Unknown to all but serious R&B aficionados, William “Darondo” Pulliam is one of the most colorful and underrated musicians to come out of the Bay Area. A native of Berkeley, Darondo recorded three excellent singles and performed only four shows before calling it quits, creating a mystique which has lasted to this day.

He’s often described as a street-wise Al Green, which works for me, but he’s also got a healthy dose of Ron Isley mixed in. As great as his music was, Darondo’s mythology has grown because of his eccentric personality. After opening for James Brown, Darondo drove away from the show in his signature Rolls Royce and never performed again. After that, Darondo had stints as a pimp and host of multiple local public-access cable shows (such as Doze Comedy Videos, Darondo’s Penthouse After Dark and Tapper the Rabbit – clips available here) and then as a physical therapist (yes, seriously).

After decades out of the spotlight, Darondo has been getting love recently, showing up as the lead track on London DJ Gilles Peterson’s Digs America compilation and subsequently making the rounds on the blogosphere. The recent attention has led to a string of California shows, including one tomorrow (Friday) night at Slim’s.

On this 1973 single, Darando switches between a croak and whisper in a way that makes my head spin. Definitely worth a listen.

MP3:

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Darondo Interview [L.A. Record]