Songs from 1975: Merry Clayton, Dorothy Morrison & Josephine Howard

A look at three dynamic singles by unsung vocalists that failed to catch fire with the public.

May 31, 2025

Hello friends—

This past week has been fuller than usual. A new liner notes assignment showed up, family and friends from out of town, and prep work for the first God’s Music Is My Life event in September (more on that soon!), so the final 1975 feature is running behind, but it will be worth the wait when it drops next Saturday.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some music and accompanying finds that have been accompanying and/or aiding my research.

Merry Clayton—Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow

Scrimshire’s edit of this 1975 single gave me everything I needed this week. Ms. Clayton’s deposit of the gospel sound into nearly every crevice of popular music as a background vocalist (See The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” for a reference) makes her one of the most important voices in recording history. Her history as a solo artist is certainly worthy of that same level of acknowledgment.

Dorothy Morrison—I Can’t Go Without You

If there’s a story yet to be told, it’s that of Dorothy Morrison, the lead vocalist on the original recording of the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ “Oh Happy Day.” Despite outstanding material like 1972’s “Rain,” her solo career never gained the traction that was always predicted for her. This 1975 recording, produced by the great Chuck Brown, was her last commercially released single.

Josephine Howard—Trouble Won’t Last Always

Another voice that has gone virtually unheard is that of Josephine Howard. As a member of The Famous Caravans, she saw her peers, Shirley Caesar, Cassietta George, Inez Andrews, and James Cleveland achieve successful solo careers throughout the sixties. She led Caravans hits like “What Will Tomorrow Bring” and “Don’t Forget About Me,” but never got the same shine as other members of the group.

While she’d made unforgettable appearances on recordings with the James Herndon Singers and at the Gospel Music Workshop of America, it wasn’t until 1975 that she recorded as a solo artist. HOB released this single, but the entirety of her album (which included the great Carl Hall on background vocals) didn’t see the light of day until 2022. Below is a review of Ms. Howard’s performance with The Caravans in Oakland, California in 1975, written by Doris Worsham, The Oakland Tribune’s first Black reporter to cover the arts.