Charles Collins (born June 21, 1954) – Song To Sing (1977)
The great MFSB drummer co-wrote this super funky anthem for Impact's second LP, aka the re-formed Young Vandals feat. former Temptation Damon Harris.
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Charles Collins is a drummer, percussionist, songwriter, and producer who played on many classic Philly soul albums during the 1970s.
Born in Chicago, Collins was a talented drummer starting at a young age and joined Dionne Warwick’s touring band when he was still a teenager. In 1971, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson hired him away from that gig and he became part of their backing band. He played on Simpson’s 1972 self-titled debut album, then on Ashford & Simpson’s first two LP’s, Gimme Something Real (1973) and I Wanna Be Selfish (1974).
In 1974 Collins moved to Philadelphia, and became a session drummer at Sigma Sound Studios. He soon formed friendships with other session players like guitarist T.J. Tindall, and joined his band Duke Williams And The Extremes. For their second album Fantastic Fedora (1974), released on Capricorn Records, he played drums, sang, and handled the percussion arrangements, including on the epic, funky jam “Sometimes,” co-written by Tindall and Williams.
Collins played on many notable Philly soul records over the next few years, including Blue Magic’s debut LP The Magic Of The Blue (1974) and Thirteen Blue Magic Lane (1975); Dionne Warwick’s Track Of The Cat (1975) which was produced by Thom Bell, including its epic title track; and Revelation’s 1975 gospel-disco self-titled debut LP on RSO Records, which featured the phenomenal theme song for a better world “Get Ready For This.” It was co-produced by Norman Harris, Allan Felder and Jerome Gasper, and became an underground disco anthem at influential clubs like Nicky Siano’s Gallery, Frankie Knuckles’ Warehouse, and the Music Box where DJ Ron Hardy created a legendary re-edit that reliably took the dancefloor to church.
In the mid-seventies, Collins joined the Salsoul Orchestra, which Vince Montana set up for Salsoul Records utilizing many Philly session players. But he also later became part of the second wave of MFSB musicians, the house band for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Philadelphia International Records (PIR), where many of the Salsoul Orchestra players had jumped ship from.
There he appeared on seminal late seventies PIR records like Teddy Pendergrass’ 1977 self-titled debut solo LP and several albums by Lou Rawls, Jean Carn, and the O’Jays. He played percussion on Dexter Wansel’s debut album Life On Mars (1976) and guested on his superb second LP What The World Is Coming To (1977), drumming on the beautiful track “Dreams of Tomorrow” that featured both Wansel and Jean Carn on vocals.
Collins played drums and percussion on Bobby Eli’s 1977 solo album, which was billed to (and titled) Eli’s Second Coming. Together with bassist Michael “Sugar Bear” Foreman and guitarist Dennis Harris (cousin to Eli’s fellow core original MFSB member Norman Harris), Collins co-wrote the album’s disco-funk masterpiece “Why Don'cha” which was released as the B-side to the disco love song “Heavenly.”
Collins and Keith Benson both drummed on Impact’s second album The ‘Pac Is Back (1977). Impact were a renamed lineup of The Young Vandals, Damon Harris’ original group that he put back together after being fired from the Temptations in 1975. Along with Eli, Collins co-wrote the LP’s super funky anthem “Song To Sing,” featuring superb lead vocals by Harris.
Happy 70th Birthday to the great Charles Collins.
Further info:
“Show And Studio - Charles Collins: Up Close,” by Bruce Nixon, Modern Drummer Magazine, August/Sept 1981.
“Extraordinary Drummers: Charles Collins,” interview, The Cheron Moore Show, July 30, 2022.
#soul #funk #disco #PhillySoul #MFSB #BobbyEli #CharlesCollins