The Lost Hero of New Orleans Soul

Readers of this site, and those that know me personally know that when it comes to music I like, I get a little obsessive. Imagine then, when one of my top-ten-favorite soul records was recorded by someone who’s an almost complete mystery. Such is the case with Diamond Joe.

I first heard ‘Gossip Gossip’ about 15 years ago on a Charly compilation of New Orleans R&B and soul. The first time the track played I was blown away. It was the prefect combination of a great singer, great song/arrangement and was utterly unknown to me. The tune quickly became a favorite, holding a place of honor on mix tapes (later CDs). It was the kind of record I felt that other people needed to know about.

Fast-forward about 10 years, to the point where I started to collect New Orleans soul 45s. Sundazed released the ‘Get Low Down’ comp of Allen Toussaint-related Sansu sides, and I realized that Diamond Joe was more than one (brilliant) side of a 45. Fairly soon it was obvious that despite his utter anonymity, Diamond Joe had recorded some of the best (and most interesting) sides in the Toussaint catalogue.

His singing career (before which he was a bassist in Hosea Hill’s band ) goes back to his debut release in 1961, ‘Moaning and Screaming Pts 1&2’ on Minit. If there was ever a more gripping lamentation laid to wax, I haven’t heard it. Diamond Joe sounds like he’s losing his mind in grief, and the spare backing – which sounds like it was recorded in the back of a smoky bar – is perfect. It is also – like both sides of his last 45 – one of the few tunes in his catalogue that he wrote himself.

His 1963 follow up ‘Fair Play’ b/w ‘Help Yourself’ (also on Minit) is a lost treasure. ‘Fair Play’ is a little bit of genius. Penned by Earl King and Allen Orange (who would later record for Toussaint himself), the tune is a slow, thoughtful ballad filled with interesting chord changes - and strangest of all  - an autoharp (maybe the only soul/R&B record ever with one of those???).  Diamond Joe displays a wide range in an amazing vocal and the record – which has not been reissued domestically – is years ahead of it’s time. The flip ‘Help Yourself’, the first Toussaint composition he would record is a great tune filled with rolling piano.

There a 1965 single for Instant ‘Too Many Pots’ b/w ‘If I Say Goodbye’ that I’ve never been able to track down. If anyone can provide a lead on the 45, or a recording of it I would greatly appreciate it.

In 1966, Toussaint brought Diamond Joe into the Sansu stable for the first of three excellent 45’s. ‘How To Pick A Winner’ b/w ‘Wait A Minute Baby’ is classic, mid-60’s New Orleans soul. ‘How To Pick A Winner’ borrows it’s relaxed tempo from the Impressions ‘It’s Alright’ . ‘Wait A Minute Baby’ is a slightly more upbeat number with a great vocal.

The next Sansu 45, ‘Hurry Back To Me’ b/w ‘Don’t Set Me Back’ continues an escalation of quality. Both sides are Toussaint compositions, ‘Hurry Back To Me’ is a soul dancer with a great chorus and more backing vocals from Willie Harper, and ‘Don’t Set Me Back’ is a slower number with dramatic stops in the verse.

His final Sansu 45 (in 1967) is his best.  The a-side, the aforementioned ‘Gossip Gossip’ is high – along with some of Betty Harris’s best – on the list of the best records on the Sansu label. Opening with the murmur of gossips (“Man, did you hear about what’s happening with Joe and his girl?”) Diamond Joe rips into the verse, followed by a brilliant ascending horn line that is repeated throughout the song. The vocal is among his strongest, and the song has a hard beat. It’s just an amazing record. When I play this for people they’re often genuinely surprised that they hadn’t heard of it before, so high is the quality. The flip side, ‘Doesn’t Matter Anymore’, is like ‘Fair Play’ one of the more interesting productions/arrangements of Toussaint’s career. Opening with ethereal female backing vocals, and a European-sounding strummed guitar, the song kicks in with a driving beat and a backing voice that sounds suspiciously like Lee Dorsey. The tune dips back into the opening sound again and again. Sadly this is the only one of Diamond Joe’s six Sansu sides that was not included on ‘Get Low Down’.

Diamond Joe would only record one more 45, ‘The ABC Song’ b/w ‘Look Way Back’, for Deesu in 1968. Appropriately, he goes out with a bang. ‘The ABC Song’ is a hard, funky number reminiscent of Larry Darnell’s ‘Son of a Son of a Slave’ on Instant. It features pounding drums, throbbing bass and funky guitar. ‘Look Way Back’ is a soul ballad with some great spoken interjections by the singer. Though it’s a Toussaint production, Diamond Joe wrote both sides of the record.

After 1969, Diamond Joe just disappears. He never recorded again. As far as I can tell no picture of him has ever been published. Saddest of all, I hear from a friend in New Orleans that Diamond Joe is not dead (as I'd heard in the past) but is currently homeless.