Hopefully you are enjoying your summer. July was an extremely successful month in terms of page views. I was expecting a bit of a slow month because it is summer and since we are coming out of a COVID lockdown period I thought people would have had a lot more to do than read a blog and listen to music. It just goes to show, that there is always time for music in our lives. The fact that July was the second-best month ever in terms of page views and visitors is a really nice surprise. I am grateful for the fact that Ted Tocks has been over the 1000+ page views per month plateau every month in 2021. This is all thanks to you…the readers who continue to take the time to enjoy my posts and share in the listening experience.
Here are the top three posts for July of 2021. The #1 and #2 posts were written for some special people. I have been writing Ted Tocks Covers since the beginning of 2018 and to me at least, the most rewarding features are the ones where I am able to write about some of the people closest to me.
#3 – ‘Every Time I See Your Picture’ by Luba – Written for our wonderful friend Laura. It helps to share her story about one her most powerful relationships and an unbreakable bond.
#2 – ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ by Crowded House – Was a reflection on our family friendship with Ashlee as she and Andrew began a new chapter in their lives. It was a beautiful wedding. We wish we were there, but we watched on Zoom.
#3 – ‘Lovin’ You’ by Minnie Riperton – A look at a life in music for an artist whose talent bordered on unbelievable. A voice beyond comparison in my opinion. This is a story that needed to be told with the beautiful song as a backdrop.
Each song and the corresponding stories offer yet another series of examples demonstrating the fact that music connects people every day. Best of all, through this blog I am able to connect with people all over the world ever so briefly. In July on at least two occasions we were able to let some people who live a considerable distance away, know that they were very near in our thoughts.
If you missed these features the first time around enjoy them now. If you think a friend might like to spend a few minutes with some good music, please share because…
#MusicisLife
If you haven’t already, please sign up yourself or invite other people to follow Ted Tocks Covers at:
A few months ago, I got caught up in a vortex of high-quality music and I ended up getting deep into the recording history of the awe-inspiring Minnie Riperton. Today’s Ted Tocks Covers will focus on a prolific career that sadly, ended way too soon. Here is a brief story using her classic #1 song ‘Loving You’ as the focal point, but I will endeavor to share I wider range of her intriguing catalogue. Enjoy, because this is a fascinating musical ride, and a voice that will leave you breathless.
Minnie Riperton was born and raised in Chicago’s south side. As a child she gravitated to music, drama and dance and right from the beginning performance was her comfort zone, whether it be for family, friends or in front of an audience. In her early years Chicago’s Lincoln Centre served as a base where she was mentored by Marion Jeffery with a focus on operetta and show tunes. This training served her well as she moved into her secondary school years at Hyde Park High School. It was here that Minnie combined her early training with the emerging popular music scene that merged soul, R&B and blues. The possibilities seemed limitless to the budding star, but she just needed an opportunity. It came in the form of a blind man with an ear for talent.
Raynard Miner heard Minnie Riperton singing while she was with Hyde Park’s A Cappella Choir called The Gems. He knew he had found something special. In 1965, Miner was working with Leonard Chess, co-owner of Chess Records. Initially, Riperton and friends worked as backing vocalists for such artists as Chuck Berry, Etta James and Bo Diddley. Miner had written a song that needed some background accompaniment. He immediately knew Minnie Riperton was the perfect candidate to provide backing vocals for Fontella Bass. Here is ‘Rescue Me’ with Minnie Riperton in her recording debut as part of an ensemble that had become known as Studio Three. The recording also included Maurice White and Louis Satterfield who went on to form Earth, Wind & Fire. It reached #1 on the R&B charts and on the U.K. Singles Chart.
While Studio Three were renowned in the Chicago area and worked hard at striking music gold themselves, they were not able to break through and they disbanded. All was not lost though, because Minnie Riperton had established some strong industry contacts. While part of Studio Three she met Billy Davis who also became determined to make her a star. Davis was a songwriter and producer and through Riperton he was inspired to write ‘You Gave Me Soul’ and ‘Lonely Girl’. These two singles were released under the name Andrea Davis. Here is ‘Lonely Girl’.
Based on the success and possibility created by the ‘Andrea Davis’ recordings Marshall Chess became determined to reach a broader audience. Chess was infatuated by Riperton’s five octave range. The challenge was her talent was difficult to categorize and the music scene was evolving. The son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess determined that Minnie Riperton had cross genre potential, so he thought he would create an act that offered an eclectic combination of talent that would leave people speechless. This resulted in the visionary establishment of Rotary Connection. This act combined gospel, blues, soul and R&B with the emergence of psychedelia. Rotary Connection featured not only Minnie Riperton and Marshall Chess, but Judy Hauf, Sidney Barnes and Charles Stepney. They released their self-titled debut album in 1967 and followed that up with five more release through 1971. They also served as Howlin’ Wolf’s backing band on two of the blues legend’s releases in 1968 and 1969.
The combination of musicianship and Minnie Riperton’s otherworldly vocal gymnastics captivated audiences. Truth be told, people were freakin’ out. I suspect their response was based on a combination of psychedelics and the fact they were in awe that one women’s voice had such range. For about four years Rotary Connection dazzled audiences worldwide. In the United States they generated a fan base by opening for artists like Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.
Speaking of the Rolling Stones, here is Rotary Connection and their cover of ‘Ruby Tuesday’.
A few months ago Rotary Connection was included in a post featuring the Stones and ‘Lady Jane’. Minnie Riperton’s vocals on this track will leave you speechless.
On a regular basis audiences had their minds expanded as well as their concept of the possibilities of music.
If Rotary Connection made one mistake it was in turning down an invitation to perform at Woodstock. In a later interview Rotary Connection admitted this was a bad decision, but they justified their decision citing exhaustion due to a heavy touring schedule. To put it bluntly they were ‘festivaled’ out. As legend has it the invitation stood right through to the Friday evening. Promoters promised to get them in and out somehow, and then promised to send them wherever they wanted to go to relax. The decision remained no. We will never know the impact a performance before half a million music fans would have had on their popularity. Two weeks later the band did play at the Texas International Pop Festival where they drew rave reviews. As unique and captivating as Rotary Connection was, they never managed to find a niche audience and after their 1971 album ‘Hey Love’ was released members began to pursue other projects and the band finally broke up in 1974.
During this time Minnie Riperton met Richard Rudolph through the team at Chess Records. Rudolph was a songwriter who felt an immediate connection to Riperton and it manifested itself swiftly in terms of material for her debut solo album ‘Come to My Garden’. The couple were married in 1970 and had a son named Marc in 1968 and a daughter named Maya in 1972.
While Minnie was maintaining the demanding schedule of Rotary Connection, and family life she began work on ‘Come to My Garden’ with bandmate Charles Stepney who handled production and arrangements. To this day it is considered a masterpiece by critics and peers. People were left baffled as to why it did not perform well commercially.
After ‘Come to My Garden’ was released and Maya was born Minnie and Richard focused on raising Maya and Marc and retreated to Gainesville, Florida. Richard worked at a radio station and Minnie became a homemaker in every sense. An enterprising intern for Epic Records named Steve Slutzah heard a demo of Minnie singing and became determined to track her down. One of his first stops was the very radio station that employed Richard Rudolph. Before too long Minnie Riperton had signed with Epic and the family was on their way to Los Angeles. The result would be the breakthrough album ‘Perfect Angel’.
Sometimes the most successful albums start out in a sluggish way. This is exactly the case for ‘Perfect Angel’. Everybody involved felt Minnie Riperton had released the best work of her career but unfortunately the fickle buying public were not biting. ‘Perfect Angel’ was released in August of 1974. The album even had the support and musical contributions of the great Stevie Wonder, a strong advocate of Minnie’s work. Wonder co-produced the album for free along with Richard Rudolph. He appeared under the pseudonym ‘El Toro Negro’ or ‘Black Bull’ in recognition of his astrological sign. After three unsuccessful singles Epic was nearly ready to give up on the album. It wasn’t until they released the albums fourth single that it began to make some in-roads. Richard Rudolph begged Epic to release ‘Lovin’ You’. They shared anecdotes of how the song impacted live audiences wherever they played the song. Epic relented and the result was a #1 song in 24 countries.
‘Lovin’ You’ had been written when daughter Maja was a baby. It served as a soothing distraction while Richard and Minnie worked on song ideas. The story goes a little bit deeper as when it was recorded Minnie repeats ‘Maya’ as the song fades out. When the song was recorded there were birds singing just outside of the studio windows. The recording picked up the bird’s song. Because of the symmetry between the beauty of the song and nature they opted to keep the birds in the recording.
Just a little over a year after ‘Lovin’ You’ took the world by storm, Minnie Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time of diagnosis, she was told it had already spread to her lymphatic system. The prognosis was poor. She was given six months to live. Despite the death sentence Minnie powered on. She became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. For her bravery and her valiant battle and advocacy for women living with breast cancer she was honoured with the ‘Courage Award’, presented by United States President, Jimmy Carter.
I hope that by sharing, I somehow made it easier for people to live.”
Minnie Riperton
In the early part of 1979 Minnie was in serious pain and extreme lymphedema had immobilized her right arm. If you watch this video, you will notice three things.
First, her arm is held in place by a brace to restrict movement. Second, her vocal range is still stunning and third, she repeats “May, Maya, Ringo, Maya” at the end as a salute to her children Maya and Marc. Marc’s nickname was Ringo.
Sadly, Minnie Riperton died on this day in 1979. She was only 31.
Her epitaph reads:
Lovin’ you is easy ‘cause your beautiful.”
Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph
Minnie Riperton’s attitude toward life definitely inspired many. On some occasions this adoration came through in the lyrics of songs. Here is a Stevie Wonder release from 2005 called ‘Positivity’. People were always asking Stevie about his philosophy on life, and it came through in this song. Here is one verse where he mentions Minnie, but in truth the whole song recalls his special friendship.
Some ask me why I’m such an optimist When it’s more fashionable be a pessimist From what’s in seventy-five percent of what we read, hear and view Well I use to have a friend named Minnie Riperton Who use to always say when she was living “Like fine wine I like seeing the glass of life as half full than half empty”
Stevie Wonder
Here is the song. Classic Stevie Wonder.
In 2006, British singer/songwriter Julia Fordham wrote ‘Roadside Angel’ which comes through as a tribute to Minnie Riperton and a life well lived.
From the south side of Chicago On Woodland Avenue The youngest of eight children With a voice that soared and soothed
Singing at the Lincoln Center The church a block away Like a perfect angel As the Red Sanders Band played
She said, “Baby, can we just go some place warm And stay there ’til the baby’s born? I’ll be your roadside angel and walk with you through life” She was his roadside angel, he was her guiding light
They drove south from New York City To Gainesville, Florida Settled for two summers There with Marc and Maya
She said, “Baby, can we just go some place warm And stay there ’til the baby’s born? I’ll be your roadside angel and walk with you through life” She was his roadside angel, he was her guiding light
He loved her from the moment he saw her At the top of the electric theater stairs Wrapped in his loving arms she lay Listening to Stevie, she flew away, she flew away
Baby, can we just go some place warm And stay there ’til the baby’s born? I’ll be your roadside angel and walk with you through life She was his roadside angel, he was her guiding light She was his roadside angel, he was her guiding light
Julia Fordham
Julia Fordham also did a cover of ‘Lovin’ You’ in 1991. Here is that performance.
Just one more cover that caught my attention. Here is Olivia Newton-John from 2004.
As you read through today’s post you may have recognized the names of the Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph children. Marc works in the music industry as an engineer. Maya is a well-known actor who spent several years on the cast of Saturday Night Live. Most recently she has caught the public’s eye for her fun portrayal of Kamala Harris which garnered her a 2020 Emmy nomination. Richard has noted how proud he is of his children. There is no doubt Minnie Riperton would have been to. They were the centre of her universe.
This all came through in ‘Lovin’ You’ which was described as a soul serenade for her children.
Have a great day and if you get some time listen to some of Minnie Riperton’s library of music.
Ted Tocks Covers 