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The late Gwen McCrae brought emotion to dance music like no one else
Spanning deep soul, disco and beyond, McCrae – who has died aged 81 – didn’t get the recognition she deserved for a discography charged with pain and wonder
After the duo’s singles sold only moderately, Gwen signed to Columbia to perform deep southern soul but, when sales flagged again, she returned to Alston and began recording the lighter, more dance-oriented “Miami sound” then fermenting in the city’s TK Studios. Her powerful, throaty voice backed by Little Beaver’s chiming, funky guitar licks and TK’s effervescent house band (which could include Timmy “Why Can’t We Live Together” Thomas), made for dance music with emotional depth. TK’s back catalogue was not well-served for decades – Stone’s bankruptcy meant he lost control of it – and McCrae would, alongside other Black artists that recorded for the label, complain they were never properly remunerated.
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