Willie Clayton (born March 29, 1955) – It's Time You Made Up Your Mind (1974)
This funky soul gem was Clayton's debut single on the Hi Records subsidiary Pawn, co-written by Ann Peebles' husband Don Bryant and produced by Willie Mitchell.
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Willie Clayton is a singer who found fame over the past two decades with his best-selling blues albums. His recording career began at Hi Records, where he was one of the most prominent artists on their Pawn subsidiary in the mid-1970s.
Originally from Mississippi, where he recorded his first single at the age of 14, Clayton moved to Chicago two years later. He sang in local clubs before being introduced to producer Willie Mitchell, who was running the Memphis-based Hi Records at the time. Clayton was given a recording deal with its sub-label Pawn, and recorded several singles with Mitchell. None of them charted.
Clayton’s stellar, overlooked first single on Pawn was the funky soul gem “It's Time You Made Up Your Mind.” It was produced by Mitchell, and released in 1974.
“It's Time You Made Up Your Mind” was co-written by Darryl Carter, Earl Randle, and Ann Peebles' husband Don Bryant.
After his time on Pawn, Clayton released the very funky single “Rock You” (1980) on the Chicago-based Good Luck label, which was produced by its owner, the former Curtom Records songwriter Maurice Commander. Clayton recorded for a number of different labels in the 80s and 90s, including Compleat Records, Polydor, and Ichiban Records.
Since the late nineties, Clayton’s career has had a very successful second act with a string of hit blues albums.
Happy Birthday to the great Willie Clayton!
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