by David Wilikofsky
In Alternative Canon, we take a closer look at an obscure or underappreciated album from the past that deserves more recognition. Some of these albums may be hard to find, but they’re always worth the effort to seek out.
Doris Duke was born in Sandersville, GA in 1945. She grew up singing in gospel groups and at one point worked as a backup singer at the Apollo Theater. In 1969, she was discovered and signed by the great Swamp Dogg, who had recently left Atlantic Records. Together they recorded her debut album, I’m A Loser, which was released by Canyon Records in 1969. Today it stands one of the great soul albums of its time.
The album starts off with “He’s Gone”, where Duke mourns a relationship she lost due to (as she puts it) her own immaturity. She wishes he would come back, but doesn’t know if it’ll happen. All of the songs that follow mine similar territory, exploring longing, passion and heartbreak. “Divorce Decree” walks through the good times of a relationship and heartbreak that came with ending it. The divorce decree sets her free, but that piece of paper can’t capture the complexity of the relationship. “To The Other Woman (I’m The Other Woman)” is written from the perspective of a mistress. She never plans to break up her lover’s marriage, and recognizes that she’ll always be the “second fiddle” to him. It all adds up to a loose concept album centered around romantic relationships, especially ones that have gone bad.
Duke may not be the most technical singer, but her ability to covey feeling is second to none. “I Don’t Care Anymore” was the first song I heard from the album, and it made an instant impression. The song tells the story of a woman who flees an abusive relationship only to end up a broke sex worker after a string of dead end jobs. Part of the magic of the song is the writing itself. The story it weaves is pitch black, and the details only enhance that (really, there’s nothing sadder than lying on a “lumpy bed” in a cheap motel). But Duke sells the humanity behind a tragic song whose series of misfortunes could easily lapse into melodrama. The way she sings the phrase “I don’t care anymore” on each chorus with a quiver in her voice sells a combination of despair and resignation perfectly. The heartbreak is palpable.
I’m A Loser found some commercial success (the two singles from the album, “To the Other Woman (I’m the Other Woman)” and “Feet Start Walking” both make the R&B charts) but any momentum the album was gaining disappeared when Duke’s record label collapsed. Duke would go on to record one more album with Swamp Dogg (A Legend In Her Own Time) in addition to two other albums. None of them received much commercial attention, and Duke retired from music in 1981. Duke died last year at the age of 77, but it didn’t register as newsworthy for most mainstream music publications. They’re dead wrong. Duke’s small discography proves that she was a musical heavyweight and one of America’s finest soul singers.