Thursday 24 September 2009

Ray Pollard - It's a Sad Thing

Album: N/A (United Artists, 1966) Chart pos: N/A



It’s amazing that in the UK we love to pick up and dust off what Afro-Americans discard. When the blues went out of fashion in the US, delta bluesmen flocked to the UK and were treated like musical royalty. The same happened to forgotten US soul singers when they found their music was popular among the fledgling rare soul scene that was popping up amongst the clubs in the north and the midlands. Ray Pollard was one of those as his song The Drifter was a staple of the Northern Soul scene, as well as today’s song which is his 1966 single It’s a Sad Thing. The track It’s a Sad Thing has always played second fiddle to The Drifter on the Northern Soul scene but in my opinion, the song with its sweeping strings and mariachi horns is much better single. Ray Pollard who sadly died in 2005 managed to capitalize on his success by travelling across the pond to play to the Northern Soul faithful. And despite the fact that in his lifetime he managed to produce only a few singles they will always be remembered well especially by those with a passion for rare soul.

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