Big Road Blues

Lula Reed, Jet Magazine, 1953

I recently got word that the fine R&B singer Lula Reed passed away on June 21st. I imagine that if blues fans know her at all it’s the same way I discovered her which is on the half-dozen sides she cut with Freddy King in 1962. In fact I still have that original record, Boy-Girl-Boy on King, the title referring to Lula Reed, Freddy King and Reed’s long time accompanist, pianist Sonny Thompson who later became Reed’s husband.  These well regarded recordings were at the end of an admirable recording career that began in 1951 and after these sides there would be just two more session for Ray Charles’ Tangerine label before Reed left the secular world behind.

Reed had a style that, like many of that period, bore the influence of Dinah Washington. At the time of her debut Reed was fully formed; she had a nasal, but not shrill voice, at once girlish and worldly that was instantly recognizable whether she was singing mellow blues ballads, gospel or tough edged R&B. Whatever she sang she made it sound so effortless and easy. Although her career ended just prior to the rise of soul music, she was one of a coterie of singers who’s style anticipated that music and it’s no stretch to imagine she would have made a fine soul singer had she stuck it out.

Reed made her debut with Sonny Thompson’s combo in December 1951 taking the vocals on two numbers, her only national hits: “Let’s Call It A Day” hit the #7 slot of the Billboard Rhythm & Blues Chart, while “I’ll Drown in My Tears” surpassed it at #5. The former song was revived by Billy Gayles and Ike Turner in 1956, while the latter, retitled “Drown in My Own Tears”,  was taken to the top of the Billboard R&B charts in early 1956 by Ray Charles for Atlantic. Before going out on her own she cut the sultry “Last Night”and “Waiting to Be Loved by You” with Thompson’s group in June 1952. Her own King debut came in October 1952 with a pair of gospel numbers (she cut one other gospel session in 1954) with her secular debut coming in April 1953. Reed recorded steadily for the label through 1956 backed all the while by Thompson’s band, notable for his terrific piano work, and some first rate material. Sadly, despite the commercial promise of her first two releases and being voted the nation’s #4 rhythm and blues singer by The Cash Box trade magazine in 1954, she never managed to equal her early success. She came close to a chart hit a few times with “Watch Dog”, “Bump On A Log” and “Rock Love” (later revived by labelmate Little Willie John). She briefly moved to the Chess subsidiary Argo in 1958-1959 (during which time King released her only solo LP Blue and Moody) but returned to the fold in 1961 on King’s Federal imprint. It was at Federal, were she waxed the above mentioned sides with Freddy King in 1962. Her final move was to Ray Charles’s Tangerine logo in 1962-1963, soon after leaving the R&B world for the church. All subsequent efforts to talk about her show business career were rebuffed.

Lula Reed is well served on reissues: Lula Reed 1951-1954 on Classics is the first of a projected three that will issue Reed’s complete output while I’ll Drown In My Own Tears on Ace collects 24 of her King numbers and finally there’s Blues And Moody, a straight reissue of her lone King LP. Sides by Reed also appear on Blue Moon’s Sonny Thompson collections: The Complete Recordings Vol. 3 1951-52, The Complete Recordings Vol. 4 1952-1954 and The Complete Recordings Vol. 5 1954-1955.

Last Night (MP3)

I’ll Drown in My Tears (MP3)

I’ll Upset You Baby (MP3)

Rock Love (MP3)

Troubles On Your Mind (MP3)

Just Whisper (MP3)

(Let Your Love) Watch Over Me [w/ Freddie King] (MP3)

It’s Easy Child [w/ Freddie King] (MP3)