Tony Fox (I think…)
“Listen – Tony Fox – (I’ve Got To) Do It To It – MP3″
Greetings all.
The tune I bring you today is another one from DC digs pile.
I pulled ‘(I’ve Got To) Do It To It’ out of a stack of 45s, and though the name of the artist (Tony Fox) was a mystery to me, Calla is a well known soul label, and I would be a fool (as would anyone) to walk away from a record with a title like ‘(I’ve Got To) Do It To It’ without at least checking it out.
Good thing I did to, since it’s a great piece of soul on the way to funk.
That said, I haven’t been able to track down any info at all on Tony Fox, other than the fact that he recorded a second 45 for Calla, as well as sides for Tri-Spin, Moonshot, Mayfield, Emerald City and Mercury and may have been (though I cannot confirm this) been a member of the African Beavers. It’s driving me nuts that I haven’t been able to find out more about him, especially since he recorded for so many labels, probably well into the 80s.
That said, though Fox himself is something of a mystery, the song itself has an interesting history. According to the credits on the 45, ‘(I’ve Got To) Do It To It’ was written by Teddy Vann (who produced the Fox 45) and Calvin White. According to other sources (a comp of Calla recordings), it was in fact written by Vernon Harrell and JR Bailey*. The tune was also recorded (on Calla) by Harrell and the Sandpebbles** (though as far s I can tell their version may have been unreleased until much later), and – strangely enough – is not the same ‘Do It To It’ recorded on Calla by Bird Rollins.
In yet another twist, Vernon Harrell’s Wikipedia entry suggests that all three versions of ‘Do It To It’ share a backing track with the Coasters’ version of ‘Lovey Dovey’ (written by Ahmet Ertegun and Eddie Curtis and originally recorded by the Clovers), but although the tune is vaguely similar, it’s not the same track.
I can’t say with certainty who actually wrote ‘(I’ve Got To) Do It To It’ – if anyone knows for sure please let me know – but I can say that it is a burner.
I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Monday.
Peace
Larry
NOTE: Don’t forget to fall by Viva Internet Radio Tonight at 9PMEST for the latest edition of the Funky16Corners Radio Show. You can always check out the show (and many pastshows) in the archive.
PS Don’t forget to head over to Iron Leg for some very groovy Hammond beat.
PSS Check out Paperback Rider which has finally been updated.
March 20, 2009 at 10:54 am |
Top tune Larry!
Mr DD
March 25, 2009 at 2:00 pm |
Great song! I just played this on my show about two months ago. Thank you for posting a possible photo of him.
May 4, 2009 at 9:20 am |
hello
i had the pleasure of working with tony fox (outside of the music business) back in the early 90’s. i knew him as larry however as tony fox was the stage name of larry capel who produced and arranged and sung on an album called ‘the beginning’; the picture you have of larry is from that album.
larry gave me a copy of the album on one of my visits to his new york city apartment which i still have. i have yet to convertit to mp3, however if you can get hold of a copy it is well worth a listen as it contains tracks that are similar or better than the above record which is not on the album.
May 4, 2009 at 11:24 am |
Andy
Thanks for the info!
Larry
May 20, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
The song writer of (I’ve Got To) Do It To It, is Teddy Vann. Just listen to the chord structure on the horns. they are similar to the song Love Power by The Sandpebbles on Calla which is writted by Teddy Vann. Luther Vandross did a cover version of Love Power and Teddy Vann won a Grammy Award. You can hear Love Power at Fleamarketfunk web site