Lee Bernard

Like the excellent Claude Shermack, Lee Bernard had a couple of 45s on Eddie Shuler’s celebrated Goldband label out of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Shuler was a hillbilly musician himself but his label came to major in Cajun sounds. However, he also cut some swamp pop (notably the wonderful Cookie & The Cupcakes), country and the odd dab of blues.


Even though the sister label Anla was established ostensibly as a pure soul concern, some tracks from which you can see / listen to from Ike Porter, Big Daddy Green and Soul Shouting Tommy for example, some deep soul did appear on the main Goldband imprint as you can hear on this page.



Lee Bernard's initial release featured the excellent ballad Don’t Drive Me Deeper on which his expressive dark vocal is matched by the splendid big horn rich accompaniment – just love the prominent baritone sax. Could this be provided by the Boogie Kings? Sounds very like them. The official top side “Getting Out Of Town” has some fans for its funky feel.



Bernard’s other 45 is even better. As with the previous effort both sides were penned by Lee himself and are so close in approach all four of them might have been cut at the same session. Our Love Will Always Be is a bluesy deep soul ballad of power and emotion, led strongly by Lee’s tortured, gospel drenched tones. Superb. The flip “Turn Around And Go” has been anthologised in a couple of funk reissue compilations.

 

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