Maxine Brown has been popular in the black music
world since her 1960 debut hit 'All In My Mind'. That
was credited as one of the first soul records but it was
not until she moved to Wand Records in 1963 that her
career really took off.
This golden period for her included her signature hit
'Oh No Not My Baby' and other beautiful ballads like
'It's Gonna Be Alright' and 'Gotta Find A Way'. These
are loved in the UK but it was the more obscure
uptempo Wand releases that turned her from an
admired artist into a soul goddess on the Northern Soul
scene.
The first 70s "discovery" was 'One In A Million', quickly
followed by 'Let Me Give You My Lovin' and 'One Step
At A Time'. In the 80s the depth of her catalogue was
appreciated and the LP-only Van McCoy beauty 'I
Wonder What My Baby's Doing Tonight' gained plays
along with the raucous 'Yesterday's Kisses', and the
pulsating 'Little Girl Lost'. Then, at just the right
moment, Kent Records raided the Scepter-Wand vaults
for the sublime dancers 'It's Torture', Ashford &
Simpson's 'I Want A Guarantee' and Otis Redding's
self-produced stomper 'Baby Cakes'. Those tracks first
appeared on a Kent LP in 1985 and the recent upsurge
of interest in Kent LPs gives us an opportunity to make
them available to album lovers once more.
Maxine is still performing 58 years since her arrival on
the soul scene and her reputation as an all-time great
continues to grow.
