That most excellent year of 1965 rewarded singer Fontella Bass with a huge pop smash called "Rescue Me." It's a true classic, but believe it or not, I once read of someone shrugging it off as a mere attempt to imitate the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. That seems a little harsh, but it's also kind of impressive. I mean, Aretha didn't achieve any notable success until 1967, which would make Fontella's choice to imitate Aretha remarkably prescient. Gotta jump on these things early, I guess.
Seriously, no one should dismiss Fontella Bass. She was a one-hit wonder, sure, but there were many, many great acts that created a wealth of superlative material, but only found real commercial success with one, maybe two songs. Ask the Knickerbockers, or the Bobby Fuller Four. Hell, ask Sammy Ambrose, who didn't even get one frickin' hit record to call his own.
Fontella Bass also deserved at least had one more hit. 1966's "I Surrender" is nearly the equal of "Rescue Me" without really sounding anything like it. Nor does it sound like Aretha, for that matter.
It sounds like a hit.
But it wasn't. Nonetheless, presaging Aretha is itself a pretty neat accomplishment. If Fontella Bass had but one incredible hit that everyone knows, we know there were more obscure worthies that would have enriched us if we'd heard them. On the pop charts, though, rescue proved fleeting for Fontella Bass.
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