Dynamo Duo [CD]

When Inez Foxx (born September 9, 1942 in Greensboro, North Carolina) and guitarist brother Charlie (born 3 years earlier) seemingly burst onto the scene in the summer of 1963 with their signature smash hit Mockingbird (which they composed) - # 2 R&B and # 7 Billboard Pop Hot 100 on the Sue Records subsidiary Symbol 919 - billed as Inez Foxx (with Charlie Foxx), little did they realize that they were destined to become One-Hit Wonders in the eyes of many (note too that the version of Mockingbird included here is a 1968 re-recording with strings accompaniment at their later label).

But calling them One-Shot Wonders is manifestly unfair as they did go on to have several more charters, and although none would ever again reach the Billboard Pop Top 40, it's also imperative to note that Billboard had suspended the R&B charts from late 1963 and through all of 1964. You have to think, therefore, that their other Symbol releases (see Comments below) could have ranked much higher on those listings.

Inez had appeared on record with Brunswick back in 1960/61 at age 18/19 as Inez Johnston doing Big Bad Betsy/A Feeling (I Can't Explain) on Brunswick 55169 and Change Of Heart/Why Did Ya? on Brunswick 55218, and although neither made any national charts you could tell the talent was there (both are impossible to find in CD format). After departing Sue/Symbol, they hooked up with Musicor in 1966 who released one single billed as Inez & Charlie Foxx - No Stranger To Love (Musicor 1201) - and had to be disappointed as all it could achieve was a # 49 R&B In November b/w Come By Here. Both are here.

After that their releases would be on their Dynamo subsidiary, with the first, Baby Take It All/Tightrope (Dynamo 102) going nowhere in early 1967. That June, however, I Stand Accused did manage a # 41 R&B and # 127 Billboard Pop Hot 100 Bubble Under on Dynamo 104 b/w Guilty. Then, in September, they finally re-entered the R&B Top 40 with You Are The Man - but were shut out on the Pop charts - on Dynamo 109 b/w Hard To Get, and as 1967 was turning into 1968, they had a # 17 R&B and a # 76 Hot 100 with (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days on Dynamo 112 b/w A Stranger I Don't Know (Wish It Was You). All these sides are here.

They would have just one more charter for Dynamo following several failed singles (see Comments), that being the February 1971 # 50 R&B You Shouldn't Have Set My Soul On Fire, billed only as Inezz Foxx, on Dynamo 144. That's here but the flip, Live For Today, is omitted. In 1973/74, Inez would have two minor charters on the Volt label, I Had a Talk With My Man (# 74 R&B) and Circuit's Overloaded (# 83 R&B).

Charlie, who later functioned as a producer, passed away at age 58 on September 18, 1998 from leukemia

Good sound reproduction and informative notes are evident in this release from the U.K.

This is the best cd I've heard in a long time. "Count The Days" is so good I can listen to it over and over. People you don't know what you're missing with this song!!!

I had heard "Come By Here" on an old Wolfman Jack radio show air check but had been unable to find a copy. I am glad to finally have it.