Cash McCall (musician)

This article is about the musician. For the film of the same name, see Cash McCall.
Cash McCall

Cash McCall in 1978
Background information
Birth name Morris Dollison Jr.
Born (1941-01-28) January 28, 1941
New Madrid, Missouri, United States
Genres Electric blues[1]
Occupation(s) Guitarist, singer, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Years active 1963-present

Cash McCall (born Morris Dollison Jr., January 28, 1941) is an American electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1966 R&B hit, "When You Wake Up". McCall's long career has seen him evolve in musical styles from gospel to soul to the blues.[1]

Biography

McCall was born in New Madrid, Missouri. He joined the United States Army, and then settled in Chicago where he had lived for a period as a child. In 1964, he played guitar and sang, alongside Otis Clay, with the Gospel Songbirds, who recorded for Excello Records. Cash later joined another gospel singing ensemble, the Pilgrim Jubilee Singers.[1]

Billed under his birth name, his debut solo single release was "Earth Worm" (1963). Three years later he co-wrote "When You Wake Up" with the record producer, Monk Higgins. His initial soul styled demo was issued by Thomas Records, who chose to call him Cash McCall.[1][2] The song reached #19 on the US Billboard R&B chart.[3] This led to McCall touring with Lou Christie and Mitch Ryder in Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. However, subsequent releases for both the Thomas and Checker labels failed to chart.[1] These included the song, "It's Wonderful To Be In Love".[4] In 1967, McCall co-wrote "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)", a Top 30 R&B hit for Otis Clay.[5][6]

Under the tutelage of Willie Dixon, McCall went on to become a session musician and songwriter for Chess Records.[1] In the late 1960s, McCall, along with Jimmy Dawkins and Johnny Twist, played guitar on some of George "Wild Child" Butler's early recordings.[7]

McCall gravitated towards the blues in the 1970s. He issued Omega Man (1973) before relocating to Los Angeles in 1976 and, by 1983, McCall had released No More Doggin'.[1] In 1985, McCall and his band, appeared at the Long Beach Blues Festival. In 1987, Stony Plain Records released the album, Cash Up Front. The collection included notables such as Nathan East and Welton Gite (bass); Chuck Findley (flugelhorn, trumpet); Hank Cicalo (sound engineer) and Bernie Grundman (mastering); Les McCann and Richard Tee (piano); plus Phil Upchurch (rhythm guitar).[8]

McCall co-produced Willie Dixon's Grammy Award clinching Hidden Charms (1988), and played in Dixon's All-Stars band. Since then he has toured as a solo artist, and appeared with the Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings for whom he has written several tracks. He has also provided backing to the singer known as Big Twist, and performed in the Chicago Blues Review.[1] McCall's songs have been recorded by The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Mighty Reapers, Margie Evans, Tyrone Davis and Mitty Collier.[9]

Discography

Singles

Titles Record label Year of release
"You Can't Take Love" / "Let's Get A Thing Going On" Thomas 310 1966
"You Mean Everything To Me" / "That Lucky Old Sun" Thomas 311 1966
"Let's Try It Over" / "It's Wonderful (To Be In Love)" Thomas 312 1966
"I'm In Danger" / "S. O. S." Checker 1184 1967
"We've Come A Long Way Together" / "It's Not How Good You Make It" Checker 1216 1969
"I'll Always Love You" / "More Power To You" PS Records 501 1969

Albums

Album title Record label Year of release
Omega Man Paula Records 1973
No More Doggin' L & R Records 1983
Cash Up Front Stony Plain Records 1987

[10]

Compilation albums

Album title Record label Year of release
Blues Classics L & R Records 1996
The Best of Cash McCall Snowball Records 2007

[11]

As sideman

With Dorothy Ashby

With Jack McDuff

With Phil Upchurch

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dahl, Bill. "Cash McCall". Allmusic. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  2. ↑ Pruter, Robert (1991). Chicago Soul (1st ed.). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. p. 167. ISBN 0-252-06259-0.
  3. ↑ Bill Dahl (1941-01-28). "Cash McCall | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  4. ↑ "It's Wonderful To Be In Love-Cash McCall {Thomas 1966} | Cash McCall - The Blues". Cash McCall. 2010-02-18. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  5. ↑ Pruter, Robert (1991). Chicago Soul (1st ed.). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. p. 221. ISBN 0-252-06259-0.
  6. ↑ Bill Dahl (1942-02-11). "Otis Clay | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  7. ↑ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 97. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  8. ↑ "Cash up Front - Cash McCall | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  9. ↑ "Cash McCall | Songs". AllMusic. 1941-01-28. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  10. ↑ "Cash McCall | Discography". AllMusic. 1941-01-28. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  11. ↑ "Cash McCall | Discography". AllMusic. 1941-01-28. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  12. ↑ Thom Jurek. "The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby - Dorothy Ashby | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  13. ↑ "Gin and Orange - Jack McDuff | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  14. ↑ "The Way I Feel - Phil Upchurch | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
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