Oscar Toney Jr.

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Oscar Toney Jr. (born 26 May 1939, Selma, Alabama, United States) is an American soul singer. [1]

Contents

Career

Toney was raised in Columbus, Georgia, United States, and sang gospel in churches while young. In his teens, he joined a gospel group called The Sensational Melodies of Joy, and after this joined secular group called The Searchers (no relation to The Searchers), who released a few singles between 1958 and 1961. [1] In 1964, Toney released a solo single, "Can it All Be Love", on King Records, but did not garner any widespread notice. [1]

Toney then began working with the record producer Papa Don Schroeder, who used Toney as a backup replacement for James & Bobby Purify when one of the two singers was unavailable for a live performance. Schroeder had Toney signed to Bell Records in 1967, and his first single, a cover of "For Your Precious Love" by Jerry Butler & the Impressions, was produced by Chips Moman. [1] The tune would be the first and most successful of Toney's four chart hits. [1] His last single was 1969's "Down in Texas" b/w "Aint That True Love", which failed to chart, and Toney left Bell when Schroeder quit the music industry.

Toney toured the UK a few times during the 1960s, brought to England by agents Henry Sellers and Danny O`Donavan. He insisted after his first tour to have the same backing band which was Merlin Q from London. Merlin Q were Dave Kerr-Clemenson on bass, Andy Locke and Wally Scott on guitars, with Eddie Richards on drums and Denis White on Hammond organ. After their first rehearsal at the Q club in Paddington, Oscar said to Sellers "you said they were good but not that good".[ citation needed ] The tour included all the Northern soul venues, such as Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester and Golden Torch in Tunstall. After the last tour Kerr-Clemson, Locke, Scott and Richards went on to become Edison Lighthouse.

In 1970, Toney released a single, "Down on My Knees", on Capricorn Records, but the tune did not chart; three more singles, all flops, followed on Capricorn, which dropped the singer in 1973. [2]

Toney's career was tenuous in America, but the British love for Northern soul resulted in a second wind. Later in the 1970s, he was signed to the British record label Contempo Records for six singles and an album, yet none of these sold well, [1] and in the 1980s Toney left the secular industry to focus on gospel again.

Discography

Albums

Collaboration: Cliff Ellis & Oscar Toney, Jr Over At Mary's Place, 2008

Singles

YearTitleChart Positions [2]
US Pop Singles US R&B Singles
1967"For Your Precious Love"234
1967"Turn On Your Love Light"6537
1968"Never Get Enough of Your Love"95–
1968"Without Love (There Is Nothing)"9047

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1183. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. 1 2 "Oscar Toney, Jr. | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved September 29, 2019.
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