Dee Dee Warwick, sister of Dionne, niece of Cissy Houston, cousin to Whitney, had five entries on the Hot 100 but never managed to reach the Top 40 or the conscious of the general public, despite two Grammy nominations and first dibs on two songs now considered to be standards.
As a member of the Drinkard Sisters, her voice backed some of the most enduring pop tracks of the early sixties and, following Dionne's entry into the soft focus spotlight of Burt Bacharach, Leiber and Stoller put her up front for the only version of Clint Ballard's "You're No Good" where the singer sounds as though she means what she is saying. There is nothing soft about Dee Dee's record, it's minimal arrangement is all jab and punch with a piss-off vocal that is double-tracked for maximum damage. It's the sound of a woman scorned and it is clear that it's best not to argue.
To my ear, Dee Dee was best served by Leiber and Stoller - the follow-up, "Standing By", is another scorcher - because they understood the power of that voice and were savvy in shoring it up. Too often, her later records - the Blue Rock/Mercury releases - tended to wobble under the weight of her ferocious delivery, unable to back up what she was laying down and when they did - "I Want To Be With You", her biggest R&B hit - the result sounded a few years beyond it's sell date. Still, I never doubt her sincerity and that's what keeps me listening.
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