Today’s long-lost classic soul song of the day is “Just Your Fool” by Eddie Whitehead. It’s a catchy little tune that didn’t get much radio play at the time, although it later became a favorite of England’s Northern Soul scene.
“Just Your Fool” was released in 1967 on the Cincinnati-based Black Jack label. You’ve probably never heard of either Eddie Whitehead or his label, which no doubt explains why the single failed to crack the charts. The song was written by Kenny Smith, a staff writer at Fraternity Records, another small Cincinnati-based label. Ray Allen did the producing and Ronnie Bedenbaugh arranged the very classy string accompaniment.
The tune is a soulful little piece of heartbreak, accompanied by a slow but steady R&B groove. It sounds little like something a Jimmy Ruffin may have released on Motown, but with its own unique charm.
Of Eddie Whitehead, I can find little information. We might surmise that he hailed from the Cincinnati area, but that’s just an educated guess. I’ve been unable to track down any other singles or albums released under his name.
I know a lot of you could not care less about these obscure Northern Soul singles I sometimes post. (Clicks and website traffic significantly drops on my Northern Soul days.) But the songs I’m helping to pluck from obscurity are definitely worth a listen. If you like Motown, Stax, or Atlantic soul music from the ’60s, you’ll probably like these otherwise forgotten singles, such as today’s “Just Your Fool.” I urge you to take the two minutes and thirty-seven seconds to listen to this one, it really hits a spot.
