James & Bobby Purify

Floridians James & Bobby Purify were a soulful vocal duo who scored a major chart hit in 1966 with "I'm Your Puppet," which rose to the Top Ten on both the pop and R&B charts. While they were often compared with another soul duo of the day, Sam & Dave, James & Bobby Purify excelled with more emotionally complex material and measured tempos, often singing from the perspective of men struggling with bad luck in love. The two traded off lead vocals when they weren't joining their voices in close harmonies, and their best material featured outstanding accompaniment from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Their debut album, 1967's James & Bobby Purify, was the best LP of their career, while 2002's Shake a Tail Feather: The Best of James & Bobby Purify is an outstanding career overview.