Song of the Day: Tony Clarke “Landslide”

“Landslide” by obscure soul singer/songwriter Tony Clarke is a phenomenal and energetic slice of Northern Soul guaranteed to get asses out of seats and shaking on the dancefloor. The song rides an unrelenting drum, bass and horn groove with Clarke‘s buttery voice melding perfectly with the music. The song is an almost perfect single with the only problem being that with it clocking in at a mere 2:13, it is much too short, requiring frequent mashing of the replay button.

Tony Clarke was born Ralph Thomas Williams in New York City in 1940, though he was raised in Detroit. He predominantly enjoyed a career a songwriter , despite his buttery soulful voice, writing the songs “Pushover” and “Two Sides to Every Story” which were both big hits for Etta James. Clarke eventually charted a hit of his own with “The Entertainer”. Despite the promise of his early career, Clarke never recorded a full-length album, though he left behind a number of brilliant singles for the Chess Label. Sadly, his story was cut short when he was shot to death with by his wife under curious circumstances at the age of only 31. While never a household name, with the popularity of Northern Soul in the UK, Clarke work has quite a following in England with the handful of 7″ singles he recorded as much sought after pop artifacts.