Barbara Acklin
Barbara Acklin (born February 28, 1943 in Oakland , California , † November 27, 1998 in Omaha , Nebraska ) was an American soul singer and songwriter .
biography
Barbara Acklin was an only child and grew up in Chicago. She sang first in the church choir, later in night clubs. At "St. Lawrence Records ”, the label of her cousin Monk Higgins, she was among other things a background singer. She began writing songs during her time as a receptionist at Brunswick Records . One of them was recorded by Jackie Wilson , who then campaigned for the record company that Acklin got a contract with the label.
Show Me the Way to Go , a duet with Gene Chandler , made it to number 30 on the American R&B charts in 1968 . In the same year, Love Makes a Woman followed , which reached number 3 on the R&B charts and won a BMI award. More singles followed and by 1973 five albums followed. Her song Am I the Same Girl was first released by the record company as an instrumental with piano by Young-Holt Unlimited under the title Soulful Strut . It became a number three hit and million seller, while Acklin's version only reached number 79 after that.
As a songwriter, she worked mainly with Eugene Record, with whom she was also married for some time, for the Chi-Lites . In 1974 she moved to Capitol Records , released the album A Place in the Sun , which was unsuccessful, and then lost her record deal. In addition to solo concerts, she has since worked mainly as a background singer for the Chi-Lites.
In 1990, the song Have You Seen Her, written by her and Record, rose to prominence again when it was covered by MC Hammer . Barbara Acklin announced in 1998 that she was working on new material, but died a short time later of pneumonia.
Discography
Albums
year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | R&B | |||
1968 | Love Makes a Woman Brunswick 754137 |
US146 (5 weeks) US |
R&B48 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1968
Producers: Carl Davis, Eugene Record |
More albums
- 1969: Seven Days of Night
- 1970: Someone Else's Arms
- 1971: I Did It
- 1973: I Call It Trouble
- 1975: A Place in the Sun
Compilations
- 1987: Groovy Ideas
- 1995: Greatest Hits
- 1999: Brunswick Singles A's & B’s
- 2002: 20 greatest hits
- 2002: The Brunswick Anthology (2 CDs)
- 2003: The Best of Barbara Acklin
- 2004: The Complete Barbara Acklin on Brunswick Records (2 CDs)
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | R&B | |||
1968 | Show me the way to go |
- |
R&B30 (7 weeks) R&B |
|
Love Makes a Woman Love Makes a Woman |
US15 (12 weeks) US |
R&B3 (15 weeks) R&B |
||
From the teacher to the preacher |
US57 (8 weeks) US |
R&B16 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1968
with Gene Chandler Authors: Barbara Acklin, Carl Davis, Eugene Record |
|
Just Ain't No Love Seven Days of Night |
US67 (9 weeks) US |
R&B23 (8 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1968
Authors: Carl Davis, Eugene Record |
|
1969 | On I the Same Girl Seven Days of Night |
US79 (3 weeks) US |
R&B33 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1969
Authors: Barbara Acklin, Eugene Record, William Sanders based on the instrumental Soulful Strut by Young-Holt Unlimited , 1968 |
After You I Did It |
- |
R&B30 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1969
Authors: Barbara Acklin, Eugene Record |
|
1970 | I Did It I Did It |
- |
R&B28 (5 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1970
Author: Eugene Record |
1971 | Lady, lady, lady I Call It Trouble |
- |
R&B44 (3 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1971
Author: Eugene Record |
1972 | I Call It Trouble I Call It Trouble |
- |
R&B49 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1972
Authors: Barbara Acklin, Eugene Record |
1974 | Raindrops A Place in the Sun |
- |
R&B14 (14 weeks) R&B |
First publication: May 1974
Authors: Barbara Acklin, F. Flowers |
1975 | Special Loving A Place in the Sun |
- |
R&B73 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1974
Authors: Willie Henderson, Quinton Joseph, Tommy Green |
Give Me Some of Your Sweet Love A Place in the Sun |
- |
R&B98 (3 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1975
Authors: Larry Brownlee, Lowrell Simon |
More singles
- 1966: I'm Not Mad Anymore
- 1967: Your Sweet Loving (released April)
- 1967: I've Got You Baby (released December)
- 1969: Little Green Apples (with Gene Chandler ; release: March)
- 1969: A Raggedy Ride (release: May)
- 1970: Someone Else's Arms (released March)
- 1971: I Can't Do My Thing (released May)
- 1973: I'll Bake Me a Man (release: July)
swell
- ↑ Short biography in: Pareles, Jon / Romanowski, Patricia (eds.): The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll . London: Rolling Stone Press / Michael Joseph, 1983, p. 3
- ↑ a b Chart sources: Billboard Hot 100 Billboard 200
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .
Web links
- Barbara Acklin at Allmusic (English)
- Barbara Acklin at Discogs (English)
- Barbara Acklin in the database of Find a Grave (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Acklin, Barbara |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American soul singer and songwriter |
DATE OF BIRTH | February 28, 1943 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Oakland , California , United States |
DATE OF DEATH | November 27, 1998 |
Place of death | Omaha , Nebraska , United States |