Credited on the record as Zerben R. Hicks and the Dynamics.
Lights Out
1967 · RCA Victor 47-9278 · New York City, New York
- Artist
- Zerben R.Hicks & Dynamics
- Credited on the record as
- Zerben R. Hicks and the Dynamics
- Title
- Lights Out
- Release
- Lights Out / You Make Me Feel Good
- Year
- 1967
- Label
- RCA Victor # 47-9278
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- New York City, New York, USA
- Songwriter
- Banks
- Genre
- Soul, Gospel & Funk · Soul
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
This beautiful Detroit soul track "Lights Out" (RCA Victor # 47-9278), performed by Zerben Hicks and The Dynamics was narrated from the position of a soldier, writing a letter home to his loved one, pleading with her "to wait for me, we've got to hold on a little longer". The narrator then cries out that if he makes it home then they will be together "while they play lights out" - perhaps a reference to a treasured song?Available on two compilations: 1997: Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures: Taken From the Vaults, Vol. 1 (Kent # CDKEND 143) 2003: A Soldier's Sad Story: Vietnam Through the Eyes of Black America 1966-73 (Kent # CDKEND 226)
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: My Darling, I've got you in this letter now / About how my love for you will never end / And so I guess I have to close my eyes / And dream about you because I can't make it without you / Lights out, baby I need you / Girl I want you to wait for me / We've got to hold on a little bit longer / One day I'll be there with you / While they play lights out
Notes
RCA Victor 47-9278, white promotional label marked "Plug Side" and "Not for Sale", matrix UPKM-5176; "Lights Out" (Banks), 2:53, Millbridge/Elbee Music BMI; Zerben R. Hicks and the Dynamics, arranged and conducted by Garry Sherman; producers L. Banks-T. Wiltshire, executive producer Paul Robinson; "A GWP Associates Ltd. Production." The picture sleeve shows a painted image in sepia tones of a soldier in a jungle clearing reading a letter, and lists the flip side as "You Make Me Feel Good" by The Dynamics. [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Zerben R. Hicks (Discogs real name Zerbin Richard Hicks), a Detroit-associated soul singer, cut "Lights Out" b/w "You Make Me Feel Good" with The Dynamics (RCA Victor 47-9278, 1967; comped on RCA/Camden's "Just A Little Bit Of Soul"), and "Lights Out" was anthologised on Kent's "A Soldier's Sad Story (Vietnam Through The Eyes Of Black America)" (2003). Credit variants span Z. Hicks to Zerben R. Hicks. No explicit birth or death statement was found. [Source: Discogs]
Themes
In collections
Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]