Thursday music corner: 1950s and '60s soul singer Dee Clark was born Delecta Clark in Arkansas, in 1938. He made his first recording with the Hambone Kids in 1952, and embarked on a solo career in 1957. His main chart success came in a purple patch from 1958 to 1961, during which he scored eight US pop chart hits, culminating with his most successful single, Raindrops, in 1961. This was only kept from number one in the US pop charts by Gary US Bond's smash hit, Quarter To Three. (Raindrops also had considerable success overseas, particularly in New Zealand, where it topped the charts). After years of label-hopping and failing to chart, Clark had one final hit in 1975 when his disco single Ride A White Horse reached number 16 in the UK pop charts. Clark died of a heart attack in Georgia in 1990, aged 52.
With its playful flute accentuation, That's My Girl has endured as an upbeat, catchy slice of soul pop, fitting plenty of hooks into its 135-second runtime. Clark's version of Allen Toussaint's It's Raining, first recorded by Irma Thomas, was the B-side. Released in 1964, That's My Girl sadly failed to chart.
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