"Someone So Much" was directed by Reuben Field and filmed by DOP Fung Cheung of Starchild Productions.
"Stay With Me" starts with a slow-rotating piano line and a whisper-coo vocal, before it wells up and explodes into one of the great scenery-chewing choruses of all time. An orchestra drops bombs, and Ellison's voice abandons all restraint, clawing and rasping and howling at the man who's about to leave her.
With an incredible vocal power, range, and intensity that was perhaps too heavy for the record-buying masses, Lorraine Ellison never made it big, except of course in the hearts of committed soul fans-and the occasional rock and pop buyer. Ellison was born in North Philadelphia and began singing gospel with her family at age six. She sang professionally with a local group named the Sylvania Singers before forming the family group The Ellison Singers in the late '50s/early '60s. By 1964, she began recording R&B music, and her first hit was the 1965 R&B hit 'I Dig You Baby' (later made into a pop smash by Jerry Butler). One year later, she released her signature song, the intense, symphonic-drenched ballad 'Stay With Me,' written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and issued by the Warner label. It hit number 11 on the R&B charts in the fall of 1966. Some of her other singles were 'Heart Be Still,' 'Don't Let It Go to Your Head,' and 'I've Got My Baby Back.' Songs that she wrote with her manager Sam Bell (of Garrett Mimms & the Enchanters) were recorded by Mimms and Howard Tate. Ellison's Warner LPs include Heart and Soul (1966), Stay With Me (1969), and Lorraine Ellison (1974) and the compilation The Best of Philadelphia's Queen (1976). Lorraine Ellison died on August 17, 1985 from ovarian cancer at the young age of 51. This set containing 23 songs from 1966-1973, includes three non-LP singles, three unreleased cuts from an aborted 1970 session at Muscle Shoals, her only two charting singles, and even an Al Kooper song from an obscure 1970 soundtrack. These are among the foremost examples of the collision of soul, gospel, and pop, with the accent on the soul and gospel. The first half of the program, consisting of 1966-70 sides produced by Ragovoy (who also wrote most of those songs), have the edge over the early-'70s sessions. But Ellison's vocals are hard to fault anywhere. It also includes the original version of 'Try (Just a Little Bit Harder),' covered by Janis Joplin.
The story goes Lorraine Ellison was working with producer/composer Jerry Ragovoy at a major NY recording studio when someone popped in to say that the 46 piece orchestra lined up for the Frank Sinatra session was available next door as Sinatra had canceled. Ragovoy upscaled the arrangement, making lead sheets for the grumpy musicians who'd been expecting to schmooze Frank and now "demoted" to this obscure R&B canary. THEN upon the first and ONLY take: standing ovation for Lorraine from the Big Band boys.
Lorraine Ellison’s full name is Marybelle Luraine Ellison Gonzalez-Keys (she was married twice) and was born and raised in Philadelphia.
Lorraine recorded with two gospel groups, the Ellison Singers and the Golden Chords, but left the latter in 1964 to pursue a solo career in R & B music.
She also sang with a group called the Sylvania Singers before forming the Ellison Singers.
‘I Dig You Baby’ (number 22 R & B) in 1965 was her first chart entry.
Lorraine signed with the Loma imprint, and had a fortunate break when Frank Sinatra cancelled a studio recording, leaving an orchestra with nothing to do.
She stood in at the last minute and recorded the Soul Classic, ‘Stay With Me’.
‘Stay With Me’ (number 11 R & B, number 64 pop) in 1966 was the song that really took her to another level.
‘Stay With Me’ was written and produced by Jerry Ragovoy and really helped establish and imbed Soul Music within the music industry.
‘Heart Be Still’ (number 43 R & B, number 89 pop), followed in 1967.
Lorraine never charted again, however, she released ‘Try Just A Little Bit Harder’ in 1968, which rock singer Janis Joplin later remade with great success.
Her compositions, on which she often collaborated with her manager, Sam Bell (of Garnet Mimms And The Enchanters fame), were recorded by Howard Tate and Garnet Mimms.
Lorraine has a surviving daughter named Tonya A. Ellison-Veal.
There are 2 remaining members of the original Ellison singers still getting on with day to day things, (Pauline Ellison-King & Jean Ellison-Dennison).
Lorraine Ellison Lyrics
" Stay With Me "
Where did you go when things went wrong baby?
Who did you run to
And find a shoulder to lay your head upon?
Baby wasn't I there?
Didn't I take good care of you?
No no, I can't believe you're leaving me
Stay with me baby
Please, stay with me baby
Ooh, stay with me baby
I can't go on
Who did you touch when you needed tenderness?
I gave you so much
And in return I found happiness
Baby what did I do
Maybe, maybe I was too good, too good to you
No no, I can't believe you're leaving me
Stay with me baby
Ooh, stay with me baby
Ooh, please stay with me baby
Remember you said you'd always gonna need me
Remember you said you'd never ever leave me
Remember, remember, I'm asking you, begging you, ooh, ooh
Stay with me baby,
Please please stay with me baby
Stay with me baby
I can't go on
Ooh stay with me baby
I'm begging you, stay with me baby
Stay, stay, stay with me baby...
Duffy | Anni B Sweet | Hafdis Huld
Miss Li | She & Him
Maia Hirasawa | Frida Hyvönen | Zee AviMargiela in Paris
Ever since we started working with clothes, one of the main aims has been working with Maison Martin Margiela. In January last year we thought the time was right and made our first visit to Rue S:t Maur and the headquarters of Martin Margiela. The building, which used to be an old school, is amazing. Everything has gotten a good Margiela treatment. White paint everywhere, and if it's not painted it's wrapped up in white fabric. The staff is wearing the famous white robes and the collection is huge. Everywhere you go, since the windows sit quite high on the wall, all you see on the outside is the old cathedral on Rue Darboy. Men's collections on one floor, womens on one and a big room all dedicated to shoes and accessories. I know quite a few people who has been there before and I now got all their stories confirmed.
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This month marks the 1 year anniversary of The Portastylistic Blog. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading and interacting with what I write and post here. When I launched this blog on A September, 2008. I had just a handful of visitors. Things picked up from there. Today, I’m going to post about the good music good style here. I try to catch it and write mean things in the comments (maybe).
I expose some details about style, subscribers, and my blogging strategy. If you’re curious about the inner workings of this blog and my selection with it, just read on...from now on
So, thank you. Thank you for helping make this blog almost success through your regular visits, comments, encouragements, and suggestions. I mean it–thank you.
Thanks for all,
-the portastylistic
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