Biography
Mitty Collier first drew widespread attention through her 1964 Chess release “I Had a Talk with My Man,” a lavishly arranged ballad whose sensual tone became her trademark, yet the track never matched the commercial peak of her later Top Ten R&B success “Sharing You.”
Born on 21 June 1941 in Birmingham, Alabama, she performed regularly in church during her teenage years and traveled with the Hayes Ensemble, a gospel outfit. While attending college she began performing rhythm-and-blues material in neighborhood clubs. During a visit to her brother in Chicago in the summer of 1959, a former teacher encouraged her to audition for local talent contests. After winning Al Benson’s WGES contest at the Regal Theater for six consecutive weeks, she received a recording contract from Chess Records executive Ralph Bass in 1960.
Her initial chart entry answered Little Johnny Taylor’s summer-1963 number-one R&B hit “Part Time Love”; issued as “I’m Your Part Time Love” backed with “Don’t You Forget It,” the single climbed to number twenty on the R&B listings that autumn. The follow-up, produced by staff producer Billy Davis and partly modeled on James Cleveland’s “I Had a Talk with God Last Night,” proved to be her signature recording. Titled “I Had a Talk with My Man” and coupled with “Free Girl (In the Morning),” it reached the number-three position on Cashbox’s R&B chart in the fall of 1964. Another Cleveland-inspired single, “No Faith, No Love” backed with “Together,” peaked at number twenty-nine R&B in early 1965.
Additional Chess 45s included “Come Back Baby” b/w “Ain’t That Love,” the regional favorite “For My Man” b/w “Help Me,” “Sharing You” b/w “Walk Away,” “Watching and Waiting” b/w “Like Only Yesterday,” “That’ll Be Good Enough” b/w “Git Out,” and “You’re the Only One” b/w “Do It with Confidence.” In 1969 she moved to Peachtree Records in Atlanta, Georgia, where she cut “True Love Never Comes Easy” and the coupling “You Hurt So Good” b/w “I Can’t Lose.” Subsequent appearances comprised the standalone single “Let Them Talk” and the album Shades of Genius.
Collier stepped away from secular music in 1972 to concentrate on gospel repertoire; during the 1990s she served as a minister at a Chicago congregation. “I Had a Talk with My Man” has since been recorded by Dusty Springfield on Anthology (1997), Shirley Brown on Timeless (1991), Inez Foxx on Memphis & More (1996), Marva Wright on Marvalous (1995), and numerous other artists.
Born on 21 June 1941 in Birmingham, Alabama, she performed regularly in church during her teenage years and traveled with the Hayes Ensemble, a gospel outfit. While attending college she began performing rhythm-and-blues material in neighborhood clubs. During a visit to her brother in Chicago in the summer of 1959, a former teacher encouraged her to audition for local talent contests. After winning Al Benson’s WGES contest at the Regal Theater for six consecutive weeks, she received a recording contract from Chess Records executive Ralph Bass in 1960.
Her initial chart entry answered Little Johnny Taylor’s summer-1963 number-one R&B hit “Part Time Love”; issued as “I’m Your Part Time Love” backed with “Don’t You Forget It,” the single climbed to number twenty on the R&B listings that autumn. The follow-up, produced by staff producer Billy Davis and partly modeled on James Cleveland’s “I Had a Talk with God Last Night,” proved to be her signature recording. Titled “I Had a Talk with My Man” and coupled with “Free Girl (In the Morning),” it reached the number-three position on Cashbox’s R&B chart in the fall of 1964. Another Cleveland-inspired single, “No Faith, No Love” backed with “Together,” peaked at number twenty-nine R&B in early 1965.
Additional Chess 45s included “Come Back Baby” b/w “Ain’t That Love,” the regional favorite “For My Man” b/w “Help Me,” “Sharing You” b/w “Walk Away,” “Watching and Waiting” b/w “Like Only Yesterday,” “That’ll Be Good Enough” b/w “Git Out,” and “You’re the Only One” b/w “Do It with Confidence.” In 1969 she moved to Peachtree Records in Atlanta, Georgia, where she cut “True Love Never Comes Easy” and the coupling “You Hurt So Good” b/w “I Can’t Lose.” Subsequent appearances comprised the standalone single “Let Them Talk” and the album Shades of Genius.
Collier stepped away from secular music in 1972 to concentrate on gospel repertoire; during the 1990s she served as a minister at a Chicago congregation. “I Had a Talk with My Man” has since been recorded by Dusty Springfield on Anthology (1997), Shirley Brown on Timeless (1991), Inez Foxx on Memphis & More (1996), Marva Wright on Marvalous (1995), and numerous other artists.
Albums
