Ann Peebles -

Ann Peebles is an American soul singer from St. Louis who released seven albums between 1969 and 1977, including the Hi Records classics Straight From the Heart and I Can’t Stand the Rain. She landed R&B hits with “Part Time Love,” “I Pity the Fool,” “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home,” “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” and the original version of “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down,” a subsequent soul-rock standard.

Background

Ann Lee Peebles was born on April 27, 1947, in Kinloch, Missouri, near St. Louis. She grew up as the seventh of eleven children in a family tied to First Baptist Church in St. Louis. Her father Perry Peebles served as music minister at the church and directed the Peebles Choir, a family gospel group founded by the Peebles grandfather. Her mother sang and trained young singers.

Perry Peebles taught her “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” for a school fundraiser when she was five. At age nine, Peebles joined the Peebles Choir and entered a gospel circuit that placed the family group before Mahalia Jackson and the Soul Stirrers. The Peebles home allowed secular records alongside church music, and her father later escorted her into St. Louis nightclubs.

As a teenager, Peebles sang in local clubs and worked repeatedly with drummer-saxophonist-bandleader Oliver Sain, whose St. Louis revue had included Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure. Sain wrote material that reached her first Hi sessions. Peebles reached Memphis in 1968 during a trip with a serviceman brother. At the Rosewood Club in South Memphis, she asked to sit in with trumpeter Gene “Bowlegs” Miller and chose Jimmy Hughes’s “Steal Away.”

Miller took her to Hi Records for an audition with producer-bandleader Willie Mitchell, who played piano while Peebles repeated “Steal Away,” then offered a Hi contract after the audition. The first Hi records paired singer Ann Peebles with producer Willie Mitchell, the Hi Rhythm Section, and the Memphis Horns. Hi introduced Peebles with “Walk Away,” a Sain composition, and followed with “Give Me Some Credit.” Both singles reached the R&B chart in advance of her first album.

This Is Ann Peebles

Ann Peebles released her debut studio album, This Is Ann Peebles, in 1969 on Hi Records.

This Is contains twelve outside titles, with Hi-associated material by Carl Smith, Oliver Sain, Gene “Bowlegs” Miller, Don Bryant, and Elvin Lee Jones beside covers of Otis Redding (“Respect”) and Fontella Bass (“Rescue Me”). Willie Mitchell produced the LP with the Hi Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns.

“Walk Away” pleads through a measured ballad setting, with Peebles placing the ache in short, controlled phrases. “Steal Away” lingers on charged pauses and close vocal pressure. “Chain of Fools” compresses familiar betrayal lines into taut, weary resignation. “It’s Your Thing” presses Peebles’s lead against firm brass punctuation and clipped response lines.

“Rescue Me” surges through a direct attack centered on command phrases. “Crazy About You Baby” cuts the rougher side of the set with a harder vocal edge. “Make Me Yours” steadies the pace around clear-toned pleading and clean refrain returns. “Give Me Some Credit” answers the lead with a compact chorus pattern and a sharper plea for acknowledgment.

A1. “Give Me Some Credit” (2:55) – Smith
A2. “Crazy About You Baby” (2:35) – Jacobs
A3. “Make Me Yours” (2:50) – Champion
A4. “My Man He’s a Lovin’ Man” (2:14) – Bennett, Matthews
A5. “Solid Foundation” (2:07) – Bryant, E.L. Jones
A6. “Chain of Fools” (2:45) – Covay

B1. “It’s Your Thing” (2:32) – O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
B2. “Walk Away” (3:07) – Sain
B3. “Rescue Me” (2:27) – Miner, Smith
B4. “Won’t You Try Me” (2:55) – Miller
B5. “Steal Away” (3:11) – Hughes
B6. “Respect” (2:12) – Redding

Hi issued “Walk Away” as a March 1969 single (b/w “I Can’t Let You Go”), which reached No. 22 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. The label followed with “Give Me Some Credit” as a July 1969 single (b/w “Solid Foundation”), which reached No. 45 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

Part Time Love

Ann Peebles released her second studio album, Part Time Love, in 1970 on Hi Records.

Part Time Love collects four 1970 single sides and six selections carried over from This Is Ann Peebles. The LP pairs Clay Hammond’s “Part Time Love,” a 1963 R&B hit for Little Johnny Taylor, with “I’ll Get Along,” “I Still Love You,” and “Generation Gap Between Us.” Peebles sings with bassist Leroy Hodges, guitarist Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, and organist Charles Hodges; pianist Archie Turner; drummers Howard Grimes and Al Jackson Jr.; and Memphis Horns players Wayne Jackson, Ed Logan, James Mitchell, and Jack Hale.

“Part Time Love” strides through a firm backbeat, and brass jabs answer Peebles’s toughened lead. “I’ll Get Along” hardens the vocal edge over a tightened rhythm track. “I Still Love You” hollows the accompaniment around Peebles’s pauses and leaves the plea suspended in exposed phrases. “Give Me Some Credit” cuts the refrain with compact group replies. “It’s Your Thing” leans into clipped title accents and a confident lead. “Make Me Yours” steadies the softer side of the set with rounded phrasing and uncluttered cadence.

A1. “Part Time Love” (2:48) – Hammond
A2. “I’ll Get Along” (2:09) – Peebles, Smith, M. Jones
A3. “I Still Love You” (3:21) – Mitchell
A4. “Make Me Yours” (2:52) – Champion
A5. “It’s Your Thing” (2:30) – O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley

B1. “Generation Gap Between Us” (2:20) – Smith, M. Jones
B2. “Crazy About You Baby” (2:40) – Jacobs
B3. “Give Me Some Credit” (3:03) – Smith
B4. “Steal Away” (3:13) – Hughes
B5. “Solid Foundation” (2:13) – Bryant, E.L. Jones

Willie Mitchell produced the album for Hi Records, which issued “I’ll Get Along” as a February 1970 single (b/w “Generation Gap Between Us”). The label lifted “Part Time Love” as an August 1970 single (b/w “I Still Love You”), which reached No. 7 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Part Time Love reached No. 40 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.

Straight From the Heart

Ann Peebles released her third studio album, Straight From the Heart, in 1971 on Hi Records in the United States.

Straight From the Heart contains three Peebles co-writes and seven outside titles. The LP features the Hi core with backing vocalists Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes and a horn section that includes Andrew Love, Ed Logan, James Mitchell, Jack Hale, and Wayne Jackson.

“Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love” strides through hard-edged accents and a clipped lead. “Trouble, Heartaches and Sadness” pleads through low-lit phrases and a held-back chorus. “What You Laid on Me” presses a throbbing backbeat under Peebles’s grainy vocal attack. “How Strong Is a Woman” surges through a firm pulse and short brass hits. “Somebody’s on Your Case” threads advisory lines through airy backing voices.

“I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight” simmers with hurt and suppressed anger beneath a chugging rhythm track. “I’ve Been There Before” deepens the ballad side with lonely pauses and gospel-shaded replies. “I Pity the Fool” clamps a hard-edged vocal over a compact swing accent. “99 Pounds” stings through brisk lines and a taut refrain.

A1. “Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love” (2:25) – Jackson
A2. “Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness” (2:37) – Bryant, Peebles
A3. “What You Laid on Me” (2:22) – Peebles, LaSalle
A4. “How Strong Is a Woman” (2:57) – Crutcher
A5. “Somebody’s on Your Case” (2:35) – Randle

B1. “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight” (2:28) – Jackson, Matthews
B2. “I’ve Been There Before” (3:06) – Bryant, Peebles
B3. “I Pity the Fool” (2:53) – Malone
B4. “99 Pounds” (2:15) – Bryant
B5. “I Take What I Want” (2:30) – Porter, Hayes, Hodges

Willie Mitchell produced the 1971 sessions and Peebles’ subsequent four albums at Royal Recording Studios in Memphis. Straight From the Heart features cover and liner photography by Bud Lee.

Hi issued “Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love” as an August 1971 single (b/w “99 Lbs.”), which reached No. 42 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. “I Pity the Fool,” “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight,” and “Somebody’s on Your Case” reached No. 18, No. 13, and No. 32 on the same chart.

Straight From the Heart reached No. 188 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 42 on the Billboard Soul LPs chart.

I Can’t Stand the Rain

Ann Peebles released her fourth studio album, I Can’t Stand the Rain, in 1974 on Hi Records.

I Can’t Stand the Rain contains seven Peebles co-writes and three outside titles. Don Bryant co-writes six titles, and Bernard Miller co-writes four titles. Earl Randle contributes “If We Can’t Trust Each Other” and “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down.” Peebles sings with Grimes, the Hodges brothers, Turner, the Memphis Strings, the Memphis Horns, and Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes.

“I Can’t Stand the Rain” ticks through the electric-timbale figure before Peebles drops a cool, wounded lead. “Do I Need You” chimes from a bright guitar figure into prideful call-and-reply tension. “Until You Came Into My Life” softens around strings, backing voices, and a grateful close-toned plea. “(You Keep Me) Hanging On” lingers in restrained phrases and holds the vocal line in foreground. “Run Run Run” flares through loud horn bursts and a fuller rhythm track.

“If We Can’t Trust Each Other” quickens through sharp stabs and mistrust lines. “A Love Vibration” broods on regret with organ chords and a shadowed refrain. “You Got to Feed the Fire” hardens the attack with bright punctuation and a forceful chorus. “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” rises from gentle warning to a hard vocal threat. “One Way Street” answers Peebles with church-rooted backing voices and piano-led cadence.

A1. “I Can’t Stand the Rain” (2:31) – Bryant, Miller, Peebles
A2. “Do I Need You” (2:33) – Bryant, Peebles
A3. “Until You Came Into My Life” (3:13) – Bryant, Miller, Peebles
A4. “(You Keep Me) Hangin’ On” (2:44) – Allen, Mize
A5. “Run Run Run” (2:38) – Bryant, Carter, Peebles

B1. “If We Can’t Trust Each Other” (2:55) – Randle
B2. “A Love Vibration” (2:50) – Bryant, Miller, Peebles
B3. “You Got to Feed the Fire” (2:22) – Bryant, Miller, Peebles
B4. “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” (2:45) – Randle
B5. “One Way Street” (2:50) – Bryant, Peebles

Hi issued “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” as a January 1973 single (b/w “One Way Street”), which reached No. 31 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. “I Can’t Stand the Rain” followed as a 1973 single (b/w “I’ve Been There Before”) and reached No. 6 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1974, “(You Keep Me) Hangin’ On” reached No. 37 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, followed by “Do I Need You” at No. 57 on the same chart.

I Can’t Stand the Rain reached No. 155 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Soul LPs chart.

“I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” inspired a 1977 cover by Graham Parker & The Rumour and a later version by Paul Young on his platinum 1985 release The Secret of Association. Welsh singer Morty (ex-Racing Cars) covered the song on his 1980 solo album.

Tellin’ It

Ann Peebles released her fifth studio album, Tellin’ It, in 1975 on Hi Records.

Tellin’ It contains two Peebles–Bryant titles and six Earl Randle titles or co-writes, including three Randle–Mitchell credits. Remaining titles come from Bryant and other outside writers. Peebles sings with the Hi Rhythm Section, the Memphis Horns, the Memphis Strings, and Rhodes, Chalmers & Rhodes.

“Come to Mama” simmers through repeated percussion taps and close-toned vocal control. “I Don’t Lend My Man” warns over a slow, moody underlay and rasping brass. “I Needed Somebody” pleads from guilt into fuller force, with a lone saxophone line above the verse. “Stand by Woman” settles through lush strings and guarded vocal control. “It Was Jealousy” lingers in regret-stained phrases and sad string lines.

“Doctor Love Power” charges through a brisk chorus and gospel-shaded replies. “You Can’t Hold a Man” deepens the slow plea with weary phrases and a brief vamp. “Beware” lunges through punctuating brass and punchy backing-vocal replies. “Put Yourself in My Place” clamps a frustrated lead against slow pulse and hard horn accents. “Love Played a Game” bears a moody underlay beneath sadness, regret, and frustration.

A1. “Come to Mama” (2:57) – Mitchell, Randle
A2. “I Don’t Lend My Man” (2:52) – Mitchell, Randle, Robinson
A3. “I Needed Somebody” (4:58) – Bryant, Peebles
A4. “Stand by Woman” (3:05) – Randle, Roberts
A5. “It Was Jealousy” (2:59) – Bryant

B1. “Doctor Love Power” (3:09) – Anderson, Oliver
B2. “You Can’t Hold a Man” (4:39) – Mitchell, Randle
B3. “Beware” (3:07) – Randle
B4. “Put Yourself in My Place” (2:43) – Jarrett, Randle
B5. “Love Played a Game” (2:31) – Bryant, Peebles

Hi issued “Beware” as a 1975 single (b/w “You Got to Feed the Fire”), which reached No. 69 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. “Come to Mama” followed as a 1975 single (b/w “I’m Leaving You”) and reached No. 62 on the same chart. In 1976, “Dr. Love Power” appeared as a single (b/w “I Still Love You”) and reached No. 57 on the same chart, followed by “I Don’t Lend My Man” (b/w “I Needed Somebody”).

Tellin’ It reached No. 41 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.

If This Is Heaven

Ann Peebles released her sixth studio album, If This Is Heaven, in 1977 on Hi Records.

Heaven contains three Peebles co-writes, four Mitchell–Randle titles, and two outside titles, including Don Robey (“You Gonna Make Me Cry”). The established Hi rhythm, string, horn, and Rhodes–Chalmers–Rhodes vocal teams return alongside new credits for guitarist Michael Toles, pianist James Brown, and trumpeter Ben Cauley.

“If This Is Heaven” glitters through quick pulse, sweeping strings, and soft brass replies. “A Good Day for Lovin’” quickens through wah-wah accents and fast string motion. “I’m So Thankful” softens into a domestic narrative with a slow-burning plea and widening strings. “Being Here with You” drifts through slow waves and close-toned desire. “Boy I Gotta Have You” sweeps through a quicker pulse and joyous backing voices.

“When I’m in Your Arms” brightens the familiar ballad profile with anticipatory vocal lift. “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” strains through reverberant guitar and a vocoder color. “Lovin’ You Without Love” returns to piano, Hammond shadow, and wounded phrases. “It Must Be Love” surges through handclaps, wah-wah accents, and brass bursts.

A1. “If This Is Heaven” (3:07) – Mitchell, Randle
A2. “A Good Day For Lovin'” (2:48) – Bryant, Randle, Mitchell
A3. “I’m So Thankful” (4:03) – Peebles, Bryant, Anderson
A4. “Being Here With You” (3:00) – Randle, Mitchell
A5. “Boy I Gotta Have You” (2:40) – Randle, Mitchell

B1. “When I’m In Your Arms” (3:03) – Peebles, Bryant, Anderson
B2. “You Gonna Make Me Cry” (4:39) – Robey
B3. “Games” (2:58) – Jarrett, Randle, Barnes
B4. “Lovin’ You Without Love” (3:00) – Randle, W. Mitchell, Y. Mitchell
B5. “It Must Be Love” (2:52) – Peebles, Bryant, Anderson

Willie Mitchell produced, recorded, and remixed the album at Royal Recording Studios and Allied Studios in Memphis. Aarion Nesbit and Willie Mitchell arranged the horns and strings. If This Is Heaven features photography by David Scruggs.

Hi issued “If This Is Heaven” as a May 1977 single (b/w “When I’m In Your Arms”), which reached No. 64 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

The Handwriting Is on the Wall

Ann Peebles released her seventh studio album, The Handwriting Is on the Wall, in 1977 on Hi Records.

Handwriting contains two Peebles co-writes, four Earl Randle titles or co-writes, two George Jackson credits, and one Barry Goldberg–Phyllis Brown title. The LP credits William Easley with alto and tenor saxophone solos on “Lookin’ for a Lovin’” and “Let Your Love Light Shine.”

“Old Man with Young Ideas” spars through blunt sex-and-love talk over a tight strut. “Bip Bam Thank You Mam” punches through a gritty approach and brisk refrain. “The Handwriting Is on the Wall” pleads through a southern ballad stance and deep ache. “You’ve Got the Papers (I’ve Got the Man)” hardens the home-triangle lyric into a gritty warning. “You’re What I Need (But More Than I Can Stand)” lopes with a twanged sway and clipped vocal turns. “If I Can’t See You” brightens the set with an uptown finish and smoother refrain.

A1. “Old Man With Young Ideas” (3:03) – Jackson, Moore
A2. “Bip Bam Thank You Mam” (3:10) – Jackson, Jackson, Sellers
A3. “The Handwriting Is On The Wall” (3:18) – Randle, M. Jones, B. Jones, Mitchell
A4. “I Didn’t Take Your Man” (4:03) – Randle, Barnes
A5. “You’ve Got The Papers (I’ve Got The Man)” (2:53) – Randle, Shaw

B1. “Lookin’ For A Lovin'” (3:00) – Goldberg, Brown
B2. “You’re More Than I Can Stand” (3:03) – Wilkins, Jackson
B3. “Livin’ In, Lovin’ Out” (2:50) – Orange, Jackson, Mitchell
B4. “If I Can’t See You” (4:00) – Peebles, Baskin, Bryant, Randle
B5. “Let Your Love Light Shine” (3:50) – Peebles, Bryant

Hi issued “Old Man With Young Ideas” as a March 1978 single (b/w “A Good Day For Lovin'”), which reached No. 54 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. “I Didn’t Take Your Man” followed as a June 1978 single (b/w “Being Here With You”) and reached No. 55 on the same chart.

In February 1979, Hi paired the non-LP side “If You Got The Time (I’ve Got The Love)” with the album track “Let Your Love Light Shine”; the A-side reached No. 95 on the same chart.

Discography: