Patches ~ Clarence Carter

Added: May 17, 2008

From: fuzulgrut

Duration: 3:12

Clarence Carter attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and Alabama State College in Montgomery, graduating in August 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. His professional music career began with friend Calvin Scott, signing to the Fairlane Records label to release "I Wanna Dance But I Don't Know How" the following year. After the 1962 release of "I Don't Know (School Girl)," Carter and Scott left Fairlane Records for Duke Records, renaming themselves the CL Boys for their label debut, "Hey." In all, the duo cut four Duke singles, none of them generating more than a shrug at radio.In 1965, they travelled to Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to record "Step by Step" and its flip side, "Rooster Knees and Rice."[2] Atlantic Records took notice and released "Step by Step" on its Atco Records subsidiary, but it flopped. In 1966, Carter and Scott and group were in an automobile accident that left Scott injured. Carter continued as a solo act, signing to the Fame Records label for 1967's "Tell Daddy," which inspired Etta James' response record, "Tell Mama." Several more solid singles followed, until Carter released "Slip Away," which hit number 6 on the Pop Charts. "Too Weak to Fight" hit number 13. Several more soul singles followed, like "Snatching It Back," "At The Dark End of the Street," "The Feeling Is Right," "Doing Our Thing" and "Patches." "Patches", (first recorded by Chairmen of the Board), was a UK number 2 and a US number 4 in 1970, and was nominated for a Grammy in 1972.I was born and raised down in AlabamaOn a farm way back up in the woodsI was so ragged that folks used to call me PatchesPapa used to tease me about it'Cause deep down inside he was hurt'Cause he'd done all he couldMy papa was a great old manI can see him with a shovel in his hands, seeEducation he never hadHe did wonders when the times got badThe little money from the crops he raisedBarely paid the bills we madeFor, life had kick him down to the groundWhen he tried to get upLife would kick him back downOne day Papa called me to his dyin' bedPut his hands on my shouldersAnd in his tears he saidHe said, PatchesI'm dependin' on you, sonTo pull the family throughMy son, it's all left up to youTwo days later Papa passed away, andI became a man that daySo I told Mama I was gonna quit school, butShe said that was Daddy's strictest ruleSo ev'ry mornin' 'fore I went to schoolI fed the chickens and I chopped wood tooSometimes I felt that I couldn't go onI wanted to leave, just run away from homeBut I would remember what my daddy saidWith tears in his eyes on his dyin' bedHe said, PatchesI'm dependin' on you, sonI tried to do my bestIt's up to you to do the restThen one day a strong rain cameAnd washed all the crops awayAnd at the age of 13 I thoughtI was carryin' the weight of theWhole world on my shouldersAnd you know, Mama knewWhat I was goin' through, 'causeEv'ry day I had to work the fields'Cause that's the only way we got our mealsYou see, I was the oldest of the familyAnd ev'rybody else depended on meEv'ry night I heard my Mama prayLord, give him the strength to face another daySo years have passed and all the kids are grownThe angels took Mama to a brand new homeLord knows, people, I shedded tearsBut my daddy's voice kept me through the yearsSingPatches, I'm dependin' on you, sonTo pull the family throughMy son, it's all left up to youOh, I can still hear Papa's voice sayin'Patches, I'm dependin' on you, sonI've tried to do my bestIt's up to you to do the restI can still hear Papa, what he saidPatches...

Channel: Music

Tags: carter  clarence  patches  soul 

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