Sammy Lowe

Arranger/trumpeter/conductor Sammy Lowe's credits include <a href="spotify:artist:7GaxyUddsPok8BuhxN6OUW">James Brown</a>'s number one R&B standard "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" and his 1963 number six R&B hit "Prisoner of Love," as well as recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:56FeQ03tAPYJ2gwmGhrpbF">Erskine Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7G1GBhoKtEPnP86X2PvEYO">Nina Simone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6hnWRPzGGKiapVX1UCdEAC">Sam Cooke</a>, the Softones, <a href="spotify:artist:1GAJzApRTMmYZ9EjQ91VOy">the Tokens</a>, and Little Peggy Marsh. Brown sent Lowe an acetate of what would be his most famous ballad. The impassioned ballad was recorded February 16, 1966, at <a href="spotify:artist:6w9x0YCXRe9FV0Fk3LrwOn">Bob Gallo</a>'s Talentmasters studio in New York with drummer <a href="spotify:artist:0v0wFiHWFaKEEAwlDtDiRT">Bernard Purdie</a>, guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:1nWzeAq1znj206rT3xWdwt">Billy Butler</a>, and pianist Ernie Hayes. Co-written by Brown and Betty Newsome, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" b/w the similarly passionate "Is It Yes or Is It No?" held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and hit number eight pop in spring 1966. The It's a Man's Man's Man's World LP was released in August. Sammy Lowe was born May 14, 1918 in Birmingham, AL, and died there on February 17, 1993. ~ Ed Hogan, Rovi