Darrell Banks

Open The Door To Your Heart

Darrell Banks recorded arguably the greatest soul record of all time - even the B side was a major popular track -  Our Love is in the Pocket.

Open The Door To Your Heart, released in 1966 on the London label - HL10070 is worth at least £100 in any condition and twice this if in pristine condition (best advice would be to send it to auction). The re-release, also in 1966 on Stateside SS536, is worth a lot to some collectors. (Darrell signed to STAX in 1969).

Angel Baby and  Somebody Somewhere Needs You (Revilot Atco USA/UK Red Atlantic) were other Darrell Banks' hits. These tracks were huge hits at Manchester Soul Clubs in the mid 1960s but by far it was Open The Door To Your Heart that got everyone up dancing.




Darrell Eubanks was born in Mansfield, OH, (1938) -  another church gospel singer as a youth.
A dentist called Doc Murphy owned a nightclub The Revilot Lounge and this was his Darrell's first regular live gig. After seeing him perform, it was Lebron Taylor who did a license agreement with Doc Murphy using the Revilot name for the label which started in 1966 with its first release Open the Door to Your Heart. The song was originally titled Baby Walk Right In and was written by Donnie Elbert with Darrell. However, when the song was released only Darrell was on the credits, leaving Donnie Elbert seriously annoyed. It reached number two in the USA R 'n B charts and 27 on the pop chart in 1966. The follow up was Somebody Somewhere Needs You written by Frank Wilson/Marc Gordon. Frank wrote it for Motown but it was not taken up.

Open The Door To Your Heart was recently heard (May 2010) on the UK soap opera Coronation Street, when Northern Soul fan Lloyd (played by Craig Charles) needed a wistful moment in his taxi as his heart was laid bare by a statuesque pole dancer. An appropriate song for a touching moment which no doubt had many old time soul fans dabbing away a nostalgic tear.
  

In 1967 Darrell Banks moved onto the Atlantic Atco label for Here Come the Tears b/w I've Got That Feelin' and Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me) b/w Look into the Eyes of a Fool.

In 1969 he left the Revilot label for Stax (Volt Div) and released I'm the One Who Loves and Beautiful Feeling / No One Is Blinder (Than a Man in Love). The Dramatics also did a great version of Beautiful Feeling on their Dramatically Yours album.

Stax Records mixed up recordings and released Steve Mancha credited as Darrell Banks on one track and did similar with others which obviously annoying Darrell.

In March 1970 March Darrell was shot dead by a policeman (Aaron Bullock) who was having an affair with Darrell's girlfriend (you couldn't make this up if you tried). If only Darrell could have shut the door to his heart he could still be with us! This may also have had something to do with his reputed temperament. He was said to be gloomy and very bad tempered and quick to get angry. Darrell was waiting for his girlfriend (Marjorie Bozeman) when she turned up in a car with the off duty policeman. Darrell grabbed her and the cop grabbed Darrell. Darrell pulled a gun but the cop shot him first.


Darrell Banks' Memorial bench, Detroit Memorial Park.