Patches

"Patches" was Clarence Carter's most famous song, but it was originally recorded by the R&B group Chairmen Of The Board and released as the B-side to their 1970 single "Everything's Tuesday." Chairmen Of The Board lead singer General Johnson and his songwriting partner Ronald Dunbar wrote the song, which tells a heartwrenching story about a boy who grows up on a family farm in Alabama. Nicknamed "Patches" because his old clothes were patched together, his father asks him from his deathbed to take care of the family, which he does, working the fields while continuing his education. Carter really was from Alabama, but he didn't grow up on a farm and never worked the fields. His delivery was so convincing that many listeners thought Carter was telling the story of his life, which was even more remarkable considering he was blind. Carter said that he sometimes felt like a fraud after receiving letters from fans praising his dedication to his family and citing him as an inspiration. Said Carter, "I heard it on the Chairmen of the Board LP and liked it, but I had my own ideas about how it should be sung. It was my idea to make the song sound real natural – I guess I tried a little too hard for some people!"

The song's co-writer General Johnson wanted the Chairmen Of The Board's version to be released as a single. Though his record company liked the song, they saw no potential for it as a single as it had no beat. The song is very unusual in that much of it is spoken. This turned out to be an advantage, and it punctuated the story and made the song stand out on the radio. The spoken interludes (or "preaching" as he called it) were a staple of Carter's music.

This won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song for Ronald Dunbar and General Johnson.