Carol Williams

Carol Williams first achieved success in 1976 with her dance version of Kai Winding's 1963 hit "More" from the movie Mondo Cane. At a time when disco was still breaking into the mainstream, the Montclaire, NJ, native was one of few female vocalists in the genre to hold stake in other creative elements of her craft besides singing. Working with producer Vince Montana Jr., she not only selected a good share of material for her Salsoul debut album, 'Lectric Lady, but she also co-wrote three selections and acted as co-publisher. The input paid off, with "Come Back," the follow up to "More," which was co-written by Williams, becoming a club classic. Prior to scoring as a disco diva, the singer/songwriter had already paid her dues for over a decade as a live performer in her own Top 40 band and as a member of female soul trio the Geminis. The latter trio scored a small R&B hit in 1966 on RCA with "Get It on Home," and recorded further singles such as "I Hired the Girl" and "You Put a Hurting On" before moving to Brunswick. It was during a New Jersey hotel circuit stint, where she was performing six nights a week, that the opportunity for a solo deal arose. Williams' husband, Daverne, was Wilson Pickett's bandleader. His assistant received a call from Salsoul looking for a female vocalist in the vein of Gloria Gaynor, who was at the time hot on the success of disco hits "Honey Bee" and "Never Can Say Goodbye." Williams was chosen from all of the singers auditioning, and when the label learned of her history and reputation in the industry, they signed her to an album deal. With Salsoul pursuing disco full-blast via label acts such as Loleatta Holloway and Double Exposure, Williams felt stylistically pigeonholed. Desiring to diversify her repertoire to include more ballads and...