Born Judy Guions, in St. Pauls, North Carolina, she was raised by her grandmother in Fayetteville and began singing in church. After moving to Brooklyn in the early 1950s, she was adopted by Lee Drinkard Warrick of the Drinkard Singers. Clay made her recorded debut with the Drinkard Singers - who later became better known as The Sweet Inspirations - on the 1954 LP "The Newport Spiritual Stars".
She left the Drinkard Singers in 1960 and made her first solo recording, "More Than You Know", on Ember Records. This was followed by further singles on several labels, but with little commercial success, although "You Busted My Mind" later became successful on Britain's Northern soul club circuit. In 1967, Atlantic Records teamed her up with singer-songwriter Billy Vera, and The Sweet Inspirations, to record "Storybook Children". The record made #20 on the R&B charts and #54 pop.
After a further hit duet with Billy Vera, "Country Girl, City Man", which reached #41 R&B and #36 pop, and an album together, she returned to Stax Records. There she had further successes, this time with William Bell. Their recording of "Private Number" reached #17 in the R&B chart and #75 on the US pop chart, and had even greater success in the UK where it reached #8 in the pop chart. A follow-up, "My Baby Specializes", also made the R&B chart, before she returned to Atlantic for less successful recordings with Vera and a final solo hit "Greatest Love" (#45 R&B in 1970).
Subsequently, she worked as a back-up singer with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and others. Struck with a brain tumour in 1979, she returned to gospel music shortly after her recovery, and sang occasionally with Cissy Houston's gospel choir in Newark. She died in an automobile accident in 2001.
Private Number
Judy Clay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my love for you girl still, remains the same
Now I've been lovin' you, and you been lovin' me, so long
Baby, what's wrong
So I'm beggin'
Baby, baby, baby
Please let me have your number
Please let me have your number
I'm sorry you couldn't call me when you got home
But other fellahs kept on callin' while you were gone
So I had the number changed
But I'm not actin' strange
Welcome home
Nothin's wrong
So I'm saying
Baby, baby, baby
You can have my private number
Baby, baby, baby
You can have my private number
Baby, baby, baby
You can have my private number (thank you, baby)
Baby, baby, baby
You can have my private number (thank you, baby)
Baby, baby, baby
For giving me your private number (you can have it)
Baby, baby, baby
Thank you baby (you can have it)
Baby, baby, baby
Thank you honey (anytime you want it)
Thank you baby
You can have my private number (thank you Judy)
The lyrics to the song "Private Number" by Judy Clay and William Bell tell the story of a man who has been away from his lover for some time and upon returning discovers that her number has been changed. He expresses his love for her and pleads with her to give him her new number. The woman reveals that she changed her number because other men kept calling her while he was gone. However, she gives him her new private number and thanks him for his love.
The song is a classic soul duet that captures the essence of old-school romance. The lyrics are straightforward and heartfelt, emphasizing the power of love and the importance of communication in relationships. The male and female vocals complement each other perfectly, creating a beautiful, harmonious sound that makes the listener feel the pain, joy, and passion of the situation.
Overall, the song is a timeless classic that showcases the power of soul music to connect people on an emotional level. It is a testament to the enduring nature of love and the simple pleasures of human affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Since I've been gone you've had your number changed
I noticed that you've changed your phone number while I was away
But my love for you girl still, remains the same
Despite the change in your phone number, my love for you hasn't wavered
Now I've been lovin' you, and you been lovin' me, so long
We've been in a mutual loving relationship for a while now
Baby, what's wrong
I sense that something is off, what's bothering you?
So I'm beggin'
I am pleading with you to help me understand what's happening
Baby, baby, baby
Please let me have your number
I'm requesting for you to provide me with your new phone number
I'm sorry you couldn't call me when you got home
I acknowledge that you were unable to contact me when you returned
But other fellahs kept on callin' while you were gone
There were other men calling you persistently in your absence
So I had the number changed
As a result of the unwanted attention, I decided to change our phone number
But I'm not actin' strange
I hope you're aware that the phone number change wasn't an indication of me acting suspiciously
Welcome home
Nothin's wrong
You're back and everything is fine, nothing is amiss
So I'm saying
Baby, baby, baby
You can have my private number
I'm offering to share my private phone number with you
Baby, baby, baby
For giving me your private number (you can have it)
Thank you for sharing your new phone number with me, in return, you can have mine
Thank you baby
You can have my private number (thank you Judy)
Thank you for being understanding, you can access my private number at any time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOOKER T. JR. JONES, WILLIAM BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scares009
Whoever left the Windows XP sound in at 0:18 is a legend
@user-bl9rl1co6q
😂 i was like “what the heck?!”
@scares009
@@susanharris431 Well, if we're gonna go with that logic, then personal computers didn't become a commodity until the late eighties and early nineties, so how do you explain this recording finding its way onto YouTube? Surely they didn't post it back in 1968?
@Fluteboy
DOONK!! 😂
@roryg3092
sounds a lot like the grindr notification sound...
@spectrum10
@@scares009the person who posted this to youtube took it off his own 45 rpm record, see the comment at the top
@geoffevans8165
God , you forget how bloody great this era was for music. These two though....different level completely!
@davidtipsword894
William Bell NEVER gets the credit he deserves, he is one of the best!!!!!
@adonaiyah2196
He really is
@footballman7028
This was released in 1968 and I have still got the single.Great year for music and a great time to be alive.