Viola Wills -

Viola Wills (December 30, 1939 — May 6, 2009) was an American soul singer from Los Angeles. She cut multiple mid-Sixties singles with Barry White and scored a 1971 R&B hit with “Sweetback.” In England, she made the 1974 album Soft Centers and sang with Gonzalez and Snafu. Her 1980 album If You Could Read My Mind spawned hits with “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” and the title track.

Early Singles

Wills was born Viola Mae Wilkerson and grew up in Watts. At eight, she won a singing competition sponsored by the Federation of Baptist Churches, which led to a scholarship at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano.

Barry White brought Wills into the record business in 1965 through Bob Keane’s Bronco label. White co-wrote and arranged her first two singles, released between July and November 1966.

A. “Lost Without the Love of My Guy” (2:56)
B. “I Got Love” (2:38)

A. “Don’t Kiss Me Hello and Mean Goodbye” (2:42)
B. “Together Forever” (2:34)

In February 1967, she cut the Bronco a-side “You’re Out of My Mind” (2:23), backed with “Any Time” by the Bob Keene Orchestra. She cut one further Bronco a-side in July 1967, followed in 1969 by a one-off single for A Bem Sole.

A. “I’ve Got to Have All of You” (2:53)
B. “Don’t Kiss Me Hello and Mean Goodbye” (2:42)

A. “The First Time”
B. “You’ve Got My Blessings” – Viola Wills With The Hidden Persuaders

In October 1971, Wills surfaced on Supreme Records with producer James Gadson and arranger Ray Jackson.

A. “I’ve Got News for You” (2:47)
B. “Sweetback” (2:59)

She mimed “Sweetback” for the October 30, 1971, broadcast of Soul Train.

In 1972, Wills backed Joe Cocker on his third studio album and joined the Sanctified Sisters, his touring vocal unit. She then signed with the London-based Goodear and recorded her first album.

Soft Centers

Viola Wills released their debut album, Soft Centers, in 1974 on Goodear.

The album contains ten Wills originals with brass charts by Jim Horn and string arrangements by Harry Robinson.

A1. “Run to the Nearest Exit” (3:02)
A2. “Some Other Day” (3:28)
A3. “A Day in the Life of a Woman” (3:00)
A4. “Family Tree” (3:12)
A5. “Too Long” (3:51)

B1. “Remember Me” (3:51)
B2. “If You Got the Will” (3:29)
B3. “Ugly Man” (3:24)
B4. “Wouldn’t It Be Fun” (3:04)
B5. “I Can’t Make It” (4:10)

Viola Wills recorded Soft Centers at Island Studios in London with producer Nigel Thomas and engineer Brian Humphries. Tony Wright designed the gatefold sleeve.

Goodear issued “Run to the Nearest Exit” as a single backed with “A Day in the Life of a Woman,” which in turn appeared as an a-side (b/w “Some Other Day”).

If You Could Read My Mind

Viola Wills released their second album, If You Could Read My Mind, in October 1980 on Hansa.

The albun contains two Wills originals and covers of The Drifters (“Up on the Roof”), Melissa Manchester (“Midnight Blue”), Gordon Lightfoot (“If You Could Read My Mind”), and the Dionne Warwick classic “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me.”

She recorded the album with keyboardist Nick Straker and his drummer, Phil Towner (ex-New Musik), plus Matumbi guitarist John Kpiaye and bassist Dennis Bovell (aka Blackbeard).

A1. “If You Could Read My Mind” (5:40) — Lightfoot
A2. “Midnight Blue” (3:47) — Manchester, Carole Bayer Sager
A3. “That Same Old Feeling” (3:11) — Tony Macaulay
A4. “Don’t Ever Stop Loving Me” (3:56) — Viola Wills
A5. “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” (4:06) — B. Bacarach, H. David

B1. “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” (3:16) — Killern
B2. “Secret Love” (4:07) — Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain
B3. “Let Me Be Your Rock” (4:04) — Viola Wills
B4. “Starry Eyed” (2:46) — Shuman, M. Carson
B5. “Up on the Roof” (5:54) — Goffin, King

Viola Wills recorded If You Could Read My Mind at R.G. Jones Studios in London and Hillside Sound Studios in Ipswich with producer Jerry McCabe; Jerry Kitchingham and Mark Lusardi engineered the album.

Hansa issued “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” as a single (b/w “Your Love”), which reached No. 8 in the UK and No. 52 on Billboard’s Dance chart. “If You Could Read My Mind” followed (b/w “Up on the Roof”) and reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Dance chart and No. 80 in Australia.

Space

Viola Wills Ashmun released their third album, Space, in 1983 on RVA.

The album contains eight Wills originals arranged by Lee Blaske and assistant Robert Ashmun.

A1. “Ain’t Nobody Like Me” (4:35)
A2. “Desperately” (6:43)
A3. “I Ain’t Through Yet” (6:45)
A4. “Walls” (6:20)

B1. “When Will It Be My Turn / Maybe This Time” (6:43) – merges an original with the Cabaret number “Maybe This Time” by John Kander and Fred Ebb.
B2. “Climb Every Mountain” (7:19) – Rodgers & Hammerstein
B3. “This Is Your Life” (3:00)
B4. “Space” (3:10)

Wills Ashmun recorded Space for RVA Inc., which produced the album with assistance from Scott Noll and James Gadson. Scott Noll also handled remix work.

Hal Wilson directed the cover. Logo and art credits join Cliff Ashmun, Robert Ashmun, and Wills. Steven AuCoin supplied the photograph.

RVA issued “Space” as a 12″ with the non-album “To Be or Not to Be” (6:10).

Dare to Dream

Viola Wills released their fourth album, Dare to Dream, in 1986 on Wide Angle.

A1. “Dare to Dream” (7:29)
A2. “Hot for You” (6:25)
A3. “Love Transfusion” (5:51)

B1. “Trilogy: Both Sides Now / Ebb Tide / Over the Rainbow” (12:27)
B2. “Crazy” (5:18)
B3. “You Are the Reason Why” (4:15)

Viola Wills recorded Dare to Dream for Willpower Productions with engineers Mel Simpson and Billy Osborne IV, who handled the mix.

Wide Angle issued “Both Sides Now” as a 1985 12″ (b/w “Dare to Dream”), which reached No. 35 in the UK. “Hot for You” followed as a 1986 12″ (“Love Transfusion”).

Discography: