Jump to content

Bessie Banks: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
 
(19 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 2: Line 2:
{{for|the American actress and screenwriter|Bessie Banks (actress)}}
{{for|the American actress and screenwriter|Bessie Banks (actress)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bessie Banks
| name = Bessie Banks
| image =
| image =
| caption =
| caption =
| image_size =
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Bessie White
| birth_name = Bessie White
| alias = Toni Banks
| alias = Toni Banks
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|2|8}}
⚫
| death_date =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|2|8}}
⚫
| birth_place = [[New Bern]], [[North Carolina]], United States
⚫
| death_date =
⚫
| instrument =
⚫
| birth_place = [[New Bern]], [[North Carolina]], United States
| instrument =
| genre = [[R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]]
| genre = [[R&B]], [[Soul music|soul]]
| occupation = Singer
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1957–1974
⚫
| label = [[Blue Cat Records|Blue Cat]], Spokane, [[Verve Records|Verve]], [[Volt Records|Volt]]
| years_active = 1957–1974
⚫
| associated_acts = [[The Four Fellows (doo-wop group)|The Four Fellows]]<br>[[Larry Banks]]
⚫
| label = [[Blue Cat Records|Blue Cat]], Spokane, [[Verve Records|Verve]], [[Volt Records|Volt]]
| website =
⚫
| associated_acts = [[The Four Fellows (doo-wop group)|The Four Fellows]]<br>[[Larry Banks]]
| current_members =
⚫
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members =
| past_members =
}}
}}


'''Bessie Banks''' (born February 8, 1938)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://darcysfeelit.blogspot.com/2011/02/hens-tooth.html|title=Feel It: A hen's tooth?|last=Darcy|date=February 9, 2011|website=Feel It|access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> is an American [[Soul music|soul]] singer, best known for her original 1964 recording of "[[Go Now (song)|Go Now]]," successfully covered in the same year by UK band [[the Moody Blues]].
'''Bessie Banks''' (born February 8, 1938)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://darcysfeelit.blogspot.com/2011/02/hens-tooth.html|title=Feel It: A hen's tooth?|last=Darcy|date=February 9, 2011|website=Feel It|access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> is an American [[rhythm and blues ]] and [[Soul music|soul]] singer, best known for her original 1964 recording of "[[Go Now (song)|Go Now]]," successfully covered in the same year by UK band [[the Moody Blues]].


==Life and career==
==Life and career==
She was born '''Bessie White''' in [[New Bern]], [[North Carolina]], and later raised in [[Brooklyn]], New York City. In the mid-1950s, she began singing with a quartet called Three Guys and a Doll. While a member of the group, she met singer [[Larry Banks]]; they married on stage at the Royal Theatre in Baltimore around 1955.<ref name=croasdell>[http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=619206 Sleevenotes by Ady Croasdell for ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'']</ref> She performed and recorded as '''Toni Banks''' during the mid-1950s, including the 1957 single "You're Still in My Heart", on which she was backed by the [[The Four Fellows (doo-wop group)|Four Fellows]].<ref name="Eder">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p183953/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Bessie Banks|last=Eder|first=Bruce|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=July 6, 2010}}</ref> In 1959, she and Larry recorded as members of the Companions, releasing a single "Why Oh Why Baby" on the [[Federal Records|Federal]] label.<ref name=croasdell/>
She was born '''Bessie White''' in [[New Bern]], [[North Carolina]], and later raised in [[Brooklyn]], New York City. In the mid-1950s, she began singing with a quartet called Three Guys and a Doll. While a member of the group, she met singer [[Larry Banks]]; they married on stage at the Royal Theatre in Baltimore around 1955.<ref name=croasdell>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandID=619206|title=Larry and Jaibi|access-date=September 20, 2023|website=Soundclick.com}}</ref> She performed and recorded as '''Toni Banks''' during the mid-1950s, including the 1957 single "You're Still in My Heart", on which she was backed by the [[The Four Fellows (doo-wop group)|Four Fellows]].<ref name="Eder">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p183953/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Bessie Banks|last=Eder|first=Bruce|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 6, 2010}}</ref> In 1959, she and Larry recorded as members of the Companions, releasing a single "Why Oh Why Baby" on the [[Federal Records|Federal]] label.<ref name=croasdell/>


Taking back the name Bessie Banks, she recorded as a solo singer in the first half of the 1960s, starting with "Do It Now" in 1963 on the Spokane Records label. The single reached #40 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|''Billboard'' R&B chart]] in March 1964.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/bessie-banks|title=Bessie Banks|last=|first=|date=|website=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> Although she and Larry Banks separated and later divorced, they continued to work together. In late 1963, Larry and Bessie decided to make a new push to establish her with a song that Larry had written specifically for the purpose of breaking her nationally: "Go Now".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americansingingg00warn|url-access=registration|title=American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today|last=Warner|first=Jay|date=January 1, 2006|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9780634099786|language=en}}</ref> [[Jerry Leiber]] and [[Mike Stoller]] produced the recording, which first appeared on their Tiger Records label (catalog number TI-102). It was slated for issue on the [[Blue Cat Records|Blue Cat]] label (as BC-106), the R&B/soul imprint of [[Red Bird Records|Red Bird]]. The song was arranged by Gary Sherman, with [[Cissy Houston]] as one of the backing singers.<ref name=croasdell/>
Taking back the name Bessie Banks, she recorded as a solo singer in the first half of the 1960s, starting with "Do It Now" in 1963 on the Spokane Records label. The single reached #40 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|''Billboard'' R&B chart]] in March 1964.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/bessie-banks|title=Bessie Banks|last=|first=|date=|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113053520/https://www.billboard.com/music/bessie-banks |archive-date=January 13, 2020 |access-date=}}</ref> Although she and Larry Banks separated and later divorced, they continued to work together. In late 1963, Larry and Bessie decided to make a new push to establish her with a song that Larry had written specifically for the purpose of breaking her nationally: "Go Now".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americansingingg00warn|url-access=registration|title=American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today|last=Warner|first=Jay|date=January 1, 2006|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9780634099786|language=en}}</ref> [[Jerry Leiber]] and [[Mike Stoller]] produced the recording, which first appeared on their Tiger Records label (catalog number TI-102). It was slated for issue on the [[Blue Cat Records|Blue Cat]] label (as BC-106), the R&B/soul imprint of [[Red Bird Records|Red Bird]]. The song was arranged by Gary Sherman, with [[Cissy Houston]] and [[Dee Dee Warwick]] as of the backing singers.<ref name=croasdell/>


Bessie Banks later commented:<blockquote>"'I remember 1963 Kennedy was assassinated; it was announced over the radio. At the time, I was rehearsing in the office of Leiber and Stoller. We called it a day. Everyone was in tears. "Come back next week and we will be ready to record 'Go Now'"; and we did so. I was happy and excited that maybe this time I’ll make it. 'Go Now' was released and right away it was chosen Pick Hit of the Week on W.I.N.S. Radio. That means your record is played for seven days. Four days went by, I was so thrilled. On day five, when I heard the first line, I thought it was me, but all of a sudden, I realized it wasn’t. At the end of the song it was announced, "[[the Moody Blues]] singing 'Go Now'". I was too out-done. This was the time of the [[British Invasion|English Invasion]] and the end of Bessie Banks’ career, so I thought. America's DJs had stopped promoting American artists."<ref name=croasdell/></blockquote>
Bessie Banks later commented:<blockquote>"'I remember 1963 Kennedy was assassinated; it was announced over the radio. At the time, I was rehearsing in the office of Leiber and Stoller. We called it a day. Everyone was in tears. "Come back next week and we will be ready to record 'Go Now'"; and we did so. I was happy and excited that maybe this time I’ll make it. 'Go Now' was released and right away it was chosen Pick Hit of the Week on W.I.N.S. Radio. That means your record is played for seven days. Four days went by, I was so thrilled. On day five, when I heard the first line, I thought it was me, but all of a sudden, I realized it wasn’t. At the end of the song it was announced, "[[the Moody Blues]] singing 'Go Now'". I was too out-done. This was the time of the [[British Invasion|English Invasion]] and the end of Bessie Banks’ career, so I thought. America's DJs had stopped promoting American artists."<ref name=croasdell/></blockquote>


Banks' recollections are questionable because her single was released in the US in January 1964, and the Moody Blues' version was not released until November 1964 (in the UK) and January 1965 in the US.
Banks' single was released in the US in January 1964. The Moody Blues' version was released in November (in the UK), and in the United States the following January.


She returned to the studio in early 1967, recording the single "I Can't Make It (Without You Baby)" for the [[Verve Records|Verve]] label. In 1974, she recorded singles for the [[Volt Records|Volt]] label, including "Try to Leave Me if You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)" and "(Don't You Worry Baby) The Best Is Yet to Come".
She returned to the studio in early 1967, recording the single "I Can't Make It (Without You Baby)" for the [[Verve Records|Verve]] label. In 1974, she recorded singles for the [[Volt Records|Volt]] label, including "Try to Leave Me if You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)" and "(Don't You Worry Baby) The Best Is Yet to Come".


Larry Banks also recorded under his own name, and both recorded with and produced his second wife Joan, who recorded as [[Jaibi]]. A compilation of recordings, including those by Bessie Banks, was issued as ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'' by [[Ace Records (UK)|Ace Records]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jaibi|title=Jaibi|publisher=discogs|access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> At that time, it was reported that Bessie Banks "continues to sing though she confines herself to gospel music now."<ref name=croasdell/>
Larry Banks also recorded under his own name, and both recorded with and produced his second wife Joan, who recorded as [[Jaibi]]. A compilation of recordings, including those by Bessie Banks, was issued as ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'' by [[Ace Records (UK)|Ace Records]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jaibi|title=Jaibi|website=Discogs.com|access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> At that time, it was reported that Bessie Banks "continues to sing though she confines herself to gospel music now."<ref name=croasdell/>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs artist|Bessie Banks}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Bessie}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Bessie}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:American soul singers]]
[[Category:American soul singers]]
[[Category:African-American female singers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from New Bern, North Carolina]]
[[Category:People from New Bern, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Verve Records artists]]
[[Category:Verve Records artists]]
[[Category:Singers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:Singers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American women singers]]

Latest revision as of 02:23, 2 August 2024

For the American actress and screenwriter, see Bessie Banks (actress).

Bessie Banks
Birth nameBessie White
Also known asToni Banks
Born (1938-02-08) February 8, 1938 (age 86)
New Bern, North Carolina, United States
GenresR&B, soul
OccupationSinger
Years active1957–1974
LabelsBlue Cat, Spokane, Verve, Volt

Bessie Banks (born February 8, 1938)[1] is an American rhythm and blues and soul singer, best known for her original 1964 recording of "Go Now," successfully covered in the same year by UK band the Moody Blues.

Life and career

[edit]

She was born Bessie White in New Bern, North Carolina, and later raised in Brooklyn, New York City. In the mid-1950s, she began singing with a quartet called Three Guys and a Doll. While a member of the group, she met singer Larry Banks; they married on stage at the Royal Theatre in Baltimore around 1955.[2] She performed and recorded as Toni Banks during the mid-1950s, including the 1957 single "You're Still in My Heart", on which she was backed by the Four Fellows.[3] In 1959, she and Larry recorded as members of the Companions, releasing a single "Why Oh Why Baby" on the Federal label.[2]

Taking back the name Bessie Banks, she recorded as a solo singer in the first half of the 1960s, starting with "Do It Now" in 1963 on the Spokane Records label. The single reached #40 on the Billboard R&B chart in March 1964.[4] Although she and Larry Banks separated and later divorced, they continued to work together. In late 1963, Larry and Bessie decided to make a new push to establish her with a song that Larry had written specifically for the purpose of breaking her nationally: "Go Now".[5] Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced the recording, which first appeared on their Tiger Records label (catalog number TI-102). It was slated for issue on the Blue Cat label (as BC-106), the R&B/soul imprint of Red Bird. The song was arranged by Gary Sherman, with Cissy Houston and Dee Dee Warwick as of the backing singers.[2]

Bessie Banks later commented:

"'I remember 1963 Kennedy was assassinated; it was announced over the radio. At the time, I was rehearsing in the office of Leiber and Stoller. We called it a day. Everyone was in tears. "Come back next week and we will be ready to record 'Go Now'"; and we did so. I was happy and excited that maybe this time I’ll make it. 'Go Now' was released and right away it was chosen Pick Hit of the Week on W.I.N.S. Radio. That means your record is played for seven days. Four days went by, I was so thrilled. On day five, when I heard the first line, I thought it was me, but all of a sudden, I realized it wasn’t. At the end of the song it was announced, "the Moody Blues singing 'Go Now'". I was too out-done. This was the time of the English Invasion and the end of Bessie Banks’ career, so I thought. America's DJs had stopped promoting American artists."[2]

Banks' single was released in the US in January 1964. The Moody Blues' version was released in November (in the UK), and in the United States the following January.

She returned to the studio in early 1967, recording the single "I Can't Make It (Without You Baby)" for the Verve label. In 1974, she recorded singles for the Volt label, including "Try to Leave Me if You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)" and "(Don't You Worry Baby) The Best Is Yet to Come".

Larry Banks also recorded under his own name, and both recorded with and produced his second wife Joan, who recorded as Jaibi. A compilation of recordings, including those by Bessie Banks, was issued as Larry Banks' Soul Family Album by Ace Records in 2007.[6] At that time, it was reported that Bessie Banks "continues to sing though she confines herself to gospel music now."[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Darcy (February 9, 2011). "Feel It: A hen's tooth?". Feel It. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Larry and Jaibi". Soundclick.com. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Biography: Bessie Banks". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
  4. ^ "Bessie Banks". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020.
  5. ^ Warner, Jay (January 1, 2006). American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780634099786.
  6. ^ "Jaibi". Discogs.com. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Bessie_Banks&oldid=1238090484"