Jango Song Of The Day-Fontella Bass

Artist:Fontella Bass

Song:Rescue Me

Album:Rescued: The Best Of Fontella Bass

I bet you think that Rescue Me is one of Aretha Franklin's greatest hits. Except Aretha never recorded the song and it was actually a top five hit in 1965 by Fontella Bass. The confusion is understandable because they are very similar singers but Fontella has never got her due. She was born July 3, 1940 in St. Louis and is the daughter of Martha Bass of The Clara Ward Singers. So of course she grew up singing in church. By age 16 Fontella was house pianist at the St. Louis nightclub The Showbar. In 1961 she joined Little Milton's band and sang lead on his 1962 hit So Mean To Me. It was here that she met her husband trumpeter Lester Bowie of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago. When pianist Oliver Sain left Little Milton to start the Oliver Sain Soul Revue, Fontella was lead vocalist. She also recorded with Ike & Tina Turner. Sain took her to Chicago to record Don't Mess Up A Good Thing for The Chess records label Checker. It was a top ten R & B hit. Fontella left Sain and moved to Chicago to record Rescue Me in 1965. The song was credited to Chess session musicians Raynard Miner and Carl Smith though Fontella has maintained that she should have received a songwriting credit and has sued successfully for that credit. Rescue Me topped the R & B charts and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. So it predates Aretha Franklin's breakthrough by two years. Aretha did record a portion of Rescue Me for a 1993 American Express commercial but she never actually recorded the song for release. Fontella had some more R & B hits in the 60s but left Chess in 1969. This comp covers her Chess years. Fontella Bass has recorded over the years mostly with her husband's avant garde jazz band Art Ensemble Of Chicago. They moved back to St. Louis in 1971. She has also recorded with her gospel singer brother David Peaston. She suffered a stroke in 2005 and is now retired. Fontella Bass should have been a much bigger star. Here's Fontella Bass performing Rescue Me on Hollywood-A-Go-Go 1965.