1965
THE RECORD (BABY I LOVE YOU) * H. B. BARNUM * CAPITOL 15391 * UK
Hidle Brown Barnum, Jr. was born in 1936 in Huston,
Texas, in 1955 as a member of The Dootones he recorded Teller Of Fortune
on the Dootone label, and in 1956 he joined The Robins and recorded twelve
singles for the Whippet label. His first solo release was as Pee Wee Barnum for
Imperial in 1958, and although he recorded duets and other tracks with The
Robins, his first release under the moniker H. B. Barnum was for his own
short lived California based Mun Rab label in 1959.
The Record (Baby I Love You) was his first of eight for
Capitol, something of a novelty song The Record is none the less a
Soulful story of estranged love, separation is a popular theme in Soul music due
to wars and prison, which is enhanced with the vocal backing of an all-girl
group which acts as a counterpoint to Barnum's voice and sentiments.