the [un]sung: Ada Dyer
The [un]sung are names that I feel aren't easily recognizable by a lot of people, music fans included. These are insanely talented musicians that don't get enough shine or mention today. Although you may have never heard their names, you've definitely heard their influence.
This won't be a definitive chronicle of ALL of their work. My goal here is to share some of their material and tell a little of their stories. Hopefully by the end of the post, you'll gain an appreciation for the talent of the [un]sung.
Whether you realize it or not, you know Ada Dyer's voice. You've either heard it sampled or heard other's do remakes of her songs. I first discovered Ada Dyer through her work in the 70s with famed producer/composer Norman Connors. But her story began long before then. As a child, one of her earliest memories was hearing gospel great Mahalia Jackson sing. She credits Mahalia to her love for singing and music.
"And I remember the effect of hearing Mahalia Jackson sing a song—I can’t remember which song it was necessarily—but I just remember getting chills. And that was the first time I realized that singing and music can do that to you, can have that physical effect on you, and that was pretty powerful for me."
Ada (going by her full name of Adaritha at the time) was working singing commercial jingles when she was convinced by her then-manager to record a few record demos. One of the demos she recorded was a song titled Invitation.
Invitation was originally pitched to Stevie Wonder but after meeting Adaritha, he didn't feel she'd be a good fit for the direction he was going in at the time. A few years passed and somehow, the demo landed in the lap of Norman Connors. Norman liked her voice so much that he put her on his album. He didn't even bother having her re-record Invitation... he put the demo on the album.
Sound familiar? It should... Mos Def sampled this for Brown Sugar (Fine) in 2002 for the Brown Sugar movie soundtrack.
And she wasn't only featured on this song, he liked her voice so much that he chose her as the guest feature on the entire album. Here's another cut that I love, Handle Me Gently. This one has an introduction by Jean Carne and The Jones Girls on background vocals.
Adaritha wasn't only the perfect fit for moody ballads, but she could also funk it up as well! One of the up-tempo grooves from that album, Be There In The Morning.
I guess she did something right. Norman invited her back to do three songs on his follow up release, Take It To The Limit. She was once again featured on the title track to a Norman Connors album.
He also had Adaritha featured on a David Lasley penned ballad that went on to become a huge hit for Anita Baker six years later when she remade it. The name of that ballad? You Bring Me Joy.
No, Anita Baker didn't sing You Bring Me Joy first. It was just a phenomenally done remake.
The 1980s saw a shift in Adaritha's sound... she joined the electro hip-hop group Warp 9 and released a few albums where she not only showcased her beautiful voice, but also her skills as an MC. Versatility at its finest! These are the types of records that got parties started in the 80s!
Ada left Warp 9 in 1984 and four years later (1988), released her first official solo album, Meant To Be, on Motown. It featured this early Babyface & LA Reid produced song...
In 1990, she went back into the studio to record for her second LP, Ada Dyer. Unfortunately, the album was only officially released in Japan.
Crazy Love was another David Lasley-penned ballad (You Bring Me Joy) recorded for the album. The song went on to be released a year later by Patti LaBelle and then again five years later by Luther Vandross.
(If you're wondering, which I know you are, Patti's version is my favorite.)
After her second album, she toured with folks like Chaka Khan, Lenny Kravitz, and Roberta Flack while recording with Luther Vandross, Cher, and Ronnie Spector (who is celebrating a birthday, by the way... Happy Birthday to her).
1995 saw another shift in Ada's musical direction. This time, she experimented with dance music. Together with producer Jay Denes, she recorded a few house tracks.
If nothing else, Adaritha's versatility is to be admired. From gospel to soul to hip hop to house, she's consistently released quality music over the past 38 years. She's lent her talent to the albums and tours of some of music's biggest superstars. The songs she recorded have went on to become HUGE hits for some and sample worthy material for others. She's definitely left her mark on the music industry and yes, Adaritha is still touring today.
