Ila Vann - The Ila Vann Collection - Private Compilation (MP3)HQ

Ila was born Ila Harriet Fields in 1938 in New Jersey. This CD was sent to me years ago by god knows who? i sadly cant remember ?..stumbled over it the other day and thought wow! i,ll post this up for the guys on the blog!..I first came across her name whilst dancing in a club to “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”  and years later at Blackpool Mecca to "you made me this way". This collection just about has everything she has done on 45 as she sadly never recorded an album. Also featured is a 2003 radio interview with U.K. DJ Kev Roberts where Ila goes into her life and career in depth as well as illustrating Ila’s success on the Northern Soul Scene in the UK......She Started singing in church & was Spotted at age 8 by Mahalia Jackson and went on the road as an opening act with her for the next 4 years. Ila also sang with The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Staple Singers, Clara Ward and Sam Cooke.She continued to be a sought after solo performer as well as providing distinct harmonies with pop greats Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers, Barry Manilow, & Ray Charles and at the age of 23, she recorded with Louis Armstrong. Her work with Sam Cooke led to her first recording contract with Arnold Records for a short while then moving on to Roulette Records resulted in a more commercial sound, and she is especially known for her version of the Showboat musical number ‘Can’t Help Loving That Man’. This song later became a huge hit on the Northern Soul circuit in England. Vann broke her Roulette contract due to a lack of promotion/marketing for her work. Following her Roulette recordings, Vann worked on broadway musicals, toured with the USO, and the group, Business Before Pleasure. She has lived in Ontario Canada for many years & performed in cities and towns around Eastern Ontario, Canada – Kingston, Belleville, Trenton, Brockville. She made occasional appearances in the UK for an always appreciative Northern Soul crowd. Ila retired from touring in 2017, and has said she "I am going to sing until I die, Music is a part of me forever.” Ila’s friendship with songwriter Helen Miller offered her the chance to help sell the Broadway musical ‘Inner City‘, written by Miller and Eve Merriam.  The show opened on Broadway without Ila, after a producer thought she wasn’t ‘black’ enough to play her role.  When it came time to release a single from the show, everyone involved wanted Ila to record it.  ‘My Mother Said‘ was released in 1972 on Pickwick International Productions, along with the magnificent B-side, ‘You Made Me This Way‘.This song was a big hit in Britain again with collectors and for dancers on the Northern Scene. Ila recorded many demos for Helen Miller, one of these demos is included in this collection.  Ila recalls that ‘Now That I Need Him‘ may have been written for Gladys Knight.Finally, ‘Flying Solo Tomorrow‘ and ‘No Good Jim‘ were released on Star Records,not much is known about these recordings, but the mix of strings and synthesisers suggests that they was probably recorded in the mid-to-late 70’s. Theres a song covered by Darrell Banks "I've Got The Feeling" also included.  Ila Vann is in that army of vastly underrated performers whose talent in Soul Music is long overdue. Great dancers and Soul in general, a legend to most soul lovers! You take the sound quality for what it is on some tracks.

AMM & INTERVIEW INCLUDED

                                                                      The Tasters!