I'd Like You To Meet Ramona King

 

Ramona King might be best known for releasing "It's In His Kiss" after Merry Clayton's original and a week prior to Betty Everett, who got the big hit after the label heads decided to add "The Shoop Shoop Song" to the title. Before this week, I did not know that story and had never heard of Ramona King. Oddly enough, I did have some Ramona King tracks in my iTunes library, as part of the various soul and girl group collections I have acquired over the years. I had been looking for a Baby Washington tune, but something made me listen to Ramona King instead. I can't explain. It was random.

King recorded a dozen or so singles from the early 60's until the mid-70's, most of which, were not successful. I was really taken by a number of them, especially these two. The one up top, "What Have I Got To Cry About" seems to be an R. King co-write with C. King for the Amy label. The one below, "Hey Everybody," is a Goffin-King tune, that I believe became a Northern soul cult classic. (Not sure if the C. King of the first tune, is Carole.) Both tracks have a special quality to them that separates them from so many other similar records.

At least my ears think so.

I've included "It's In His Kiss" and a pretty cool b-side, as well.