Darrow Fletcher

Darrow Fletcher

A child prodigy, Darrow Fletcher started singing when he was six years old. Everybody predicted stardom for the young crooner, who didn’t have a shy bone in his body. He recorded his first record while still a student at Hirsch High School; he later attended South Shore. Ironically, the song turned out to be his most popular recording. “The Pain Gets a Little Deeper” was a rough song for a 14-year-old to get into, or so one would think, but Fletcher belted it out as if he had just gone through a knockdown, drag-out divorce. Travels took him to the celebrated chitlin’ circuit, where he shared billings with other hot acts. He appeared on many television shows, not big ones like Dick Clark, but smaller soul shows like Ken Hawkins’ World of Soul in Cleveland, OH, and Soul Train when it was Chicago-based.

At least three more singles on Groovy Records didn’t come close to equaling the minimal success of his debut; he switched labels again and again, but sales never amounted to much. He recorded some solid singles, though; “Sitting There That Night” was a monster in Chicago, but never got much further than the city limits, due to Jacklyn Records’ small budget. He cut “What Good Am I Without You” (1968) for the same label with the same results. Chicago’s big city lifestyle, combined with his local success, got him flossy gigs at the Regal Theater with stars such as Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Ruffin, B.B. King, the Radiants, and others. His “The Way of a Man” (B-side of this listing) on Revue Records made CKLW’s (Detroit/Windsor) heavy rotation, notching well into the station’s Top 20 survey. Pushed and managed by his father, Fletcher tried but never signed to a label with deep pockets. He had two other releases on Revue Records that went totally unnoticed everywhere but at the Fletcher abode. In 1970, “Dolly Baby” b/w “What Is This” dropped on Uni Records, but made no noise. “Now Is the Time for Love” came out on Genna Records, another midget.

After a while, Fletcher gave up the dream. A Darrow Fletcher compilation isn’t on the market, and despite all his recordings, he never made an album. Some of his songs can be found from time to time on Northern soul websites playable via Real Audio. Some select cuts are on various Northern soul compilations, mostly imports, which can be hard to come by in the States. Other notable recordings include “What Have I Got,” “I’ve Gotta Know Why,” “My Judgement Day,” “Gotta Draw the Line,” and “My Young Misery,” the follow-up to “The Pain Gets a Little Deeper.”  Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

Darrow Fletcher Cleethorpes 2006

Discography
A full (?) 45 discography courtesy of Dave Rimmer at www.soulfulkindamusic.net.

Links included where appropriate (note link includes both A & B sides and any label scans). Any help filling in the gaps would be greatly appreciated just leave a comment. Especially interested in the 1978 Atco 7083 release ‘Let’s Get Together’ if anyone can help.

1966	The Pain Gets A Little Deeper	Groovy	3001	A
1966	My Judgement Day	Groovy	3001	B
1966	My Young Misery	Groovy	3004	A
1966	I Gotta Know Why	Groovy	3004	B
1966	Gotta Draw The Line	Groovy	3007	A
1966	I Gotta Know Why	Groovy	3007	B
1966	That Certain Little Something	Groovy	3009	A
1966	My Judgement Day	Groovy	3009	B
1966	What Have I Got Now	Jacklyn	1002	A
1966	Sitting There That Night	Jacklyn	1002	B
1967	Infatuation	Jacklyn	1003	A
1967	Little Girl	Jacklyn	1003	B
1967	What Good Am I Without You	Jacklyn	1006	A
1967	Little Girl	Jacklyn	1006	B
1968	The Way Of A Man	Revue	11008	A
1968	I Like The Way I Feel	Revue	11008	B
1968	Gonna Keep Loving You	Revue	11023	A
1968	We Can’t Go On This Way	Revue	11023	B
1969	Those Hanging Heartaches	Revue	11035	A
1969	Sitting There That Night	Revue	11035	B
1970	I Think I’m Gonna Write A Song	Congress	6011	A
1970	Sitting There That Night	Congress	6011	B
1970	When Love Calls	Uni	55244	A
1970	Changing By The Minute	Uni	55244	B
1971	What Is This	Uni	55270	A
1971	Dolly Baby	Uni	55270	B
1971	Now Is The Time For Love (Part 1)	Genna	1002	A
1971	Now Is The Time For Love (Part 2)	Genna	1002	B
1975	Try Something New	Crossover	980	A
1975	It’s No Mistake	Crossover	980	B
1976	We’ve Got To Get An Understanding	Crossover	983	A
1976	This Time I’ll Be The Fool	Crossover	983	B
1978	Improve	Atco	7083	A
1978	Let’s Get Together	Atco	7083	B
1979	Rising Cost Of Love	Atlantic	3600	A
1979	Honey, Can I	Atlantic	3600	B

A Bonus previously unissued track taken from the recent Masterpieces Of Modern Soul compilation entitled ‘Hope For Love’ is included here.

Hope For Love

Darrow appeared at the legendary Cleethorpes Weekender in June 2006. Unfortunately I didn’t go so anyone who did I’d love to hear what his performance was like.

Cleethorpes Weekender 20006

Here’s a link to a review of the weekend and here’s another link to the programme for the weekend including a brief Darrow Fletcher Biography.

Both above links from www.6ts.info website.

Here’s a collection of tracks I found on YouTube:

Darrow Fletcher [1966] – The Pain Gets A little Deeper [US Groovy 3001]

Darrow Fletcher [1966] – My Young Misery [US Groovy 3004]

Darrow Fletcher [1966] – You Gotta Draw The Line [US Groovy 3007]

Darrow Fletcher [1066] – What Have I Got Now [US Jacklyn 1002]

Darrow Fletcher [1967] – What Good Am I Without You [US Jacklyn 1006]

Darrow Fletcher [1968] – I Like The Way I Feel [US Revue 11008]

Darrow Fletcher [1970] – When Love Calls [US Uni 55244 A]

Darrow Fletcher [1970 Changing By The Minute [US Uni 55244 B]

Darrow Fletcher [1971] – Now It’s Time For Love Part 1 [Genna 1002]

Darrow Fletcher [1971] – Now It’s Time For Love Part 2 [Genna 1002]

Darrow Fletcher [1975] – It’s No Mistake [US Crossover 980]

Darrow Fletcher [1976] – We’ve Got To Get An Understanding [US Crossover 983]