Gerald, Raeford

Arranger, producer and singer-songwriter born Ray Godfrey who was instrumental in the careers of soul singers Millie Jackson and Joe Simon, producing many of their albums and writing many of their hits. He produced Millie’s first three albums, her eponymous debut in 1972, and It Hurts So Good and I Got ToTry It One Time, in 1973 and 1974, respectively. ” How Do You Feel The Morning After”, co-produced and co-written by Gerald, reached #11 on the R&B chart and #74 on the pop chart.

Raeford co-founded the R&B group Act One, and they released one self-titled album in 1974. Gerald produced and wrote “Friends Or Lovers”, which went to #22 on the R&B chart and #101 on the Billboard Top 200. ” Tom the Peeper” cracked the U.K. top forty, becoming a staple on the dance club circuit. Remnants of that group became Special Delivery, but Raeford teamed up with Joe Simon for several successful albums and singles, including 1975’s Get Down and 1978’s A Bad Case of Love. He also wrote and released the single “I’m the Other Half of You” using the name Ray Godfrey.

Much of Raeford’s output from this era is captured on CD retrospectives such as Millie Jackson’s 1999 release, Between the Sheets, and Music In My Bones: The Best of Joe Simon.

Joe Simon recordings
Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor) (Raeford Gerald/Joe Simon)
In My Baby’s Arms (Raeford Gerald/Harlan Howard/Joe Simon)

Sources:

Gerald, Raeford

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