Charles Perry
West coast based Charles Perry is an artist that some Northern fans know
for his beautifully rendered big city ballad “Move On Love” but
if you delve a little deeper into his recording career there are other sides
worth listening to as well. I’ll Walk Through The Darkness bridges
the gap between doo-wop and soul, with Perry’s high baritone swooping
and soaring over the stop-go rhythm. Love that falsetto burst at the end
too. But
It
Doesn’t Matter Anymore is a much more serious
proposition altogether. No female chorus to get in the way of some really
high quality gospel based vocals from the man. The arrangement is low key
as well – just a small rhythm section - and that simply emphasises
just how well Perry gets his message across – and how much the song’s
title is at variance with his real feelings.
UPDATE ~ My great freind Greg Burgess has been carrying out some more excellent detective work. He writes to say that
After he cut ‘How Can I (keep from crying)’ in 1965 with Joe Jefferson producing (the same Joe Jefferson with numerous writing and producing credits in the 70s?) the trail goes cold."
As ever I'm really grateful to Greg for his first class sleuthing.
Discography
If there wasn't any you / I'll
walk through the darkness ~ MELIC 4119 (1963)
I've gotta feeling called the blues / It
doesn't matter anymore ~ MELIC 4138
(1963)
How can I / Move on love ~ MAGNUM 728 / MUTT & JEFF 16 / MGM 13621
(1965)
Note: The Mutt & Jeff 45 is considerably shorter than the Melic/MGM releases.