Gene McDaniels

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Gene McDaniels (born Eugene Booker McDaniels, February 12, 1935 in Kansas City), Missouri, is an American singer and songwriter who had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s.

McDaniels grew up in Omaha, Nebraska.

McDaniels had six Top 40 hits. The two that went into the top five were 1961's "Tower of Strength" and "A Hundred Pounds of Clay," the latter reaching #3 on the U.S. pop charts.

"It's a lonely town" became in 1964 a good success of great italian singer Mina as "Città vuota".

McDaniels did, however, reach the top spot on the charts as a songwriter. In 1974, Roberta Flack reached #1 with McDaniels' "Feel Like Makin' Love." (This is not to be confused with the Bad Company song of the same name.)

Other songs that McDaniels recorded included "Point Of No Return" and "Spanish Lace."

In the early 1970s, McDaniels recorded on the Atlantic Records label, which released the McDaniels albums, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse and Outlaw.

McDaniel's "Jagger the Dagger" was featured on the Tribe Vibes breakbeat compilation album, as it had been sampled by the musical group, A Tribe Called Quest.

In the late 1960s, McDaniels turned his attention to a more black consciousness form of song. His best-known song in this genre was probably "Compared to What," a jazz-soul protest song made famous (and into a hit) by Les McCann and Eddie Harris on their album Swiss Movement and also covered by Roberta Flack.

McDaniels also appeared in movies on the strength of his early 1960s hits. They included the 1962 film, It's Trad, Dad!, (released in the United States as Ring-A-Ding Rhythm). The movie which was directed by Richard Lester. He also appeared in 1963's The Young Swingers. McDaniels is briefly seen singing in the choir in the 1974 Sidney Poitier-Bill Cosby film Uptown Saturday Night.

[edit] Partial Discography

[edit] US Hit singles

  • "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" - #3, 1961
  • "A Tear" - #31, 1961
  • "Tower of Strength" - #5, 1961
  • "Chip Chip" - #10, 1962
  • "Funny" - #99, 1962
  • "Point of No Return" - #21, 1962
  • "Spanish Lace" - #31, 1962
  • "It's a Lonely Town (Lonely Without You)" - #64, 1963
  • "River" - #115, 1972 (released under the name Universal Jones)

[edit] Film Appearances

  • It's Trad, Dad! (a.k.a. Ring-A-Ding Rhythm) (1962)
  • The Young Swingers (1963)
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