8
means Timmy’s first platter. Born a
minister’s son on November 13, 1944
in Evansville, Indiana, he first turned
up with a vocal group, Phillip and
The Faithfuls, who cut
Love Me
in
1964. Timmy co-wrote and co-
fronted it for Quinton Claunch and
Rudolph ‘Doc’ Russell’s Memphis-
based Goldwax Records with group
leader Phillip Reynolds.
Goldwax brought Thomas back for two
45s of his own in 1967.
Have Some Boogaloo
b/w
Liquid Soul
was an all-instrumental affair showcasing Timmy’s organ
chops. When that didn’t sell, Goldwax tried a vocal two-sider that saw
him revamp The Animals’ ’65 hit
It’s My Life
and, of all things, Jerry Lee
Lewis’ immortal
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On
, granting it a raging,
horn-fueled revival not far from Wilson Pickett’s
Land Of 1000 Dances
.
Thomas bid Memphis adieu after that, moving to Miami and opening his
own nightspot. He reportedly improvised
Why Can’t We Live Together
on the stage of his club one night, the audience response convincing
him to demo the tune while seated at his Lowrey organ. Reggae artist
King Sporty (Betty Wright’s current husband) introduced Timmy to
Steve Alaimo at T.K. Productions in Hialeah, Florida, whose boss,
Henry Stone, owned a slew of Miami labels. Initially Alaimo wanted to
recut
Why Can’t We Live Together
with a band, but the demo was
issued as it was on Stone’s Glades label. A couple of million copies
later, Glades was glad it did.
