Gloria Scott (

Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur is a city in Jefferson County within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Texas. A small, uninhabited portion extends into Orange County; it is east of Houston. The largest oil refinery in the United Sta ...

, February 26, 1946) is an American soul singer Her first recording ''I Taught Him'' by "Gloria Scott and the Tonettes", written and produced by Sylvester Stewart (better known as

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

), was released in 1964. She was then under contract with

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

, who produced a 1974 album ''What Am I Gonna Do'', and a single ''Just as Long as We're Together (In My Life There Will Never Be Another)'' which reached the top 20 on numerous

record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often ...

s. She recorded a second album with arranger

H. B. Barnum Hidle Brown Barnum (born July 15, 1936) is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor. Biography After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the film ''Valley of the Su ...

but it was not released. She was a member of

The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...

, and a background singer for Mary Wilson (of the

Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

). Scott is a regular performer at The Baltic Soul Weekender in Germany.

Musical career

Her first 45 single was written and produced by Sylvester Stewart, better known as

: "Gospel Singer Gloria Scott and the Tonettes cut ''I Taught Him'' with Sly in 1964. Reminiscent of

girl groups A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown. An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind ...

The Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadd ...

and

The Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. The ...

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

picked up this single for distribution." In an interview with Christian John Wikane of Popmatters, Scott says : "He lyjust kind of took me under his wing. I sang at the Cow Palace. Sly and his sister and his cousin LaTanya backed me up and they were called the Tonettes: Gloria Scott and the Tonettes." She then became a member of

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

says in her autobiography: "After revious IkettesRobbie, Jessie and Venetta walked out, Ike had quickly scooped up two inexperienced L.A. girls, Maxine Smith and Pat 'P.P.' Arnold, and a young club singer from Palo Alto named Gloria Scott.". She later met and signed a 7-year contract with

. White produced and arranged her first album, ''What Am I Gonna Do'', which was released in 1974. Two tracks were released as singles. The album is notable for being the second released by

Casablanca Records Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. Under its founder Neil Bogart, Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently f ...

—label number NB0002 (NB0001 was by

KISS A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

). At that time

distributed the album, in multiple countries. Roshad Ollison, writing in the

Virginia Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Norfolk, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virginia ...

, says "''What Am I Gonna Do'' is among Barry's most pop-minded productions. Gloria's lone release, it is also a gem. … ''What Am I Gonna Do'', a classy effort on par with Barry's best albums, soon faded away; Gloria did, too." Her single "Just as Long as We're Together (In My Life There Will Never Be Another)" was also produced by Barry White. This song peaked at #14 on the Hot Dance charts, #16 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' (Feb 22, 1975) ''Hot Soul Singles'' and on the U.S. R&B. It was played on the famous TV show ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

''. Despite her 7-year contract with Barry White, and (indirectly) with Casablanca, her career failed to take off. ''PopMatters'' comments : "However, a combination of factors, including the growing pains of a new record company and White's focus on his own burgeoning career, ultimately limited the reach of What Am I Gonna Do. Though a follow-up single, 'Just As Long as We're Together', hit the R&B Top 20 and held the top spot on the Disco Singles chart in early-1975, the second album she recorded with arranger

was not released. For all his solo success, Barry White was not delivering on his contract with Gloria Scott. He became one of the most seminal figures of the 1970s while Scott faded into obscurity." She is credited as a

backup singer A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

on the 1979 self-titled album by Mary Wilson (of the

), and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also toured with Mary and fellow background singer, Karen Jackson. Scott has performed every year since 2008 at The Baltic Soul Weekender in Germany. Her performance of ''Help Me Get Off This Merry-Go-Round'', with the Baltic Soul Orchestra, was released as a single. On September 30, 2022 Scott released her second album on Acid Jazz, titled So Wonderful.

Personal life

Gloria Scott was born in Port Arthur but was raised in the city of Houston, before moving with her family to northern California when in her early teens. After her musical career in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

she spent 8 years in

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. She presently lives in

Lake County, California Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport. The county takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic fe ...

Discography

Albums

* ''What Am I Gonna Do'' (

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

, 1974) * ''So Wonderful'' (Acid Jazz, 2022)

Singles

* What Am I Gonna Do - (7", Single) Casablanca Records 1974 * What Shall I Do - (7", Single) Casablanca Records 1974 * Just As Long As We're Together (In My Life There Will Never Be Another) - (7", Single) Casablanca Records 1974 * (A Case Of) Too Much Love Makin' - Casablanca Records 1975 * You're Losing Me - Ann Sexton & Baltic Soul Orchestra/ Gloria Scott & Baltic Soul Orchestra - Unique 2009 * Help Me Get Off This Merry-Go-Round - Ann Sexton & Baltic Soul Orchestra/ Gloria Scott & Baltic Soul Orchestra - Unique 2009 * That's The Way Love Is - Sedsoul - 2010 * Can't Keep Running Away - Single - (2013) * It's So Wonderful - Single - (2013) * Never Gonna Let You Go - Single - (2013) * Promised Land - Single - (2022) * All of the Time, You're on my Mind - Single - (2022) * So Wonderful - Single - (2022)

Backing vocal credits

* 1972: Bo Diddley – ''Where It All Began'' * 1979: Mary Wilson – ''Mary Wilson''

Covers and Samples

The B. Coming ''I Can’t Go On This Way / Love Me, Love Me or Leave Me, Leave Me''

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

''So Natural : Too Much Love Makin''

Cultural References

John Connolly in ''Nocturnes'' writes: "Jerry passed through the main gates to the Benson farm, instinctively turning down the truck radio, since Bruce didn't appreciate music much, and certainly not the stuff that was pouring out of Jerry's speakers just now: Gloria Scott's sultry vocals, backed up by the late, great Barry White's production skills."

References

External links

Gloria Scott Facebook Page

Gloria Scott : Google Play Store

Gloria Scott : A Case Of Too Little Record Makin’
(Interview with ''Mama Edie'', particularly covering her life)

(Review by Rashod Ollison of The Virginian Pilot)

(Interview with Christian John Wikane of ''Popmatters'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Gloria 1946 births Living people Ike & Tina Turner members 20th-century African-American women singers American soul singers Casablanca Records artists