Merry Clayton -

Merry Clayton (born Dec. 25, 1948) is an American soul singer from New Orleans who emerged through Los Angeles studio work. She reached a wider audience with her 1969 vocal feature opposite Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones evergreen “Gimme Shelter,” then recorded the Ode albums Gimme Shelter, Merry Clayton, and Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow, followed by the MCA album Emotion.

Clayton charted with “After All This Time,” “Oh No Not My Baby,” “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow,” “Emotion,” and “Yes,” a Dirty Dancing soundtrack cut. Her credits include work with Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Carole King, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. She features in 20 Feet from Stardom, a 2013 documentary on background singers.

Background

Merry Clayton was born on December 25, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Eva B. Clayton and the Reverend A.G. Williams Sr. raised Clayton in New Zion Baptist Church, where Williams led the congregation and Clayton first sang in church. Her brother Sam Clayton later became a singer and percussionist with Little Feat.

The family moved to Los Angeles, where Clayton joined the adult choir at Mount Moriah Baptist Church as a preteen and sang on Sunday-night radio broadcasts from Grace Memorial Church of God in Christ. Eddie Kendrix of the Kendrix Specials trained Clayton in group singing. Simpson Records issued “Lord Save Me” with Clayton on lead vocal.

While still in school, Clayton linked with The Blossoms, a Los Angeles R&B girl-group. They introduced her to the session scene, where Darlene Love became her main studio mentor. Clayton joined Bobby Darin on “Who Can I Count On? (When I Can’t Count on You),” recorded during sessions for his 1963 Capitol release You’re the Reason I’m Living.

Early Solo Singles

In 1962, Teldisc issued Clayton’s solo single debut under the Marry Clayton credit: “The Doorbell Rings” (b/w “I’ve Got My Eyes on You”).

Capitol introduced the Merry Clayton credit on June 10, 1963, with “It’s in His Kiss” (b/w “Magic of Romance”), a Jack Nitzsche production and the first released version of the Rudy Clark song later retitled “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss).” Betty Everett recorded the song later that year and reached the national charts the following spring with Vee-Jay.

In December 1963, Capitol issued Clayton’s “Nothing Left to Do But Cry” (b/w “Usher Boy”). During 1964, the label issued “La La Jace Song (Spanish Boy)” (b/w “Beg Me”) and “Knock on the Door” (b/w “This Is My Dream”).

Rock Credits

From 1966 through 1968, Clayton worked for Ray Charles in the Raelettes. Tangerine issued Souled Out, the Raelettes album, with Clayton on selected lead vocals. Verve issued Mustang, an album by Los Angeles tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy, with Clayton on the Percy Mayfield title “Please Send Me Someone to Love.” Clayton later formed Sisters Love with former Raelettes and continued on West Coast vocal dates.

In 1968, Clayton sang backing vocals on the Traffic cover “Feelin’ Alright,” recorded by Joe Cocker for his debut album, With a Little Help from My Friends. Producer and Ode Records founder Lou Adler then brought Clayton into Brothers and Sisters of Los Angeles, a gospel-vocal ensemble assembled for a Bob Dylan songbook. Ode issued the project as Dylan’s Gospel.

In late 1969, Jack Nitzsche called Clayton to a late-night Rolling Stones session in Los Angeles. Clayton sang the female lead part with Mick Jagger on “Gimme Shelter,” the opening track of Let It Bleed. Adler signed Clayton to Ode Records after the Stones session and built her solo launch around “Gimme Shelter.”

Gimme Shelter

Merry Clayton released her debut solo album, Gimme Shelter, in October 1970 on Ode.

Gimme Shelter contains eleven songs from contemporary rock, folk-pop, stage musical, gospel, and R&B sources, with outside material linked to James Taylor, The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, Rev. James Cleveland, Spooky Tooth, Billy Preston, Billy Page, Van Morrison, and Hair the musical. Clayton and Preston co-wrote “I Ain’t Gonna Worry My Life Away.”

Clayton presides over bassist Bob West, drummer Paul Humphrey, conguero King Errisson, keyboardists Joe Sample and Billy Preston, and percussionists Gary Coleman and Victor Feldman, and five guitarists: David T. Walker, David Cohen, Louie Shelton, Lou Morrell, and Red Rhodes.

“Country Road” strides through congas, short horn punches, and upper-register vocal breaks. “Tell All the People” testifies through a public-address lead and brassy replies. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” swells from a sunny hymn cadence into Hammond pressure and choir answers. “Gimme Shelter” flares with wah-wah guitar and urgent lead attack. “Glad Tidings” exults through raised responses and a bright final cadence.

A1. “Country Road” (3:35) – Taylor
A2. “Tell All the People” (2:44) – Krieger
A3. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (5:50) – Simon
A4. “I’ve Got Life” (3:18) – MacDermot, Ragni, Rado
A5. “Gimme Shelter” (3:00) – Jagger, Richards

B1. “Here Come Those Heartaches Again” – Cleveland
B2. “Forget It, I Got It” (2:44) – Wright, Miller
B3. “You’ve Been Acting Strange” (3:06) – Preston
B4. “I Ain’t Gonna Worry My Life Away” (4:06) – Clayton, Preston
B5. “Good Girls” (3:30) – Page
B6. “Glad Tidings” – Morrison

Lou Adler produced Gimme Shelter. Gene Page arranged the album, and Armin Steiner, Eric Weinbang, and Henry Lewy engineered the sessions. Paul Bruhwiler and Rod Dyer designed the sleeve, which credits Guy Webster for photography.

Ode lifted “Country Road” as a 1970 single (b/w “Forget It, I Got It”). “Gimme Shelter” became a second 1970 single (b/w “Good Girls”) and reached No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Merry Clayton

Merry Clayton released her self-titled second solo album in September 1971 on Ode.

The album contains eleven outside titles, including three Carole King songs. Merry Clayton also covers material linked to Billy Preston, Neil Young, the Friends of Distinction, Leon Russell, James Taylor, Bill Withers, and Leon Ware.

Her session lineup retains Humphrey, Walker, Preston, Sample, and Coleman, with bassist Wilton Felder, saxophonist Curtis Amy, and keyboardists Clarence McDonald and Jerry Peters. Bobbye Hall and Sandra Crouch add percussion. The James Cleveland Choir join backing vocalists Abigail Haness, Patrice Holloway, and Peters.

“Southern Man” confronts the lyric with rough guitar, church-set organ, bright piano figures, and heated vocal replies. “Walk On In” lifts its reassurance through an upward lead and communal chorus. “After All This Time” lingers over a languid romantic line; keyboards and strings soften the cadence. “A Song for You” starts with late-night saxophone color and climbs into a full vocal-group release. “Sho’Nuff” charges through clipped lead phrases and lustier replies. “Grandma’s Hands” settles Clayton into an earthy devotional register. “Steamroller” struts with a blunt, physical lead. “Whatever” exits on a flute figure and clipped dance cadence.

A1. “Southern Man” (3:15) – Young
A2. “Walk On In” (2:44) – King
A3. “After All This Time” (3:09) – King
A4. “Love Me or Let Me Be Lonely” (3:32) – Poree, Peters, Scarborough
A5. “A Song for You” (4:15) – Russell
A6. “Sho’ Nuff” (2:44) – Preston, Greene

B1. “Steamroller” (3:44) – Taylor
B2. “Same Old Story” (4:50) – King
B3. “Light on the Hill” (2:40) – Jones
B4. “Grandma’s Hands” (3:30) – Withers
B5. “Whatever” (2:40) – Ware

Lou Adler produced the album at A&M Studios in Hollywood with engineer Hank Cicalo. Jerry Peters arranged “Southern Man” and “Love Me or Let Me Be Lonely.” Carole King arranged “Walk On In,” “After All This Time,” and “Same Old Story.” Billy Preston arranged “Sho’ Nuff,” and Marty Paich arranged strings for “After All This Time” and “Same Old Story.”

Chuck Beeson designed the Merry Clayton sleeve with a wide-armed, emotive image of the singer by photographer Jim McCrary.

Ode lifted “After All This Time” as a 1971 single (b/w “Whatever”), which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 42 on Billboard’s R&B chart. Merry Clayton reached No. 180 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums and No. 36 on Billboard R&B Albums.

Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow

Merry Clayton released her third solo album, Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow, in September 1975 on Ode.

Sparrow contains five Eugene McDaniels songwriting credits and three by Morgan Ames. Clayton covers the Baretta theme and the Bob Dylan classic “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.” Her backup pairs bassist Gary King with drummers Steve Gadd and Idris Muhammad. Guitarists Hugh McCracken and David Spinozza join keyboardists Kenny Ascher and Bob James, with percussionist Ralph MacDonald in the main credit block.

Select titles add Mothers keyboardist Ian Underwood, violist Virginia Majewski, trumpeter Lloyd Michaels, and saxophonists Joe Farrell and Tom Scott. Backing-vocal credits include McDaniels, Marti McCall, Stephanie Spruill, Jim Gilstrap, and the Waters sisters.

“Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow” struts through Latin-tilted brass, clipped accents, and a compact dance-floor cadence. Clayton leans hard into the refrain and cuts the theme-song contour with bright public-address projection. Handclap accents and quick chorus replies keep the arrangement terse.

A1. “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow” (2:53) – Grusin, Ames
A2. “Gets Hard Sometimes” (5:09) – McDaniels
A3. “Sink or Swim” (3:52) – McDaniels, Johnson
A4. “How’d I Know” (2:48) – Williams, Groves, McDonald
A5. “Gold Fever” (3:28) – McDaniels

B1. “One More Ride” (4:28) – Mayer, Hillman
B2. “Room 205” (3:04) – Hayes
B3. “Loving Grows Up Slow” (3:50) – Ames
B4. “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” (2:50) – Dylan
B5. “If I Lose” (3:18) – McDaniels
B6. “Do What You Know” (3:41) – McDaniels, Ames, Bautista

Gene McDaniels produced Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow. Morgan Ames coordinated production, and Clayton and McDaniels arranged the vocals. Sessions occurred at A&M Studios in Los Angeles and the Record Plant in New York with engineer Hank Cicalo and assistant engineers Milt Calice and Jimmy Iovine. Chuck Beeson designed and photographed the sleeve.

Ode issued “Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow” in 1975, and the single reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 42 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “One More Ride” also appeared as a 1975 Ode single. Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow reached No. 146 on the Billboard 200.

Emotion

Merry Clayton released her fourth solo album, Emotion, on January 18, 1980 on MCA.

Emotion contains seven outside titles, including two Joe Sample–Will Jennings songs. The album includes “Wasted Time,” the “Sly Suite,” and “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” first issued by First Choice. Her group includes percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, bassist Andy Muson, drummer Ricky Lawson, guitarist Jeff Mironov, and keyboardists Webster Lewis, Joe Sample, and Leon Pendarvis.

Saxist Ronnie Laws and trumpeter Chuck Finley are among the seven hornists. Emotion features strings by concertmaster Gordon Marron. Kevin Amy supplies backing vocals with Julia Tillman and Maxine Willard Waters.

“Emotion” clashes through a brassy slow intro, then settles into a steady dance-floor jog beneath Clayton’s wailing lead. “When the World Turns Blue (Melodies of Love)” glides over a slow, piano-centered line and keeps the vocal in a late-night register. “Sly Suite” reprises its source pieces in a long medley with a square pace and little swing. “Armed and Extremely Dangerous” locks into a firmer club cadence and marks the beat with cleaner propulsion.

A1. “Emotion” (4:31) – Lewis, Barnes, Pitts
A2. “Cryin’ for Your Love” (3:35) – Seals, Lindsey
A3. “When the World Turns Blue (Melodies of Love)” (4:51) – Jennings, Sample
A4. “Wasted Time” (5:26) – Henley, Frey, Norman

B1. “Sly Suite: Dance to the Music / I Want to Take You Higher / Everybody Is a Star / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (6:58) – Stewart
B2. “Armed and Extremely Dangerous” (5:06) – Norman Harris–Allan Felder
B3. “Let Me Make You Cry a Little Longer” (6:08) – Jennings, Sample

Steve Tyrell produced Emotion. Engineer Eirik Wangberg recorded and mixed the album with assistant engineer Ross Pallone. George Osaki directed and designed the sleeve.

MCA issued “Emotion” as a 1979 single, and the title reached No. 53 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “When the World Turns Blue (Melodies of Love)” appeared as a 1980 single (b/w “You’re Always There When I Need You”).

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