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IRMA THOMAS
“WISH SOMEONE WOULD CARE”
(IRMA THOMAS)
Imperial 66013
No. 17 May 16, 1964
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Irma Thomas was born Irma Lee in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, on February 18, 1941. Her parents
moved to New Orleans when she was a baby. They lived in a rooming house behind the Bell Hotel.
“That’s where I really got interested in music,” Irma told Almost Slim, author of I Hear You Knockin’.
“The lounge in the motel had a jukebox, and I’d sneak off and listen to it every chance I’d get. I’d hear
Clyde McPiatter and the Drifters, Joe Liggins, Lowell Fulsom, and Annie Laurie. My favorite record
then was ‘Ida Red’ by Percy Mayfield.”
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Irma received her singing training on Sundays at the Home Mission Baptist Church. Her sixth-grade
teacher entered her in a talent contest at the Carver Theatre, and she won first place singing Nat
“King” Cole’s “Pretend.” But all was to stop when Irma became pregnant–a pregnant 14-year-old was
not looked upon too highly in those days, and Irma felt like an outcast. She washed dishes for 50 cents
an hour; her first marriage ended. It was during her second marriage and the creation of two more
children that Thomas started singing with bandleader Tommy Ridgely at New Orleans’ Pimlico Club.
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Ridgely hooked Irma up with Ron Records owner Joe Ruffino, who was immediately interested in
recording her on something called “Don’t Mess With My Man.” “Don’t Mess” (R& B: #22, 1960) was
a solid-selling first outing. After a fine follow-up, “A Good Man,” failed to fly, Thomas moved to
Minit Records for some of her grittiest efforts ever–“Cry On,” “It’s Too Soon To Know,” “It’s Raining,”
and “Ruler Of My Heart” (the latter was reworked by Otis Bedding into “Pain In My Heart”). The
Minit label had a family feeling to it: New Orleans artists like ERNIE K-DOE, JESSIE HILL, Aaron
Neville, and Benny Spellman would often drop by and sing backup on Irma’s sessions.
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In 1964, Minit was acquired by Imperial, a subsidiary of Liberty Records. “Wish Someone Would
Care” was Irma’s first single under this arrangement. In 1984, “Break-A-Way,” the disk’s flip side,
would regally resurface as a hit for comedian TRACEY ULLMAN. Three other Thomas 45s on
Imperial–“Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will understand)” 1964), and “He’s My lmperiai–
“Anyone Who Knows What Love (#52, 1964), “Times Have Changed” (#98, Guy” (#63, 1964)–made
both the pop and R & B listings in 1964. A debut LP was packed and pushed, and Irma hit the road
to tour behind her platters.
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Irma’s name may be familiar to rock’n’roll fans for another reason. The Rolling Stones took notice
of Irma’s soulful sounds, and quickly covered her unsuccessful follow-up to “Wish Someone Would
Care”–“Time Is On My Side.” The Stones’ version was their first top 10 disk (#6, 1964), although
Irma was less than flattered.
“The Rolling Stones version was worse [than mine],” Irma declared to the Chicago Sun Times‘ Don
McLeese. “I mean we won’t say similar in their case–it was worse. English groups were on the
rise at the time, and whether it was good, bad or indifferent, they were English. It was beside the
point whether or not they could sing.” Irma told Bob Shannon and John Javna in Behind the Hits
that with the success of the Stones’ rendition, “I stopped doing it. I really liked that song, and I
put my heart and soul into it. Then along comes this English group that half-sings it, and gets a
million-seller. “