David Nathan: I want to welcome, for all those listening at soulmusic.com, let’s give a warm and wonderful welcome to the soulful, Miss Gloria Scott, all the way in L.A.
Gloria Scott: Hi, everybody. You’re in L.A.?
DN: No, I said you’re in L.A.
GS: No, I’m not.
DN: Oh, you’re not in L.A.? Where are you?
GS: I’m in a little town called Modesto.
DN: Oh, okay. I actually do know where that is, and I assumed you were in Los Angeles, well this is what happens.
GS: I used to live there, but you know how things go.
DN: Yes I do, I do. How do you like living there?
GS: It’s okay (laughs).
DN: Well, obviously the main focus of our talking today is the re-issue of your Casablanca album What Am I Gonna Do. Now this is actually, as I understand, the 3rd time it’s been re-issued.
GS: Yes, of course, it’s not the first time.
DN: The first time, of course was in Japan, and then it was re-issued at some point in Europe, and this is its first American re-issue, is that correct?
GS: Correct.
DN: Alright, well let’s talk a little bit about the history of that album, and then let’s bring everyone up to date with your current activities, and what you’ve been up to. Of course, I had the great opportunity to see you a few months ago in Germany, so we’ll definitely be talking about that, but let’s start out, for those who may not be familiar, with a little bit of the history of how you came to make that album, What Am I Gonna Do, with Barry White.
GS: Well, I like talking about that, because I had gone to his office because a friend of mine had told me that he knew someone who wanted to hear some songs that we had written together. His name was Sunny Chaney, and he’s passed on now, and so when I got back to L.A., we went to Barry’s office in Hollywood, right there on Sunset Boulevard. I started playing the songs that we had written, and at the end of the session, he said ‘Well, I want to sign you as an artist’, and I was very excited about it, because I had no idea that he was going to like my voice, so it went on from there, and we recorded What Am I Gonna Do, and also recorded a 2nd album.
DN: Okay, we’ll definitely talk about that in a moment, for sure, but had you planned to become a recording artist at that point?
GS: Well, that had always been a dream of mine, to be a recording artist, and I had one attempt at it with Sly Stone when he was a DJ in the Bay Area, in San Francisco, and he was the first one who really took me into the studio, and we recorded a record called ‘I Taught Him’, and along with some other songs too.
DN: Did those ever come out? Were they ever released?
GS: Yes, he used to play it. He was a DJ on KDIA Radio, and he played the record there and I used to hear it on the radio when I was 17. They were playing my song! He used to take me around the Bay Area, to different places, they used to call them sock hops at that time. I remember one of the guys that used to frequent the venues was Bobby Freeman, and when he heard my song, ‘I Taught Him’, he said ‘I want you to write a song just like that for me!’ and Sly wrote ‘Swim’. That’s how that came about.
DN: Wow, so you were a part of that. So those records were released. Do you know what label they were on?
GS: I don’t remember, but I think if you look at Sly’s web page, you’ll see those records on there. I think there’s another one called ‘Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You’, and a couple of other ones I don’t actually recall right now. I also had the opportunity to work at the Countdowns in San Francisco, and on the show was Marvin Gaye, and Betty Everett, and I had backup girls, actually Sly and his sister Rose, and his cousin LaTanya, so they were my backup. The Tonettes.
DN: That’s pretty amazing. So was that under your name, Gloria Scott?
GS: Yes. Gloria Scott & The Tonettes.
DN: Oh, wow! So you’ve worked with some pretty amazing people. Sly Stone to Barry White. That’s not a bad combination.
GS: I think so, and all in between. I had the opportunity to work with Mary Wilson after Diana Ross left The Supremes, and I worked with John Cougar, and I worked with Johnny Otis, Hal Davis out of Motown Records, and probably some other people who don’t come to mind right now. Oh, Ike & Tina Turner!
DN: Oh, really? So you did quite a lot of things, apparently. I wasn’t aware of all those aspects of your career, but tell me, how were the actual sessions with Barry White? What were they like?
GS: Well, he would say, ‘Gloria, I want you to sing this song exactly like I’m singing it’ (laughs), and I thought that was something. Wow, how come I can’t put a little bit of me in there, you know? Actually I didn’t. It just seemed like I was so restricted. Everything had to be his way, or no way, you know? So, I didn’t really get an opportunity with him to stretch my vocal ability, and I think at that time, I was probably searching myself and finding my own identity anyway. So, at that time, it was kind of like I was finding Gloria Scott, and I think that after a while I did, but at that time I was being discovered.
DN: Did you like any of the songs?
GS: I loved the songs. I liked them then and I still do now to this day, after I don’t know how many years, but it’s quite a few, and it seems like I’m not the only one who thinks those songs were great. When we were in Germany, there seemed to be quite a few people who still liked the album, or just finding out about it and liking it to this day.
DN: What’s so amazing, is that all these years later people are discovering it, but at the time that it came out, did it get any kind of sales response, or did it get any airplay?
GS: Well, you know, I did Soul Train, and there were a couple of other things that I was supposed to do, but it seemed like Barry was really hot at the time, and I think I got set aside because he didn’t really have the time to promote it like it should have been promoted. It was really frustrating at the time, and after 6 years, I finally left, and I didn’t understand why he didn’t go out and promote it, because it just seemed like it got quite a bit of airplay and mentions in the trade magazines, you know, being on the charts. To my understanding, it got to #1 in Billboard, or one of those major magazines, and I just don’t understand why he didn’t promote me. It’s still a mystery.
DN: I Gotcha.
GS: The music was highly produced, and it needed some direction, you know nothing just happens on it’s own with music. Not that I know of. I don’t know much about the promotions business, but I know that it didn’t get the proper attention.
DN: Now you mentioned, or made a reference to a 2nd album. Did you begin working on it, or did you do a complete 2nd album?
GS: To my knowledge, it was completed, and one song was released ‘Just As Long As We’re Together’, which was probably bigger than ‘What Am I Gonna Do’. That’s the one I sang that got me to Soul Train, actually.
DN: Really? But the 2nd album just never came out? Do you remember any of the songs that were on there?
GS: It never did. There were songs I remember more clearly than others, called ‘There is No Cure For Me’, ‘As Long As We’re Together’, and ‘Is It Really True Boy’; I think Love Unlimited did that one. I was going to re-record it and I can’t remember any of the other ones at this time, but another friend of mine had found the titles to that album but they wouldn’t let him release it. I don’t know what they’re going to do with it.
DN: That’s a shame.
GS: It is.
DN: How would you say your association with Barry White ended? Did it end well, or not so well?
GS: It did not end well. I remember the day I went to him and asked him for a release, and I was very emotional. It was very heartbreaking for me to ask him, and I remember at the time he said ‘Well, I was going to do this for you’, and I didn’t understand, because if he was going to do something, why didn’t he just say ‘hold on, just wait and we’ll do it for you’? But he didn’t. He just let me go. I think he should have been more understanding about how I felt, because I waited around 6 years at that record company, and there was just not much happening, but he had a lot of contacts, and I think I felt like a misplaced child that wasn’t getting the attention that I needed. You know what I mean? I felt very abused, like I wasn’t getting enough. I don’t want to get too emotional about this, but you know, it gets me stirred up inside, and a friend of mine says I’m not bitter, but sometimes I do feel a little tender about it, you know?
DN: Well, we won’t push you any further, other than to say that good things come to those who wait, because even though that didn’t necessarily end in the way you would have liked, here we are 35 years later, and of course, much has happened in the last few years in particular. I remember when I met you in Germany and I asked you, what had you been doing in the meantime, and one of the things that you shared with me, which was really very touching, was that you had been going to church, I guess singing in church for a while, and that you always prayed that one day your music would have an opportunity to be heard again that you would also have an opportunity to be heard again, which was wonderful, and has happened! So, please, for the benefit of those who don’t know, tell us the story of how you came to be performing in Germany! The first time.
GS: Well, I had met a gentleman the first time I was working with Mary Wilson, and he always seemed to be interested in me, just as a person. He even came to the States and visited me; he was from London, England. So, he saw me on the Internet, and he wrote me a note and said that he knew someone who wanted to interview me over the phone, and he contacted this gentleman, David Cole, who has a magazine called ‘In The Basement’ , and so we did the interview, and when he finished the magazine article, he sent me one, and I read it, and I thought it was very nice, and I prayed that someone would read that article and book me.
That prayer was answered by Dan, who called me and told me he had been looking for me for 20 years! I was just amazed at that. We started talking about an idea for me to do the Baltic Soul, and it came to pass. He did everything he could, which, I mean he had to do a lot, to get me over there, and I did it! I was there 3 times so far, and hopefully I’m gong to go again next year. Hopefully, even this interview will be more advantageous, and I’ll get some more bookings out of it, and I pray that with all my heart, something comes out of this as well.
DN: Well, tell me Gloria, what was it like, the very first time you went to Germany, and you stood in front of a German, or European audience for the first time? What emotions did you feel when you stepped out on the stage?
GS: I thought it was just amazing, because first of all, over here in the States, not that many people are interested in hearing, or not enough people I should say, because I don’t sell my album when I do shows, usually I just do other people’s songs. But they seem to know every song on that album. They were singing along with me on every song, and I’d stop singing for a moment, and I’d listen to them, and they were just screaming out the lyrics to every song! That was really amazing to me. That night in particular, was the first time that I ever did a whole performance, just singing Gloria Scott songs. I would always maybe do one song, but that night was my first time to ever do those songs, and they seemed to enjoy it. I was able to go back 2 other times after that, and I’m looking forward to many more times.
DN: When I saw you just a few months ago at the Baltic Soul Weekender, it was so amazing to see, I guess, a few thousand people standing there, cheering, and going crazy.
GS: Yeah, there were more people that time.
DN: In fact, I sent an email to one of my colleagues, and I simply said ‘You won’t believe what I’m looking at. I’m looking at Gloria Scott, whose first album came out 35 years ago, standing in front of an audience, a full house, with a complete band, singing these songs, and everybody is going crazy. It has to be seen to be believed’.
GS: Yes, and the orchestra was wonderful. That orchestra was so good, they had strings, and you know, I’ve never been able to do that in the States, so for me, that was a dream come true, and it’s happened 2 other times after that. That’s an artist’s dream, to sing her own music, and excite people the way that they were, and I was just totally amazed by it, and I really loved every moment of it. It was nurturing to my soul, it really was.
DN: Well, we know that the album ‘What Am I Gonna Do’ is now out. Actually, it’s available at HYPERLINK "http://www.soulmusicstore.com" www.soulmusicstore.com, and you can actually buy it. I think it comes out in about a week from the time that we’re doing this actual interview, but certainly people can go online and pre-order it now. How did you feel when you heard that it was going to be re-issued again?
GS: I think it’s wonderful! Now the next thing that needs to happen, is more shows where I can perform those songs so I can make a little money (laughs). It’s not funny, it’s really the truth.
DN: That sounds like a plan! Well, hopefully those who will be listening to this interview, which will be going out of course on soulmusic.com, amongst those people, there will be some sensible promoters who will take advantage of the fact that this album is coming out.
Now, I also know, because I was there in Germany, you sang a song called ‘Help Me Get Off This Merry-Go-Round’, so is that from an album that you’re working on?
GS: That song is from What Am I Gonna Do. It’s on the album. Dan likes that song so much that he wanted to release a live version of that song, and I’m pretty sure he did.
DN: Yes, that is also available as well at soulmusic.com. There is an MP3 of it, which people can download, and it does sound great, but are you preparing to work on a brand new album?
GS: Yes we are. While I was in Germany, we did some demos and they’re not mastered yet, but we have some very good music that we worked on, and I am so looking forward to finishing that album.
DN: Well, I must ask you one other question. Of course, when you are there in Germany, with thousands of people screaming ‘Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!’, and then you come back to Modesto, is it a little bit difficult to adjust?
GS: (laughs) I should be in Germany, where they know my name, but you know, this is it, until something else happens, I guess I’ll be here, but if there’s anything you can do, please do it. I think you’re doing it though. I appreciate this interview so much.
DN: You’re most welcome. Now, are you going to come back to Europe later this year to do another show? I think I saw something in the Grand Canary Islands or somewhere else. Are you doing any other shows this year in Europe?
GS: Yes, that’s supposed to be in November, I believe.
DN: Well, that’s something that hopefully people will go to from England, and from all over Europe, because that’s a wonderful place to go, in the Canary Islands, and the opportunity to see you live.
GS: It looks wonderful! I can’t wait to do it. It will be fantastic, and I hope I see everybody there.
DN: And that will be another opportunity for people to see you Live, and in-person, and I just have to tell everyone, of course I’m a little biased because I did see your show, and it was really great, so I can tell anyone who goes to the Canary Islands, that they are in for a real treat, and of course, between now and then, they can buy What Am I Gonna Do, and like we said, hopefully somebody will hear it and decide it’s a good idea to book you.
GS: That’s right. Absolutely. Thank you so much, David.
DN: Well, I want to thank you, Gloria. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day today, because I know it’s pretty early in Modesto, and we’ll stay in touch, and to all those listening, go buy Gloria Scott, listen to the album, and bring her back to Europe!
