Search - Billy Stewart :: One More Time (Chess Years)

Such a gifted performer; one wonders what might have been

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 06/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like Little Willie John and Jesse Belvin before him, Billy Stewart remains a largely unknown and vastly underrated figure in the history of R&B. Billy Stewart was discovered by the legendary Bo Diddley who was so impressed by his ability to play the piano that he asked Billy to join his band back in 1956. Diddley even got Stewart a recording contract with his record label Chess and Billy recorded "Billy's Blues". That one went virtually unnoticed and Billy Stewart would not venture back into the studio for another seven years.

In my opinion, "One More Time" is and always has been the best Billy Stewart collection available. For when Billy resumed recording at Chess in 1962 he made several outstanding and really unique records. Most oldies fans will probably recall a couple of Billy's earliest hits including "I Do Love You" and the magnificent "Sitting In The Park" from the golden year 1964.

But Billy wanted to appeal to a wider audience and was willing to take chances to achieve that goal. In 1966 he recorded the LP

"Billy Stewart Teaches Old Standards New Tricks". The first single released from that album was Billy's rollicking interpretation of the George Gershwin classic "Summertime". I think Ol' George would have approved. That tune would go on to become one of the surprise hits of 1966. It was dynamite! "One More Time" offers the album version of that song which is nearly five minutes long. The follow-up single to "Summertime" was Billy's remake of the great Doris Day hit "Secret Love". I have always enjoyed that one as well. Billy Stewart had about a dozen songs appear on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1969. Of the songs you are probably not familiar with I would recommend the uptempo "Because I Love You" as well as "Sugar and Spice", a tune that would remind you quite a bit of Marvin Gaye's "Pride and Joy". This should not be surprising as Marvin and Billy worked together frequently in the Washington D.C. area in the late 50's and early 60's.

"One More Time" offers the listener a nice retrospective on the tragically short career of this talented artist. In January 1970, Stewart's car ran off a road in North Carolina and plunged into a river killing him and three members of his band.

Billy Stewart was not a particularly prolific recording artist.

He much preferred performing "live" and devoted most of his energy to that. Although we can never know, Billy Stewart most likely would have wound up pursuing a career in jazz. He possessed all the attributes of a great jazz artist. If you have never heard him sing anything but his signature song "Summertime" you owe it to yourself to give this disc a listen. You will not be disappointed. Highly recommended."

He'll Live Forever...

David Wayne | Santee, CA United States | 04/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Appreciation for Billy Stewart has grown in leaps and bounds in the 30+ years since his death (when the car he was riding in careened off of a bridge and into the water below). Although he was not the prototypical standup singer, with matinee idol looks, Billy brought the goods every time he stepped on stage. His legacy of great songs and performances ("I Do Love You" "Sitting In The Park" "Cross My Heart" "Reap What You Sow" "Strange Feeling" "Fat Boy") speaks for itself. Billy remains a legend of the Beach Music scene on the East Coast, Underground Oldies on the West Coast, and the Northern Soul movement in the UK. Billy's performance of "Summertime" was probably his greatest. He had been using this arrangement of the song to win talent shows early in his career. By the time he got around to recording it in 1965, he had it nailed flat. It took a lot of moxie to turn this tender ballad from "Porgy And Bess" into a passionate, relentless, guaranteed-to-blow-the-roof-off show-stopper. But that is what Billy Stewart did: trilling his "r's," stuttering, double-talking, screaming, wailing, adding his inimitable "don'tcha-know-I-said-a-right-now" anywhere he pleased. A stunning live performer, Billy was also a writer of simple but powerful songs. He had a gift, in that the common man (or woman) could relate to him easily. Billy was also a great SINGER. The harmony he sings for himself on "I Do Love You" just blows away the male vocal group (probably The Dells) that is also backing him. He could take any song and make it truly his own, as he did on "Secret Love." Of his amazingly high-quality output, some great performances had to be left off of this CD. The one song I wish they could have included, is the touching-but-still-swinging (and autobiographical) Beach Music hit, "A Fat Boy Can Cry." Although he is long gone, Billy Stewart had a voice whose sound could never be stilled. Despite being always ready to poke fun at himself for being a "Fat Boy," Billy had a love of life and a belief in himself that was apparent to any who heard him sing, or saw him on stage. I think of Billy Stewart as a living legend, because his talent was even bigger that HE was. His sound lives on. Billy Stewart will live forever!"

The one we always forget to include

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | KCMO | 05/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Billy Stewart is the one soul/pop singer we always neglect to include when we talk about the greats of the 60's. So I will try to correct that now- Sam Cooke,Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett,Otis Redding,James Brown,Solomon Burke,Chuck Jackson,Billy Stewart,Ben E.King,Bobby Bland,and Jackie Wilson-there-now I think I will have no problems entering the pearly gates when that time comes.An absolutely marvelous singer and performer and a must for any collection."