Chris Clark - The Promise Of Tomorrow (1968)

Chris Clark graced Motown’s abundant talent roster in the 1960's, but despite her obvious talent, it seemed like they didn't really know what to do with her. She was a statuesque six-foot-tall platinum blonde from northern California, with ravishing good looks and a stunning voice tailor-made for belting out soul, and during the 60's was the closest thing to a US version of Dusty Springfield. She signed with Motown Records in 1963, but had to cool her heels for a couple of years as a Motown receptionist until Berry Gordy had time to write and produce her debut single 'Do Right Baby Do Right' in December 1965. Holland-Dozier-Holland penned her next single 'Love’s Gone Bad', which was her only chart success in late 1966, and the following year she released her debut album 'Soul Sounds', which should have convinced anyone who heard it of her commercial and artistic possibilities. The trouble was that Motown didn't really know how to market her, and so while the album is considered something of a classic now, it didn't fare that well at the time. One more album followed in 1969, with 'CC Rides Again', and then she faded away from the recording scene, remaining close to Gordy by working in Motown’s front office, become proficient in photography, graphic design, and screenwriting (she received an Oscar nomination for co-writing  1972’s 'Lady Sings The Blues'). Clark stayed with Motown up to 1982, but didn’t sing again in public until she ventured over to the UK in 2006 to share a star-studded bill with fellow Motown artists The Temptations and The Four Tops at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Shortly before that, in 2005, Motown had released a 50-track retrospective double CD, which compiled her two albums, and added 25 previously unreleased songs, and yet that wasn't everything that she'd recorded in the 60's, as there are at least another twenty superb un-issued recordings which surfaced on the 'Motown Unreleased' series a few years ago, from which I've picked the best fourteen for this album. For a more in depth analysis of her career, and some more great music, then visit Pauls' site here, and there's a fascinating interview with her here. While you're checking those out you can listen to some stunning soul music from America's answer to Dusty Springfield.  

Track listing

01 It Hurts To Be In Love 
02 You Got What It Takes
03 Since I Fell For You
04 The Glory Of Love  
05 Standing In Yesterday 
06 All I Could Do Was Cry (with The Vancouvers)
07 All In The Promise Of Tomorrow
08 I'm Gonna Be True  
09 What The World Needs Now Is Love  
10 Whenever I'm Without You 
11 Feeling Good
12 My World Is Empty Without You
13 Growing  
14 Sunny

Tracks 1-7 1967
Tracks 8-14 1968