I've been wanting to do a thread on Sue Ann for a while.
Saturday, listening to a jazz station I heard a song featuring Sue Ann on vocals

So hear/here goes....

Moonsound sessions
Wouldn't You Love to Love Me?
Make It Through the Storm
Since We've Been Together
Let Me Let You Rock Me
Company
I'll Give You Love
Sex Or Love
Brand New Love Affair
Blues In My Sunshine

Sue Ann

Kashif may have started an R&B dynasty, but it was Prince who made an art of the concept of grooming artists after the George Clinton/Parliament era. Prince's first protegee might be one of his least recognized in retrospect.

Sue Ann Carwell was not exactly a household name. Even when the 17 year old's debut album was new few outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul area had even heard of her. Her music was more or less a snapshot of Princes' rapidly evolving sound between the Controversy and 1999 time periods.

With plenty of adult contemporary overtones, Sue Ann sounds less the idealized Prince sound we associate with the post 1999 period and more like the Prince of the For You era. "I wanna be the one", one of Sue Ann's singles features horns and the kind of bass associated with mid tempo R&B from the mid to late '70s.

Prince wanted Carwell to call herself Suzy Stone, but Carwell's insistence on using her real name might have been the reason for Prince's limited involvement.

Perhaps in developing his model for proteges, Sue Ann only features 3 to 5 songs that sound Prince influenced. For an associate who had worked with him for years, mostly in the background, his influence was mostly indirect.

Despite being talented, Carwell's voice was not one that stood out when she sang the jazz tinged adult contemporary material on this album. Also, much of it was not the then contemporary Prince sound as much of the material was likely written by him at an earlier point in his rapid evolution as a artist.

https://beatopolis.wordpr...well-1981/

Sue Ann in the early days; circa 1978

Sue Ann - Let Me Let You Rock Me 45

1981 WB

https://www.youtube.com/w...GKHsfYEEd8

"Let Me Let You Rock Me" by Sue Ann Carwell (1981)

(166) Sue Ann - Let Me Le... - YouTube

I remember our local R&B station giving this song a few spins in 1981.

oops,looks like you already posted it

OldFriends4Sale said:

Sue Ann - Let Me Let You Rock Me 45

1981 WB

https://www.youtube.com/w...GKHsfYEEd8

the B-side of "Let Me Let You Rock Me" is the song "Make It Through The Storm"...an early Prince song

Make It Through The Storm (a.k.a. We’ll Make It Through The Storm) was initially recorded in Summer 1976 at Moon Sound in Minneapolis, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions as Aces, Baby, Diamond Eyes, Don’t Forget, Don’t Hold Back, Fantasy, I’m Yours, Jelly Jam (which was later used as the instrumental portion of Just As Long As We’re Together), Leaving For New York, Love Is Forever (later renamed My Love Is Forever), Since We’ve Been Together, Surprise and Soft And Wet).

It’s likely that in 1976-1977, Make It Through The Storm (As "We’ll Make It Through The Storm") was cut again at Sound 80 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Together with Just As Long As We’re Together it was the last track on a tape that also featured Jelly Jam (as a separate track, later released as part of Just As Long As We’re Together), Baby, Soft And Wet and My Love Is Forever.

Prince gave full credit for Make It Through The Storm to Chris Moon in exchange for full credit on My Love Is Forever, which Moon also wrote lyrics for, but was omitted as composer.

A new recording was made for possible inclusion on Prince’s first album For You, and while specific recording dates for the album version of the song are not known, the album was recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, from 1 October 1977 to 22 December 1977. The track was included as the third track on a 1977 configuration of the album (as We’ll Make It Through The Storm), but was removed as the album underwent changes prior to release.

Prince then re-recorded the song with Sue Ann Carwell on lead vocals in Summer 1978, at Prince’s France Avenue Home Studio in Edina, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions as Since We’ve Been Together, Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? and I’m Saving It Up).

Although Prince’s versions remain unreleased, Sue Ann Carwell released a version of the song in 1981, as the b-side of her single Let Me Let You Rock Me, with newly recorded but essentially the same music, credited on the single to Chris Moon, Prince’s credit is omitted. (PrinceVault)

"Make It Through The Storm" by Sue Ann (1981)

(166) Sue Ann - Make It T... - YouTube

lol No problem

Now listen to Love Dies Hard

Don't you hear SOS Bands Tell Me If You Still Care?

https://www.youtube.com/w...FhOK1LsXVA

Sue Ann - " Love Dies Hard " From the album " Blue Velvet" 1988.

https://www.youtube.com/w...Q4VTPsWS4I

S.O.S. Band - Tell Me If You Still Care

SoulAlive said:

oops,looks like you already posted it

OldFriends4Sale said:

Sue Ann - Let Me Let You Rock Me 45

1981 WB

https://www.youtube.com/w...GKHsfYEEd8

Nice song and yeah,the melody is similar to that SOS Band song.

OldFriends4Sale said:

lol No problem

Now listen to Love Dies Hard

Don't you hear SOS Bands Tell Me If You Still Care?

https://www.youtube.com/w...FhOK1LsXVA

Sue Ann - " Love Dies Hard " From the album " Blue Velvet" 1988.

https://www.youtube.com/w...Q4VTPsWS4I

S.O.S. Band - Tell Me If You Still Care

I've never listened to that debut, is it worth a punt?

March 8, 1982 @ First Avenue

SoulAlive said:

"Make It Through The Storm" by Sue Ann (1981)

(166) Sue Ann - Make It T... - YouTube

I just love the feel of these early demo songs

Thanks 4 posting this one

https://www.youtube.com/w...75qCXVHBhQ

A true story about Sueann's first meeting with Prince. 1.28.2015

That 1990s sound/look just wams out at you lol


Sue Ann Carwell - 7 Days 7 Nights

https://www.youtube.com/w...3lC-Su6wdY

Released:

1992
Tracklist

A 7 Days, 7 Nights (Extended Club Version)Remix – The Vibe Squad

6:20
B1 7 Days, 7 Nights (Percusapella)Remix – The Vibe Squad

4:28
B2 7 Days, 7 Nights (Album Version) 5:26

Executive-Producer – Madeline Randolph
Producer – Laney Stewart
Written By – Laney Stewart, Sue Ann Carwell, Tony Haynes

would it be safe to say that Sue Ann Carwell was Prince's first protege? He was working with her in 1978/79 and recorded a lot of material with her.

SoulAlive said:

would it be safe to say that Sue Ann Carwell was Prince's first protege? He was working with her in 1978/79 and recorded a lot of material with her.

Yes, definately 1st protege attempts, but it's hard to say 'protege' that early, because Prince wasn't PRINCE yet

OldFriends4Sale said:

SoulAlive said:

would it be safe to say that Sue Ann Carwell was Prince's first protege? He was working with her in 1978/79 and recorded a lot of material with her.

Yes, definately 1st protege attempts, but it's hard to say 'protege' that early, because Prince wasn't PRINCE yet

good point

phunkdaddy said:

My jam is Fiction and Boyfriend from her Blue Velvet album

Is there a clip of those songs you can post?

on that holy 4th Day of November in 1982

does anyone have the CD, Blues In My Sunshine? I have been trying to find it for years...