RONNIE DYSON - "One Man Band (Plays All Alone)" (1973)

Great song by underrated and forgotten soul singer. Played on WIOQ, "Popular 102," in Philly.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1970s
• pop
• rock
• soul
• if
• you
• let
• me
• make
• love
• to
• rhythm
• blues

[naynay481]

Thanks for posting this song. I thought it was lost forever. I remember this from high school and it was a hit. I too have a collection of 45's from yesteryear and many are still in good condition. It was good to hear this particular one again. Thanks!!!!!

[MrTrashcan1]

@naynay481 Glad you remembered it and thanks for your comment.

[benedictines]

While most of you may not know what a 45 was, I played the copies I could get to death. This was not a song, it was a theme of hope. I still have the first 45's of this song I could fine. I don't know if they still play but I refuse to loose them with everything I have been forced to dispose of. This song is a blessing. Thank you for posting.. 

[MrTrashcan1]

@benedictines It's my pleasure. Back when this song came out I didn't have any 45s--I couldn't afford them. I did inherit a cassette recorder, and at that time a 33 cent cassette could hold 20 songs, which was much more economical than buying a single 45. But in my adult years I did manage to track down the original 45s for most of those songs, including this one, and continue to listen to them and my LPs. Thank you for your wonderful comments.

[MrTrashcan1]

@benedictines Just to clarify, I recorded the songs off the radio. The quality was poor, but so was I, and my goal was mainly to preserve the song so it wouldn't be lost forever. Somehow I knew that eventually I'd find good copies when I could afford them.

[josiemax]

LOVE this song!!! When this came out in '73, I'd never heard anything like it - an unabashed tribute to being a loner! He's not some sad, miserable case like "Leave Me Alone" Ruby Red Dress, he doesn't "learn his lesson" at the end of the song and get drawn back into society, nope -- he sticks to his guns and is proud! A unique message of self-sufficiency.

My question had always been, who wrote it? Ronnie? Someone else?

[MrTrashcan1]

@josiemax

I agree 100%. I loved not only the music, but the words for exactly that reason. And later in life I discovered that they apply even more to the libertarian mindset.

Written by Linda Creed and Thom Bell.

[777racing]

Thank you Sir, for this special Dyson hit!

I too used to play this over and over in the early 70's. What GREAT memories!! I didn't know if I would ever here this song again. My hats off to you.

Hector 777

[Molly645]

This is too sad, I found out today that Ronnie has no marker on his resting place. He is buried in Linden N.J. : (

[Molly645]

I remember seeing him on tv singing this. I went all the way to another town to buy the 45.

[npenciso]

he was a part of my teenage years... his songs always kept me company in my room!

[chippyiam2u]

Thanks for the memories, I used to play this album over and over as a teenager, love it!



[dora5132ify]

@benedictines i could not have said it better my self!!!!

[kenpalmer1965]

@benedictines Hello. I too had a copy of this great song on a 45 RPM and I too played it to death! I loved this song as a kid and I still do!

[DaveWollenberg]

Ronnie hit #28 in Billboard, 4-28-73. God bless ya, for postin' it. Thanx! RIP, Ronnie.

[L78lancer]

Wrong, it WAS the A-side. Sorry abt that...