The Buttons (2)

 Connie Burns & Sandra Matthews  

The Buttons (2) (Nashville, TN)

Personnel :

Sandra Lucille Matthews

Connie Burns

Discography :

1962 - Shimmy Shimmy Watusi / Pretty Li'l Lovelights (Columbia 42618)
1963 - Popeye Does The Mashed Potatoes / My Photograph Book (Columbia 42700)
1963 - Foot Stompin' U.S.A./ Walk Away Girl (Columbia 42834)

Biography :

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949, Sandra Matthews started her singing career in 1962, at the tender age of 12, with an R&B group called The Buttons, which further consisted of Connie Burns. Purportedly named by Jimi Hendrix, who nicknamed a young Sandra “Button” during he and Billy Cox’s stay in Nashville in 1962. Together the Buttons recorded a few songs for the Columbia label, including ‘Shimmy Shimmy Watusi’, ‘Pretty li’l lovelights’ . Although still very young, Sandra Matthews was close to making a big break, since all recordings were produced by legend to be Carl Davis, who was just starting out at the time but would hit it big with acts like Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, The Chi-Lites and Young Holt Unlimited not long after.

Paul & Paula (left) with Connie Burns & Sandra Matthews (The Buttons) and Hugh Jarrett (The Jordanaires).

Connie and Sandra were obviously talented. Both get writing credits on the first two songs, while Ronnie Wilkins is credited on the last. Again a sign of the Buttons’ proximity to stardom, because it was Wilkins who wrote chartbusters such as ‘Son of a preacherman‘ and  ‘Love of the common people.’ The latter was sung by a great many artists, with various results, but seriously dominated the European charts in a reggae version: the one Joe Gibbs recorded with Nicky Thomas in 1970. Sandra Matthews later changed her stage name to Reggae singer Dhaima.

Songs :

  
   Pretty Li'l Lovelights                      Shimmy Shimmy Watusi

  
Popeye Does The Mashed Potatoes               My Photograph Book           

  
     Walk Away Girl                          Foot Stompin' U.S.A.

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