Born in Lee County, Texas, U.S.A., she began her recording career aged 14. Her biggest solo hit was the James Brown-produced gospel-style song "Think (About It)", from her 1972 album of the same name on People Records. The song contains five breaks which have been widely sampled in hip-hop and drum and bass, most famously, the "Yeah! Woo!" and "It takes two to make a thing go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two" which is composed almost completely from samples of Think including a few lines of Collins' vocals. Furthermore, it was used in the early sociocritical eurodance classic I Can't Stand It by Twenty 4 Seven. Another album followed in 1975 Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me by Now. After the release of this album, she returned to performing mainly as a back-up vocalist.
In the late 1980s and early '90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance/club diva, recording the house single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall singer Patra, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissued in England and the Netherlands. Collins continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival.
In February 2005, Collins embarked on her first ever solo tour. For three weeks, she performed in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tour was produced by the Soulpower organization. Shortly after returning from her European tour, Collins died aged 56 in Pasadena, California, of cardiac arrhythmia.
In 2006, Paris-based Hi&Fly Records released a live album entitled Mama Feelgood, which included recordings from her European tour and some interview clips. This release was produced by German-born DJ Pari, who has also produced for Marva Whitney and who has managed Collins' last tour. An official anthology CD, also called Mama Feelgood, was released on Universal Music that same year.
Trivia[edit]
In October 2004, "Rock Me Again And Again" and "Think (About It)" featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack, playing on fictional radio station Master Sounds 98.3.
"Rock Me Again And Again" was covered by synth band The Human League on their 1984 album Hysteria.
Bruce Springsteen's song "Shackled and Drawn", from his 2012 album Wrecking Ball, and Ludacris' song "Southern Fried Intro", from his 2003 album Chicken-n-Beer, both feature an excerpt from Collins' song "Me And My Baby Got Our Own Thing Going."
Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy and Catfish Collins.
This biography originally appeared on the back of the UK re-release of "Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me By Now".
Following in the high-heeled footsteps of Yvonne Fair, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Anna King, Vicki Anderson and Marva Whitney, throughout the first half of the seventies Lyn Collins - "Mama Feelgood, The Female Preacher" - was the principal voice of the James Brown Revue.
Lyn was born in Abilene, Texas on June 12th 1948. During her late teens she sang proffessionally locally but didn't get an outside break until, after seeing the James Brown show a time or three, she decided to hone in on the Godfather sending a demo to him c/o King records. At first he didn't react but there must have been something memorable about the demo, for when Marva Whitney left his show in January 1970 he contacted Lyn and instructed "Be ready".
It still wasn't immediate acceptance because Vicki Anderson, who had been with the revue in the mid sixties, rejoined the team for a further two years. During this period James first recorded five tracks on Lyn at Bobby Smith's Studio in Macon, Georgia, February 15th 1971. Two cuts from the session, Wheels of Life and Just Won't Do Right, were twice scheduled for release on the King and People labels but only finally emerged on Polydor in December 1971, when it was clear that Vicki was packing up and shipping out again.
(This is a recurring pattern with James, and an object lesson for all aspiring band/revue leaders. Always have a replacement - whether a singer, an appropriate musician or an entire band - on hold in the wings, ready to immediately forward to fill a void.) When Vicki left again, Lyn Collins stepped into the spotlight to become soul sister No. 1.
The most commercially succesful of all of James Brown's funky femme fatales, Lyn's JB-produced hits included Think (About It) and, in duet with James What My Baby Needs Now (both 1972); Mama Feelgood, How Long Can I Keep It Up, Take Me Just As I Am and We Want to Parrty, Parrty, Parrty, (1973).
This album, her second, contains several of her most popular recordings a fine mix of funk and soul balladry. If you don't know her by now, check it out. And watch the announcement columns: at the time of writing it seems likely that Lyn Collins will be back to party very soon.
Cliff White
January 1988
http://www.thefunkateers.com/lyncollins/biography.html
Fly Me To The Moon
Lyn Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On a-Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me
Fill my heart with song
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
Fill my heart with song
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, in other words
I love you
The lyrics "Fly Me to the Moon" by Lyn Collins seems to be a love song that expresses the desire and longing of the singer towards their lover. The song begins with the singer asking their lover to take them to the moon, to see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. The lyrics suggest an escapade into the unknown, a space adventure with their lover. The verse can also be interpreted as a romantic journey that the two will take together. The following line, "hold my hand," is an invitation for the lover to come along and experience the wonders of the universe together. The lyrics, "In other words, baby, kiss me," indicates the intimacy between the two and the singer's desire to feel the touch of their lover.
The chorus reveals a deeper meaning, as the singer expresses their love and devotion to their lover. The singer yearns to fill their heart with the song and let it sing forevermore, symbolizing the joy and happiness the lover brings to them. The lyrics "You are all I long for, all I worship and adore," shows the love and admiration they have for their lover. The line "please be true" signifies the trust and loyalty that the singer expects from their lover. The closing line, "I love you," is an emotional statement conveying the strong feelings the singer has for their lover.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fly Me to the Moon" is an expression of love, passion, and a desire for a lifetime of happiness with the singer's lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Fly me to the moon
Take me away from here to a place where dreams come true.
Let me play among the stars
Let me experience the thrill of adventure and explore the unknown.
Let me see what spring is like
On a-Jupiter and Mars
Let me witness the beauty of the universe and all its wonderful phenomena.
In other words, hold my hand
I need someone to be there for me and support me in my journey.
In other words, baby, kiss me
I want to feel loved and cherished by someone special.
Fill my heart with song
Help me feel alive and passionate about life.
And let me sing for ever more
Allow me to express myself and share my joy with others.
You are all I long for
You are the one I desire and crave above all else.
All I worship and adore
You are my everything, my reason for living.
In other words, please be true
I need you to be authentic and honest with me.
In other words, I love you
I have a deep and profound love for you that I can't put into words.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bart Howard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind