6) Laura Lee: Need to Belong (1968)



Laura Lee is one of the few artists  to have another group name themselves after –in this case The Division of Laura Lee, a Swedish post punk band. She was the inspiration for Al Green’s Tired of Being Alone. She is also a singer who should have been one of the biggest names of 60’s and 70’s soul but somehow didn’t quite make that leap. Yet to my mind, she ranks as one of the finest soul singers of the last 50 years

Born in Chicago and brought up in Detroit, Laura Lee had a powerful, gritty voice with a strong influence of gospel first shown on a number of Chess recordings in the 1960’s. Her main commercial success came in the early 1970s following a move to the Hot Wax label set up by Holland-Dozier-Holland when they left Motown  and  she released  a string of records, such as Wedlock is a Padlock and Women’s Love Rights, that were in tune with the  feminist movement and vocalisation of women’s independence and choice, foreshadowing the later offerings of Millie Jackson. Her 1972 recording of the wicked Rip Off also features one of the best cackles committed to vinyl.


However, she was capable of a softer, more vulnerable sound  to the "I’m tired of being neglected, I’m going to slap him in the face with the unexpected” type of track. Her Picture Matches Mine , for example, originally a B-side from 1969, was  a story of betrayal and heartbreak with a sad sounding vocal from Laura Lee, the track slightly marred by her voice being mixed too far down. Need To Belong from 1968 is in a similar vein. A Curtis Mayfield composition, with an intro lifted from People Get Ready, it has a strong gospel feel and a restrained performance by Laura Lee.

Laura eventually returned to her first love of gospel and became ordained as a minister, with her back catalogue,retaining a pretty sanctified  sound."Oh stand up, to all the women liberators and men sympathizers, I thank you, for I'm Laura Lee."




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