Does anyone know a single thing about George Perkins and the Silver Stars???

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I’ve looked in all the obvious sources but can find nothing anywhere of substance about a soul 45 on the Silver Fox label from 1970 that I’m fairly obsessed with, the Civil Rights lament “Crying in the Streets” by George Perkins and the Silver Stars.

Here’s the A-side, Pt. 1 (taken from the "Sweet Soul Music" remaster): http://s49.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1JESSWUI8B0E539TGFDIW7HOIQ

Here’s the B-side, Pt. 2 (burned from my own copy of the 7"):
http://home.comcast.net/%7Eyetimike/perkins2.mp3

This song fucking SLAYS me. Does anyone know a SINGLE THING about this dude? I searched on here and see it was noted as a great song on here a few times but that's it. It’s so hard to believe dude only recorded one song. His Claude Jeter-y falsetto alone is so rad… Speaking of Jeter (lead singer for/ leader ofthe Swan Silvertones in their heyday) I consider this tune one of the finest examples of secular gospel ever, up there with “Change Is Gonna Come.” I first heard it on Guralnick’s excellent 1992 companion disc to his “Sweet Soul Music” book (CD found here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002LR9)

Greil says this about the tune in an old SALON column (the song leads off a Trikont comp. he was writing about, “Down & Out: The Sad Soul of the Black South”): “George Perkins and the Silver Stars' 1971 "Crying in the Streets" (is) a purposeful negation of Martha and the Vandellas' 1964 "Dancing in the Street" and a eulogy for the Civil Rights Movement. "I see somebody marching," Perkins cries, but he doesn't; he's crying in the street because all he sees are ghosts.”

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Sunday, 8 May 2005 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi Mike, I swear I think I have a George Perkins 45!! I'm going to have to check my archives.

i know that I DO HAVE the great South Street Soul Guitars 45 on Silver Fox --- featuring what I SWEAR is a clandestine Jeff Beck on guitar -- but let me get back to you on this ... gotta break out the archives...

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Sunday, 8 May 2005 04:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Stormy, that would RULE to hear anything else by Geo. Perkins!!! I have listened to this song an embarassingly lot in the last ten years. Also I know nothing about the Silver Fox label... Thanks a lot!

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Sunday, 8 May 2005 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

"Cryin In the Streets" was the only single Perkins cut with the Silver Stars. It was originally released on the tiny Golden label out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana (where I've always assumed Perkins hailed from)and ended up being picked up for re-release by Silver Fox a sub-label of SSS Intl. Perkins did cut a handful of solo singles for the Louisiana based Soul Power label. The entirety of two of those singles were compiled a few years back on the wonderful second volume of the Soul Jewels collection, "I Wake Up Crying" (though both volumes are wonderful with great obscure nuggets from the Wallace Brothers,Lonnie & Floyd and Clarence Carter at his pulpit-gripping grittiest).There are two more singles Perkins cut with his next group from 75-76, George Perkins & The New Revue, also on the Soul Power label. The best of which "I Can't Stand Your Kind of Lovin' Forever Pts.1 & 2" is fantastic and in dire need of reissue or at least comped, which to my knowledge it hasn't.
I've also seen three singles of his on the Royal Shield label on set sale lists a few times over the years including "Crying on the Streets", no idea if that one's a straight reissue or re-recording though hopefully one day i'll turn a copy and see.
Wish I had something to tell regarding Perkins bio but I've heard very little about him over the years and even less of Frank Turner, the other voice heard in duet w/Perkins on the Silver Stars single. Only wished I had've tried to track him down when I lived down in Louisiana.

― dbricks, Sunday, 8 May 2005 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow. I have to get these singles! Thanks so much for your help, man.

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Sunday, 8 May 2005 07:06 (twenty-one years ago)

It's worth mentioning, since no one else has, that a new Kent UK CD release appeared just a couple of weeks ago. It's called "Southern Soul Showcase: Cryin' In The Streets" and it's got "Part One" of the George Perkins song on it, and a lot of other sweet southern soul tracks. If you like the aforementioned George Perkins song, are you familiar with Eddy Giles' "Losin' Boy" (not the Stax remake.) Similar genius, IMO

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Sunday, 8 May 2005 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

yes--thanks a lot for the info, I've been in love with this song since I first heard it on the "SSM" comp.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 8 May 2005 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

New SILVER FOX comp now available!! courtesy of the ever-lovin Sundazed label.

and my beloved South Street Soul Guitars are represented!

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 19 September 2005 03:01 (twenty years ago)

this looks great!

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 19 September 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

There's now an entire George Perkins CD out! Sweet.

Cryin’ In The Streets anthologizes for the first time the grade-A work of the “Curtis Mayfield of Baton Rouge,” soul stalwart George Perkins. His biggest hit, the Billboard R&B chart topper “Cryin’ In The Streets” is included here, as are a series of follow-up recordings that bridged the gap between soul and extremely worthy funk. Culled from 5 labels, all this material has been unavailable for 25 years, some previously unreleased.

"One of the greatest singers of the South finally gets his own CD!"
- Dusty Groove America

http://www.tuffcity.com/html/allgenres.asp?SearchBy=Art&ReleaseAlbumList=2383&ReleaseArtistList=George+Perkins&ShowFormat=CDVY&AvailOpt=Avail

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:13 (twenty years ago)

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