Vickie Labat

One of my missions for this website is to flip over some Northern and funk 45s to give some publicity to the deep ballads that often lurk unnoticed. And the only 45 that New Orleans singer Vickie Labat recorded - which now commands an eye watering price - is a classic case in point. While "Got To Keep Hanging On" is a pleasant easy swaying Crescent City beat ballad, ListenWhen You're In Love is in a different class altogether. This melodic and highly effective deep soul track has a lot of really good things going on. The tasteful piano for a start, that typical plodding NOLA beat, the arpeggio guitar work, and the fat horns. Vickie and her backing vocalists deliver the goods really well. It will come as no surprise at all to learn that the whole thing was put together by the great Wardell Quzergue himself, now sadly passed on. As indeed is that old rogue Senator Jones on whose Shagg label the tracks were issued.

Discography

Got to keep hanging on / ListenWhen you're in love ~ SHAGG 712 (1968)

Note ~ You can findboth sides of the Shagg 45 on the Funky Delicacies CD "Sixty Smokin' Soul Senders", which is chock full of wonderful music from the Big Q but can't sadly really be recommend for a variety of reasons including business ethics and sound quality.

 

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