Joseph Patrick Quarterman hailed from the Shaw neighbourhood in Washington D.C.
He started writing songs at a young age and after graduating from Dunbar High School he met song writers Eddie Best and Don Downing and began singing lead vocals with a Washington. DC group called “The Knights”, where he adopted the name “Sir Joe.”
He later formed a recording group “Sir Joe and The Maidens” after most of the knights went into the armed services.
Due to civil unrest in Mississippi, which was a destination for the tour, Joe decided to leave the band and head back to DC. There in 1965 he decided to sign with Ru-Jac records.
The Baltimore label was primarily active between 1963-1974, with one additional release in 1980.The “Ru-Jac” name came from the initials of its founder, Rufus Mitchell, and associate Jack Bennett. The record label had no studio so recordings were usually done at Edgewood or Virtue studios. While at Edgewood studios helping to direct the El Carols, he was given some extra studio time to play with and decided to lay down these two tracks “Nobody Beats My Love” along with the unreleased gem “A Guy For You”. Later at Virtue he recorded “If You Give Up Your Love”. Joe left the Magnificent Seven to play jazz trumpet and later formed Sir Joe & FreeSoul. The name FreeSoul was adopted because of the free spirited music style the jazz and R&B musicians played. Joe then had his first hit record, “I Got So Much Trouble In My Mind.” on Mantis records and later GSF.
Joe’s hit tune provided him and his band the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of James Brown, Ray Charles, Earth Wind & Fire, Sly Stone and The O’Jays to name a few. The Baltimore label primarily active between 1963-1974, with one additional release in 1980.
Soul-Direction bring you these two classic and rare slabs of soul fully licensed courtesy of Omnivore Recordings.