"Rescue Me" was written in 1965 by Raynard Miner, Carl William Smith, and Fontella Bass (although she did not get credit until much later). Released by Chess Records that same year, it was Bass's biggest hit by far, reaching number 4 on the Hot 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart. Minnie Riperton was one of the backup singers, with drums and bass by members of Earth, Wind & Fire. It was Chess's biggest hit since Chuck Berry's heyday, selling over a million copies. Bass nonetheless left Chess after a couple years, having been under-appreciated and underpaid. She finally obtained a fair share of royalties following extended litigation, but she never achieved similar recording success again.
A fantastic song! Thanks for posting this one, Steve. (I actually own an original copy of the single.)
Posted by: Ian Holloway | January 11, 2025 at 09:38 PM
Fontella Bass left r&b from avant garde jazz:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontella_Bass
Posted by: Alex Lubet | January 12, 2025 at 01:39 PM