K SPECIAL
Felice Taylor - Under the Influence of Love: Her Complete Recordings (60th Anniversary Special Edition 1965-1968) (2025)
Felice Taylor (born Florain Corella Flanagan, January 29, 1944 - June 12, 2017) was an American soul and pop singer, best known for her recordings in the late 1960s.
Born in Richmond, California, United States, Taylor began singing with her sisters Norma and Darlene Flanagan in a trio, The Sweets, who recorded their one and only single "Mama Saw Me" b/w "The Richest Girl", for the Valiant label in 1965.
Taylor's first solo recording, "Think About Me" on the Groovy label, was credited to Florain Taylor. Her greatest success came after signing for Bob Keane's Mustang label, a subsidiary of Bronco Records. There she was teamed with the songwriters and record producers, Barry White and Paul Politi, who co-wrote "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)", a minor hit reaching No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 44 on the R&B chart in early 1967, and its follow-up "I'm Under the Influence of Love". A third single, "I Feel Love Comin' On", also written and produced by White and Politi was not released in the US, but reached No. 11 in the UK Singles Chart, when leased to President Records later in 1967.
After leaving Bronco, Taylor recorded for Kent Records, and later in the UK with members of The Equals. In 1973, White's protégées Love Unlimited recorded new versions of "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" and "Under the Influence of Love" and Barry White recorded "I Feel Love Comin' On" on the Love Unlimited Orchestra's top ten album Rhapsody in White. Taylor herself seems not to have recorded after the early 1970s.
She was married to Johnny B Taylor and had four children.
She died in June 2017, aged 73. She was interred at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
Barry White was hired in the mid-'60s by Bob Keane of Del-Fi Records as an A&R man for his new Bronco Records imprint, and White started working with the label's artists, including Viola Wills and the Bobby Fuller Four, as a songwriter, session musician, and arranger.
He discovered singer Felice Taylor and arranged her song "I Feel Love Comin' On", co-written with his friend Paul Politi. It became a big hit in the UK. Other charting hits written by White and Politi for her included "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)" and "Under the Influence of Love". Bronco issued one of White's first singles, 1967's "All in the Run of a Day", produced by Keane and White itself. White also wrote "Doin' the Banana Split" for TV bubblegum pop act the Banana Splits in 1968.
• Felice Taylor recorded for Kent Records and later worked in the UK with Eddy Grant and Derv Gordon of The Equals.
• Eddy Grant: Produced recordings for Felice Taylor when she was in the UK.
• Barry White: Known as the "soul's ultimate baritone" and founder of the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
Felice visited the UK and appeared at the Saville Theatre in London in the series of Sunday evening concerts, 'Sundays at the Saville' presented by Brian Epstein.
Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, leased the theatre in 1965, presenting both drama (including works by Arnold Wesker) and rock and roll shows. Plays in 1965 included The Solid Gold Cadillac with Sid James and Margaret Rutherford, which ran for 142 performances.
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company played two ten-week London seasons at the Saville, from 6 December 1965 to 12 February 1966 and 18 December 1967 to 24 February 1968, presenting eleven Savoy Operas in each season.
The venue saw appearances of the Jimi Hendrix Experience in January 1967 when they opened for the Who, and again in August 1967. The Move and Procol Harum also appeared on the bill. Acts including Chuck Berry, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Nirvana, Cream, Fairport Convention, the Incredible String Band, the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees also appeared there.
"Sing Me a Love Song" is one of her songs that got lost in the Kent vaults. Penned by Richie Adams and Irwin Levine, it was recorded in 1968 but remained unreleased until 2015 when it was issued on Los Angeles Soul - Kent-Modern's Black Music Legacy.
"Honey" is also another 1968 Kent recording, again it remained unreleased until it was featured on the Kent compilation Los Angeles Soul Volume 2 - Kent-Modern's Black Music Legacy 1963-1972 in 2019.
It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) (American Bandstand TV performance 1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQwilsT7lFM&feature=youtu.be
I Feel Love Comin' On (Beat-Club TV performance 1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZFjDsDrl-w&feature=youtu.be
Astonishingly, Felice Taylor never released an album, just a few singles, and no collection of her work has ever been officially released, just the odd few tracks on various LP and CD compilations.
I’ve managed to collect together all of her recorded work including her first recordings with her sisters Norma and Darlene Flanagan as The Sweets in 1965.
This compilation is a mixture of rare original vinyl 45 single rips and tracks from CD compilations.
Along with her complete discography, I have also included many covers of the songs she originally recorded from the likes of Linda Carr, Lori Hampton, Love Unlimited and Barry White, plus B-side instrumental versions by the Bob Keene Orchestra.
I hope you all enjoy this excellent set.
K
“Thanks again to K for sharing this one with us. Cheers”.
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Track lists
1 Felice Taylor - It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) (Original 1966 Mustang Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:50
2 Felice Taylor - I'm Under the Influence of Love (Original 1967 Mustang Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:37
3 Felice Taylor - I Feel Love Comin' On (Original 1967 President Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:55
4 Felice Taylor - I Can Feel Your Love (Coming Down On Me) (Original 1968 Kent Records 7" Mono Single Version) 3:02
5 Felice Taylor - Suree-Surrender (Original 1968 President Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:12
6 Felice Taylor - Captured by Your Love (Original 1968 President Records 7" Single Version) 3:06
7 Felice Taylor - Good Luck (aka New Love) (B-side to 'I Can Feel Your Love') (Original 1968 Kent Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:10
8 Felice Taylor - All I Want to Do Is Love You (B-side to 'Suree-Surrender') (Original 1968 President Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:22
9 Felice Taylor - Sing Me a Love Song (Kent, 1968 unreleased until 2015) 2:31
10 Felice Taylor - Honey (Kent, 1968 unreleased until 2019) 2:38
11 Bob Keene Orchestra - Winter Again (B-side to 'It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)' (Original 1966 Mustang Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:46
12 Bob Keene Orchestra - Love Theme (B-side to 'I'm Under the Influence of Love') (Original 1967 Mustang Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:32
13 Bob Keene Orchestra - Comin' On Again (B-side to 'I Feel Love Comin' On') (Original 1967 President Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:35
14 The Sweets (feat. Felice Taylor) - Mama Saw Me (Original 1965 Valiant Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:05
15 The Sweets (feat. Felice Taylor) - The Richest Girl (B-side to 'Mama Saw Me') (Original 1965 Valiant Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:46
16 Florian Taylor - Think About Me (Original 1966 Groovy Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:05
17 Florain Taylor - Knowing (That You Want Her) (B-side to 'Think About Me') (Original 1966 Groovy Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:19
18 The Apollas - I'm Under the Influence of Love (Original 1967 Warner Bros. Records 7" Single Version) 2:57
19 Linda Carr - I Feel Love Comin' On (Original 1968 Ranwood 7" Mono Single Version) 2:45
20 Lori Hampton - I Feel Love Coming On (Original 1968 UNI Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:45
21 Lori Hampton - I'm Under the Influence of Love (B-side to 'I Feel Love Coming On') (Original 1968 UNI Records 7" Mono Single Version) 2:36
22 Love Unlimited - It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) (Original 1973 20th Century Records 7" Single Version) 4:21
23 Love Unlimited - It's Winter Again (Instrumental) (B-side to 'It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)') (Original 1973 20th Century Records 7" Single Version) 4:15
24 Love Unlimited - Under the Influence of Love (Original 1974 20th Century Records 7" Single Version) 3:21
25 Love Unlimited - Under the Influence of Love (Instrumental) (B-side to 'Under the Influence of Love') (Original 1974 20th Century Records 7" Single Version) 4:18
26 The Love Unlimited Orchestra - I Feel Love Comin' On (from the 1974 album 'Rhapsody in White') 6:24
27 Felice Taylor - I Feel Love Comin' On (Previously Unreleased Alternate Version) 3:08
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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