Theresa Lindsey (May 23, 1944 – July 10, 2019) – I'll Bet You (1966)

The unsung singer/songwriter from Detroit co-wrote this phenomenal jam with George Clinton and Sidney Barnes, who co-produced it with Mike Terry.

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Theresa Lindsey was an unsung soul singer/songwriter who had a brief recording career on small Detroit labels in the mid to late 1960s.

Born in the western Detroit suburb of Romulus, Michigan, Lindsey first sang in church. At home she was only allowed to listen to gospel records.

In an interview with author Graham Finch, she explained what made her want to pursue a recording career:

“I decided I wanted to be a singer when Mary Wells brought out her first song, ‘Bye, Bye Baby’. Then I went to Motown - I was accepted the same day. After I was accepted my mom said – ‘No, forget it’. I was still in school and my mother wasn’t having any of that.”

After graduating high school, she returned to Detroit and auditioned as lead singer with an all-male group for Correc-Tone Records, owned by Wilbert Golden. He signed her without the group. Since she was not yet 21, she had to have a friend’s mother and a stranger she met on the street (and convinced to pose as her father) sign the contract.

Her first single was the superb jam “Gotta Find A Way,” which was released regionally in December, 1963 before being picked up for national distribution by Atlantic’s ATCO subsidiary early the following year. The laid back “Wonderful One” was on the flip, with both sides produced and arranged by Richard “Popcorn” Wylie. He co-wrote them with his writing partner Janie Bradford (who co-wrote Barrett Strong’s hit “Money (That's What I Want).” Because she worked at Motown, she used the pseudonym Nikki Todd when she co-wrote with Wylie.

Lindsey’s third single for Correc-Tone was “It's Love” (1965), written by Van McCoy. Its B-side was the upbeat jam “Good Idea” which was written by Motown songwriter William Weatherspoon, arranged by Sonny Sanders, and produced by Joe Huffman and label owner Wilbert Golden.

Correc-Tone went bankrupt, and Golden helped Lindsey get signed with Eddie Wingate’s Golden World. For her debut single on the label, she co-wrote a new song with George Clinton and Sidney Barnes. “I’ll Bet You” (1966) was co-produced by Geo-Si-Mik, aka Clinton, Barnes, and Motown Funk Brother saxophonist Mike Terry (Jack Ashford’s songwriting and production partner), who also arranged the track. With recently minted Funk Brother Dennis Coffey on guitar, the result was a funky Detroit soul masterpiece.

On the flip was the laid back “Daddy-O,” co-written and produced by Don Davis and Billy Jackson, aka Gene Dozier.

Happy 80th Heavenly Birthday to Theresa Lindsey.

Further info:

“Correc-Tone / Theresa,” by Graham Finch, SoulfulDetroit.com.

“Theresa Lindsey RIP,” by David Meikle, SoulSource.co.uk, July 15, 2019.

#soul #funk #Detroit #GoldenWorld #GeorgeClinton #MikeTerry #TheresaLindsey