Tiny Topsy & Lula Reed ‎– Just A Little Bit Federal's Queens Of New Breed R&B With Special Guest Freddie King (2010) Ace + Booklet - Rare R&B/Northern/Mod (MP3)

Rare singles plus just a bit of previously unissued material, recorded separately by two women singers for the Federal label in the late 1950s and early '60s, are compiled on this CD, divided about evenly between Tiny Topsy sides and Lula Reed tracks. None of the five singles Tiny Topsy did for the label between 1957 and 1959 were hits, but one of them should have been, and was indeed a hit for someone else. That song was the R&B/rock classic "Just a Little Bit," heard here in its original version. Covered soon afterward for a huge R&B hit by Rosco Gordon, it was done over the next few decades by numerous rock and soul acts. Tiny Topsy's rendition is tough and based around riveting, minor keyed melodic lines. Tiny Topsy used a far raunchier vocal approach than most women in her field did during that period. Lula Reed is much better known, and was recorded much more often, than Topsy. In fact, she'd already done a lengthy tour of duty with Federal's parent label, King, in the early to mid '50s that's collected on another Ace CD, I'll Drown in My Tears (whose title track was famously covered by Ray Charles as "Drown in My Own Tears"). This CD has singles she did in 1961 and 1962, including a couple duets with Freddy King. A lot of these tracks went huge on the northern soul scene in the R&B rooms and later the main rooms.Reed wasn't as forceful a singer as Topsy, but done in her own unique style. Tiny Topsy was born Otha Lee Moore in 1930 & passed 1964.She came from chicago.Lula Reed was born Lula Marietta McClelland  in ohio in 1926 & passed 2008. Freddie King was born in texas in 1934 & passed 1976. Along with Albert King & BB King he was known in the business as one of the 3 kings (of the Guitar) and i love this guys style.... I wont bore you to death with facts and figures,all the info on these folk is in the booklet...All i will add is these gals could bang out a tune or two...SUPERB!

AMM

                                                                       The Tasters!