Eddy Giles: Losin’ Boy (Murco, 196?, 7″)
Soul single out of Louisiana.
There’s a great American song tradition of “I’m a loser/sad sack” anthems though I have to say, Eddy Giles – Shreveport, represent – doesn’t actually sound that broken down here. The song is downright kind of…peppy. Needs more anguish.
(Also, for the life of me, I could swear he says “I’m not Ray Charles” but I can’t figure out if he’s actually saying that or something else. Someone help me out here).
365 Days of Soul, #58
“I’m like Ray Charles – I guess I was Born To Lose”
Ray Charles covered the standard Born To Lose (Ted Daffan’s Texans w Leon Seago vcl, Okeh, 1942) on his 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western. Eddy Giles must have considered the Charles version to be definitive, at least in his soul music scene.
While looking up this information I found this soul track on my computer: Bobby Lee, I Was Born A Loser (Sue 45-144, 1966. I got it from Devil’s Music blog a couple of years ago.) Interesting, just what you said. Thanks for your blog. I love the classics. Justin
Amazing song. Can be found in a deep soul compilation by Dave Godin on Kent and the “Sweet Soul Music” CD that was issued to accompany Peter Guralnik’s book of the same title.