Artist:Jeanne & The DarlingsSong:Soul Girl
Album:Stax/Volt The Complete Singles Vol. 9
I don't know why but Stax Records didn't seem to have much luck with female groups. Jeanne & The Darlings were used mainly as backup singers. But they recorded a few singles for Stax that probably deserved a better fate. Soul Girl is an obvious variation on the Sam & Dave hit Soul Man but it sounds great on its own merit. Jeanne & The Darlings were from Little Rock, AR featuring lead singer Jeanne Dolphus, sister Dolores "Dee" Dolphus, Jeanne's daughter Paula Cotton and Phefe Harris. They were mainly a gospel group and Jeanne and Dee recorded for Avant Records as The Dolphus Sisters. Jeanne also used the name Mary Jean Cotton. Stax brought them to Memphis to work as backup singers working with Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They liked the girls enough that they wrote a couple of songs for them including Soul Girl. It was released on Volt in 1967 but went nowhere. It's too bad because it's much better than just a variation of the hit Soul Man. The girls also worked with producers Homer Banks and Don Davis. But none of their six singles were successful and they left Stax in 1969. You can get three Jeanne & The Darlings songs on this single CD which is part of the 9CD Complete Stax/Volt Singles box set. Both sisters returned to Little Rock and while they continued to sing, both became mental health professionals working with at risk youth. I think Dee is deceased but Dr. Jeanne Dolphus Cotton still does that today. Her five daughters sing as Sisters Cotton. Here's a video for Soul Girl by Jeanne & The Darlings.
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