Barbara WestBarbara West’s career in the music biz is intertwined with that of her friend Toussaint McCall, and it is a pound to a penny bet that she joined Stan Lewis’ Ronn roster as a result of McCall’s national smash Nothing Takes The Place Of You. Barbara went to Fame studios at Muscle Shoals with McCall towards the end of 1967 when the latter was sent there by Lewis to try and get another big hit. They recorded a fine duet version of Let It Be Me which remained in the can, but they recorded solo sides as well.

West’s first release was a very tasty version of Theola Kilgore’s excellent The Love Of My Man, on which her deep tone and perfect timing came over really well. Even better than this ballad was the toetapper Will He Come Back. The sessions were controlled by Lewis’ “man on the spot” DJ Gene Kent. McCall provided both of Barbara’s second Ronn release in mid 1968. Oh Little Boy was a pleasant beat ballad while the funky little uptempo I’m A Fool For You Baby with its party atmosphere grabs the attention.

But the third 45 moved everything into a whole new dimension. Jeff Barry’s beautiful ballad Anyone But You was first recorded by Ruth Brown in 1961 and Ruth’s cut is superbly realised, but the Muscle Shoals guys and Kent turn the song into the perfect deep southern soul ballad. With some tasteful strings and Barbara’s utterly memorable phrasing and emotional depth this is surely a pinnacle of deep soul. The flip, a version of Betty Everett’s excellent You’re No Good can’t help but suffer in comparison.

The songs on West’s fourth and final 45 for Ronn both came from the pen of Toussaint McCall, with the top side Give Me Back The Man I Love being another slice of deep soul heaven, complete with a really well arranged rhythm section and some cooing background girls. The flip Congratulations Baby has had plays on the Northern scene and is, therefore, the weakest of her Ronn sides.

Back home in Louisiana Barbara west continued her association with McCall, recording songs on his own Nu-Sound label in the 70s and 80s. The duet on You Send Me is pleasant enough and I’m A Fool For My Baby is a recut of the Ronn cut. But Barbara doesn’t seem to have made any more recordings than these.