Pianist
Harold Burrage started out singing blues and R&B during the 1950s and ended up as a linchpin of the emerging Chicago soul sound of the '60s; he made recordings in both styles and more than a few idiomatic shades in between.
Burrage mentored young soul singers
Otis Clay and
Tyrone Davis, but never had a chance to see them fully blossom; he died young in 1966.
Burrage debuted on wax in 1950 with a jumping "Hi-Yo Silver" for Decca with
Horace Henderson's band in support. Singles for Aladdin and States preceded one of his most prolific studio periods with Eli Toscano's Cobra imprint. In 1956,
Burrage cut the amusing "You Eat Too Much" for Cobra, backed by a solid combo featuring guitarist
Wayne Bennett and bassist
Willie Dixon.
Jody Williams added stinging guitar to
Burrage's 1957 Cobra offering "Messed Up," while "Stop for the Red Light," his third Cobra 45, was a novelty complete with auto-wreck sound effects. "Betty Jean," his last Cobra single, is unabashed rock & roll, with
Otis Rush on guitar.
Burrage also served as a session pianist for the firm, backing up
Magic Sam and Charles Clark.
After a romping 1960 effort for Vee-Jay, "Crying for My Baby,"
Burrage revamped his vocal approach considerably when recording rather prolifically for One-derful's M-Pac! subsidiary during the early to mid-'60s. There he sang in a very credible soul style, enjoying his only national R&B hit in 1965 with the driving "Got to Find a Way" (later revived by one of
Burrage's protégés,
Otis Clay). ~ Bill Dahl