Bobby Marchan
A larger-than-life performer best remembered for his 1960 R&B chart-topper "There Is Something on Your Mind," singer Bobby Marchan was born Oscar James Gibson in Youngstown, Ohio, on April 30, 1930. As a child he was fascinated by the female impersonators who appeared on the so-called "chitlin circuit" of Black nightclubs, and began singing and performing comedy in drag while in his teens. In 1953, he organized his own drag troupe, the Powder Box Revue; during a booking at New Orleans' Dew Drop Inn, he became enamored with the city, making it his home for the remainder of his life. There he accepted a job as MC at The Club Tijuana, where he was discovered by Aladdin Records president Eddie Meisner. Marchan cut his debut single, "Have Mercy," for producer Cosimo Matassa in 1954, but Aladdin dropped him soon after, and he landed at Dot for the follow-up, "Just a Little Ol' Wine."
He then signed to Ace after label head Johnny Vincent caught his drag show, and offered him a contract in the mistaken belief that he was a woman; 1955's "Give a Helping Hand" appeared under the alias Bobby Fields, with the Marchan surname restored for his next effort, the regional smash "Chickee Wah-Wah." In 1957 he joined Huey "Piano" Smith as the original lead vocalist with Smith's legendary band the Clowns -- in addition to appearing on classics including "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu," "Don't You Just Know It," "You Don't Know Yockomo," and "Havin' a Good Time" (not to mention popularizing the Smith composition "Sea Cruise," a hit on wax for singer Frankie Ford), Marchan also continued his solo career, issuing "I'll Never Let You Go." He left the Clowns in early 1959, issuing his final Ace single, "Rockin' Behind the Iron Curtain," later that same year. He then returned to the road and resumed his drag career, signing to Fire Records to issue "Snoopin' and Accusin'."
With 1960's reading of the Big Jay McNeely song "There Is Something on Your Mind," Marchan finally scored the solo hit that had so far eluded him, reaching number one on the R&B charts. A series of Fire singles followed in rapid succession, among them "Booty Green," "All in My Mind," "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You," and "Yes, It's Written All Over Your Face," but none earned much attention on the national charts. On the recommendation of Otis Redding he was signed to Stax Records in 1963, adopting more of a contemporary soul approach and making his label debut with "What Can I Do." Within a year Marchan was recording for yet another label, Dial, cutting "Get Down with It," a hit for British glam icons Slade in 1971. He spent much of the mid-'60s recording for Cameo, debuting in 1966 with "There's Something About You, Baby" and returning to the R&B Top 20 with the follow-up, "Shake Your Tambourine."
Subsequent efforts, including 1967's "Meet Me in Church" and "You Better Hold On," received scant attention, however, and after 1968's "(Ain't No Reason) For Girls to Be Lonely" -- a one-shot for Gamble -- Marchan spent nearly a decade without a record deal, returning again to his drag roots. By 1977 he was installed as the MC at New Orleans' Club Alhambra, resurfacing that same year on Mercury with "I Wanna Bump with the Big Fat Woman," soon followed by another novelty effort, "Disco Rabbit." Around 1983 Marchan founded his own production company, Manicure, to scout and promote up-and-coming hip-hop acts. In 1987 he recorded his final single, an updated version of "There Is Something on Your Mind," and later helped found the Cash Money label. After a long battle with liver cancer, he died December 5, 1999, at the age of 69.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
Discography
18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Still My Baby: The Fire Sessions (Remastered)
Soul - Released by Sunset Blvd Records on 29 Jul 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There's Something on Your Mind: The Greatest Hits
Soul - Released by Fire Records on 18 May 1960
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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It's Written All Over Your Face (Remastered)
Soul - Released by Sunset Blvd Records on 22 Jul 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You
Soul - Released by Fury Records on 22 Oct 1972
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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There's Something on Your Mind
Rock - Released by HHO on 3 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Crescent City Bounce: From Blues To R&B In New Orleans, CD D
Booker Little, Bobby Marchan, The Royal Kings
Blues - Released by JSP on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There's Something On Your Mind - Best Of
R&B - Released by Vintage Masters Inc. on 1 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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There's Something on Your Mind: The Greatest Hits
Rock - Released by Blue Lagoon on 17 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There's Something On Your Mind (Part 2) (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 31)
Pop - Released by Music Manager on 19 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There Is Something on Your Mind
Soul - Released by GCM - Prime on 31 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There Is Something on Your Mind, Pt. 2
Soul - Released by GCM - Prime on 24 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There Is Something on Your Mind
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 14 May 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
There Is Something on Your Mind
Jazz - Released by Stars and Stripes on 14 May 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo