Taylor, Ted
Somebody's Always Trying
A compilation of Okeh 7"s. Ted Taylor was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, but in the early 1950s he moved to California, where he became a member of several gospel vocal groups. He became the tenor singer of the Soul Seekers from Santa Monica, who secured a couple of record contracts and ended up recording as The Cadets on the Modern label and as The Jacks on the subsidiary label RPM. Taylor sang lead vocals in their performances until he left the group before they recorded their biggest hit, Stranded In The Jungle, to pursue a solo career. He released records on various different labels until he arrived at Duke Records, where he recorded his first classic tracks. His vocal style was influenced by Little Willie John, Clyde McPhatter, and Jackie Wilson. Despite having only one national hit, Taylor's recordings have become highly appreciated. By the mid-'60s, MC5 used his arrangement of '(Love Is Like) A Ramblin' Rose' as the basis for their version. MC5's cover opens the band's debut album 'Kick Out The Jams,' sung in falsetto by Wayne Kramer, which delivers Taylor's incredible tenor voice. Comes with obi.