Young FranCina’s favorite reason for risking the wrath of her parents was local singer/songwriter Clarence Reid. His sweet tenor and soulful tunes stocked local soul label, Deep City. In 1968, Clarence crossed the tracks to join Henry Stone at Alston/TK. His songwriting and production fueled Miami’s most successful 1970’s hit factory. TK became a 100 million-selling soul, funk and disco machine. Clarence wrote and produced smashes for Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae, KC & The Sunshine Band and himself. When the ratio of writing other people’s hits outweighed Clarence’s own chart success, he started a musical revolution via Blowfly: his X-Rated, rapping alter ego.

In 2012, FranCina ventured into Miami punk rock fortress Churchill’s Hideaway for a Blowfly show. While geographically only 40 blocks from the Overtown clubs she saw Clarence at as a kid, 21st century Blowfly gigs were rarely attended by Clarence Reid’s old school fans. After briefly reconnecting with Clarence backstage, FranCina soon found herself onstage. She gleefully sat in with Blowfly’s band for an impromptu version of Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman” - Clarence’s most enduring songwriting hit.

Three months later, FranCina joined Clarence's circus. She opened for a rare Miami “Clarence Reid” solo gig. That show was filmed for the “Deep City Records” documentary. Highlighting FranCina's set were the two Deep City-era Clarence Reid compositions included here: 1967’s Clarence-sung stomper “No Way Out” and the1966 Helene Smith ballad “I Am Controlled By Your Love”.

The success of that show, created a new alter ego for Blowfly’s band. “The Overtown Soul Revue” dedicated itself to preserving and performing Reid’s distinct “Miami Sound”. OSR came out for special occasions, including the bicoastal “Save The House Party” gigs that helped save Clarence Reid’s house from delinquent taxes in 2014. FranCina rejoined the Revue at their Miami gigs and never failed to bring the house down.

After Clarence Reid succumbed to cancer in January 2016, FranCina Jones & The Overtown Soul Revue found themselves rededicated to spreading the musical joy he created. Following multiple tributes shows in Clarence's honor, OSR's skeleton crew of multi-instrumentalist, Reggie Sears and drummer Tom Bowker met up and laid down the music for this single. FranCina soon followed them into the studio to sing. Their famously impatient maestro would have approved of the pace. "No Way Out" and "I am Controlled By Your Love” were instrumentally tracked, sung and mixed in four afternoons split between Sears' Mixed Royalty Sound and Hialeah's Shack North.

The resulting single proves that the Music of Clarence Reid was so far ahead of its time, that it sounds relevant today -- 50 and 51 years after these songs were originally recorded. FranCina Jones & The Overtown Soul Revue have produced a fresh and faithful recording that honors Clarence Reid: The Maestro of The Miami Sound.

Produced by Tom Bowker for Overtown Records.