(Margaret Nash)
Australia
#25 Sydney #29 Melbourne #25 Brisbane #8 Adelaide #14 Perth
Single on Columbia by Beatles-influenced Adelaide band who had several hits around the country 1966-68, from a repertoire that included band originals (If She Finds Out, Young Girl, Cathy Come Home) as well as cover versions (Larry Williams’s Bad Boy, The Velvelettes’ Needle In A Haystack).
The Twilights relocated to Melbourne in 1965. After winning the national Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds in July 1966 they recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London: see What’s Wrong With The Way I Live.
See also the B-side Yes I Will.
References, further reading: 1. Milesago’s detailed Twilights history adds a 1982 memoir by Twilights singer Glenn Shorrock and a personal appreciation by Paul Culnane. 2. The Twilights at Howlspace [archived]. 3. Ian McFarlane, The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop (1999), pp. 652-654.
(Margaret Nash)
USA
Original version
Single on Jocida, produced by Johnny Nash whose own, later version from 1968 charted in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Written by Margaret ‘Cissy’ Nash, Johnny’s wife, although his own version (1968) credits him as writer.
Bill Johnson was a gospel-r&b-soul singer (b.1932) known early on as Blues Boy Johnson. His early recordings as Bill Johnson included those on Talos with The Four Steps Of Rhythm (1959), and on Sun with the The Gene Lowery Singers (1960).
In the mid-60s he teamed up with Sam Gary as Sam & Bill. In 1965 they released a single on Karate and then signed with Joda. This solo single dates from that period.
There were further Sam & Bill singles 1967-71 after Sam Davis replaced Sam Gary.
References, further reading: 1. Sam & Bill history at Sir Shambling’s Deep Soul Heaven. 2. Bill Johnson records at 45cat.com. 3. Sam & Bill at All Music. 4. Discussion about Sam & Bill and Bill Johnson at SoulfulDetroit.com Forum.
The Jocida label was a subsidiary of JoDa, the New York label founded by Johnny Nash and Danny Sims in 1965. Jocida was named from Johnny-Cissy-Danny, just as JoDa is from Johnny-Danny. There was also a Jomada label, from Johnny-Margaret-Danny. JoDa was later renamed JAD (see next entry).
(Margaret Nash [credited here to Johnny Nash])
USA
Later version
#58 USA #6 UK #30 Brisbane #22 Adelaide
Released December 1968, charted mostly in 1969.
Single on JAD, arranged by Arthur Jenkins, produced by Jenkins & Nash.
JAD was the JoDa label renamed to include accompanist, musical director and arranger Arthur Jenkins with JoDa founders Johnny Nash and Danny Sims.
Texas-born singer-songwriter-actor–producer–label owner Johnny Nash (1940-2020) did much to popularise the proto-reggae styles of ska and rocksteady. He had released records since the late 1950s, first charting with A Very Special Love (1958, #23 USA), but when his singles charted in Jamaica from 1965, he ended up recording his first big hit there, the rocksteady-style Hold Me Tight (1968, #5 USA #5 UK).
Nash subsequently became involved early in the international careers of such Jamaican artists as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh by signing them to his New York label in the late 60s. Marley’s first US release was in 1968 on Nash’s JAD label, a track by Bob, Rita & Peter (Marley, Marley & Tosh). Nash’s third-biggest US hit was with a Bob Marley composition that dated from a 1967 demo, Stir It Up (charted 1973, #12 USA, #13 UK), later released by Marley himself.
Nash’s biggest hit was the reggae-influenced I Can See Clearly Now (1972, #1 USA #5 UK), now a much-recorded standard, notably revived by reggae singer Jimmy Cliff in 1993 (#18 USA).
References, further reading: 1. Johnny Nash biography by Jason Ankeny at All Music is a good brief overview of a complex career. 2. The Johnny Nash article at Wikipedia has other details, although it has been tagged for needing additional citations [2017]. 3. Good Johnny Nash career overview in Houston Chronicle, 2012: Johnny Nash’s career ‘Clearly’ had more depth than one song.
(Margaret Nash [credited here to Johnny Nash])
Australia
Later version
On EP Five Great Gift Ideas from The Reels.
The Reels were an eclectic new-wavish pop band from Sydney who charted in 1979-80 with Love Will Find A Way. Their repertoire included some interesting arrangements of unexpected songs, but they’re often remembered now for something altogether different, the haunting Quasimodo’s Dream, written by Reels front man David Mason. See also According To My Heart (1980 #15 Sydney #9 Brisbane #33 Adelaide #6 NZ) and The Real Thing.
(Eddie Curtis)
USA
Red herring
Same title but not the same song as ‘You Got Soul’ by The
Twilights.
(Perry Ford)
UK
Red herring
Same title but not the same song as ‘You Got Soul’ by The
Twilights.
Single on CBS, also in the USA on Epic. Writer is, I assume, the same Perry Ford who was in The Ivy League with John Carter and Ken Lewis. See, for example Bobby & Laurie’s Sweet And Tender Romance.
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