Gwen McCrae

Gwen McCrae (* 21st December 1943 as Gwen Mosley in Pensacola , Florida ) is an American Soul - and disco singer . She was best known for the hit Rockin 'Chair and is the ex-wife of George McCrae .

Career

Gwen McCrae made eleven entries in the American R&B charts between 1970 and 1984. Her greatest success - and at the same time the only hit in the pop charts (number 9) - was the single Rockin 'Chair , number 1 on the R&B charts in 1975. In the same year Gwen McCrae was nominated for her vocal performance as "Best R&B Singer" for both the Grammy and the American Music Award . For the pop world, however, it remained a one-hit wonder .

Smaller hits in the R&B charts followed, including duet recordings with her then-husband George McCrae, whom she married in 1963. The marriage turned out to be very unhappy, especially after the two had their show business breakthrough. Gwen McCrae later mentioned several times that her ex-husband had also hit her. After separating in 1976, Gwen Mccrae devoted herself to her Christian faith, but continued to release records. In the early 1980s, with the help of the Atlantic record company, she achieved two hits in the American disco charts: Funky Sensation (1981) and Keep the Fire Burning (1983), which were also successful in Europe (e.g. in the Netherlands).

Gwen McCrae continued to record - albeit less noticed - soul, blues and gospel records. She is also still active as a live artist. In 2006, Gwen McCrae Sings TK, her last album so far, was released, which contains songs from the record label "TK Records", which once shaped disco music, including the world hit Rock Your Baby by her ex-husband.

Discography

Albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)			Remarks
		UK	US	R&B
1975	Rockin 'Chair Cat 2605	-	US121 (10 weeks) US	R&B18 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: June 1975 Producer: Steve Alaimo
1976	Together Cat 2606	-	-	R&B33 (8 weeks) R&B	First published: December 1975 with George McCrae Producers: Clarence Reid , Steve Alaimo
1981	Gwen McCrae Atlantic 19308	-	-	R&B38 (13 weeks) R&B	First published: November 1981 Producer: Kenton Nix

More albums

• 1974: Gwen McCrae (appeared in 1975 as Rockin 'Chair , the track Your Love Is Worse Than a Cold Love was replaced by Rockin' Chair ; Cat 1603)
• 1976: Something So Right (Cat 2608)
• 1978: Let's Straighten It Out (Cat 2613)
• 1979: Melody of Life (Cat 2614)
• 1982: On My Way (Atlantic 80019-1)
• 1996: Psychic Hotline (GoldWax 4221-2)
• 1997: Girlfriend's Boyfriend (Home Grown 5)
• 1999: Still Rockin ' (Phat Sound FTRC0199)
• 2004: I'm Not Worried (Lewmar)
• 2006: Live in Paris at New Morning (with The Soulpower Allstars; Hi & Fly 000 12)
• 2006: Gwen McCrae Sings TK (Henry Stone Music 6001-2)

Compilations

• 1992: The Best of Gwen McCrae (Sequel NEX CD 189)
• 2010: Lay It on Me: The Columbia Years (Reel Music 66748-72002-2, P&C 72002, Sony Music A 774373)

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks	[↑]: treated together with the previous entry; [←]: placed in both charts
		UK	US	R&B	Dance
1970	Lead Me On	-	-	R&B32 (6 weeks) R&B	-	First published: August 25, 1970 Author: Deadric Malone Original: Bobby Bland , 1961
1973	For Your Love Gwen McCrae (1974) / Rockin 'Chair	-	-	R&B17 (15 weeks) R&B	-	First published: September 1973 Author and original: Ed Townsend, 1958
1974	It's Worth the Hurt Gwen McCrae (1974) / Rockin 'Chair	-	-	R&B66 (8 weeks) R&B	-	First published: April 1974 Author: Clarence Reid
1975	Rockin 'Chair Rockin' Chair	-	US9 (14 weeks) US	R&B1 (20 weeks) R&B	-	First published: March 1975 Backing Vocals : George McCrae Authors: Clarence Reid, Willie Clarke
	Love Insurance Let's Straighten It Out	-	-	R&B16 (13 weeks) R&B	-	First published: September 1975 Author: Clarence Reid
1976	Cradle of Love Let's Straighten It Out	-	-	R&B53 (6 weeks) R&B	-	First published: February 1976 Author: Clarence Reid
	Winners Together or Losers Apart Together	-	-	R&B44 (7 weeks) R&B	-	First published: March 1976 with George McCrae ; Author: Clarence Reid
	Damn Right It's Good Something So Right	-	-	R&B72 (7 weeks) R&B	-	First published: December 1976 Author: Clarence Reid
1981	Funky Sensation Gwen McCrae (1981)	UK92 (1 week) UK	-	R&B22 (19 weeks) R&B	Dance15 (17 weeks) Dance	First published: August 1981 Chart entry in UK only in July 2004
	Have a Good Time Gwen McCrae (1981)	-	-	-[Dance: ↑]		First published: September 1981 Authors: Deidre Nix, Kenton Nix
	Poyson Gwen McCrae (1981)	-	-	-[Dance: ↑]		First published: December 1981 Author: Kenton Nix
1982	Keep the Fire Burning On My Way	-	-	R&B60 (8 weeks) R&B	Dance5 (18 weeks) Dance	First published: November 1982 Author: Willie Hutch
1984	Do You Know What I Mean?	-	-	R&B83 (5 weeks) R&B	-	First published: April 1984 Author and original: Lee Michaels , 1971
1988	All This Love That I'm Giving	UK63 (4 weeks) UK	-	-	-	First published: April 1988
1993	All This Love I'm Giving	UK36 (3 weeks) UK	-	-	-	First release: February 1993 Music & Mystery feat. Gwen McCrae Authors: Eternity, Betty Wright , Jeremiah Burden, Lynn Williams
2000	Gittin 'What I Want	-	-	R&B92 (2 weeks) R&B	-	First published: July 2000

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

More singles

• 1971: Been So Long (promo; release: January)
• 1971: Lay It on Me (released January 21)
• 1971: Ain't Nothing You Can Do (release: December 2nd)
• 1972: He's Not You (released March 17th)
• 1972: I'm Losing the Feeling (released September 1st)
• 1973: He Keeps Something Groovy Goin 'On
• 1974: Move Me Baby
• 1976: Let's Dance Dance Dance (with George McCrae; release: March)
• 1976: I'll Do the Rockin ' (with George McCrae)
• 1978: Starting All Over Again
• 1979: All This Love That I'm Givin '
• 1982: Doin 'It (release: February)
• 1982: I Need to Be with You
• 1988: Eighties Lady
• 1996: Loving Peter to Pay Back Paul
• 2009: Let Me Do My Thing (Ferry Ultra feat.Gwen McCrae)
• 2010: Now I Found Love
• 2014: Can You Feel It ( Sander Kleinenberg feat. Gwen McCrae)
• 2014: 90% of Me Is You

swell

1. ^ The Awards Insider, Los Angeles Times
2. ↑ Gwen McCrae born again after split with husband , Jet Magazine, USA, July 27, 1978
3. ↑ Chart information at Dutchcharts.nl
4. ↑ ^{a b} Chart sources: Singles UK Billboard 200
5. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
6. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .
7. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7 .

Web links

• Official homepage of Gwen McCrae
• Works by and about Gwen McCrae in the catalog of the German National Library
• Gwen McCrae at Allmusic (English)
• Gwen McCrae at Discogs (English)