From Vietnam With Love Part II

Annotation — US Combat Perspective Songs

An interesting Vietnam soul song, called "From Vietnam With Love - Part I & Part II" (Attack Records # L-274), of a rather mysterious origin. The artist name on the label is "L-Cpl Charles E. Scott (USMC)" - that being "Lance Corporal" of the US Marine Corps, the third enlisted rank, above private first class and below corporal. It also said on the label "Recorded Live in Chu-Lai, Vietnam". But was this really recorded in Vietnam and was Charles E. Scott really a US soldier? No record of his military service has been tracked down yet. More likely, the recording of the song took place in Richmond, Virginia, the home of Charles Scott's Attack Records label, the "Virginia Sound" (as it claims), in the mysterious "American Building" (unable to track down this address). The label also released the record Funky Bootie under the name Prince Charles & the Royal Guards, a "Prince Charles Production", by "ChaScot Music" - presumably all named after the composer of the song, Charles E. Scott. The song is a soul recitation from a soldier in Vietnam during mail-call time - therefore representing the military practice in which soldiers assemble to receive mail, with each soldier's name called out to pick up the mail. Featuring the sound-effects of gunfire and bomb explosions, and the casual strumming of a guitar in the background, the narrator tells us that he had received letters from his family, but not from his girlfriend, and so he expressed bitter disappointment. The soldier then recalled the last letter sent to him from his girl, and that not knowing whether his girl still loved him "in Vietnam, the greatest hurt a man will ever know". The song ended with a very loud double gunshot, perhaps suggesting the death of the narrating soldier.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Notes

Attack Records L-274-2, "Virginia Sound (T.M.) Pat. Pend."; time 2:38; "Recorded Live in Chu-Lai, Vietnam"; Pub. Cha-Scot BMI; produced by Charles E. Scott; credited to L-Cpl Charles E. Scott (USMC); 206 American Building, Richmond, Va. [From the record label]

About the artist

Credited on the record as L/Cpl Charles E. Scott: a US Marine Lance Corporal serving in Vietnam whose two-part single 'From Vietnam With Love' (Attack Records) is a spoken/sung letter-home soul record, now a deep-soul collector item. [Source: Soul Source / Sir Shambling's Deep Soul Heaven]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Mail Call

In collections

Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]