When Brooklyn singer Alice Clark passed away at the age of 57 in 2004 she had no idea she was being regarded as one of soul’s great unsung talents by the 90s acid jazz fraternity.
Her standing was confirmed in 2010 by Ace’s The Complete Studio Recordings 1968 – 1972, which was later reissued on sumptuous white vinyl.
After Alice’s feisty first single – You Got A Deal (1968), flipped with gorgeous ballad Say You’ll Never (Never Leave Me) – written and produced by Billy Vera, she recorded future Northern Soul collectible You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me) for Warners’ Seven Arts imprint.
Four years elapsed until 1972’s self-titled album for Mainstream, after which she retired to raise her grandchildren.
Whether fluttering over mid-tempo vamps, crackling her understated sassier side, or adorning heart-gripping ballads (notably the Otis-style southern soul of Before Her Time and transcendent I Keep It Hid), Alice delivered with understated passion and appealing vulnerability, which may partly explain why she never thrust herself further into the spotlight.
