Four Decades On, Sharon Brown Still Specializes In Love

CHOONS

English - October 20, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 33 MB - ★★★★★ - 25 ratings
Music History Music Music Interviews music music documentary music history pop culture choons choons podcast choonspod Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: Bonus Episode: Inside The Factory - Pajama Studios

Next Episode: The Friends Of Distinction Go "Grazing In The Grass"

Born into a musical family, Brown found her calling as a little kid watching Sammy Davis Jr. and all the Motown greats at the world-famous Apollo Theater, in New York. With strong will and determination, she went on to become a prolific songwriter for CBS Records, penning lyrics for Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Ronnie Dyson. Brown also had a way of crafting funky tunes for her own with the highly influential “Family Tree,” a massive hit in England’s Northern Soul scene.

Her true shining moment, however, came unexpectedly in the form of a newspaper ad, looking for a “tall, black, willowy-voiced female” to cut a track in the recording studio. That track became “I Specialize In Love,” a slice of early 80s post-disco that perfectly blended R&B, electronics and the emerging sounds of Hip-Hop.

“Specialize” traveled far and wide throughout the European continent before it found its way back to the States, where it became a sizable hit in the dance charts and clubs. Yet, with all the glamour of sudden fame, she faced challenging and devastating situations that managed to virtually kill what was left of her music career.

Twitter Mentions

@sharonadabrown