Ty Karim along with her husband created the quality Northern Soul dancefloor favourite ‘Lighten Up Baby’ which has been appreciated by British Soul fans since the 1970s. Years later DJ Ian Clark started spinning the equally good uptempo ‘Ain’t That Love Enough’ which also found an appreciative home on the scene. As the scene opened up to include 1970s later sophisticated ‘Modern Soul’ songs such as the 1970s update ‘Lightin’ Up’ would be introduced.
It was also realised that Ty was also known as ‘Towana and the Total Destruction’ which introduced ‘Wear Your Natural Baby’. With a broadening range of songs by the artist being appreciated Kent explored putting together a definitive CD of her recordings. This lavishly produced CD has sweet sound from the mastertapes, extensive sleevenotes and a sense of care in its creation.
Ty was along with so many other artists such as Sandi Shelton, Bettye Swann or Dee Dee Warwick, a marvellous artist who never broke through to the mainstream. However the quality of her music is undeniable and this CD will be an essential purchase for fans of 60s and 70s soul music.
Sadly Ty is now deceased so this CD provides a fitting testament to a great talent whose appreciation genuinely does grow over the years.
Here is the story of a family of three black LA musicians that showcases the vocal talents of the wife and mother, Ty Karim. Her husband Kent Harris’ vocal career was largely over by the time she came into his life and he then spent most of his musical energy producing and promoting his wife’s soul recordings. 43 years on from those first recordings, the couple’s daughter Karime, now performs that wonderful music to the same UK fans who have searched out and appreciate the scarce releases of her parents over the last three decades.
Ty Karim was a stunning looking, tall and elegant LA soul singer with a raw emotive vocal delivery who recorded from the mid 60s to early 80s. Her recordings were mainly original dancefloor-inspired numbers; always very dynamic and great vehicles for her husky voice. The 60s tracks are Northern soul at its best and their rarity and excellence has put three of them into the £1000+ bracket, even though ‘You Really Made It Good To Me’ (Check price here) was issued on three different catalogue numbers. ‘You Just Don’t Know’ (Check price here)is the hugely expensive number, only ever issued on Kent Harris’ Romark label and now costing £3,000+, but worth it for those glorious vocals and the cascading piano fills alone. ‘Lighten Up Baby’ is another costly item whose full story could fill a book, given the time. Even the 70s remake of it, ‘Lightin Up’, is on the pricey side (Check price here) but like most of Ty’s 45s is a stunning double sider with a beautiful James Taylor, of all people, song on the flip.
60s Big Beat ballad fans should look out for the stunning ‘All At Once’ which may have passed them by as its flip commands such a high price. Due to heavy local sales ‘Help Me Get The Feeling’ is a relatively cheap (we’re talking hundreds not thousands) single but an equally great 60s Motownesque dancer.
Ty and Kent’s crossover funk ‘Wear Your Natural’ presaged the 70s soul sound that Ty also mastered. She worked through that decade with ‘Lightin’ Up’ the standout release, and then into the 80s, when her 12” collaboration with George Griffin ‘Keep On Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’’ gained her new overseas fans. We are pleased to be able to include her prototype of that song ‘If I Can’t Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)’ as recorded by CB Overton and Johnny Bristol; it has got the Modern Room DJs licking their lips already.
Sadly Ty died in 1983, but with her daughter Karime living only a couple of miles from Ace, we’ve pieced together this fascinating story. It includes how a Northern soul fanzine article about her mother inspired Karime to move to the UK and eventually led to her singing her parents’ wonderful music to very appreciative crowds on today’s Northern Soul circuit. Kent Harris has given us complete access to all his master tapes and photographs and we have even found new material and alternative takes on some of Ty’s songs, including a great blues version of ‘Lighten Up Baby’. The musical clarity from the masters is particularly good too; given the understandably poor sound quality of previous bootlegs of the music.
From being an almost mythical and revered West Coast chanteuse, we can now appreciate and understand Ty Karim for the sublime artist she was.
By Ady Croasdell
Kent CDKEND 308
1 Lighten Up Baby
2 Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again
3 Ain’t That Love Enough
4 Only a Fool
5 All at Once
6 Lightin’ Up
7 Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
8 Wear Your Natural, Baby
9 You Just Don’t Know
10 You Really Made It Good to Me
11 I Ain’t Lying
12 Take It Easy Baby
13 Don’t Make Me Do Wrong
14 Keep on Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’
15 Keep on Doin’ Whatcha’ Doin’
16 Natural Do aka Wear Your Natural, Baby
17 I’m Leavin’ You
18 All in Vain
19 After Your Love Has Gone
20 All at Once [Alt Vocal]
21 Lighten Up Baby [Alt Vocal]
22 If I Can’t Stop You (I Can Slow You Down)
23 It Takes Money
Towana & Total Destruction – Wear Your Natural Baby [US Romark RK 102]
Karime Kendra appeared at the Cleethorpes 6Ts Weekender in 2008 to perform the songs of her mother (Ty Karim). Heres a couple of clips of her performance.
Karime Kendra – Lightin’ Up Baby
Karime Kendra – Wear Your Natural Baby
Ty Karim & George Griffin Keep On Doin Watcha Doin [US Sheridan House]
Original version of the track by C.B. Overton [1977] – If I Can’t Stop You that also resurfaced by Johnny Bristol [1982] – If I Can’t Stop You on Handshake?
Long Version
Ty Karim [] – You Just Don’t Know [US Romark]
Ty Karim [] – You Really Made It Good To Me [US Romark 113]
Ty Karim [] – I Ain’t Lying [US Roach 182]
Ty Karim [] – Lighten Up Baby [US Car-A-Mel K 1877]
3 more releases with the same backing track:
Ike & Tina Turner – Somebody, Somewhere Needs You [WB 5766]
Lyrics:
If someone you’d give your life for
Walks out on you
And you feel you have no one
No one else to turn to
Open up your heart
Stretch out your arms
Remember somebody else somewhere
Somebody, somewhere
Remember somebody else somewhere
Needs you… right now
They need you right now
If ever a pain in your heart
Makes you feel like crying
If at night, you just can’t sleep
Cause you can’t stop crying
Heartaches seem to multiply
Your eyes just won’t stay dry
Remember somebody else somewhere
Somebody, somewhere
Remember somebody else somewhere
Needs you… right now
They need you right now
Don’t worry bout the past
Hold your head up high
You’re gonna see a golden
Rainbow way up in the sky
Turn back the clock
Open up your heart
You’ll hear a knock
Oh, baby, I need you
Listen, in my arms
Is where you belong
I need you right now
I’ll never, never, never
Leave you, no, no
I need you right now
Baby, oh, baby
Sweet baby, I need you
Yes, I do, I need you.
Darrell Banks – Somebody, Somewhere Needs You
Larry Laster [] – Go For Yourself [Loma 2043]
Modern Soul 
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