Ruby Andrews - I Just Don’t Believe It

Ruby Andrews - I Just Don’t Believe It from the Zodiac Records 45

Well it seems The Real Roast Mix has gone over well. I’ve definitely got a heck of a lot more Jazz to share, so please stay tuned for that in the near future. I want to give the cats over at Raw Wax a shout out. They sent me over some smoking Funk 45s from their stable and it’s greatly appreciated. When the interview I did with them in Vault Magazine comes out, I’ll put a scan of it up. That should be out shortly. More on those guys in a post to come. Like I said last week, I have too much Soul in my que to let it just sit there. I do buy a lot of records (maybe an understatement), but my Soul 45s are slowly catching up to my Funk 45s in quantity. I’ve been picking up records by this next artist for a while, mostly 45s, as I understand the Lps can be a bit pricey. You don’t see many of her full lengths in the field, but you better believe if you see ‘em, pick them up. Let’s check out “Whatever It Takes” by Ruby Andrews on Zodiac Records from 1967.

A Chicago musician via Hollondale, Mississippi, Andrews was associated with Ric William’s Zodiac label. She turned out sides that were produced and written by the team of Fred Bridges, Robert Eaton and Richard Knight ( BKE ). These three previously recorded as The Brothers of Soul, and had a lukewarm hit “I Guess That Don’t Make Me A Loser” (Which is definitely going to be reviewed here at FMF). She would also go on to cover that tune some years later. Prior to releasing her song “Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over)”, Andrews was associated with The Vondells and was a night club dancer. Her Windy City vocal style put her on the Soul map, ( but unfortunately she did not blow up) and she released sides such as “Hey Boy Take A Chance On Love”, “Wonderful Night”, and “The Love That I Need” among others. The BKE production team molded Andrews emotional Funky Soul sound into something special. Sometime overlooked, I believe her sound was definitely bold and unique. Her career had a small resurgence when Casanova was covered in the 80’s in the UK, spawning a Swamp Dogg produced record some years later in 1991 called “Kiss This”.

This particular side is the flip of Cassanova. The first thing I noticed is that it wasn’t produced by BKE, but rather McGregor and Terry. Chicago music experts where you at out there? If you have some insight on this producing duo, please share it. Starting off with with some great strings and what sounds like a melodica, Andrews pleads her case with a Soul voice of reason. It’s hard to imagine not listening to what she had to say, because her voice is really beautiful and quite persuasive. This side is mid tempo, with a decent drum beat, but the real thing that sticks out is Ruby’s voice. This woman definitely did not get the recognition she deserved I feel. There have been some compilations , which definitely give you a peek into what this woman could really do. This is some emotional Sister Soul people, and another great artist out of the Windy City. Don’t sleep on this one, you’ll be sorry you did. I’ll be back on Friday with something dusty from the crates. Keep Diggin’!