The band was originally called the Soul Brothers Five and featured brothers Sam Armstrong, Charles Armstrong, Moses Armstrong, Harry Armstrong and Gene Armstrong. Shortly after forming, vocalist John Ellison (born August 11, 1941) joined the group, prompting a name change. This lineup released two unsuccessful singles in 1965, "Stop Hurting Me" and "I Don't Want To Cry" before both Harry Armstrong and Gene Armstrong left the group, being replaced by Vonn Elle Benjamin and Lester Peleman.
It was this lineup that released the single "Don't Neglect Your Baby" before Sam Armstrong left the group to be replaced by Joe Johnson. They then signed a deal with Atlantic Records after being introduced to Jerry Wexler by a Philadelphia DJ and subsequently released "Some Kind of Wonderful" which reached #91. They followed with several more unimpressive singles before being dropped by Atlantic.
John Ellison (born August 11, 1941) is an American/Canadian musician, best known for writing the song "Some Kind of Wonderful." He was born in Montgomery, West Virginia and was raised in Landgraff, West Virginia, a small, poverty-stricken coal mining village near Welch, West Virginia, and is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, receiving his Canadian citizenship in 2006.
In the mid-1960s, Ellison traveled to Rochester, New York, where he met the original members of the Soul Brothers Five, becoming the sixth member and prompting the band to change its name to the Soul Brothers Six. The other members of the group included Charles Armstrong, Harry Armstrong, Vonnell Benjamin, Lester Pelemon, and Joe Johnson. The group signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.
Ellison was the lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the group; and while traveling to a recording session in Philadelphia in 1967, Ellison wrote "She's Some Kind of Wonderful." This original version reached number 91 on the US Billboard chart. In 1987, the book "Sweet Soul Music" named the Soul Brothers Six as a major influence on the sound of modern music. Not only has the trademark bass line in "She's Some Kind of Wonderful" been utilized by countless other artists for a variety of different songs, but the song has also earned the Soul Brothers Six a spot in music history. More than 50 different artists have recorded "She's Some Kind of Wonderful," making it one of the most recorded songs in the history of music. In 1995, Ellison received a citation of achievement from Broadcast Music for writing the third-most played song in the world.
After the Soul Brothers Six broke up in the 1970s, Ellison continued to record and perform. In 1993 he released his first solo album, Welcome Back, followed by Missing You in 2000. In 2007, he released his third solo album, Back. He is a regular performer at the Nice Jazz Festival in France, and also performs regularly throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
In November 2008, Ellison was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, and for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, for Back at the Hamilton Music Awards in Hamilton, Ontario. He also performed at the awards ceremony. On December 6, 2009, he was honored with the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Lifetime Achievement Award and performed at the Hamilton Music Awards.
Ellison released his autobiography, "Some Kind of Wonderful: The John Ellison Story" in July 2012. This work explores the racism and violence Ellison encountered and examines the relationship between these experiences and his songwriting.
In July 2013, a site near his childhood home in Landgraff, West Virginia was cleared by Boy Scouts and other volunteers, as part of a service project connected to the 2013 National Boy Scout Jamboree. Plans are pending to build a replica of his boyhood home to house a museum dedicated to John Ellison's music and his early live in the local mine camp community of Landgraff, West Virginia.
This prompted Charles Armstrong, Harry Armstrong, Vonn Elle Benjamin and Lester Peleman to leave the group and be replaced by James Swails Jr, Charles Pevy and Eddie Reno. This lineup released six singles as John Ellison and The Soul Brothers Six (despite there only being five band members) during the 1970s before disbanding.
John Ellison continued on in the music business and released two solo albums Welcome Back in 1993 and Missing You in 2000.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Soul Brothers Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need a big, fine car
I got everything that a man could want
I got more than I could ask for
I don't have to run around
I don't have to stay out all night
'Cause I got me a sweet, a sweet lovin' woman
And she knows just how to treat me right
My baby, she's clean out of sight
Don't you know she's
Some kind 'a wonderful (Yes, she is)
She's some kind 'a wonderful (Let me tell you one more thing)
When she hold me in her arms
She sets my soul on fire
Oh, when my baby kisses me
My heart becomes filled with desire
When she wraps her lovin' arms around me
Almost drive me out of my mind
I get funny little feelings inside of me
Chills run up and down my spine
My baby, she's all right
My baby's clean out of sight
Don't you know she's
Some kind of wonderful (Yes, she is)
Some kind of wonderful (Hold it, let me tell you one more thing)
Tell me, is there anybody
That's got a sweet little woman like mine
There's got to be somebody
That's got a sweet little woman like mine
Now tell me
Now can I get a witness, c'mon brothers
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
One more time, now hold it
I wanna talk about my baby (Some kind of)
Talkin', talkin' 'bout my baby (She's some kind of wonderful)
Sometimes I wanna scream (Some kind of wonderful)
The lyrics to Soul Brothers Six's song "Some Kind of Wonderful" speak to the idea that true happiness comes from having a loving partner, rather than material possessions or a wild lifestyle. The singer explains that he doesn't need a lot of money or fancy things because he has a wonderful woman who loves him and treats him right. When he is with her, he feels an intense passion and desire that consumes him. The song is characterized by its upbeat, soulful melody and the catchy repetition of the phrase "she's some kind of wonderful."
The lyrics of the song focus on the love between the singer and his partner. The lines "When she holds me in her arms, she sets my soul on fire" and "Almost drive me out of my mind, I get funny little feelings inside of me, chills run up and down my spine" are particularly poignant in conveying the intensity of their connection. The repetition of the phrase "some kind of wonderful" serves to reinforce the idea that the singer's partner is truly special and unique to him.
Overall, the song is a celebration of love and the power that it has to bring joy and happiness into our lives. Through its upbeat melody and heartfelt lyrics, it encourages listeners to focus on the things that truly matter in life and to appreciate the people who love and support us.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need a whole lots 'a money
Money doesn't matter much to me.
I don't need a big, fine car
A fancy car is not essential to me.
I got everything that a man could want
I have all the things a man could desire.
I got more than I could ask for
I have more than I could have asked for.
I don't have to run around
I don't feel the need to move around a lot.
I don't have to stay out all night
I don't have to stay up all night.
'Cause I got me a sweet, a sweet lovin' woman
Because I have a loving woman in my life.
And she knows just how to treat me right
She knows how to treat me very well.
Well, my baby, she's all right
My baby is great.
My baby, she's clean out of sight
My baby is out of this world.
Don't you know she's
Some kind 'a wonderful (Yes, she is)
She is absolutely wonderful.
She's some kind 'a wonderful (Let me tell you one more thing)
She truly is amazing.
When she hold me in her arms
She sets my soul on fire
When she hugs me, I feel extreme passion.
Oh, when my baby kisses me
My heart becomes filled with desire
When she kisses me, my heart becomes filled with love and longing.
When she wraps her lovin' arms around me
Almost drive me out of my mind
When she hugs me tightly, it's almost overwhelming.
I get funny little feelings inside of me
Chills run up and down my spine
She makes me feel strange and extremely happy at the same time.
Tell me, is there anybody
That's got a sweet little woman like mine
There's got to be somebody
That's got a sweet little woman like mine
I wonder if anyone else has a woman as sweet as mine.
Now tell me
Now can I get a witness, c'mon brothers
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can I get a witness
Can anyone testify to the fact that my woman is wonderful?
One more time, now hold it
I wanna talk about my baby (Some kind of)
Talkin', talkin' 'bout my baby (She's some kind of wonderful)
Sometimes I wanna scream (Some kind of wonderful)
I want to talk about how wonderful my baby is, and sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I want to scream.
Lyrics © JAMIE MUSIC PUBLISHING CO
Written by: John Ellison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zocko Groendal
This was a hit in Detroit......real soul!!!!
Fly guy Kellii
Damn man this is the real stuff, this unconsciously just makes you go into a different place... where you find yourself just dancing, or atleast in your head. #realsoul ☝🏽
Joel Shapiro
This is why I love Youtube. I always assumed that GFR covered this song but never knew about the Soul Brothers Six. Thank you for posting.
Barry Warne KJX
hoping the John Ellison made bags and bags of money from the GFR cover
Detroit Wrecker
@BarryWarne Me too! There's just SO MANY songs out there that other bands made famous.
John Beckman
Hat's off to JE, great song. And "Can I get a witness"_ What a great little chunk of Gospel that forces all listeners to stop and realize "yeah I can relate to this feeling and I want this experience"@Barry Warne KJX
pete cookson
Timeless song,Aint got a record player but this disc is in a cupboard upstairs with other great soul.Never get rid,this is the best.
Monkeith Mayer
While this recording only made it to 91 on the national Billboard charts, it was a number 1 hit in many cities and states. These national charts can only give an indication of how big a hit is. This song has been covered over 50 times, that within itself should tell ones that this song was a major national hit. Some recordings have sold a million copies without making a national chart.
KLOP
It probably went much higher on the R&B charts.
NorAI
Didn't know it, at least not about singles, thx for your comment.
The only case that I've already heard of was REO Speedwagon reaching 1 million of sales for every of their early albums with nearly no airplay, just 'cos of the records sold at their concerts, despite the LPs only charted at the lowest positions of the Top 200.
In the 2010s it was the opposite, often a metal/rock album belonging to a niche entered the Top 20, but selling mostly in the 1st week to their fans and then disappearing from the chart.
Now I've no idea how things are going, with downloads and streamings updated every hour/minute.