Sugar Pie DeSanto
Use What You Got
OOP Album
1964

Umpeylia Marsema Balinton (aka Sugar Pie DeSanto) was born of an African-American mom and a Filipino dad who are responsible for her good looks, talent and great voice. Her mother was a concert pianist and taught her how to sing - as she did with all her 10 children.

In the early 50s 19-year-old Sugar Pie was discovered by Johnny Otis (some call him "The Godfather of Rhythm and Blues") at a talent show. Otis is also responsible for her stage name as he named her "Little Miss Sugar Pie" (in reference to her height). The name "DeSanto" was added years later by Oakland disc jockey Don Barksdale. With Johnny Otis she recorded her first single for Federal Records in 1955. From there she would team up with Pee Wee Kingsley in 1957 and record her biggest hit "I Want To Know" (written by Sugar Pie & Bob Geddins) which climbed to #4 on Billboard's list of R&B best-sellers in 1960 when Chess picked up the single from Geddins' Veltone label for national distribution.

Next came James Brown, who discovered Sugar Pie when she was on tour at the Apollo Theater in New York - sharing the bill with him and Ike & Tina Turner. James Brown asked her to join his show and Sugar Pie toured with Brown for the next two years. Due to her strong writing skills and her hit record "I Want To Know" Sugar Pie started recording and writing for Chicago's Chess/Checker label. As a matter of fact Chess used her more for writing songs than recording. The reason is quite simple, Chess wanted to protect the success of other female Chess artists like Etta James, who is actually Sugar Pie's younger cousin but had an earlier contract with Chess. Thus Sugar's material - she cut 30-plus sides for Chess - got shelved. Nevertheless she stayed seven years with Chess and wrote songs for artists like Little Milton, Fontella Bass, Minnie Ripperton, Billy Stewart, Sam and Dave, Etta James. Sugar has actually written several hundred tunes on her own.

Basically all Sugar Pie released in the 50s/60s were a few singles or then called sides for the labels as complete albums were hardly released then. Though, Sugar released several singles for Chicago's Checker Records and Checker used these cuts to release Sugar Pie's first self-titled album in 1961 - which is a collectors gem these days. Chartwise the album didn't do much.

  1. In The Basement Pt. 1
  2. I Want To Know
  3. Mama Didn't Raise No Fools
  4. There's Gonna Be Trouble
  5. I Don't Feel Sorry
  6. Maybe You'll Be There
  7. Do I Make Myself Clear
  8. Slip-In Mules
  9. Ask Me
10. Use What You Got
11. Can't Let You Go
12. Soulful Dress
13. I Don't Wanna Fuss
14. Going Back To Where I Belong
15. It Won't Be Long
16. She's Got Everything
17. Wish You Were Mine
18. It's Done And Forgotten
19. Tell Me What's The Matter
20. I Still Care
21. Slip-In Mules (alt version)

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