It hurts so good - MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND 100

Katie Love

Katie Love – whose real name was Katie Lynch - may well have come from the Sunshine State of Florida if her early, rather poppy 45 on Dade is any indication. Although ListenHurt So Good is best known by the version that Millie Jackson took to the top 3 soul chart, this version, beautifully produced by Roger Hawkins and George Soule, is arguably the best. Wand picked it up after a first issue on Muscle Shoals Sound Records, and Love’s little girl vocals give a vivid interpretation of this masochist’s anthem.

Both sides of her only Stax 45 are good uptempo southern with a funk slant from MSS. “How Can You Mistreat The One You Love” is the better song.

UPDATE ~ Bob Abrahamian has written with the intriguing suggestion that Amanda Humphrey might be the same singer as Katie Love. He points to the fact that Amanda and Katie both recorded "The Power Of Love", and notes similarities in their vocal style. Looking at the Dade release Bob is sure it was a "bought in" single recorded in Chicago. He also links Amanda Love who cut "You Keep Calling Me By Her Name" / "I Don't Mind" (Starville 1203 / Chess 2003) as the same artist as well.

Well this is very interesting and I've sought the advice of more experts. Jeff Lemlich who knows more about Miami soul than anybody says that it could well have been "bought in" by Henry Stone as the number of the release (Dade 5005) is right in the middle of a run of such 45s. But he doesn't recognise the disc as being from Chicago necessarily.

My friend Naoya Yamauchi says that he thinks it unlikely that Katie Love is the same singer as her real name was Katie Lynch and she came from Atlanta, GA. Naoya also mentions an earlier release for Amanda's "Power Of Love" disc now included in the discography.

My own view, based solely on my ears, is that Amanda Love and Amanda Humphrey could well be the same person. But Katie Love's voice sounds quite different to me - a higher register for a start and a lighter tone.

I'm very grateful to all the participants in this mystery. Can anybody shed any further light on it?

Discography

You gotta change / The power of love ~ DADE 5005 (1963)
ListenIt hurts so good / Don't let it go to your head ~ MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND 100 / SCEPTER 12304 (1971)
How can you mistreat the one you love / You made your bed ~ STAX 0151 (1972)

 

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