Dee Dee Warwick, the younger sister of Dionne Warwick, made a career out of singing backup for the likes of Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. Beginning with gospel roots, her trajectory took her from session singing to an underdeveloped solo stint, to finally backing up sister Dionne, before her untimely death last October.Her vocal stylings and musical accompaniment contrasted drastically against the polished, classy lounge outings of the more famous Dionne who, ultimately served as Bacharach's muse. In retrospect, Dee Dee represented an authentic pillar of late 60's soul that was seemingly ambivalent towards pop charts. However, songs like "Foolish Fool," with its tasteful string arrangements, jangly funk guitar and hardknock drumming, were able to galvanize pop audiences--on the strength of the singing alone. At times registering in the red, her powerful voice is decidedly the song's centerpiece, with boisterous range and strong emotive resonance. When Dee Dee sings, "She's a fool to think that she can take you from me," listeners can easily imagine the "other woman" on her way to a deserved black eye. Highly recommended.
"Foolish Fool" - from her S/t LP (1969; Mercury)
