Oscar Toney Jr. (born 26 May 1939, Selma, Alabama, United States) is an American soul singer.[1]
Career
editToney was raised in Columbus, Georgia, United States, and sang gospel in churches while young. In his teens, he joined a gospel group called The Sensational Melodies of Joy, and after this joined secular group called The Searchers (no relation to The Searchers), who released a few singles between 1958 and 1961.[1] In 1964, Toney released a solo single, "Can it All Be Love", on King Records, but did not garner any widespread notice.[1]
Toney then began working with the record producer Papa Don Schroeder, who used Toney as a backup replacement for James & Bobby Purify when one of the two singers was unavailable for a live performance. Schroeder had Toney signed to Bell Records in 1967, and his first single, a cover of "For Your Precious Love" by Jerry Butler & the Impressions, was produced by Chips Moman.[1] The tune would be the first and most successful of Toney's four chart hits.[1] His last single was 1969's "Down in Texas" b/w "Aint That True Love", which failed to chart, and Toney left Bell when Schroeder quit the music industry.
Toney toured the UK a few times during the 1960s, brought to England by agents Henry Sellers and Danny O`Donavan. He insisted after his first tour to have the same backing band which was Merlin Q from London. Merlin Q were Dave Kerr-Clemenson on bass, Andy Locke and Wally Scott on guitars, with Eddie Richards on drums and Denis White on Hammond organ. After their first rehearsal at the Q club in Paddington, Oscar said to Sellers "you said they were good but not that good".[citation needed] The tour included all the Northern soul venues, such as Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester and Golden Torch in Tunstall. After the last tour Kerr-Clemson, Locke, Scott and Richards went on to become Edison Lighthouse.
In 1970, Toney released a single, "Down on My Knees", on Capricorn Records, but the tune did not chart; three more singles, all flops, followed on Capricorn, which dropped the singer in 1973.[2]
Toney's career was tenuous in America, but the British love for Northern soul resulted in a second wind. Later in the 1970s, he was signed to the British record label Contempo Records for six singles and an album, yet none of these sold well,[1] and in the 1980s Toney left the secular industry to focus on gospel again.
Discography
editAlbums
edit- For Your Precious Love (Bell Records, 1967) U.S. No. 192, US R&B Albums No. 27
- I've Been Loving You Too Long To Stop Now!, 1975
- Make It Easy On yourself!, 1975
- Papa Don's Preacher, 1988
- Oscar's Winners, 1998
- Oscar Toney, Jr. Resurfaces!, 2000
- Guilty of Loving You (BGR Records, 2001)
Collaboration: Cliff Ellis & Oscar Toney, Jr Over At Mary's Place, 2008
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Chart Positions[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop Singles | US R&B Singles | ||
| 1967 | "For Your Precious Love" | 23 | 4 |
| 1967 | "Turn On Your Love Light" | 65 | 37 |
| 1968 | "Never Get Enough of Your Love" | 95 | – |
| 1968 | "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" | 90 | 47 |
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1183. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- 1 2 "Oscar Toney, Jr. | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2019.