Gene McDaniels was an AfricanAmerican singer, who started came to the fore as vocalist with the Les McCann Trio in Los Angeles. The son of a minister, McDaniels was born in Kansas City, Kansas. The family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he sang in gospel groups before studying at Omaha University’s music conservatory.

At 19 he took off for Los Angeles, where he sang in clubs and eventually joined pianist Les McCann’s Trio where he drew the attention of Sy Waronker of Liberty Records. Signed by Liberty, he teamed up with producer Snuff Garrett after a couple of releases and burst onto the chart scene in 1961 with the US No.3 A Hundred Pounds Of Clay. A series of hits followed through the early ‘60s, and he also became a versatile album seller, before turning to the black consciousness form later in the decade.

This 58-track collection includes all his Liberty A- and B-sides from these years, plus selected tracks from his albums In Times Like These, Sometimes I’m Happy Sometimes I’m Blue, 100 Lbs. Of Clay!, Sings Movie Memories, Tower Of Strength, and Hit After Hit. It features all his chart entries from this era including the Top 10 hits A Hundred Pounds Of Clay, Tower Of Strength and Chip Chip, plus Point Of No Return, Spanish Lace and others. On his albums, he explores a variety of musical territory, exploiting his jazz and gospel-trained voice as he performs Great American Songbook standards and his own interpretations of current hits of the day, plus classic movie songs along with new contemporary material.

He was a fine singer, whose pop hits marked him out as a distinctive song stylist, and this collection is an enjoyable showcase for that talent.

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