Maxine Brown

Although she never had many hits, Maxine Brown was one of the most underrated soul and R&B vocalists of the '60s, during which time she released a series of singles for Nomar and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Wand%22">Wand</a>, with only a few songs -- "All in My Mind," "Funny," "Something You Got," "Oh No Not My Baby" -- managing to become either pop or R&B hits. Despite this, Brown is acknowledged as one of the finest R&B vocalists of her time, capable of delivering soul, jazz, and pop with equal aplomb.

Born in Kingstree, South Carolina, Brown began singing as child, singing with two New York-based gospel groups when she was a teenager. In 1960, she signed with the small Nomar label, who released the smooth soul ballad "All in My Mind" late in the year. The single became a hit, climbing to number two on the R&B charts (number 19 pop), and it was quickly followed by "Funny," which peaked at number three. Brown was poised to become a star, and she moved to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ABC-Paramount%22">ABC-Paramount</a> in 1962, but left the label within a year without scoring any hits. She signed to the New York-based, uptown soul label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Wand%22">Wand</a> in 1963.

Brown recorded her best work at <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Wand%22">Wand</a>, having a string of moderate hits for the label over the next three years. Among these were the <a href="spotify:artist:319yZVtYM9MBGqmSQnMyY6">Carole King</a>/<a href="spotify:artist:09KTuJGTA2nISzHxnmYzRv">Gerry Goffin</a> song "Oh No Not My Baby," which reached number 24 on the pop charts; "It's Gonna Be Alright"; and the <a href="spotify:artist:64wglyu5BoOzwMXYjtAbfS">Chuck Jackson</a> duets "Something You Got," "Hold On I'm Coming," and "Daddy's Home." Part of the reason Brown didn't receive much exposure is that the label focused much of their attention on <a href="spotify:artist:2JSjCHK79gdaiPWdKiNUNp">Dionne Warwick</a>, leaving Maxine Brown to toil in semi-obscurity. In 1969, she left <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Wand%22">Wand</a> and signed with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Commonwealth+United%22">Commonwealth United</a>, where she had the minor hits "We'll Cry Together" and "I Can't Get Along Without You." In 1971, she moved to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Avco+Records%22">Avco Records</a>, but all of her recordings for the label were ignored and she faded away over the course of the decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi