Powerful Love b/w The Bear

The eleventh entry in our ongoing Twinight 45 reissue series grabs two extremely rare sides from Cairo, Illinois’ Sam & Dave clones Chuck & Mac. “Powerful Love” is a gutty southern shouter, while “The Bear” works the straight-forward funk angle. After Roosevelt “Mac” Matthews mustered out of Billy Ball & the Upsetters, he connected with Aubrey “Chuck” Wallace and cut a single for their own Ruby label with Oliver Sain. A second Sain session produced their signature pleader “Powerful Love,” prompting the duo to head north to Chicago for a shot at the ring. The record was quickly purchased by Twinight, who issued a one-time promo pressing shortly after. After the single failed to yield another deal, the duo moved to St. Louis and formed the Hard Tymes Band which kept them working through the early ’80s.