Bessie Banks (born February 8, 1938) is an American
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
singer, best known for her original 1964 recording of "
Go Now
"Go Now" is a song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks, released as a single in January 1964. The best-known version was recorded by the Moody Blues and released the same year.
Bessie Banks version
The ...
," successfully covered in the same year by UK band
the Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
.
Life and career
She was born Bessie White in
New Bern
New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, and later raised in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York City. In the mid-1950s, she began singing with a quartet called Three Guys and a Doll. While a member of the group, she met singer
Larry Banks
Lawrence H. Banks (October 3, 1931February 26, 1992) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Life and career
Banks was born in New York City and grew up in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. His father, Arthur Ban ...
; they married on stage at the Royal Theatre in Baltimore around 1955.
[ Sleevenotes by Ady Croasdell for ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'']
/ref> She performed and recorded as Toni Banks during the mid-1950s, including the 1957 single "You're Still in My Heart", on which she was backed by the Four Fellows. In 1959, she and Larry recorded as members of the Companions, releasing a single "Why Oh Why Baby" on the Federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
label.[
Taking back the name Bessie Banks, she recorded as a solo singer in the first half of the 1960s, starting with "Do It Now" in 1963 on the Spokane Records label. The single reached #40 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart in March 1964. Although she and Larry Banks separated and later divorced, they continued to work together. In late 1963, Larry and Bessie decided to make a new push to establish her with a song that Larry had written specifically for the purpose of breaking her nationally: "Go Now". ]Jerry Leiber
Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such Crossover music, crossover hit songs ...
and Mike Stoller
Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...
produced the recording, which first appeared on their Tiger Records label (catalog number TI-102). It was slated for issue on the Blue Cat
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...
label (as BC-106), the R&B/soul imprint of Red Bird
Red Bird (–16 February 1828) was a leader of the Winnebago (or Ho-Chunk) Native American tribe. He was a leader in the Winnebago War of 1827 against Americans in the United States making intrusions into tribal lands for mining. He was f ...
. The song was arranged by Gary Sherman, with Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...
and Dee Dee Warwick
Delia Juanita Warrick (September 25, 1942 – October 18, 2008), known professionally as Dee Dee Warwick, was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was the sister of singer Dionne Warwick, the niece of Cissy Houston, and a f ...
as of the backing singers.[
Bessie Banks later commented:]"'I remember 1963 Kennedy was assassinated; it was announced over the radio. At the time, I was rehearsing in the office of Leiber and Stoller. We called it a day. Everyone was in tears. "Come back next week and we will be ready to record 'Go Now'"; and we did so. I was happy and excited that maybe this time I’ll make it. 'Go Now' was released and right away it was chosen Pick Hit of the Week on W.I.N.S. Radio. That means your record is played for seven days. Four days went by, I was so thrilled. On day five, when I heard the first line, I thought it was me, but all of a sudden, I realized it wasn’t. At the end of the song it was announced, "the Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
singing 'Go Now'". I was too out-done. This was the time of the English Invasion and the end of Bessie Banks’ career, so I thought. America's DJs had stopped promoting American artists."
Banks' recollections are questionable because her single was released in the US in January 1964, and the Moody Blues' version was not released until November 1964 (in the UK) and January 1965 in the US.
She returned to the studio in early 1967, recording the single "I Can't Make It (Without You Baby)" for the Verve
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...
label. In 1974, she recorded singles for the Volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
Defi ...
label, including "Try to Leave Me if You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)" and "(Don't You Worry Baby) The Best Is Yet to Come".
Larry Banks also recorded under his own name, and both recorded with and produced his second wife Joan, who recorded as Jaibi
Jaibi was the stage name of the American soul singer Joan Banks (February 6, 1943 – September 4, 1984).
Life and career
Born Joan Carol Pulliam, and later known as Joan Bates after her marriage to her first husband Anthony Bates Sr., she firs ...
. A compilation of recordings, including those by Bessie Banks, was issued as ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'' by Ace Records in 2007. At that time, it was reported that Bessie Banks "continues to sing though she confines herself to gospel music now."[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Bessie
1938 births
American soul singers
20th-century African-American women singers
Living people
People from New Bern, North Carolina
Verve Records artists
Singers from North Carolina
21st-century African-American people
21st-century African-American women