“...opening with a thumpin' bass, steady drums and a slight hint of bongos. Then, the horns kick in along with Cliff shoutin' for all the world "My Love is Getting Stronger day by day." The horn riff is completely infectious and Cliff's rough vocals only add fuel to the fire. He even says so himself: "Like a fire....it keeps burnin'." The sound is loud and propulsive and if it doesn't lead you to the dance floor, you must be crawlin' over with rigor mortis!”
Brian Marshall
Soul singer Cliff Nobles first recorded “My Love is Getting Stronger” on the Philadelphia JV (producers Jessie James and Frank Virtue) record label in August 1966. The track was later licensed out to Atlantic Records.
Nobles was born in Grove Hill, Alabama and grew up in Mobile, Alabama. He began singing in high school as a member of a local group, The Delroys. He then moved to Philadelphia and recorded several singles, none of which charted. While living in a commune in Norristown, Pennsylvania. In Norristown, he formed Cliff Nobles & Co., which consisted of Benny Williams (bass), Bobby Tucker (lead guitar), and Tommy Soul (drums). The outfit made tapes for Jimmy Rogers (not to be confused with the country singer of the same name), who made them available to producer/writer/singer Jesse James, who resided in the community. James had already heard something in Nobles' voice when he heard him sing in a local church. Loving their energy, James started writing songs for Nobles and the band, and secured a contract for the group with Phil La of Soul Records.
Their second release for the record label was the single "Love Is All Right" b/w "The Horse", which featured the horn section from what would later be known as MFSB. "The Horse" was simply an instrumental version of the A-side, and Nobles, who was the lead singer, does not actually play on the track at all. Nevertheless, it caught fire at radio stations and became a hit, peaking at No. 2 for three weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968, as well as No. 2 on the R&B Singles chart. It was held out of the No. 1 spot by Hugh Masekela's "Grazin' in the Grass", on the week of 13 July 1968 - resulting in the extremely rare occurrence of instrumentals occupying both the No. 1 and No. 2 slots of the R&B charts in the same week. "The Horse" sold a million copies within three months of release, with the gold disc award from the R.I.A.A. made in August 1968.
Nobles' record label continued releasing instrumental singles on which Nobles himself did not play a note, though a later single on which Nobles actually sang narrowly missed the R&B Top 40. An album credited to Cliff Nobles & Co., entitled The Horse, was released consisting mostly of instrumentals, and hit No. 159 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. After his music career was over, Nobles worked in construction and later in the electricity generation industry.
Cliff Nobles
(Born 4th August 1941 in Grove Hill, Alabama
died 12th October 2008 in Norristown, Philadelphia)
JV Record Label
J-V 1034 Too Fond Of You / My Love Is Getting Stronger 1966
(recorded 24th August 1966 at Virtue Studios, Philadelphia, PA.)
J-V 1036 Let's Have A Good Time / This Love Will Last 1966
J-V 109 Is It The Way / The Horse 1971
Atlantic Record Label
Atlantic 2352 - Too Fond Of You / My Love Is Getting Stronger 1966
Atlantic 2380 - Everybody Is Weak For Somebody / Your Love Is All I Need1967
Rojac
The Third Guitar (members Snoopy Dean)
Rojac 120 - Sad Girl / Lovin’ Lies 1968 (session: Cliff Nobles (guitar))
Cliff Nobles & Co.
(members Cliff Nobles (vocals), Bobby Tucker (lead guitar), Benny Williams (bass) and Tommy Soul (drums))
Phil-La of Soul Record Label
Phil-L A of Soul 310 - The More I Do For You Baby / This Love Will Last 1968
Phil-L A of Soul 313 - The Horse* 1968 (one-sided promo issue only) *written and produced by Jesse James.
Cliff Nobles & Co. / Cliff Nobles
Phil-L A of Soul 313 - The Horse (Instrumental) / Love Is All Right* 1968 *flip by Cliff Nobles.
Cliff Nobles & Co. (members Cliff Nobles (vocals), Bobby Tucker (lead guitar), Benny Williams (bass) and Tommy Soul (drums))
Phil-L A of Soul 318 - Horse Fever (Instrumental) / Love Is All Right 1968 *written and produced by Jesse James.
Phil-L A of Soul 324 - Switch It On* / Burning Desire 1969 *written and produced by Jesse James.
Phil-L A of Soul 329 - The Camel / Gettin' Away 1969
Cliff Nobles / Jimmie Rogers
Moonshot Record Label
Moon Shot 6710 - Pony the Horse / Little Claudie* 1969 *flip by Jimmie Rogers.
Cliff Nobles
Roulette Record Label
7142 This Feeling Of Loneliness / We Got Our Thing Together 1973
Jamie Golden Hits Record Label
Cliff Nobles / Peoples Choice
Jamie Golden Hits 921 The Horse (Inst.) / I Likes To Do It