Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Love Makes the World Go Round
Company: Carla/ATCO
Catalog: 33-188
Year: 1966
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG
Comments: mono pressing; actual LP has "Carla Records Series ATCO" on front cover
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4178
Price: $60.00
Cost: $1.00
Alright, outside of soul fanatics, how many of you remember Deon Jackson? Bet there aren't many of you ...
Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan Jackson became interested in music while in grade school (he became proficient on both clarinet and drums). By the time he was a teenager he'd formed a vocal group with high school friends. The group began playing high school dances, parties and local talent contests, with Jackson writing much of their material. Jackson's big break came when producer Ollie McLaughlin heard him singing at a high school concert. McLaughlin quickly signed Jackson to a management contract, getting Atlantic to sign him where he recorded a couple of tracks, including the 1962 single "You Said You Love Me" b/w "Hush Little Baby" (Atlantic catalog number 45-2213).
While the 45 sold well in Detroit, Jackson was quickly dropped from Atlantic's recording roster. Over the next two years Jackson continued to write material, while becoming a fixture of the Detroit club circuit. In early 1965 McLaughlin decided to record one of Jackson's new compositions. Unable to find a national label to release the track, McLaughlin decided to issue it under his own Carla label. "Love Makes the World Go Round" b/w "You Said You Loved Me" Carla catalog number 45-2526) became a gigantic Detroit hit, leading Atlantic's ATCO subsidiary to acquire national distribution rights; subsequently enjoying a top-20 pop and R&B hit with the song.
As was standard
mid-1960s' marketing procedure, Carla/ATCO rushed the 20 year old Jackson
into the studio to record a supporting album. What makes 1966's "Love
Makes The World Go Round" interesting is the fact that
it's surprisingly strong and consistent. While the album sports a
couple of throwaways (e.g. a needless cover of Roger Miller's "King of
the Road"), unlike most supporting LPs, McLaughlin seems to have
devoted considerable time and care into producing the effort. The
album also includes several first rate numbers, including four Jackson
originals - quite a rare accomplishment for a new and still young
artist. So what's the album sound like? First off, Jackson had
what could best be described as a light airy voice that occasionally
recalled Smokey Robinson (check out the middle part of "Love Is What
You Make It" where Jackson shifts into a falsetto). Most of the
album featured soul material that has a distinctive pop orientation - tracks
such as "1-2-3", "No Not Much" and "S.O.S."
perhaps a little lightweight (though the latter had more of a Motown flavor
that most of the album), but well suited for top-40 radio play.
Interesting tidbit, the hit title track was apparently inspired by the civil
rights riots that tore Detroit apart. All told a nice set of largely
forgotten mid-1960s soul ...
"Love Makes the World Go Round" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Love Makes the World Go Round (Dean Jackson) - 2:27
2.) 1-2-3 (John Madara - David White - Leonard Borisoff) - 2:01
3.) Love Is What You Make It (Van McCoy) - 2:12
4.) No Not Much (Robert Allen - Al Stillman) - 2:24
5.) You Said You Love Me (Deon Jackson) - 2:37
6.) S.O.S. (A. Hamilton - R. Morris - C. Hatcher) - 2:02
(side
2)
1.) Love Takes a Long Time Growing (Helen Nelson - Roger
Atkins) - 2:30
2.) Nursery Rhymes (Deon Jackson) - 2:14
3.) King of the Road (Roger Miller) - 2:36
4.) I'm Telling You (Shannon McMahan) - 2:21
5.) Hush Little Baby (Deon Jackson) - 2:41
6.) Come Back Home (Eddie Simpson) - 2:43
Over the next three years Jackson released a couple of follow-on singles:
- "You Gotta Love" b/w "You'll Wake Up Wiser" (Carla catalog number 45-1903)
- "Hush Little Baby" b/w "Love Take a Long Time Growing" (Carla catalog number 45-2527)
- That's What You Do To Me" b/w "I Can't Do without You" (Carla catalog number 45-2530)
- "Ooh Baby" b/w "All On a Sunny Day" (Carla catalog number 45-2537)
His final 45 seems to have been a 1975 effort for ABC (which I've never seen or heard).
One online reference work indicates Jackson continues to play Detroit clubs.
Ah, the internet comes through again. One of Jackson's friends chimed in with an interesting update on the artist:
Read
your nice writeup on Deon Jackson on GEMM this evening. Good job.
A few bits of info: Deon and I have been close friends since about 1976. He
moved here (Chicago area) from Ann Arbor, MI in '72, and he'd been playing
piano bar at a restaurant in my neighborhood for 4 years when I met him in
'76 at a fine steak house /lounge in our NW suburbs. I became a loyal fan
and have been ever since. I had every one of his vinyl records at one
time, but I gave them all to him and they were stolen. I kept the LP, which
is nicely autographed... I'd love to hear that "rare" 1975 ABC
release. He never mentioned that one to me. I wonder if it's a reissue
of an earlier tune.
He cut a few demo acetates in the late 70s, disco-style stuff that didn't
fly. Since then, he's been doing studio stuff on and off, and was playing
various lounges and gigs around the Chicago area, until about 15 years ago,
I believe. I haven't kept in constant contact with him since the 90s, but
have spoken with him a few times in the last month or so. I set up a live
on-air interview between him and Dick Biondi here on our oldies station a
few weeks ago.
He says he's been asked to participate in a PBS-style "oldies reunion
show" in Britain next year, but I don't know if that's going to happen.
MW
Chicago
May, 2007