Many thanks to Sherlie Matthews and Jesse Davis for giving us the following insights into the origins of the highly collectable 'Gonna Hang On In There Girl' 45. Here we present Sherlie's original handwritten lyrics and lead sheet. To hear the song, please click here.
Sherlie Matthews
I was going with Frank Wilson at the time. This song was a testament of our relationship. I never got paid for that song, at all. Here's my original handwritten lyric sheet and lead sheet. I didn't even sign the lyric sheet. Funny thing at the bottom, I'd written Bobby Womack's private telephone number ... in those days we didn't have area codes.
Jesse Davis
Herb Newman (not sure if that spelling is correct), President of ERA, approached me with the song, thinking that it would be a good song for me (along with four others): 'Hang On In There Girl', 'Albuquerque', 'Night Bloomin' Jasmine', 'Something to Think About' and 'You Don't Need a Crown'. All were done in one recording session, with a good size band and back-up singers, so I was very pleased with that. Most songs are recorded two or three times and the best one is used. To the best of my memory, that was the case with these songs, except for 'Something to Think About' which was done in one take.
The first time I went to Australia, for a three month tour, 'Something to Think About' (written by Barry Stewart) was released over there on the Festival label. I am not certain how that came about, but presume Herb made some sort of deal for the song ... or perhaps Herb owned Festival also. The song was getting radio play which resulted in my doing several more three- and six-month tours over there (when I say tours - I was booked at many different clubs in Sydney, Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and Perth, as well as New Zealand, but that is another story).
As far as I knew, 'Hang On In There' was not released in the US (and international rights were sketchy back then), so thought the song had died on the vine so-to-speak ... until about 15 years ago when I learned it was a collector's item - primarily in the UK. It was a young couple on a honeymoon trip to the US that we first learned this from. They were driving down the freeway and saw my name on the hotel marquee where I was working, came in that night to see if I was "the Jesse Davis" they were hoping I was. They were so excited and talking so fast, that it took a couple minutes for my wife and I to figure out what they were talking about! They took a photo to "prove" to their friends that they met me and some months later sent us a note that they finally found and purchased a copy of the 45 record.
That was our first learning of the UK soul scene. But the internet was not then, what it is now, so no real info presented itself. It was really several years later, when my wife decided to check again and all sorts of info popped up.
© Rob Jones 2010
Footnote:
Jesse Davis (died August 26 2024)
As far as I knew, 'Hang On In There' was not released in the US (and international rights were sketchy back then), so thought the song had died on the vine so-to-speak ... until about 15 years ago when I learned it was a collector's item - primarily in the UK. It was a young couple on a honeymoon trip to the US that we first learned this from. They were driving down the freeway and saw my name on the hotel marquee where I was working, came in that night to see if I was "the Jesse Davis" they were hoping I was. They were so excited and talking so fast, that it took a couple minutes for my wife and I to figure out what they were talking about! They took a photo to "prove" to their friends that they met me and some months later sent us a note that they finally found and purchased a copy of the 45 record.