Jeanette Williams (June 1, 1948 – March 25, 2022) – Something's Got A Hold On Me (1967)
This stellar Northern soul anthem by the unsung singer may have been written and produced by Andre Williams, although credited to Don Robey.
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Jeanette Williams was a singer who released several soul singles in the 1960s before becoming a jazz vocalist for the rest of her career.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Williams got her start singing at Refuge Baptist Church as a child. When she was only 14, she opened for Dionne Warwick. Early on she was also invited onstage to sing with Sarah Vaughn.
She recorded her first single in 1963 for the Indiana-based label Terry Records, owned by Tommy Wills. Its A-side was the beautiful love song “To You,” b/w the future Northern soul classic “I Can't Wait.” Both sides were written by Cincinnati guitarist Wilbert Longmire. Original copies today sell for nearly $300 on Discogs.
Williams then began recording in Detroit for Back Beat Records, which was based in Houston and owned by the notorious Don Robey who regularly ripped off the artists on his labels. See
’s excellent profile of Robey for more on his infamy. One of his standard practices was to steal songwriting credit by simply adding his name as a co-writer, whether or not he had any hand in writing a song.For Williams’ first single on Back Beat “You Didn’t Know Then” (1965), Robey was listed as a co-writer under his main pseudonym, Deadric Malone. A cover of “A Friend Of Mine” was on the flip, penned by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Joshie Jo Armstead.
Her next Back Beat record came out the following year. The laid back gem “Mr. Soft Touch” (1966) was backed with “All Of A Sudden,” another future Northern soul fave. Both sides were solely credited as having been written by “D. Malone” aka Robey, with no producer credited.
In late 1967, promo copies were issued for Williams’ latest Back Beat single, “Longing For Your Love” b/w the stellar upbeat jam “Something's Got A Hold On Me.” Again, both sides were solely credited to “D. Malone.” It was released commercially in May, 1968, and although it did not chart was destined to later become a Northern soul anthem. Original copies go for around $250 on Discogs.
Williams next released a single that was officially credited as being co-written and produced by the great unsung songwriter/producer Andre Williams, which raises the question whether he was also involved with her earlier records. Some sources say he wrote and produced all her mid to late-sixties original material, then licensed the tracks to Back Beat. The superb soul jam “Stuff” (1969) was co-credited to Williams and D. Malone, and its B-side, the gospel-flavored bluesy jam “You Gotta Come Through” was co-credited to the two of them plus Bobby Evans and Henry Boozier. “Stuff” spent five weeks on Billboard’s R&B charts, peaking at #39 in May, 1969.
The final single Williams released during the sixties was the last single she put out in her lifetime. A fantastic cover of Big Mama Thornton’s original “Hound Dog” was on the A-side, with the heartfelt soul gem “I Can Feel A Heartbreak” on the flip. Released in August, 1969, it reached #50 R&B in early 1970.
This brief taste of chart success was too little too late for Williams, who devoted the next several decades of her career to being a jazz vocalist and performing with artists including George Benson, Mary McClendon, Doc Severinsen, and Arturo Sandoval.
Happy Heavenly Birthday to the great Jeanette Williams.
Further info:
“Andre Williams Interview,” by John Battles, with Shawn Maloney and James Porter, Roctober #17, Halloween 1996.
“Jeanette Williams,” obituary, Smoot Funeral Services, March, 2022.
“Rhythm & Gangster 2: The notorious Don Robey who made his fortune with the Lord's music,” by Nelson George, The Nelson George Mixtape, July 7, 2023.
#soul #funk #DonRobey #AndreWilliams #JeanetteWilliams