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:: Running Bear ::

:: Games That Grown Up Children Play ::

:: Poppa Says (Dawn Holds Another Day) ::

:: As Usual ::

Wow. No doubt about it, this kid was great. Still there's something a bit weird about a 12 or 13 year old boy singing love songs of such mature subject matter. Kind of makes you wonder who was selecting his material and why, but in any case, the kid had pipes.

Browning Bryant was born in 1957 and he still lives in his home town of Pickens, South Carolina. He had a hit with "Games That Grown Up Children Play", followed by "Poppa Says (Dawn Holds Another Day)". He went on to charm adults on such TV shows as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Merv Griffin Show. He changed record labels several times, starting out on Dot in 1969, then moving on to RCA, then to Reprise where he made one album in 1974 which was produced by Allen Toussaint and featured The Meters. By then Browning was a ripe 17 years old, and he wrote a few of the songs that appeared on the album. Not bad. Robert Christgau even gave it a good review.

It's said that he's still composing and recording in Pickens, and I see he has some more recent CDs available. It's funny because normally I wouldn't be into something like this at all, but I find myself drawn to it for some reason. I simply must find a copy of that Reprise album now. Oh, and thanks to my buddy Trags for sending this one to me.


Mike

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