Search - Faye Adams :: Herald Recordings

One of the 50's divas

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | KCMO | 04/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 50's R&B scene were ruled by 5 divas- Dinah Washington,Ruth Brown,Laverne Baker,Little Esther with Johny Otis's Band and this young lady-Faye Adams. I can't describe to you the reaction I get when I play " Shake a hand" on my radio show or at my oldies nites in clubs. It is easily one of the most powerful and recognizable R&B songs of the entire decade of the 50's. And what a performance from Faye- a powerhouse of a vocalist. If you could only afford 3 songs in your entire collection reflecting 50's R&B and you included in that frugal collection "Pledging my love" by Johnny Ace, "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke and "Shake a hand" from Faye Adams as far as impact and recognizability these 3 attained you would need no more- for your collection would be richly complete. This cd also contains her other 2 R&B smashes "Hurts me to my heart" and "I'll be true to you ". Another piece of R&B and Rock n Roll history that's worth the price of gold coins in a velvet pouch."

Soul Singer Surpassed By None

L. E STOTTLEMEYER | 08/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shake A Hand - to me one of the finest R&B offerings EVER - topped those charts in the late summer of 1953 for TEN straight weeks and stayed around for 21 weeks all told. Surely one of the most eloquent and earliest appeals for racial harmony and brotherly love, with the backing of Joe Morris & His Orchestra it even crossed over into the Billboard Pop charts at # 22 which was a rarity for such songs in those days. In fact, it made such an impact that the lovely flipside, I've Gotta Leave You, was sadly overlooked (here as well since Collectables decided not to include it).



In later years Mike Pedecin would take Shake A Hand to # 71 Billboard Top 100 in 1958, LaVern Baker would demonstrate Faye's influence on her own singing style with a # 13 R&B rendition in 1960, Ruth Brown with a # 97 Hot 100 in 1962, and the duo of Jackie Wilson and Linda Hopkins taking it to # 21 R&B and # 42 Hot 100 in 1963.



In December 1953 Faye and Morris were back with I'll Be True (To You) which, b/w Happiness To My Soul (not here), became another # 1 R&B early in 1954 (covered in this period by Bill Haley & His Comets). Her final charter with Herald, and again a # 1 R&B, was Hurts Me To My Heart, and in late summer 1954 it stayed at that position for five weeks and on the charts for 18 b/w Ain't Gonna Tell (another omission here).



Shut out in 1955 and 1956, Faye came back with what was to be her final singles hit after moving to the Imperial label. Keeper Of My Heart b/w So Much, topped out at # 13 R&B in June 1957. Unfortunately, neither is on this compilation or any other CD that I can determine.



Born Faye Tuell in 1923 in Newark, New Jersey, she first performed with The Joe Morris Blues Cavalcade towards the end of 1952, and also sang with the Joe Morris Orchestra as Fay Scruggs on some Atlantic cuts, none of which charted. She also tried, again unsuccessfully, to revive her solo career with the Lido, Savoy, Warwick and Prestige labels. One can only wonder what the history would be had she been fortunate enough to hook up with one of the major recording companies.



An absolute must for any serious collector of the early Fifties' greatest influences."