Lyn Collins

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Not to be confused with the actress Lynn Collins.
Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins.jpg
Background information
Birth nameGloria Lavern Collins
Also known asFemale Preacher
Born(1948-06-12)June 12, 1948
Dime Box, Texas, U.S.
DiedMarch 13, 2005(2005-03-13) (aged 56)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVoice
Years active1962–2005
Labels
Associated acts

Gloria Lavern Collins (June 12, 1948 – March 13, 2005), better known as Lyn Collins, was an American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s and for the influential 1972 funk single, "Think (About It)".

Early life and career[]

Collins began her recording career at age 14. She played with Charles Pike & The Scholars.[1] Collins recorded "What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'" with James Brown in 1972. Her biggest solo hit was the James Brown-produced gospel-style song "Think (About It)", from her 1972 album of the same name on People Records. The song contains five breaks which have been sampled widely in hip-hop and drum and bass, most famously, the "Yeah! Woo!" and "It takes two to make a thing go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two" which is composed almost completely from samples of Think, including a few lines of Collins' vocals.[2] She also recorded the 1974 funk song "Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again".

Furthermore, it was used in the early sociocritical eurodance classic "I Can't Stand It" by Twenty 4 Seven, and in the 2013 EDM/House song "Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)" by Breach. Another album followed in 1975, Check Me Out if You Don't Know Me by Now.[3]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance/club diva, recording the house single "Shout" for Belgium's label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall singer Patra, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissued in England and the Netherlands.

In February 2005, Collins embarked on her first solo tour. For three weeks, she performed in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Death[]

Shortly after returning from her 2005 European tour, Collins died from cardiac arrhythmia in Pasadena, California, at the age of 56.[2]

Legacy[]

In 2006, Paris-based Hi&Fly Records released a live album titled Mama Feelgood, which included recordings from her European tour and some interview clips. This release was produced by German-born DJ Pari, who produced for Marva Whitney and managed Collins' last tour.

Reflecting on her time working with James Brown, she reportedly said "I would have preferred to sing more and scream less."[4]

Cultural references[]

In October 2004, "Rock Me Again and Again" and "Think (About It)" featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack, playing on fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3. "Rock Me Again and Again" was covered by synth band The Human League on their 1984 album Hysteria. Bruce Springsteen's song "Shackled and Drawn" from his 2012 album Wrecking Ball and Ludacris' song "Southern Fried Intro" from his 2003 album Chicken-n-Beer both feature an excerpt from Collins' song "Me and My Baby Got Our Own Thing Going."

Discography[]

Albums[]

  • Think (About It), 1972
  • Check Me Out if You Don't Know Me by Now, 1975
  • Mama Feelgood: The Best of Lyn Collins, 2005

Singles[]

Year Single Peak chart
positions 		Album
US US
R&B
1972 "Think (About It)" 66 9 Think (About It)
1972 "Me and My Baby Got a Good Thing Going" 86 — Non-Album Single
1973 "Take Me Just as I Am" — 35 Non-Album Single
"We Want to Parrty, Parrty, Parrty" — 64 Non-Album Single
1974 "Mama Feelgood" — 37 Black Caesar (Soundtrack)
"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" — 77 Non-Album Single
"How Long Can I Keep It Up" — 45 Check Me Out if You Don't Know Me by Now
"Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (6 Times)" — 53 Check Me Out if You Don't Know Me by Now
1975 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" — 82 Check Me Out if You Don't Know Me by Now
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lyn-collins-mn0000803242
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lyn Collins, 56, Singer With James Brown, Dies". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 16, 2005.
  3. ^ http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2794/Collins-Lyn.html
  4. ^ Brown, Geoff (2008). The Life of James Brown. London, England: Omnibus Press. p. 197. ISBN 9781846099588.

External links[]

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