Nolan Frederick Porter (May 10, 1949 – February 4, 2021)
[Robin Murray, "Northern Soul Hero Nolan Porter Has Died", ''Clash Music'', February 5, 2021]
Retrieved February 5, 2021 was an American R&B singer and songwriter who recorded two albums and six singles in the early 1970s. His best known song is "Keep On Keeping On", which became popular on the
northern soul scene. In 1978 the band
Joy Division used the guitar riff from Porter's song for their song "Interzone" on their debut album ''
Unknown Pleasures''.
[Bernie Binnick, former record owner and impresario for RCA wanted a punk band to record a version of Porter's "Keep On Keeping On".]
Biography
Based in Los Angeles, Porter's first recorded song (as Nolan) was a version of
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
's "Crazy Love" released on the Lizard label in 1971. Two other 45s were released on Lizard, including "Keep On Keeping On" before he switched to the larger imprint ABC for two final 45 releases. The first of these, "If I Could Only Be Sure" would become a popular song in UK northern soul dance halls. It was covered by
Paul Weller and released on his ''
Studio 150
''Studio 150'' is the seventh album by British artist Paul Weller. It comprises covers of songs by a variety of artists, and showcases Weller's myriad musical influences. It was named after the small Amsterdam studio in which it was recorded. It ...
'' album in 2004. Porter also recorded "Groovin' (Out On Life)" as Frederick II on
Gabriel Mekler
Gabriel Mekler (2 December 1942 – 4 September 1977) was an American songwriter, musician, and record producer who attained fame in the 1960s, helming albums for Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, and Janis Joplin. He also collaborated with R&B singer ...
's Vulture label and earned a small R&B hit. Porter was also married to Frank Zappa's sister Candy.
[Northern Soul Officia]
Interview with Nolan Porter by Michael – The 45s Club
/ref>
Porter died at his home in Van Nuys
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, t ...
, Los Angeles, on February 4, 2021, at age 71.
Album releases
Porter released two albums. The first, ''No Apologies'', appeared in 1970 on Mekler's Lizard imprint and features songs by Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...
, Booker T Jones
Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...
and Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
as well as Porter originals. The musicians for much of the album consisted of former members of Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
's Mothers of Invention.Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat.
Earl ...
contributes guitar parts. Reviewing in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981), Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
said: "A black singer whose idiom is rock-influenced soul (or vice versa) turns Randy Newman's 'Let's Burn Down the Cornfield' into a song about smoldering sharecropper unrest (well, sort of) and finds good ones by David Blue (well, sort of) and Booker T. Plus writing wise, witty, rocking songs of his own, songs that belong in this company, many of them about racial identity
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
. Formally, this is the Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
strategy, and the artistic achievement is comparable. But does he have Stewart's backing on the radio or in the express? Well, no."[Crossfire Publication]
Nolan Porter ''Nolan''
/ref>
Porter continued working in Los Angeles nightclubs as a musician and comedian. He also performed in clubs in his home country and overseas in Spain and United Kingdom.
Notes
References
External links
Interview 2007
Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948–1991, Nolan Porter discography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Nolan
1949 births
2021 deaths
Songwriters from California
20th-century African-American male singers
Musicians from Los Angeles
Singers from California
Northern soul musicians
African-American male songwriters