Other songs have been covered by gospel artists, including the Mighty Clouds of Joy and The Staple Singers.
Kelly's official debut solo single, "It's My Baby" b/w "The Upset," appeared on the Lloyd label in 1965.
A second single, "Chills and Fever," written by Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke, was picked up by Dial Records and distributed by Atlantic.
Nashville producer Buddy Killen, who had also fallen out with Reid, approached Kelly about working together.
Meanwhile, Dial had released two singles by Joe Tex, one of which,"We're Gonna Make It," was co-written with Kelly.
In 1967, Kelly decided to move to Brooklyn, New York City, and invited a songwriting collaborator, Juanita Rogers, to join him.
Kelly cut material in 1968 for Stan Watson's Philly Groove label, but it remains unissued.
The song, whose title references "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", tackles the hypocrisy of church leaders.
"Thinking about what's wrong with [the] church... And what they talk about and what they do are two different things..."[1] Kelly sold the rights to the song to Buddy Killen, and recorded it at Muscle Shoals.
Although Kelly was now trying to push the b-side, "The Day After Forever", Rockin' Robin liked "Stealing," and played it several times in a row.
[citation needed] Despite Kelly's stand in the lyrics of "Stealing in the Name of the Lord", another of his songs, "God Can", has been recorded by the Staple Singers, the Mighty Clouds of Joy and Dorothy Norwood.
In the wake of Kelly's major hit, Happy Tiger quickly released an album and three singles, but the label was in financial trouble and went out of business in 1971.
A 1974 single, "Hooked, Hogtied & Collared" was his second biggest self-recorded hit, and it too inspired an album by the same name, with controversial artwork — a drawing depicting bondage.
With disco on the rise, Warner Bros. Records forced out Kelly's preferred producer, Buddy Killen.
After a single for Epic Records, "Everybody Got a Jones"/"Shake Your Mind", Kelly decided to concentrate on songwriting and production.
The label had a minor hit with "Bring It on Home to Me", sung by Carol Dennis and written and produced by Kelly, in 1984/85.