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GC CAMERON'S BIOGRAPHY
Midway through the Spinners' 1970 Motown hit "It's A Shame," lead singer G.C. Cameron strikes a piercing wail that is startling in its perfect synchronization of gospel and blues-the roots of R&B. For sheer musical thrills, "Shame," co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder, ranks among the greatest pop music tunes ever recorded. G.C.'s unique combination of baritone and soaring tenor-both raucous and silky smooth-powered "Shame" to No. 4 on the Billboard charts, giving the Spinners their biggest Motown hit before the great harmonizers left the label for Atlantic Records in 1972. Still under contract and soon to marry Gwen Gordy, sister of company founder Berry Gordy Jr., G.C. moved to California from Detroit with most of the Gordy empier, and launched a solo career with the company's new Mowest label. With a five-octave range, Motown's best producer-writers including Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, Willie Hutch and Van McCoy were eager to work with the young crooner. Her recorded everything they threw at him, making a song like The Temptations' "Runaway Child," his own, to a ditty called "Pajama Games" which perfectly tracked Smokey's falsetto. A number of his Motown singles charted ("Act Like a Shotgun," "No Matter Where," "Let Me Down Easy,") but his biggest hit at that time was the haunting "It's So Hard to say Goodbye to Yesterday," on the soundtrack for the 1975 movie "Cooley High." The song proved enduring for generations of music fans. Boyz II Men remade it into a new hit in the 1980's.
A native of Mississippi, G.C. moved back to his home state in the 1980's and continued to record and perform. During the 80's and 90's, he cut an album with Malaco Records and signed with two London-based recording companies. He also produced and sand on a Gospel music CD and hosted a TV show in Jackson, MS.
G.C. rejoined the Spinners in 1999 after a 30-year hiatus, reconnecting with old fans and converting new ones as the group performs around the country. And now this long-awaited CD by the self-styled "soul singer" shows off G.C.'s ample vocal gifts in a collection of songs that both echo his Old School R&B roots and seamlessly blend with a sound that is as contemporary as today. From the funky opening chords of "My House," the steamy beat of "Foolish," to the bouncy "Starship Rock," and all the other songs on this remarkable CD, the listener knows he is under the spell of a true artist. The uptempo cuts make you want to dance and the ballads (check out "Truly Wonderful") make you want to hold your lover close.
Produced by G.C. and Minnesota-based producer Ben Obi, "Shadows" reflects many of G.C.'s musical influences from Marvin Gaye (his ex-brother-in-law and the man who auditioned him from Motown) to Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Curtis Mayfield. Drop this into the CD player and it may be a while before you'll want to listen to anything else.
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