading many of them to unfold like compelling one-act plays. If you're unfamiliar with her, "I Can't Stop the Rain" her 1974 LP, which begins with the title song, will be a revelation. 

What are you listening to this week? DJ Li'l Scratch wants to know.
Till next time...purr, bitches, purr! 🐾 

Photo Credits: Getty Images; Hi Records