Source Material: Clarence Reid – “Nobody But You Babe”

Clarence Reid, (a.k.a. Blowfly), was a soul singer and songwriter from Cochran, Georgia.  At around 12, he moved to West Palm Beach, Florida.  He went to high school in Miami, and some time after, he began his musical journey.  In the early ’60s, he started as a singer with his band The Delmiras.  Reid’s success on the Miami circuit led to a brief stint at Deep City Records as a songwriter, and later, a deal with TK Records.  At TK Records, Reid not only released his own music, but he also co-wrote songs for some of his labelmates.  He co-wrote two songs alongside Willie Clarke, (co-founder of Deep City Records), “Clean Up Woman” (1972) for Betty Wright and “Rockin’ Chair” (1974) for Gwen Mcrae.  Beyond those two songs, Reid’s songwriting credits are extensive.

As a solo artist, he released his debut album, Nobody But You Babe, in 1969.  At the time, the title song, “Nobody But You Babe,” was his most successful song.  By 1971, he began releasing music under the name Blowfly.  As Blowfly, he made raunchier music under a pseudonym, which allowed him to protect his name as a songwriter.  In 1973, he released his debut album under Blowfly, The Weird World of Blowfly.  The album, much like his career as Blowfly, was full of parodies of music, and explicit lyrics.  His solo career as Blowfly was a success, and he continued songwriting well throughout the ’70s.  My favorite version of Reid can be heard on “Nobody But You Babe.”