Source Magazine - Soul Music News & Articles

For those look forward types, details of an early bird offer from Northern Soul History. Details and link follow below...
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By Mike in News Archives · June 14, 20205 yr

A quick catch up of the current Northern Soul shows trending with the current Top Ten taken from Mixclouds Chart dated 12 June 2020

Richard Searling's Va-Va All-Nighter special, 6.6.2020
by Richard Searling spurs1961
2,220

"Rare, And Well Done" 7.6.2020
by Richard Searling spurs1961
1,238

"A Cellar Full Of Soul" 7.6.2020
by Richard Searling spurs1961
906

04.06.20 Eddie Piller's Eclectic Soul Show* #lockdownlive
Totally Wired Radio
816

THE PETE SMITH NORTHERN SOUL SHOW 2020 # 44 – “JOHNNY ON THE SPOT”
Pete Smith (Planet Records)
715

soulsville floor fillers 6th june 2020
by Harry Grundy
428

SPACEJUNK EPISODE 13
by SPACEJUNK radio
366

Dean Anderson's Sound Of Soul ™ 4th June 2020 My Life in 10 Lockdown Specials
by The Sound Of Soul ™ Radio Show
245

RECORD ROULETTE CLUB #112
DANIEL J HENRY
158

Northern Soul Selection Delite Radio 06/06/2020
by Craig Hannington
285

There you go, just a quick grab of what's currently trending Northern show wise on Mixcloud, you can catch the full list here
https://www.mixcloud.com/discover/northern-soul/gbr/
A fair representation of all things northern mixcloud wise?
Let us know...

By Mike in News Archives · June 12, 20205 yr

TIMMY WILLIS

Information about soul vocalist Timmy Willis has always been sketchy but the singer’s “Easy As Saying 1-2-3” is such a monumental slab of deep-soul that I thought a little digging was in order. Of course, the Northern fraternity will doubtless prefer his “Mr Soul Satisfaction” and that’s their prerogative for it’s certainly a fine uptempo stomper.

Timmy was born Henry Lee Sapp in or close to Columbus Ohio (date unknown but probably circa 1947/8). In 1966 the would-be vocalist encountered Eugene and Walter McMahan at the local Preview Lounge, the McMahans being teenage musicians from a large local family (they apparently had 13 other siblings!) who had already managed to secure for themselves a residency at the Lounge. The three guys all soon hooked up, Sapp perhaps wisely changing his moniker to Timmy Willis while his back-up friends were already known as the Show Pushers.
Managed by Roy Hoover, Timmy Willis & the Show Pushers soon made it to Detroit, where, in 1967, they made contact with the local well-respected drummer, arranger and producer George McGregor. McGregor’s interest in music had begun in his early teens at Hutchins Junior High School on the west side of Detroit, where his fellow pupils apparently included Popcorn Wylie, Barrett Strong, Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin.
George McGregor says that he cut Timmy Willis’ first recording of the potent "Mr Soul Satisfaction" in Muscle Shoals at his own cost, chiefly to get that southern-soul-horns sound on it. Some say the rhythm section sounds more like a Detroit crew so I guess it’s possible that just the horns were added in the Shoals but this isn’t what George says. Anyway, it’s certainly a great dance record and it would be coupled on a 45 with the plodding and rather gloomy McGregor song “I’m Wondering”. George would take the finished master of “Mr Soul Satisfaction” to Sidra and do a deal with them for it. They duly released it on Sidra 9013 in November 1967 and subsequently licenced it to Veep whose version (#1279) was released in January 1968. The success of this 45 (it made No.39 on the R&B chart and bubbled under the Pop one at No.120) was the reason that George was awarded a position as Sidra’s A&R director.
Timmy Willis -Mr Soul Satisfaction
George knew of the Sidra group called The Precisions from when they were on the D-Town label but he had not yet joined Sidra when their "Such Misery"(arranged by Dale Warren) was released in 1966 on the Sidra subsidiary Drew (#101). Once he himself took charge of producing the group, George decided to base its sound around Billy Prince as lead vocalist and co-wrote "Why Girl" to capture the sound he envisaged. At the time copies of "Sugar Ain't Sweet" c/w "What I Want" had been pressed as promos for the second Drew single by The Precisions but the discs were ‘off-centre’. So, rather than re-master them, George took the chance to get rid of "Sugar Ain't Sweet" which had been put together by Dale Warren as the A side of the single and replace it with "Why Girl". I imagine any spare copies of "Sugar Ain't Sweet" were junked and this is why they are so rare.
Strangely, in another quote (from an interview of George by Soul Source’s Rob Moss), McGregor says “we did 'Such Misery' on Timmy Willis first but then decided to put it out on the Precisions to kinda launch them”. However, if he arrived at Sidra after the Precisions first Drew 45 of the song had been cut he could hardly have been that involved, albeit in yet another quote (this time from his sleeve-notes to a Precisions Outta Sight CD) he says “the first version recorded of ‘Such Misery’ was tried using Paul Merritt (so apparently not Timmy Willis) on lead vocals. He left the group shortly afterwards and his version was not used for the first Drew 45.” The Merritt version was the one much later released on a Joe Boy single, wrongly credited to Timmy Willis due to duff information. This UK single was a year 2000 one-sided commemorative release on JBA-007V3 relating to the Northern Soul nights held at the Lea Hall Social Club in Rugeley in the UK, a long-time local facility, originally opened to serve the area’s coal-mining community.
Joe Boy was a UK indy label run by graphics designer Glenn Gunton, who sometimes used the name ‘Joe Boy’ as his own alias, and who would go on to become a director of the aforementioned Outta Sight Records, along with long-time Northern Soul guru Tim Brown. In 2010, Outta Sight would release “The Sound Of Sidra” CD (OSCD 011) which included Willis’ “Mr Soul Satisfaction” and three Precisions tracks – and later they would release the Precisions CD compilation referred to in the previous paragraph.
McGregor explained to Rob Moss that “Sidra was owned by two white guys, Ray Jackson and Joe Casey, and a black guy Joe Brown. Joe Casey's kids recorded for us. They were called Ronnie and Robyn. Sidra gave me a chance to recruit artists, write and produce, so I got right to it. We had the Precisions, Barbara Mercer, and Timmy Willis and I used Mike Terry to arrange. Our tactics were to see what kinda thing Motown were putting out on the Tempts and then do the opposite with the Precisions – if they put a ballad out we would put something out up-tempo. If they put out something funkier, we would put something smooth out, and it was working. It was driving them crazy over there. Paul Williams and Otis (Williams) of the Tempts told me this themselves. On the third release we kinda got hijacked 'cause Mike Valvano and Charlie Basaline came in and convinced Sidra’s owners to cut one of their songs, 'If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely)' on the Precisions. It should never have been released as the A side – we should have gone with 'You'll Soon Be Gone'. We lost momentum. I was told later that Motown had paid Mike and Charlie $10,000 to go over to us to wreck the system, by putting their song out on them. The Precisions were as good as the Tempts and should have been a lot bigger than they were. In the end, there was a lot of politicking that destroyed us (Sidra) – I guess that's what Motown wanted.”
Anyway, back in the late 60’s, buoyed by having a modest hit with Timmy’s first 1967 outing, Veep duly put out two more Willis sides in July 1968, this time clearly cut in Detroit, namely “Gotta Get Back To Georgia” and “Don’t Let Temptation (Come Between You And Me)” on Veep 1288, both co-penned by long-time producer (and husband of Kim Tolliver) Fred Briggs and the aforementioned Mike Valvano. The “B” side was a stunning piece of emotional slow-to-mid-paced soul with Willis singing powerfully and impressively, whilst “...Georgia” was a driving piece of swampy funk, again with Willis performing really strongly, albeit things get a tad messy mid-track when he ‘fights’ vocally with the could-be-better girl back-up singers and the tune loses a bit of direction until it returns to its strong main groove. Sadly, though, this 45 failed to chart.
Interestingly, in a August 17th 1968 special Billboard World Of Soul edition, Timmy Willis’ personal manager is listed as Sidra co-owner Ray Jackson with his booking agent shown as Phil Walden, who was of course more usually associated with southern-based singers. However, Timmy stuck with George McGregor as a producer with further writing ventures and recordings duly resulting. George again takes up the story, explaining how he recorded stuff with a view to leasing it to the national labels:
“If I produced a session I usually would not play drums on it 'cause I couldn't see the big picture and might miss something on the recording. At that time, we would cut the session first and then shop it to different companies later. If I came up with songs, I would assemble the musicians on the understanding that if I got a deal they would get a share of it. We had a real tight bond and trusted each other, so there was a lot of honesty amongst us. We supported each other. I would usually go to New York to get a deal 'cause that was the closest and best place to get to the record companies. I got a deal for Tobi Lark at Cotillion (as Toby Lark in 1969 she cut the old Joe Morris-penned standard “Shake A Hand” and McGregor and Mike Valvano’s “Twenty Four Hours”, both sides produced by McGregor, Valvano and King Curtis on Cotillion 44025); Gwen Owens at Jubilee (actually at Josie, the Jubilee subsidiary, Timmy Willis and McGregor co-penning her Josie 1009 August 1969 No.40 R&B hit “Keep On Living”); Rena Scott at Epic (“I Finally Found The Love” and “Testify”, coupled on 1972’s Epic 5-10864, were both produced by George who also solely penned the ‘A’ side and co-penned the ‘B’ side); Almeta Latimore (real name Hattie Almeda Latimer) at De-Vel (“La La” on De-Vel ZS7 6754 from 1973) but we went down to Memphis to record that one 'cause I wanted a different sound. We went to Stax. She was a good writer and had a hell of a voice; Bettye Lavette at Epic (Epic 50143 from 1975 saw one side, “Thank You For Loving Me” penned and produced by George while #50177 from the same year saw one side produced by George and Ron Dunbar, namely Kenny O’Dell’s country-song most associated with Charlie Rich, “Behind Closed Doors”); and Ruby Andrews at ABC (George co-penned and produced 4 of the 9 tracks on Ruby’s 1977 Detroit-recorded album “Genuine Ruby” # AB-1002 having also co-penned and produced her earlier 1976 ABC 12215 single side “I Got A Bone To Pick With You”. From the album, George’s “Queen Of The Disco” also saw 45 release for Ruby in 1977 on ABC 12257 and the same year his “Cinderfella” also made it to the ‘B’ side of Ruby’s ABC single #12286).
But back in the late 60’s, it was McGregor’s connection with Jerry Blaine’s New York label Jubilee that would provide the outlet for Timmy Willis’ own next two 45s. In May 1969 Jubilee put out “I Finally Found A Woman” (#5660), a self-penned, high octane, drum-propelled dancer complete with Pickett-esque screams, the side hitting No.44 on the R&B chart coupled with the pretty impressive country-soul styled mid-pacer “Neveruary” (a track co-penned by Willis and McGregor). Then, in January of the following year, the ultra-deep and absolutely top-drawer piece of emotional soul “Easy As Saying 1-2-3” (#5690) was released and made No.46 on the same chart, coupled with the strutting, powerfully-delivered “I’m A Man”, both these sides being solely penned by Willis.
Timmy Willis - Easy As saying 123
“Easy As Saying 1-2-3” made No.4 in my all-time Male Deep Soul Top 50 and is much-revered by deep fans, not the least of whom was the late, great Deep Soul guru Dave Godin, whose description of the track in his notes to UK Kent’s 1997 CD release “Deep Soul Treasures Volume 1” (CDKEND 143) sums it up perfectly: “ A superb deep church organ opens with a few sparse chords that are soon joined by a sharp and cutting guitar - and Timmy Willis’ exquisitely sweet, light yet rasping tenor declaims the lyrics with an intense and magical conviction. Obviously under the spell of the winning musical formula of the late Otis Redding, Timmy’s voice is actually much more pure and assured. Stunning brass work...cascades across the vocal patterns in an almost independently-minded way and the end result is an outstanding Deep Soul classic....and in order to ease the emotional pain that this presents you with, what do you have to do? Why, spin it again...and again...and again.”
Now, looking at the labels of Timmy’s two Jubilee 45s all one sees is reference to them being Gee-Mac Productions (i.e. George McGregor) with the publishing chiefly in the hands of Jerry Blaine’s Jubilant company. Therefore at first glance they appear to be no more than George McGregor-produced Detroit sides leased out to a New York label for national distribution. However, well-informed southern soul fans, including John ‘Sir Shambling’ Ridley and UK Ace/ Kent regular compiler and annotator Tony Rounce have long been convinced that these sides were cut in Muscle Shoals, with Ridley certain the players on the session(s) were Eddie Hinton, Barry Becket, David Hood and Roger Hawkins. To my ears, “Neveruary” has the most obvious Shoals area sound of all of these fine recordings, a cut which aurally just couldn’t have stemmed from any Detroit studio of the time.
Rounce also suggests that Willis’ second 45 from 1970 could have been cut in the Shoals a year or two earlier than its release date. Now, Willis’ first Jubilee 45 saw release (as already noted) in May 1969 and I personally think both of these sides plus both of those on the second Jubilee release were probably all cut at one and the same Shoals-based session as it seems unlikely to me that George McGregor would send Timmy – a singer with only one small hit under his belt at that time – all the way down to Alabama on two quite separate occasions. It is surely more likely that four or more tracks were cut at this session, four of these seeing release on the two subsequent Jubilee 45s.
However, the next question is - where in the Shoals would such a session have been held? Well, most people would look at the personnel allegedly present (as stated by Ridley) and plump immediately for Muscle Shoals Sound – but that studio had only been opened by the guys soon to be known as The Swampers on April 1st 1969 (this date is confirmed on Page 14 of Section 8 of the MSS entry to the US National Register Of Historic Places, the first time I have found such confirmation as no researchers seem to have suggested a single date before). Of course, April always seemed likely to be the month the studio opened as the first noted visitor to record there was Cher, brought down to Alabama to cut her first solo album at a session commencing on April 21st by Jerry Wexler, who had a major interest in the studio, wanting to retain access to the same Shoals musicians he had recently been using at Fame and having therefore paid towards the cost of its new 8 track system, Atlantic’s engineer-supremo Tom Dowd having first ensured that the proposed MSS set-up would be fully compatible with Atlantic’s own system back in New York.
So if Willis’ first Jubilee 45 was already on the market by May of that year, it is clear that the two tracks on it must have been cut in April or earlier and therefore, whilst they indeed could have been very early products of the new MSS studio, I can now confirm (I believe for the very first time anywhere) that they were not - and that in fact these tracks (and most likely Willis’ other two Jubilee sides, including “Easy As Saying 1-2-3”) were cut at Fame on March 14th 1969, with Eddie Hinton on guitar and David Hood on bass and with almost certainly Barry Becket on organ and Roger Hawkins on drums, as correctly surmised by John Ridley. This confirmation comes from David Hood himself who kept session dates in a book and has come up with this one, albeit from the hundreds of sessions in which he featured he cannot personally recall the occasion. He agrees from hearing MP3s of the tracks that it certainly appears to be Eddie Hinton on guitar - and long-term No.1 Eddie Hinton expert and Zane CD compiler/producer/owner Peter Thompson (who has released all those wonderful Hinton demos on his label and who also kindly contacted David Hood for me) similarly agrees this has to be Hinton.
The one surprising thing is that in his interview with Rob Moss and in his self-penned notes to the Outta Sight CD, George McGregor never once mentions going down to the Shoals in ’69 to cut these particular sides and, seeing as he claims he had done just that somewhat earlier to record Timmy on “Mr Soul Satisfaction”, it seems very odd that he would not mention returning there at this later date.
Anyway, three months after Willis’ “Easy As Saying 1-2-3” left the charts, Jerry Blaine would retire from the record business, selling Jubilee to a company called Viewlex - but as Timmy’s Jubilee outings had only been leases, this didn’t stop the singer hoping for more success, perhaps with other ‘national’ labels with which McGregor already had connections. However, this prospect seems to have come to nothing at this time and Timmy’s Detroit connections were soon more or less severed in 1971 when he returned to his native Columbus, Ohio to rejoin what was essentially an enlarged version of the Show Pushers.
Eugene and Walter McMahan had most likely returned to Columbus from Detroit somewhat earlier, after it had become apparent that their services were no longer required in respect of Willis’ recordings with McGregor; but two of their younger siblings, Jerry and Ronnie, along with three of that pair’s classmates (Ron Johnson, D. C. Collins, and Cornell McLeary) had all got together to form the strangely-and-somewhat-psychedelically-named group the Suspicious Can Openers. On Timmy’s return to Columbus he duly joined this group as their main vocalist, his manager Roy Hoover and Eddy Parker forming a production team, named Mo-Soul Productions. By now this group was a full horn-funk ensemble and it duly recorded a couple of instrumentals, namely the tense funker "Fever In Your Hot Pants", penned by Parker and Willis and the slow "Tuesday In the Rain", penned just by Parker, which was actually a backing track designed for an unreleased vocal, possibly by Willis. This instrumental 45 appeared in 1971 on Mo-Soul 111123, having been recorded at Columbus’ Magnetic Studio.
Around this time a photo appeared of the group:

With six guys in the photo it seems clear that Willis was included in it along with the two McMahan brothers and their three pals and, as he was the featured vocalist and the guy now with three hit records to his name, it seems likely he is the person centrally seated in the contrasting predominantly white outfit. No solo photo of Willis is known to exist in the public domain so this may be all we have - but of course the guys in the photo are not actually named at all let alone by their positions in it - and so we can’t be 100 per cent certain that Willis actually is the guy sitting in the middle.
It’s interesting to note from the sticker attached to the photo that the group’s agency for personal appearances in the early 70’s was based not in Ohio but in Pauline, Kansas and during this period the group regularly played club venues both in their local region and also more widely in the mid-west.
There is another photo of the group, probably taken somewhat later in view of the even bigger Afros and the ‘flares’ being worn, which can be found in the Black History section of the Pinterest web-site. This though is somewhat blurry, albeit 6 guys still feature so Timmy may well be in there somewhere!

Apparently the Can Openers finally disbanded in 1974. However, in that same year, Mo-Soul released another 45, this time by a certain Vikki Kenyatta (with Linda Davis) on Mo-Soul 481-28. This was a vocal version of "Tuesday In The Rain", apparently using the same instrumental recording that had been released by the Suspicious Can Openers. It's possible that the vocal had also been recorded earlier, although whether it is the one that was originally intended to compliment the Can Opener’s backing track is uncertain.

The B side was again a purely instrumental version of “Tuesday In The Rain” apparently credited this time simply to the Mo-Soul Band. According to the Discogs web-site, The Mo-Soul team would next release a 45 on their Kandun label. It seems unlikely that any of the Can Openers were involved as apparently the label credit is simply awarded to the Jupiter's Release Band and, in any event, the Can Openers had probably already disbanded by the time of this recording. The 45rpm records web-site’s list of Ohio label releases includes one further Kandun 102689/102690 release from 1977 by a certain Butch Johnson, which coupled “Everlasting Life (Everlasting Love)” with “Smooth Dancin’”.
During his early 70’s spell with the Can Openers, in 1972 Timmy Willis also managed to secure what would turn out to be his final solo recording session, over on the West Coast and it seems he toured again as a solo act for a while after this release. The 45 on Epic 10934 coupled “Give Me A Little Sign” with “Don’t Want To Set Me Free” and was released in November 1972. Despite a Radio Action and Pick Single reference in the December 23rd edition of Billboard, the 45 never made it to the charts and, frankly, wasn’t quite in the league of his best earlier work. The record was produced by Marlin McNichols and Melvin ‘Wah Wah’ Watson (real name Melvin Ragin and best known as a fine Motown Funk Brothers guitarist) and these two guys got co-writer credits on both tracks along with Willis himself. The sparse staccato funk of “Don’t Want To Set Me Free” is well above average for this genre and the ‘A’ side “Give Me A Little Sign” is a stop-go ballad with a well constructed hook, Timmy certainly giving it the full treatment, especially at the climax when he really cuts loose.
To my knowledge no further information about Timmy’s activities after the mid-70s has ever surfaced but if anyone knows different please help complete the Timmy Willis story.

Peter Nickols

artists

By Peternickols in Articles · June 11, 20205 yr

Joe Valentine by Pete Nickols
When it comes to recording top-drawer ultra-emotive deep-soul, only a few exponents have managed to produce more than one supreme example in their recording careers and even the very few, like James Carr for example, who managed to produce several, usually released quite a large number of soul sides in total throughout the classic-soul era from which those few deep gems emerged. However, when we consider that, even including unreleased items at the time, Joe Valentine only put down some 14 tracks in the early-soul era between 1960 and 1968 and yet still managed to produce three stone deep classic performances (all of these actually recorded in the two-year period 1967 to 1968), this clearly says a lot about the man’s impressive voice and its ability back then to be intensely emotive.
What’s more, Joe wrote all his own material – no external writers renowned for their ability to create such emotional soul (like Dan Penn, George Soule or George Jackson for example) were involved – and all of Joe’s deep-soul gems were originally cut for his own Val label out of Austin, Texas.
Joe Valentine (Joseph F. Valentine), recording artist, musician, song-writer and club-owner was born on February 3rd 1937, the eldest son of his like-named father Joseph F. and mother Myrtle K. Valentine of Reserve, Louisiana, a community situated some thirty miles north-west of New Orleans on the east bank of the mighty Mississippi. Joe was born into a musical family with a history that dated back many years. His grandfather, Peter Valentine, played trumpet with a Dixieland band and his uncle, Kid Valentine (1896 to 1987) was known as Kid Thomas and became a significant jazz figure, his band playing regularly at Preservation Hall in New Orleans from the 60’s to the 80’s. Kid also toured Russia and other parts of Europe playing clubs and festivals. During the 60’s he recorded widely for the Jazz Crusade label both with his own band and with Big Bill Bissonnette’s Easy Riders Jazz Band. Kid would make more than twenty tours with the Easy Riders to the US North-East.
By the age of 5 Joe was singing and playing piano in kindergarten and, while he was still in short pants, his mother Myrtle secretly stole her husband’s stocks and bonds – which she later duly replaced – to buy him a piano. Keyboards would remain his main instrument but he became a genuine multi-instrumentalist, being particularly adept on the saxophone.
Joe began his professional career at age 14, as a featured vocalist with the Mitchell Lennox Rhythm Swing Band and was soon signed to Percy Stovall’s Continental Music Attractions.
Stovall had run the Hurricane night spot in New Orleans in the 40’s and became a local promoter who also ran his own band, a band Crescent City soul-man, Raceland, Louisiana-born Willie West would later use when he opened shows in the area both for Otis Redding and Mary Wells. William Bell recalled Stovall fondly when he said: “New Orleans was the first city in which ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ went to No.1 and a promoter down there named Percy Stovall called me and said ‘I can do 10 dates on you from Pascagoula all the way to Opelousas’. I told him ‘Fine, just set ‘em up’.”
Meanwhile the young Joe apparently supported an also young Ray Charles at one point and it wouldn’t be too long before he would form his own band, the first incarnation of Joe Valentine & The Imperials.
When still only about 18 years of age, Joe moved to Baton Rouge and would spend the next 10 years there as a regular attraction at West Baton Rouge’s Carousel Club.
He cut what is generally regarded as his first record, ”I Still Love You”/ “Young Lover” in circa 1960 for Merit Records (#1002). It is usually said that Joe was still only 16 when he made his first recording but, if the Merit sides were indeed his first songs on wax, then he was actually much older, closer indeed to 22 years of age at that time. He would go on to cut further singles through 1963/4 on Rachan 311 (“She’s Gone Again”/”Coming On Home” – reissued on Athens 209) and on Doug 849 (“Sweeter Than Sugar (And Twice As Nice)”/”Let It Be Love”). Of these sides, “She’s Gone Again” was a very good early piece of mournful deep-soul but not quite in the same league as Joe’s three deep winners yet to emerge later in the decade.

The Rachan label was out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (the very next single to Joe’s release, The Ascots with Bob Davidson’s “Have Gun (Will Travel)” coupled with “White House” on Rachan 312, shows this location on its labels).
The Athens label was based at 1719 West End Building, Nashville.
Not much is known about the Doug label but both the songs on Valentine’s Doug 45 were published by Red Stick Music, a company owned by Sam Montel (real surname Montalbano) who was based in Baton Rouge and who, around the time of this release (1963), had just launched Dale & Grace on his parent Montel imprint. Another of his labels was Michelle named after one of his daughters but he certainly created a number of other small short-lived imprints, usually using a person’s name, so it seems quite likely (as Joe Valentine was then living in Baton Rouge) that Doug might well have been a local Sam Montel-owned enterprise.
In 1967, Joe relocated to Austin, Texas where he would remain for the rest of his days.
Once there, he formed his own Val label and first recorded the moody, still Crescent City-styled mid-pacer “One Night Of Satisfaction” and the superbly deep “I Can’t Stand To See You Go” on Val 67119, these sides later picked up for issue on his Ronn label (#14) by Shreveport’s Stan Lewis.
Next, on Val 7225, Joe cut the bouncy dancer later favoured by the UK Northern Soul scene, “I Lost The Only Love I Had”. This was coupled with the ultra-deep winner “Surely I Will Never Do You Wrong”, this latter track seeing a title-change to “You Got To Believe In Me” when eventually picked up (though not issued at the time) by Stan Lewis.
However, Joe’s next outing appeared solely on the Ronn label (#30), this being another deep-jewel called “A Woman’s Love” which was coupled with the faster, would-be dance-crazer, “Hands On, Hands Off”
As you will surely have noted, it was within this fine clutch of 1967/8 recordings that we find our three deep-soul gems. They were “I Can’t Stand To See You Go”, “Surely I’ll Never Do You Wrong” aka “You Got To Believe In Me” and “A Woman’s Love”.

For years I have tried to decide which of these deep masterworks I prefer the most and it comes down to almost a tie between “I Can’t Stand To See You Go” and “A Woman’s Love”, with the latter track just shading it. In my all-time Top 50 deep-soul listing I have “A Woman’s Love” at No.12 and “I Can’t Stand To See You Go” at No.32. “Surely I’ll Never Do You Wrong” is just a tad tougher and rougher and is largely an almost spoken rather than sung piece. It doesn’t feature in my all-time Top 50 and yet its almost funerial approach is something which massively appeals to many deep-soul lovers, myself included.
Looking at these 3 gems in a little more detail, “A Woman’s Love” has an almost regal beauty about it. It’s a super-emotive slow-paced paen to womanhood and the need a guy has to be loved - and when Joe lets go vocally (melodiously but powerfully) in front of the impressive brass it’s surely a goose-bump-inducing moment for any deep-soul fan.
“I Can’t Stand To See You Go” is Joe’s most reissued side and the lovely, almost drifting organ work and the sparse but so effective guitar fills and runs beautifully complement the tear-inducing, oh-so-emotionally-involved mellifluous vocal. No huge histrionics here – one can just wallow unashamedly in Joe’s sheer involvement in the piece and his utter sadness at the departure of his loved one.
The scene for “Surely I’ll Never Do You Wrong” is set by some striking but mournful brass work in the introduction and then Joe enters the fray, almost speaking rather than singing his demonstrative appeals to his girl to believe in him and to not ditch him for a third party. Then the emphasised parts of the vocal are sung before speech returns - but it’s a spoken plea which is so phenomenally soulful in its delivery that the listener simply becomes enveloped in Joe’s expressive prose. This is an outstanding listening experience rather than an outstanding song but it’s still ‘deep-soul heaven’.
Also a consummate live performer, in his time Joe has apparently shared the stage with not only Ray Charles but also Chuck Berry, Joe Simon, Johnnie Taylor, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Floyd and Joe Hinton. In the early 70’s, he toured the U.S. and Europe with the late Joe Tex as both his bandleader, piano-player and additional featured vocalist. Around this time Joe also co-wrote the 1971 releases of "Wheels of Life" (King 6373 and People 2503) for Lynn Collins, who was a performer with the James Brown review from 1969 through the 70s and who enjoyed 9 R&B hits in that decade (2 of which were Pop hits too).
In 1979 Joe cut a one-off solo 45 for Cocoa Studio (#0369) (see track-listing below), a release which put him closer perhaps to “country” than “soul” - but by the late-80’s Lynn Collins was touring with Joe Valentine’s own Band and on his 1991 album “For Ever And Ever” (recorded in Austin TX on Tee-Jay NR 18554) he duetted with her on 3 of the tracks (see discography below for track-listing).The recordings were produced by Ron Brown and Nolan Smith and Joe’s manager at the time is shown as Tobe Addison. His 90’s Tee-Jay sides would also include at least 3 duets with another female vocalist, Linda Green (see tracks 24, 25 and 26 of “Then And Now” track-listing below).
An earlier also Austin-recorded Tee-Jay extended-play 12 inch album called “One Night Stand” (NR 17381) had emerged in 1988. This had contained just 4 solo Valentine tracks, 2 each of which had been also paired on two separate 45s (see track-listing below for details).
By this time, Joe had also become owner of (and regular performer at) the Valentine’s Night Club in Austin which he had opened back in 1986 inside The Chariot Inn. Then in 1992 he would buy the 311 Club on Sixth Street where he played several nights a week with his brothers Boddie Valentine on drums and Tony Valentine on bass.
Back in 1990, Japanese P-Vine had issued 6 of Joe’s Val/Ronn tracks on their various-artist CD named after one of those tracks, “A Woman’s Love – Classic Soul Jewelry #1” (PCD 2162) (see track-listing below). Then, in 2001, UK Westside issued four of the same tracks on their compilation “Soul Jewels Vol.1 – Losers Win Sometime” (WESA 912) and, in the same year, Fuel included “I Can’t Stand To See You Go” on their “From Chicago To Shreveport” various artists compilation (#2000). Fuel would also reissue the same Valentine track on their later “Jewel/Paula Story” CD in 2011 (once again, see discography below).
Meanwhile, in 2000 Joe issued two CD’s semi-privately. These were “From The Soul” and “Love Is On My Mind” (see track-listings below).
Then in 2002, he released a 2-volume CD set, "Then and Now" (subtitled “Singing In The Key of Love”). Volume 1 ("Then") contained 14 of Joe's best songs from the 60's & 70's, while Volume 2 ("Now") featured 15 Tee-Jay tracks from the 80's & 90's. These were issued as two separate CDs in their own individual jewel-cases, each being given the same issue number, Val 2001 (see below for track-listing).
Joe sadly passed away July 13, 2018, aged 81 in the Eastside home he had built himself – shortly after telling his children it was his "time to go." He had been suffering from Alzheimer's, according to his son Joe Valentine, the youngest of his – wait for it - 22 children – and the fourth to be named Joe.
His obituary stated: “Joe is preceded in death by his son, Leslie; parents, Joseph and Myrtle Valentine; and brother, Anthony F. Valentine. He leaves to cherish his memory his partner Sue Arledge; his children; and a multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of others whose lives he touched in a multitude of ways.”
"He was a one-in-a-million talent who knew how to make you feel what he was singing," said vocalist Lynn Field, whose 8-track Tee-Jay NR 18555 album “Take Me In Your Love” (recorded simply as by Lynn) was produced by Joe in 1991.

Lynn (above) absolutely nailed it on the head. That great ability is precisely what shines through his finest performances. Sadly, we have to say R.I.P. to Joe Valentine– but for deep-soul fans the emotional involvement he poured into those special Val/Ronn recordings will live on forever.

DISCOGRAPHY

Merit 1002 I Still Love You/Young Lover (c.1960)
Rachan 311 & Athens 209 She’s Gone Again/Coming On Home (1963 on Rachan, 1964 on Athens)
http://www.sirshambling.com/artists_2012/V/joe_valentine/index.php
(You can hear “She’s Gone Again” here by clicking its blue-text title but there are occasional bleeps in the recording inserted to avoid illegal copying of this track for commercial gain)
Doug 849 Sweeter Than Sugar (And Twice As Nice)/Let It Be Love (c.1963/4)
(Note: this Doug 45 was also issued with “I Need You” as the flip – but this song is identical to “Let It Be Love”).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHrMjJSNkYM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LjrTK9NNx8

Val 67119 & Ronn 14 One Night Of Satisfaction/I Can’t Stand To See You Go (1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh40_9BIt10
Val 7225 I Lost The Only Love I Had/Surely I’ll Never Do You Wrong (= *You Got To Believe In Me – Ronn unissued) (c.1968)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alpxeEq5YtM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9MyAWPmbiA
Ronn 30 A Woman’s Love/Hands On, Hands Off (1968)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NnFqaLvXKc
Ronn unissued: *You Got To Believe In Me (P-Vine PCD 2162 & Westside WESA 912) I Can Feel My Love Coming On Strong (P-Vine PCD 2162 & Westside WESA 912) Soul City USA (P-Vine PCD 2162).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjR1fKX4GhQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHjD-xGB8v8
Cocoa Studio 0369 Until The Real Thing Comes Along/There Goes Another Dream Of Mine (1979)
Tee Jay NR 17379 One Night Stand/All The Love I Have For You Is Gone (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkjLkoooGiM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy2tbpI90Gc
Tee Jay NR 17380 Sharing Your Love/True Love (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYpI9szcEZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E-yfvMphBo
“One Night Stand” (Tee Jay NR 17381) (1988) track listing:
Side 1: 1 One Night Stand 2 All The Love I Have For You Is Gone
Side 2: 1 Sharing Your Love 2 True Love
“A Woman’s Love” (Jap. P-Vine PCD 2162) (1990) various artist compilation.
6 tracks by Joe Valentine 1 A Woman’s Love 2 I Can’t Stand To See You Go 3 One Night Of Satisfaction 4 I Can Feel My Love Coming On Strong 5 Soul City U.S.A. 6 You’ve Got To Believe In Me.
“For Ever And Ever” (Tee Jay NR 18554) (1991) track listing:
Side 1: 1 Our Love Will Last Forever 2 One More Night With You 3 If You (duet with Lynn Collins) 4 Let’s Have Tonight (duet with Lynn Collins)
Side 2: 1 Forever My Love 2 To Be In Love With You 3 You Know (duet with Lynn Collins) 4 Our Love Will Last Forever (instrumental version)
“From The Soul” (Val 1937D) (2000) track listing:
1 Turn Back The Hands Of Time 2 I Can’t Give You More (Than All The Love I Have) 3 That’s What Love Is About 4 In The Name Of Love 5 I Should Have Known 6 This Time 7 I Had It All The Time
“Love Is On My Mind” (Val 2001D) (2000) track listing:
1 I Need Some Lovin’ Tonight 2 Make Sweet Love To You 3 Let’s Make Love Tonight 4 Kick Me When I’m Down 5 You’re Bad 6 Since I Met You Baby 7 Come To Me
Val 7225 I Lost The Only Love I Ever Had/Surely I'll Never Do You Wrong (2001) (Note ~ this was a legal reissue by Joe himself of his c.1968 Val 45 – see above)
“Soul Jewels Volume 1 – Losers Win Sometime” (Westside WESA 912) (2001) various artist compilation.
4 tracks by Joe Valentine 4 You’ve Got To Believe In Me 9 A Woman’s Love 15 I Can Feel My Love Coming On Strong 25 I Can’t Stand To See You Go
“From Chicago To Shreveport” (Fuel 2000 3020611452) (2001) various artist compilation.
1 track by Joe Valentine 6 I Can’t Stand To See You Go
“Then And Now” (Val 2001) (2002) track listing:
(Disc 1 – Vol.1 - 60’s & 70’s) “Then” 1 I Lost The Only Love I Ever Had 2 Surely I Will Never Do You Wrong 3 Woman's Love 4 I Can't Stand To See You Go 5 One Night Of Satisfaction 6 I Can Feel My Love Coming On Strong 7 Soul City U.S.A 8 Another Dream Of Mine 9 Until The Real Thing Comes Along 10 Our Love Will Last Forever 11 You Know (Joe Valentine With Lynn Collins) 12 Let's Have Tonight 13 Our Love Will Last Forever
(Instrumental) 14 Hands On Hands Off
(Disc 2 – Vol.2 - 80’s & 90’s) “Now” 1 One More Night With You 2 If You (Joe Valentine With Lynn Collins) 3 Forever My Love 4 To Be In Love With You 5 One Night Stand 6 All The Love I Have For You Is Gone 7 Sharing Your Love 8 True Love 9 If You Let Me 10 Look What We've Done (Joe Valentine With Linda Green) 11 Let Me Be There For You (Joe Valentine With Linda Green) 12 Don't Know How to Live Without You (Joe Valentine With Linda Green) 13 Come to Me 14 Let's Have Tonight (Joe Valentine With Lynn Collins) 15 First Day of Your Life
(You will find many if not all of these tracks on You Tube. Two of them are the same two songs that appeared on Joe’s Cocoa Studio 45 but I have never heard the original disc so I am not sure whether the versions on this compilation are the originals or re-cuts).
“Jewel/Paula Story” (Fuel 2000 3020618972) (2011) various artist compilation.
1 track by Joe Valentine 8 I Can’t Stand To See You Go

artists

By Peternickols in Articles · June 10, 20205 yr

Texas - a big state but a small world - In April 2020 my interest was piqued when a I saw 2 mysterious Chicano records on 2 different web sites of respected...

vinyl

By Kenb in Articles · June 5, 20205 yr

Out today from Record Kicks, The Devonns' self-titled debut album...
KX073 THE DEVONNS - The Devonns LP | CD | LTD 45 | Digital pre-order it on Bandcamp
RECORD KICKS PRESENTS CHICAGO SOUL SENSATION THE DEVONNS’ SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM.
Record Kicks is proud to present Chicago soul sensation The Devonns' self-titled debut album. "The Devonns" is out on JUNE 05 (New Release Date).
The Devonns are a group of young musicians based in Chicago, Illinois. With their debut album, they take us back to the golden era of 70’s Chicago soul, drawing influences from bands such as The Dramatics, The Isley Brothers and Leroy Hutson, yet always bringing in their own unique modern twist. The album was produced by Paul Von Mertens (Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Elton John) and it sees the participation of percussionist, organist and guitarist extraordinaire Ken Stringfellow, best known for his work with REM since 1997.
1.Come Back 03:42
2.Green Light 03:25
3.Tell Me 04:05 video
4.Think I'm Falling In Love 04:58
5.Blood Red Blues (Protest Song) 04:24 video
6.More 04:35
7.Ain't That A Man For You? 03:06
8.I Know 04:46
9.So In Love With You 03:41
10.Long Goodbye 04:28
about
The Devonns dust off the golden age of 70's Chicago Soul with their self-titled debut album on Record Kicks.

Straight from the streets of Chicago, Illinois, The Devonns (pronounced "De vaughns") are the brand new soul outfit and the latest addition of the Record Kicks' family, whose self-titled debut album that drops April 03, is an assortment of influences taking us back to the heyday of soul.

Drawing influences from bands such as The Dramatics, The Isley Brothers and Leroy Hutson, yet bringing in their own unique modern twist, influenced by artists such as Jamie Lidell and Raphael Saadiq; singer Mat Ajjarapu explains how unintentionally, the rich heritage of Chicago's history with soul music influenced him.

"The city was at the epicentre of a lot of good music back in the 50's all the way to the 80's, a lot of the labels specialising in soul were based in the Chicago and we even had our own sound known as "Chicago soul". Through several years of crate digging it surprised me how many songs I loved were recorded in this city, for example one of my favourites is this great little song by The Natural Four, produced by Leroy Hutson 'Can This Be Real', and released via Curtom Records."

The Devonns by The Devonns
Order, read, listen via
https://thedevonns.bandcamp.com/album/the-devonns

releases

By Mike in News Archives · June 5, 20205 yr

Ebay Results - Mays 2020s top dollar 45s listed

Soul Record Auctions - Recent Completed Soul Auctions [sorted by value]
Funk Boogie Charles Marcus So Fine Wine Roses Vg Hear $5105.00 ended 18 May Sweat Band Ft Jeff Floyd Fellows Be Kind Modern Soul.. $4050.00 ended 12 May Ice Reality Ultra Modern Soul Original Ice Mp3 $3160.00 ended 11 May Hopkins Bros Shake Cheri Your Kiss Of Fire Magnetik.. $2839.00 ended 19 May Eddie Parker But If You Must Go Mam Miko Promo Hear $2827.77 ended 17 May Al Dos Band Doing Our Thing With Pride Exc Condition Mo.. $2781.68 ended 20 May J T Parker - If You Want To Hold On - Academy - Mp3 $2719.69 ended 25 May Super - Dynamics - I M A Lonely Man B W Dig This - Dy.. $2450.00 ended 18 May I J Harris All Ready To Go Ultra 70 S Soul Funk Cash.. $2247.00 ended 11 May Orig 74 Anderson Brothers I Can See Him Loving You G.. $2225.00 ended 07 May Jimmy Wallace I Ll Be Back Alpha Vg Hear $1592.89 ended 18 May Bill Bush - I M Waiting - Ronn - Mp3 $1525.00 ended 25 May The Equatics Doin It Original Ultra Soul Funk Lp Pri.. $1500.00 ended 18 May Yvonne Baker - You Didn T Say A Word - Parkway - Mp3 $1175.00 ended 25 May The Movements Cockstrong Ultra Virginia Funk Sounds Int.. $1136.00 ended 07 May Billy Prophet What Can I Do Sue Vg Promo Hear $1136.00 ended 17 May Modern Soul Boogie - Zeal - Life Goes On - Bluesong - V.. $1136.00 ended 24 May Jimmy Mack My World Is On Fire Palmer Hear $1100.00 ended 17 May Bobby Lindsey Sugar Booger Baby Obscure Funk Delta Mp3 $1087.00 ended 11 May Essence Of Love - Yes It S You - K-city Original Modern.. $1049.62 ended 29 May Leon Haywood Baby Reconsider Fat Fish Styrene Promo Hear $1037.00 ended 17 May The Voltaires On Bacone Near Mint My My My Baby .. $967.89 ended 30 May Billy Hamlin If You Ain T Got No Bread Bethlehem Northe.. $963.00 ended 08 May Blendels You Need Love Dontee Mp3 $926.29 ended 11 May Little Richie Just Another Heartache Sound Stage 7 Vg .. $910.00 ended 17 May R B Soul Leonard Lee Miss Lulu S Wig Trumpet Vg Hear $910.00 ended 18 May R B Mod Soul Frankie James I Don T Care Isabel Hear $898.00 ended 18 May Deceptions Of All The Hearts Sweet Soul Funk Brooks Mp3 $857.00 ended 11 May Ernie Washington Lonesome Shack Chattahoochee Vg Hear $850.00 ended 17 May Joe Matthews - She S My Beauty Queen - Thelma - Mp3 $810.00 ended 25 May Flashback - All I Ask Why Piece Of Mind -- -- Soul F.. $809.00 ended 06 May Garage Funk Acetate 10 - Unknown - Your Love Machine -.. $787.00 ended 03 May Funk Deep Soul - Bob Coswell - My Baby Is All Right - P.. $776.88 ended 24 May Billy Chears Free Your Mind 70 S Soul Funk Chearston Mp3 $772.00 ended 11 May Hi-rise High Rise My Baby S Gone Obscure Modern Soul .. $767.00 ended 18 May Ann Caudell - Longing For You - Quick - Vg Mp3 $718.00 ended 25 May King Arthur Soul Messengers Lonely Blue Funk Deep.. $715.00 ended 11 May Marfil - Whats Wrong Latin Sweet Soul Costa Rica $710.00 ended 06 May Dynamic Melodyaires - We Will Serve The Lord Lp - Hse -.. $710.00 ended 17 May Beatles Rubber Soul Test Pressing Lp 1985 Mfsl Half-spe.. $699.99 ended 27 May Tony Middleton - Paris Blue - Mala 544 Promo - Double.. $693.56 ended 14 May Funk - Deloris Ealy - I Ve Been Looking - Velvet - Mp3 - $676.66 ended 25 May Jay Traynor Up And Over Abc 10845 Promo Orig .. $676.00 ended 29 May Teddy Cash You Are So Wonderful Sweet Soul Cha Cha Mp3 $648.00 ended 12 May Luther Ingram If It S All The Same To You Babe Hib $630.00 ended 26 May Hear Deep Doctor T - Love Is A Heartbreaker Love I.. $621.88 ended 17 May Modern Soul Boogie - Wreckin Crew Band - Cruisin With.. $621.88 ended 24 May Frankie Love Man Crocker - Ton Of Dynamite - Turbo Vg.. $620.00 ended 25 May Northern Deep Soul - Gerald Trotter - One More Hurt - M.. $620.00 ended 25 May Mary Saxton - Take My Heart Sad Eyes - Quality - Origin.. $618.00 ended 26 May Modern Soul - Chosen Few Band - What It Takes To Live -.. $610.00 ended 24 May Toni The Showmen Try My Love Beware Ten Star Unplay.. $580.00 ended 06 May Philip James Keep On Loving Mega Modern Longwood Hear $575.00 ended 19 May Prof Y S And His B B Band - Ewele Aya Decca Soul A.. $570.00 ended 18 May Chance Tony - Pretty Baby - Ann-v - Mp3 $565.00 ended 25 May The Natural Four Hanging On To A Lie Twelve Months .. $540.00 ended 02 May Susan Barrett What S It Gonna Be Stock Copy Rca Victor $537.00 ended 12 May Mint M- Original Press Judy Street What You Turn .. $532.99 ended 01 May Modern Soul Boogie Brian Zan Schemin On You Honey Hu.. $527.00 ended 17 May Vel-vets I Got To Find Me Somebody What Now My Love Hear $526.00 ended 05 May Mikebbi Big Question What S Wrong Nigerians Og Lp.. $519.25 ended 07 May Modern Soul - Barbara St Clair - Teacherman - Crosseyed.. $515.00 ended 24 May Unity Love Is All We Have Left Hear Nm Le Cam Ft Wor.. $510.00 ended 10 May 45 Soul J P Robinson You Can Be A Lady Alston .. $510.00 ended 24 May Entertainers - Beg Me - Bowmar - Mp3 $510.00 ended 25 May 70s Sweet Soul Sex It S You Baby It S You Super City .. $504.00 ended 17 May Appreciations - I Can T Hide It - Aware - Mp3 $500.00 ended 25 May Prince Conley All The Way I M Going Home 1961 7 Satel.. $491.75 ended 30 Apr Chappells Chapells - Help Me Somebody - Bedford - Mp3 $491.58 ended 25 May R B Soul Little Jimmy Ray You Need To Fall In Love Ga.. $490.00 ended 18 May Johnny Thompson Given Up On Love Soul Crossover On Ja.. $488.00 ended 14 May Jimmy Mcfarland Lonely Lover Rpr Promo Hear $480.00 ended 18 May Illustration Who Told You Obscure 70 S Soul Mountain .. $471.00 ended 11 May Gloria Relations Sweet Soul 45rpm Hook Line Sinker .. $465.00 ended 28 May Jamo Thomas I Spy For The Fbi Polydor Demo Dj Northern Mod $464.84 ended 08 May Soul Liberation - Who Are You Lp - Rainbow Sound - Mode.. $459.00 ended 18 May Bibleway - Tears Lp - Bwc - Soul Funk Gospel $449.44 ended 17 May The Blenders It Takes Time Soul A F O Listen $449.44 ended 24 May Hear Modern Test Pressing Patterson Twins Gonna Find .. $449.00 ended 10 May After Hours I Don T Wanna Cry Sweet Soul Condor Promo.. $449.00 ended 11 May Ex-ta-c Ecstasy Squeeze Modern Soul Ok T Mp3 $449.00 ended 11 May Modern Soul Boogie - Young Devines - Risky - Dass - Mp3 $449.00 ended 24 May Evangelist Rosie Haynes - He Can T Fail Lp - Sog - Disc.. $442.00 ended 17 May Noe And The Semitones Oh Darling What Shall I Do Tx G.. $442.00 ended 18 May Impossiveis My Old Friend 7 Brazil Funk Psych Disco Ou.. $440.00 ended 16 May The Tempos Countdown Here I Come Canterbury Wlp .. $440.00 ended 20 May Sweet Soul Acetate 8 - Gene Wade The Twilights - Cry.. $437.11 ended 25 May Bob Collins - Inventory On Heartaches - Main Line - Vg .. $437.00 ended 25 May Spiedels Dream Girl Providence Promo Mp3 $436.00 ended 11 May 5 Royales Catch That Teardrop R B Abc Paramount Mp3 $432.77 ended 11 May Sugar Boy Williams Little Girl Five Long Years Herald R.. $429.85 ended 09 May Children Of The Last Days - S T 12 - Soul Funk Gospel .. $426.00 ended 17 May Modern Soul - Power Of Attorney Band - Love For You - S.. $424.00 ended 24 May Modern Soul - Sudden Change - Used To Think - Blackout .. $424.00 ended 24 May 60 S Connie Questell Decca-31855 Give Up Girl Monst.. $407.00 ended 08 May Fred Bridges Baby Don T You Weep Versatile Promo Hear $406.99 ended 17 May Nolan Chance -just Like The Weather- Ultra Wlp 1965 Us .. $405.00 ended 08 May Creators I Can T Believe It S True Obscure 70 S Soul .. $405.00 ended 11 May Northern Deep Soul - Alfred O - Do What You Wanna Do - .. $405.00 ended 25 May 98 Singles-all Listed- All Nr Ex Mint $395.62 ended 24 May
Don't forget we do also offer to all members, various ebay email tools, such as daily sends of the most popular ebay 45 auctions ending direct to your email box.
Free and easy to all members. Just get to https://www.soul-source.co.uk/newsletters/ and sign up for the 'Tonights Ebay Soul 45 Auction Enders' newsletter

By Mike in News Archives · June 1, 20205 yr

A new month at the door, so here's the latest release news from Ace Records

Ace Records June 2020 Release News
New releases from Ace records

Soul Voices - 60s Big Ballads
60s Soul
Various Artists (Kent)
CD £11.50

Majestic male vocalists singing over subtly orchestrated arrangements of superb songs were the pinnacle of 1960s black music sophistication.

Expansions
Funk
Lonnie Liston Smith
LP £21.94

Lonnie Liston Smith’s 1975 classic reissued on 180g vinyl. An album whose influence resonates down through the decades.

Southern Soul Brother: The Murco Recordings 1967-1969 (MP3)
Southern Soul
Eddy Giles
MP3 £7.99

Eddy Giles’ complete 60s recordings, including unreleased tracks.

Shreveport Southern Soul - The Murco Story (MP3)
Southern Soul
Various Artists (Label Stories)
MP3 £7.99

Authentic Southern Soul from Dee Marais' Murco, Peermont and Hy Sign labels that operated out of Shreveport, Louisiana throughout the 60s and 70s.

Southern Funkin' (MP3)
Funk
Various Artists
MP3 £7.99

Dirty grooves from the deep south.

Documenting The Sensation Recordings 1948-1952
Blues
John Lee Hooker
CD £32.66
John Lee Hooker’s 1948-1952 recordings made in Detroit, Michigan by Bernard Besman with 19 previously unissued. Includes an introductory note from Peter Guralnick, a detailed sessionography and an overview from Dr Wayne Goins. There has been meticulous tape research for the best sources so the mastering far exceeds anything presented before.

Boppin' By The Bayou - Feel So Good
Louisiana/New Orleans
Various Artists (By the Bayou)
CD £11.50
28 cool tracks from the hottest studios in steamy Louisiana, including 12 previously unreleased.

Ghostown 40th Anniversary
Punk Rock
The Radiators
LP £23.79

A vinyl version of The Radiator’s “Ghostown” pressed on two clear vinyl discs, with a thick card sleeve and two printed inner bags. Limited edition of 1000 copies.

Boom
Psych / Garage
The Sonics
LP £21.94

A 180g black vinyl replica release of “Boom” – the Sonics’ second album, originally released in 1966 on Etiquette Records in wonderful mono.

Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present Occasional Rain
70s Rock
Various Artists (Saint Etienne)
CD £11.50

This is England, the day after the 60s. It’s a time of flux. On the cusp of progressive rock but without a rule book, many groups hold fast to psychedelia’s adventurousness and melodic delights, while they are also happy to venture deep into the jazz and folk scenes. The result is some wonderful, atmospheric, rain-flecked music.

Don't Blow Your Cool! More 60s Girls From UK Decca
Girls
Various Artists (Beat Girls)
CD £12.92

Superior British girl-pop from Decca Records’ 1960s catalogue, including a generous batch of new-to-CD titles.

Ace Records on Twitter
@AceRecordsLtd
It's the first Ace new release day since the pandemic hit folks! We're glad to be releasing records again.
1:15 PM · May 29, 2020

Get more info via https://acerecords.co.uk/

By Mike in News Archives · May 31, 20205 yr

Motown: Celebrating 60 Years of Amazing Music - Book by Pete McKeena
Recently received news about an upcoming Motown related book from Pete McKeena.
Titled Motown: Celebrating 60 Years of Amazing Music the book is scheduled for an August 2020 release.
Publishers Info
2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Tamla Motown, arguably the greatest recording label in the history of African American soul music. Detroit Motor City 1960 and with racial tensions simmering and with only eight thousand dollars, Berry Gordy, a man with an unshakeable determination and vision moved into a modest building that was to become HITSVILLA USA from where he and his close inner circle gave the world the unique Motown sound.
A few clips from the author...
... 2020 celebrates the 60th anniversary of arguably the most successful American recording label that changed the sound and face of black American soul music forever leaving me begging the question “where have all the years gone?"...
...but how wrong they were as Smokey Robinson clearly dispelled the myth in an early quote. “When we were first successful with it, people were coming from Germany, France, Italy, Alabama, New York, California. From everywhere just to record in Detroit. They figured it was in the air that if they came to Detroit and recorded, they´d get the Motown sound. The Motown sound to me is not an audible sound. It´s spiritual, it comes from the people that make it happen. What people didn´t realise is that we just had one studio there but we recorded in Chicago, Nashville, New York, almost every big city and we still got the Motown sound”.
...with the mass of singles flooding the UK, Motown also produced a fantastic series of LP´s called Motown Chartbusters releasing twelve LP´s between 1967 and 1982. All twelve made the top UK charts making them the most successful selling series of LP´s until the mid - 1980´s. For around three pounds you got an LP with brilliant artwork covers featuring around fifteen tracks recorded by the very best Motown artists. Stevie Wonder – the Supremes – the Four Tops – the Temptations – Edwin Starr – Jimmy Ruffin – Junior Walker – the Contours – Martha Reeves and the Vandellas – Gladys Knight – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles – Marv Johnson - the Isley Brothers – R Dean Taylor – Kim Weston – Brenda Holloway – Barbara McNair - Chuck Jackson – the Marvelettes – Earl Van Dyke – Thelma Houston providing the best quality for money LP´s ever produced...

Details
Publisher: New Haven Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: 25/08/2020
ISBN-13: 9781912587353 Paperback Format
Available for pre-order right now, priced at £15.99 via
https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/biography/motown-celebrating-60-years-of,pete-mckenna-9781912587353

By Mike in News Archives · May 31, 20205 yr

Here it is the 11th release 7” from Soul 4 Real Records, more unreleased music from THE MASQUERADERS. Originally recorded in 1972. Limited Edition of 400 copies.
PRE ORDER NOW FOR 15th JUNE 2020
LISTEN HERE:

The celebrated history of the Masqueraders has given us two of soul music’s most memorable recordings with “I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else” and “I’m Just An Average Guy”. Through the years they have left us many classic gems that are heavily sought after by collectors and some that have yet to be mined.
However, if there was ever any doubt about the Masqueraders´ greatness, the previously unreleased “Make Me Think You Love Me” from 1972 puts that doubt to rest. After a stunning intro the group eases into those harmonies that captured our hearts back in day and remind us once again about the magic of that period of soul music.
“When Trouble Calls” is a Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield composition from 1961 and the group´s version appeared originally on an impossible-to-find cassette published in 1993. Unlike the Ice Man’s version, the Masqueraders upgrade the song with their patented silky-smooth vocals. Thanks to the team at Soul4Real for digging up and presenting us with these two recordings.
RUBEN MOLINA

Presented in a beautiful picture cover laminated 7" designed by Jordi Duró. Liner notes by Ruben Molina.
PRE ORDER NOW FOR 15th JUNE 2020
13 euros + postage as it follows:
1 to 5 copies: 6,70 euros UK & Europe
1 to 5 copies: 2,40 euros Spain
1 to 5 copies: 10,35 euros USA & rest of the world
Payment by PAYPAL as friends & family:
soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com
Please check all our releases: https://www.soul4real.es/soul-4-real-records/

By Alexsubinas in News Archives · May 25, 20205 yr

New release - 2 x Hit and Run 45s - Jo Jo Benson + Bernard Drake

2 NEW RELEASES - DUE : 29 May 2020
MAILING : Wed 27 May 2020
HR 1517 JO JO BENSON - You're Losing Me / I'll Be The One
I remember during the days of Grapevine 2000 going to the studios in Houston with JA to try and work a deal for Huey's masters. There was a legal thing going on and we never got to it - so I'm particularly pleased to be able to eventually release this one on vinyl 45. Unreleased in the 70s, the 'A' side did get a CD release in 2015 and the 'B' side was out on a pretty hard-to-find Jetstream 45, which I recall had off-centre pressing problems on many copies.
Here they are now - totally remastered and sounding pretty darned good. I think most of us love Barbara Lynn's Atlantic original and Jo Jo's version sounds pretty top-notch too.
BERNARD DRAKE - I've Been Untrue / The Natural Thing.
For the last few years, one of the biggest Modern / Crossover sounds in the country.
It may well have been the same Texas trip around 15 years ago, we'd been to Houston and went on to the Austin show that I saw what is possibly the only copy I've ever seen of this 45. Ultra-rare and the few known copies are in the hands of Premier League DJ/collectors. - last one I saw through ebay was $4,000. Over 50 years old and sounds perfect for today.
On sale with paypal payment now : £12.00 each + £3.00 p/p ( good for 1-3 records) paypal to - hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com

By Dewsburyborn in News Archives · May 18, 20205 yr

BBC 4 The Changin' Times of Ike White... Mon 18 May 2020
The Changin’ Times Of Ike White follows the journey of a musical prodigy and the mythical album he made whilst serving life for murder.
Released in 1976, Changin’ Times was a commercial album recorded inside an American prison, gaining Ike White industry adulation from the likes of Stevie Wonder. This compelling new documentary for BBC Four traces a gritty and soulful tale that twists and turns like the best true-crime cinema and is anything but a straightforward music biography.
Following his release from prison, Ike White was on the path to redemption, but just as he was charting a course to stardom, he disappeared.
Pictured: Ike White Publicity photo, taken in prison for album launch
Monday 18 May
10.00pm-11.20pm
BBC FOUR
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jb6v

By Mike in News Archives · May 17, 20205 yr

Soul Boy - Our Lives Series 4
Soul Boy - Our Lives - A teenager in care finds a home on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene.
Details of an upcoming real life documentary due to be shown on BBC One on Wednesday 27th May 2020. Billed as a 'heart warming' film this 30 minute documentary follows teenager Anthony Flavin as he finds his place on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene.
Here's the BBC info...
Northern Soul is more than just music to Anthony Flavin - it’s a way of life. Anthony has grown up in care from the age of six. His great passions in life are music, fashion and films from the sixties and seventies, and his love for Northern Soul music tops them all.
This heartwarming film follows Anthony in the run up to his 18th birthday as he finds his place on Nottingham’s Northern Soul scene. With help from his keyworker, Luke, and a collection of Northern Soul friends, he’s about to take his first steps as a DJ and towards an independent life.
It won’t be easy - the Soul Boy will need his new Soul 'family' more than ever.
As Anthony prepares for his first DJ set, his friends are there to make sure he looks and sounds the part.
Classy cobbler Pete 'The Shoe' Bullock kits him out with some fancy hot-stepping shoes; there’s a DJ masterclass from best friends and soul mates Karen and Jason Roberts; and a trip down memory lane with legendary Northern Soul DJ Richard Searling, who gets Anthony on the decks and the dancefloor at Blackpool’s famous Tower Ballroom.
A popular Northern Soul venue is hosting Anthony’s 18th birthday party and his DJing debut. Has he mastered the decks in time to get this discerning crowd on the dancefloor? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Part of the Our Lives Series.
Wed 27 May 2020
19:30 hrs
BBC ONE
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jk57

bbc

By Mike in News Archives · May 17, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle.
In Memphis, there was a period when country and rockabilly prevailed at Hi records, before the label became synonymous with Willie Mitchell, and all things soulful and funky. Producers Quinton Claunch and Bill Cantrell had just left Sam Phillips’ Sun in 1957. They joined forces with country singer Ray Harris and some financial backers to set up Hi. Within a couple years, just before Claunch had left to set up Goldwax and prior to Willie Mitchell joining Hi (initially as a recording artist and then president), a young country / rockabilly singer called Tommy Ray Tucker appeared at the studio on South Lauderdale Avenue to record a couple of country tracks.
Not to be confused with his namesake who gave the world “Hi Heeled Sneakers”, Tommy ‘Ray’ was a white Memphisonian who led a very troubled life right up to his demise. As a young man he was playing local joints, although his gigging career was limited after being charged with working under age on premises which served alcohol. This affected his ability to obtain work locally, causing him to look for work elsewhere. After a spell in Nashville, Tucker finally returned to Memphis, and started working four nights a week at the Little Black Book club on Highway 61 in south Memphis. One night in October 1961, after playing the club, he was drinking with some customers at the bar. On his way home he crashed his 1957 Oldsmobile, resulting in a horrific accident with two car explosions and leaving four dead. He escaped the scene. Tucker was later arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced the following May and Tommy served nine months of a one year sentence. RCA, to whom he had been signed whilst in Nashville, dropped him. On release, he continued to play some bars and minor venues. Within a couple of years he was recording again for various labels including Western Lounge and Challenge.
Challenge was a Hollywood, California set-up by country artist Gene Autry and Joe Johnson, A&R man for Columbia, in 1957. After Autry sold his share a year later, the label extended its focus to country, pop, jazz and some R&B. Its biggest hit was provided by The Champs “Tequila” in 1958. The label sprouted nearly 200 releases in its reign, but from the early 1960s onwards failed to produce records which made any significant impact on the charts. The vast Challenge catalogue was disproportionate to facilities it could provide for its recording artists, and product was often imported from other regions.
Tommy Ray had two 45 releases on the label: “Sweet Talk” (Challenge 59294) and “Cry, Cry, Cry” (Challenge 59303). Both tracks, released in 1965, were competent numbers where he tried his hand at a more ‘current’ R&B approach without shaking off that country feel. His truly unique take on Johnny Cash’s “Cry, Cry, Cry” transformed the song into a rocking up-tempo R&B number which doesn’t let up throughout. A curious mix perhaps, and one which did seem to work, but did nothing at the time. However the track was met with approval on the discerning rare soul scene in the UK decades later. This was particularly true of Scottish rare soul venues in the mid to late 1980s where the track was played by DJ Alan Walls. Alan remembers: “I bought it blind, from a record list from the States. The 45 arrived Saturday morning as I got home from a soul all-nighter in Dundee. With judgement askew I covered it up as Little Milton (!). Before I had a chance to play it out I let my mate Stewart Spence hear it who, with customary tact said ‘It’s nat bad at all - but he’s white as f**k, sounds nothin’ like Little Milton!’. Needless to say the cover-up artist was changed to Little Richie shortly after that…”
The producer responsible for “Cry, Cry, Cry” was one Stan Kesler (a.k.a Kessler). Kesler was a talented sound engineer and producer initially based at Sun records in Memphis where he worked on the session for Sam the Sham for “Wooly Bully” in 1965. He also facilitated numerous Goldwax recordings in the city, putting together what became the standard house band who backed James Carr and other major artists there, until they were poached by Chips Moman; another ex-Goldwax sound engineer who had left to set up his own label. No doubt Kesler’s expertise and insight working with Goldwax and Sun product influenced the R&B flavour of Tucker’s version of “Cry, Cry, Cry”. Exactly where the recording was made is unknown. However is very likely that, given Tommy’s and Stan’s whereabouts at the time, LA-based Challenge Records leased in this product from Memphis.
A few more records appeared in the mid 1960s on Challenge, XL and others, which went nowhere. That was pretty much it for studio work for Tucker as an upfront artist. He had one final country release for Hi in the early seventies, then reverted back to playing in local bars and restaurants. He pursued song-writing and did grab some backing vocal work for local studios.
However, Tommy Ray Tucker’s demons never left him. In the early hours of the morning in March 1985 he died in an apartment fire from smoke inhalation, thought to have been started when he had fallen asleep in bed with a lit cigarette. The sole collective reminder of Tucker’s recording history is the Memphis Bad Boy LP produced by Zu-Zazz Records (Zu-Zazz 2001) in the late eighties.

Copyright E. Mark Windle (2020). Modified chapter excerpt from Rhythm Message by E. Mark Windle (2014, 2020).

REFERENCES / RESOURCES
Colin Escott (1996) Tommy Tucker. Shackles and Chains. In: Tattoed on their Tongues. A Journey Through The Backrooms of American Music. Schirmer Books. New York, NY. ISBN 0-02-865033-6.
Raised on Records (Blog spot): Tommy Tucker. Thursday 10 February 2011 Available at: http://raisedonrecords.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/tommy-tucker-begavning-med-forhinder.html (Swedish, translated).
Hot Soul and Cool Jazz, Lightly Browned, on the Funk Side (Blog spot): Tommy Ray Tucker, Trouble is My Name. Friday 24 December 2010 Available at: http://statestorebluestwo.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/tommy-ray-tucker-trouble-is-my-name.html?m=1
Steve Kurutz (date unknown) Stan Kesler. Available at: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stan-kesler-mn0000012007/biography
Author unknown. Challenge Records (1950s). Available at: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_Records_(1950s)

By Windlesoul in Articles · May 15, 20205 yr

Details of a upcoming new release from Cannonball Records imprint Quatre Recordings that hits a certain spot
QQT002 Jay Nemor "Freedom" (Dj Rocca Remix)
Quatre Recordings (CANNONBALL RECORDS)
Release: 12th June 2020
Available now for preorder. Press blurb and promo video follow, interestingly note the 45 format it has a 33 rpm speed which seems an odd choice
NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT
QQT002 - 7"/33RPM
JAY NEMOR (DJ ROCCA REMIX) "FREEDOM"
Side A - Vocal
Side B - Instrumental
OUT JUNE 2020

This is another one we have been workin while we are serving time in the Coronavirus State Prison. It is a little beauty that will tick the boxes of every soulie who strives to push the boundaries. Jason here gives his very best, not just writing lyrics but also laying down some great sax lines. HIS vocals and HIS sax are adapting and adopting, making really deep and groovy anything he works on. Remixed by DJ Rocca and mastered by Sam Berdah, an engineer whose mastering services are now a standard part of our production process within all the labels. Remember, its a 7" spinning at 33 rpm, more room for grooves and track lengths, better sounding quality. Lads, eyes peeled, more of these sounds to come soon on Tesla Groove International Recordings a swell, with some great stuff from our artists roster plus a great additional surprise from one of the best Uk Djs and producers ever.
Preorder Now
QQT002 JAY NEMOR "FREEDOM"
https://cannonballsoul.com/
Cannonball Records

releases

By Mike in News Archives · May 8, 20205 yr

MD Records and Blue Lotus Recording Studio present Roland Johnson – Set Your Mind Free

Just who is Roland Johnson!
If you have not come across Roland before then be prepared to hear Soul music at its very best. Roland lives in St Louis, Missouri and up until the age of 68 had been plying his trade in front of live audiences and on a couple of releases. Most of the songs were adaptations of standards and other writers’ songs but expressed in such a way that you could hear Roland’s life experience shining through.
Roland’s first album, “Imagine This” was released by Blue Lotus Recording studio in 2016. This album was a deliberate move into mainly self-written songs and marked the desire by Roland to break out to wider audiences, gaining even more success than that shown by his live performances appreciated by all on the St Louis and Beale street Blues and Soul Scene.
Often compared to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, which you can hear the influence, but Roland Johnson is a singer destined to come out of the shadows.

The success and increased interest in Roland’s first album bright about more interviews with the Missouri press and News, with interviews and award nominations celebrating his highly successful blend of heartfelt Southern Soul with a classic vintage delivery in a new way. In the UK Brian Goucher of Vibe UK picked up on the album and reviewed it excellently.
Come 2019 and Roland set out, with fellow musicians and producers Paul Niehaus IV and Kevin Connor amongst others, to create a 10 track album follow up to “Imagine This”. The aim, to drive forward in search of redefining, St Louis Soul reaching far beyond the boundaries of the Gateway Arch and firmly putting the great city in the limelight for its musical talent.
When you listen to both albums you can hear how far Roland, with the support of the band – there’s no MIDI here its real music and soul through and through, has developed the sound and brand of music.

The title track “Set your mind free” just jumps out of the speakers and drags you into the story. This is a dance floor winner in all counts, the rolling drums and superb brass work underpinned by that driving strings section. Fabulous production overlay Roland’s gravely soulful delivery with the backing group piercing the song with a sweet punctuation. The Southern guitar lines remind you of the fact this is Soul tinged with the South and all the pain and heartache life can deliver. Its message clearly that you can rise above the day to day world and achieve whatever you want, just Set your mind free.
Flip it over and just let “Now your gone” wash over you. The fabulous production, the arrangement with Roland just letting his heart pour out the pain of loss. If this doesn’t pull a heart string then you need to get checked out!
The album was picked up in the UK by DJs such as Cliff Steele, who following a visit to St Louis, started including the title track in his playlists, Andy Bellwood who was playing it on his radio shows and Brian Goucher to name but a few.
The track lists on both albums really cover pretty much most genres from the properly deep through the sweet soul ballads to the feelgood winners all just laden with brass and strings.
Roland recorded both albums at the Blue Lotus Recording Studio in St Louis, set up, owned and run by Paul Niehaus IV – the studio was wet up in 2016 and is a traditional grass roots affair, self-funded by Paul who is himself a multi-talented musician, songwriter and producer. Kevin Connor, also a talented musician and producer, who is part of the studio and can be heard on the albums, along with a host of other musicians and singers. Blue Lotus has an ethos of community to it that comes through in its musical output.
The Studio is heavily entwined in the St Louis music scene, having produced 5 of the St Louis Blues Society compilation albums and having received 3 nominations for the Blues Blast Music Awards run by Blues Blast Magazine out of Chicago.
Blue Lotus had been looking into breaking more into the European market to gain more fans for not only Roland’s music but also some of the other award nominated singer/songwriters that form part of the collective at the studio.
Following discussion contracts were agreed with MD Records Group in the UK, this is the label that has been releasing tracks that have not been available on vinyl 45s previously.
This is the first in a series of planned releases on the label.
Cheers
Mark n Des

https://www.mdrecords.co.uk/product-category/new-releases/

By Md Records in News Archives · May 5, 20205 yr

It's Showtime at the Apollo was first broadcast on September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes.
Just seen that In the Uk The Roku Channel is offering all 15 Series of this show (1987-2001) for free via NowTV, Sky Q or various Roku devices
You just install The Roku Channel as an app on your NowTV box, the same as Netflix etc and away you go
Not a lot of info such as listings about this channel, but it's there, easy to find and available free right now.
https://www.roku.com/

By Mike in News Archives · May 4, 20205 yr

A new month and in these times it has to be interesting to see just how ebay performed over the last 30 days...
Soul Record Auctions - Recent Completed Soul Auctions [sorted by value]
C O D S Cod S-she S Fire On Kellmac Northern 45-new So.. $4048.00 ended 05 Apr 70s Soul Funk - Soulfull Strutters - Let Your Feelings .. $3051.00 ended 26 Apr R B Soul - Don Carol - You Want No One But Me - Donc.. $2817.00 ended 06 Apr Legendary Ray Pollard Shrine Records Sr0103 M- Soul.. $2151.00 ended 20 Apr Charlene The Soul Serenaders Love Changes $1902.00 ended 23 Apr 70s Lil Major Williams Girl Don T Leave Me You Re S.. $1613.00 ended 16 Apr Joseph Moore-i Still Can T Get You On Mar-v-lus Norther.. $1460.00 ended 05 Apr Invaders You Touch My Soul Reggae Waricka Mp3 $1448.00 ended 27 Apr Marvin Simms Do It To Me Don T Quit Private 12 Singl.. $1411.68 ended 20 Apr Modern Soul Boogie - Faye Turner - Love Bank - Central .. $1309.00 ended 27 Apr Megatone Robert Tanner Deep Funk 7 Inch Limited To 50.. $1175.00 ended 16 Apr Royal Jesters - Chevere - Optimum In Shrink Ultra Chica.. $1125.00 ended 27 Apr 70s Soul Acetate 10 - Charles Drain - Is This Really L.. $1009.00 ended 26 Apr 45rpm Chryslers Monarchs Band Because I Love You Baltim.. $1000.52 ended 28 Apr Sealed Ultra 1977 Milton Wright Spaced Album Original A.. $1000.00 ended 06 Apr The Beatles Rubber Soul Original Factory Sealed First P.. $970.00 ended 03 Apr Mojoba Say You Will I Know Very Orig Soul Vinyl $960.00 ended 28 Apr 70s Soul - Singing Tornados - Traveling Through The Lan.. $877.00 ended 26 Apr Unknown Group - Music To My Heart Acetate Hear $876.00 ended 23 Apr Oneness Watching You Version 12 Si001 Funk Soul Boo.. $874.21 ended 06 Apr Soul Betty Everett My Life Depends On You My Love Cob.. $865.00 ended 11 Apr Hank Mobley Soul Station Jazz Lp Blue Note Blp 4031 4.. $851.00 ended 13 Apr Tomorrow S People Open Soul Original Lp $809.00 ended 23 Apr Unknown Artist Unreleased Rpm Acetate Luther Dixon Lu.. $795.00 ended 06 Apr Appreciations - I Can T Hide It - Aware - Mp3 $787.00 ended 27 Apr Unknown- Upstage - Move Me Don T Stop Me - Modern Sou.. $779.00 ended 15 Apr Francisco Aguabella - Hitting Hard Lp Original On Epsil.. $770.00 ended 07 Apr N Soul Cliff Nobles My Love Is Getting Stronger Atlan.. $727.00 ended 29 Apr Young Mods - You Brought The Sunshine B W Gloria - Gang.. $688.00 ended 05 Apr Pookie Hudson Jamie 1319 M- Soul 45 $685.00 ended 13 Apr Original - Herb Ward Strange Change Argo Records $672.28 ended 26 Apr Finesse Sugahh The Wizard Modern Soul Boogie Kjlh B.. $670.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Soul - Chosen Few Band - What It Takes To Live -.. $641.97 ended 26 Apr Cliff Nobles - My Love Is Getting Stronger - J-v Record.. $639.67 ended 20 Apr Luther Ingram - If It S All The Same To You Babe - Hib .. $609.00 ended 23 Apr Modern Soul - Ronn Colbert - Just One Kiss Away - Silk .. $600.00 ended 27 Apr Sir Henry Ivy He Left You Standing There Future Dimensi.. $577.89 ended 05 Apr Latin Soul - Sunny The Sunliners - Cien Anos - Tear D.. $573.00 ended 19 Apr Noe And The Semitones Oh Darling What Shall I Do Tx G.. $567.89 ended 29 Apr Marvin Gaye What S Going On Insanely Sealed Orig 71 Tam.. $565.56 ended 26 Apr Gaylads Soul Brothers Jackie Mittoo Sounds Of Silenc.. $560.00 ended 27 Apr Invitations - Watch Out Little Girl - Mgm - Og Promo $520.00 ended 27 Apr King Sound Interpreters - You Ve Got Soul - Talent Of M.. $510.55 ended 27 Apr Joblot 145 Tamla Motown 7 Vinyl Record Collection Fu.. $501.70 ended 19 Apr Cookie Scott-i Don T Care On Orr Northern 45-nm Hear $501.00 ended 05 Apr Starcrost Funk Jazz Private Press Fable Label 1976 Seal.. $500.00 ended 23 Apr Modern Soul Boogie Disco Funk The Shider Family Band -.. $499.99 ended 19 Apr Modern Soul Boogie Disco Funk The Shider Family Band -.. $499.99 ended 20 Apr Latin Funk Boogaloo - Tito Puente - Hit The Bongo - Tic.. $492.98 ended 19 Apr Prince Conley All The Way I M Going Home 1961 7 Satel.. $491.75 ended 30 Apr Homer Banks-sweetie Pie On Genie Northern 45-hear $477.70 ended 05 Apr Johnny James Circle M Stomper $475.00 ended 29 Apr Cedric Im Brooks Light Of Saba Original Jamaican Reggae.. $465.00 ended 02 Apr Latin Jazz Inst - Latin Plus Soul - Sangria - Coco - V.. $465.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Carl Smith You Can T Be Replaced Rescue 101 Memp.. $460.88 ended 05 Apr Funk Breaks - June And X - Sunflower - Soul Stars - Mp3 - $455.00 ended 26 Apr Bob Marley The Wailers Fire Fire Don T Rock My Regg.. $455.00 ended 27 Apr Nelson 3 Marvin Make It Soul New Sweat Very Monster M.. $455.00 ended 28 Apr Frank Dell He Broke Your Game Wide Open Valise Og Sig.. $449.00 ended 02 Apr Roy Roberts - Got To Have All Your Love - Boro - Mp3 $449.00 ended 27 Apr Alice Clark Self Titled Lp Mainstream Mrl 362 Us 1972 O.. $446.00 ended 28 Apr Modern Soul Funk Boogie - Aura - When The Feeling S Rig.. $445.00 ended 27 Apr Effi Duke S Love Band Joy Of Living Funk Boogie Lp Em.. $439.87 ended 05 Apr Modern Soul - Mciver - Trying To Be True - Vanton - Vg .. $430.50 ended 26 Apr The Beatles Rubber Soul Original Factory Sealed First P.. $428.88 ended 19 Apr The Jelly Beans Eskee 10 001 M- Soul 45 $425.00 ended 20 Apr Big Don S Rebellion - It Was True Smokin Ethon Hear $418.00 ended 01 Apr Funk Sweet Soul - Transfer - Nothing - Greenback - Vg .. $416.00 ended 26 Apr Unknown 60s R B Soul Test Pressing Got To Move Detro.. $415.00 ended 19 Apr R B Soul - Little Jimmy Ray - You Need To Fall In Lov.. $414.90 ended 06 Apr Black Blood And The Chocolate Pickles Mississippi Mud 4.. $407.67 ended 04 Apr The Deletts What S The Use Look At Me Promo Blue Rock $405.00 ended 06 Apr R B Female Rocker Anita Tucker I Need Love Heartaches.. $405.00 ended 18 Apr Sweet Soul Funk - Gents The Lady - I Can Feel The Tea.. $404.00 ended 27 Apr Acetate Studio 76 Artist Unknown Girl Group Soul Sound .. $401.00 ended 21 Apr Big Don S Rebellion It Was True Smokin Funk Soul Brea.. $395.00 ended 08 Apr Joblot 360 Soul Funk Motown 7 Vinyl Record Collectio.. $388.82 ended 05 Apr Judy Freeman Blackrock Hold On 1970 Rca 0493 Prom.. $385.77 ended 19 Apr Claude Baby Huey Drifting Mega M- Crossover Listen .. $385.00 ended 22 Apr Funk - Wayne Carter - Mad Mouth Woman - Mootrey S - Vg .. $383.00 ended 26 Apr Specials-you Stood Me Up On Satch Northern 45-nm Hear $371.56 ended 05 Apr Quantrells-show Me The Game Of Love On Yambo Northern 4.. $367.99 ended 05 Apr Carlos Cruz Taller Afro Ritmo Federico Yo Se Latin So.. $359.00 ended 14 Apr Cheryl Johnson Raccoon Meat Is Good To Eat 45-rare $358.00 ended 04 Apr Crossover Soul Acetate 10 - Don Thomas - I Ll Keep Hol.. $355.00 ended 26 Apr Barbara Mason - You Better Stop It - Arctic - Mp3 $353.78 ended 27 Apr Linzy Washington You Don T Know South Carolina Deep Sou.. $347.00 ended 19 Apr Deep Psychedelic Soul Funk Symphonic Four Who Do You Th.. $346.99 ended 16 Apr The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye Lp Tamla T-221 1964 2n.. $339.00 ended 26 Apr Funk - Rita Dacosta - Don T Bring Me Down - Mohawk - Mp3 $338.00 ended 27 Apr Ike Quebec - Soul Samba Lp 1st Blue Note Blp 4114 New Y.. $332.38 ended 05 Apr The Chantels Indian Giver 45-rare -mint $331.63 ended 04 Apr Hip Hop Soul Lp - Miguel - Wildheart Gatefold 2xlp 8887.. $330.00 ended 26 Apr Modern Funk Sweet Soul - Ice Band - Live People - Walki.. $328.87 ended 26 Apr Carol Mogan-i Ve Got Everything On Born Northern 45-vg .. $326.23 ended 05 Apr Lloyd Glen Minnie Skirts Go Go Boots Funk On Br.. $326.09 ended 08 Apr R B Soul - Gay Poppers - I Want To Know - Fire - Mp3 $325.00 ended 06 Apr Thelma Skaggs Great Big Circle Bar Kay S Mega Soul $313.00 ended 18 Apr Funk Breaks Deep Soul - Nola Soul Rockers - Reach Dow.. $313.00 ended 26 Apr Kavetts-i Ve Got A Story To Tell You On Lendre Northern.. $310.00 ended 05 Apr Remember if you do wanna get ahead of the crowd, then sign up for our ebay highlights newsletter via the link below.
Tomorrows ebay bargains sent directly to your inbox... every day!
https://www.soul-source.co.uk/newsletters/5-tonights-ebay-enders/

By Mike in News Archives · May 3, 20205 yr

The monthly Ace Records newsletter, May 2020... a tale of spotifys, mp3s and reads
New Releases for: 24.04.2020

It's Ace new release day today. Due to lockdown we have no new physical releases, so to meet your listening requirements this month we're launching a series of Spotify playlists.

We're also sharing with you our Ace podcast series, lovingly presided over by journalist, record collector and broadcaster Pete Paphides. This occasional series features interviews with guests from many branches of the extended Ace family, detailing their own careers, the artists that have influenced their lives and the records that they love.

Also this month our Ace on the Road feature - amazing record-related stories from Ted Carroll, Alec Palao, Ady Croasdell and Trevor Churchill. It must be time to pull up a chair...
Ace On Spotify

New releases from Ace records

Live In Berlin (MP3)
Vocal Jazz
Leon Thomas
MP3 £4.74
Leon Thomas with Oliver Nelson recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in 1970.
https://acerecords.co.uk/live-in-berlin-mp3


Soul Voices - 60s Big Ballads (Sampler) (MP3)
60s Soul
Various Artists (Kent)
MP3 £4.74
Majestic male vocalists singing over subtly orchestrated arrangements of superb songs were the pinnacle of 1960s black music sophistication.
https://acerecords.co.uk/soul-voices-60s-big-ballads-sampler-mp3



Broken Tambourine (MP3)
Psych / Garage
Strangers In A Strange Land
MP3 £0.79
Pop music with a reverence for the past, yet it’s eye fixed firmly on the future, delivered with twice as much energy as fellows half the age.

Stay At Home Blues/Good Morning Mr Sun (MP3)
Rockabilly
Deane Hawley
MP3 £1.58
A song for our times echoing over 60 years, since it appeared on a Doré Records 45. Also check out his Teenage Crush – ‘Look For A Star’ and his New Breed ‘Bossman.’

I Can't Fight It/Vacation/The Time Is Right (MP3)
Psych / Garage
The Textones
MP3 £2.37
The Textones came out of post punk Los Angeles before the Bangles and the Go-Gos, who singer Kathy Valentine later joined. Tom Petty makes a guest appearance on his own song ‘I Can’t Fight It’.

For the mentioned reads, mp3s and much more get to https://acerecords.co.uk/

By Mike in News Archives · May 1, 20205 yr

One of the quirks of the UK soul scene has always been the acceptance of 'blue-eyed' soul sounds as part and parcel of its many factions. Indeed some 'Northern' classics are sung by white artists and we see and hear many tunes emanating from the Carolina's 'Shag' scene as worthy additions. By and large the tunes must have that 'black' sound reminiscent of the groups and artists from Detroit, Chicago, New York and beyond who are so familiar to us. Whilst most of the blue-eyed efforts easily identifiable, some are more ambiguous and even indistinguishable from their black counterparts. It’s really all about the sound, the beat, production, arrangement and of course the vocals and backing harmonies. One such recording is by the New York come Pittsburgh band The Teardrops, which has had some action in soul venues over the years and remains a firm favorite with collectors. However, it’s not too well known that the story of their song involves one of pop music’s most successful artists of all time.
In the mid-sixties a young pianist from Long Island New York dropped out of high school to follow his dream of being in the music business, but he could never have envisaged that twenty years later he would go on to become an international pop luminary and one of the biggest selling artists of all time. William Martin Joel, or Billy Joel as the world knows him, formed his first band 'The Echoes' in ‘64, who just a year later changed name to the 'Lost Souls' and finally after a further twelve months to 'The Emerald Lords' before disbanding without any real success. Under the guise of the Lost Souls they did however record some demo's for Mercury records, but nothing saw the light of day.
Around '67 another Long Island band 'The Hassles' were changing line ups due to internal disagreements over excessive drug use by some members, who were eventually fired and replaced by Billy Joel and fellow Lost Souls bass player Howard Blauvelt. The Hassles were a psych pop type band, not unlike many others of the period, and were signed to United Artists. They went on to cut two albums, the first containing several soul cover versions, and released a few singles from each with little success.
Joel had always seen himself as a composer and writer as well as a musician and co-wrote their 45 release in '68 called 'Every step I take (every move I make)' released on United Artists UA 50258. The song was co-authored by V. Gormann and one T. Michael's, not be confused with the artist who recorded ‘I love the life I live’ for Detroit’s Golden World label. Their only small success came with 'You've got me hummin', which bubbled under the Top 100 at number 112 for just one week. The band was short-lived again splitting in '69 and Joel moved on to yet another unsuccessful venture, a rock duo called 'Attila' with the Hassles drummer John Small, before eventually going solo around '71, and the rest is history as they say.

The Hassles 45
Meanwhile in a little town called Elmira in upstate New York, a group of young guys were constantly being kicked out of the bars for being under age but come their 18th birthday they were raring to go into the music business. The original band consisted of Dave Paugh, guitar & vocals, Phil Dowd, B-3 organ & vocals, and Wayne Lips, drums & vocals who began playing the nightclub scene all over New York while dreaming of bigger things.
Sam Ippolito was a singer in a rival band which were playing the same club circuit as The Teardrops. Somehow, they met, and Sam invited the band to come to his hometown of Pittsburgh and join forces. Sam had sung with soul, R & B and doo wop groups as well as pop and rock bands. He had a well-seasoned voice and could sing anything from James Brown (he had a brilliant scream) to a smooth Lou Rawls. He had a friend in Pittsburgh called Danny Schegel, who played bass and sang, and approached him to join and Danny eventually became the fifth Teardrops member.
For any band to be successful a strong lead singer and good backup harmonies were a must because the Pittsburgh music scene of the time was very much influenced by soul, R&B and Motown. With Sam leading and the guys backing they had a great vocal blend with tight harmonies, and we were able to cover tracks from the great vocal groups of the day such as The Temptations, Four Tops and Four Seasons as well as the pop material by the Beatles, Stones, and so on.
It was late 1966 and since The Teardrops were new in town, they were not yet able to land gigs at Pittsburgh's hottest clubs. They did however manage to impress the owner of a place called ‘Lashes Lounge’. This was a great out-of-the-way place where they could hone their sound and stage presence.

The Teardrops original line up (L to R: Schegel, Dowd, Ippolito, Paugh and Lips)
They were obviously a talented bunch and it wasn't long before they gained musical recognition as they opened as the support band for many now famous artists including Jay & the Americans, Tommy James, The Foundations, The Shirelles, The Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, The Drifters, and many others. Achieving this status is difficult for any band, particularly in such a short space of time and it’s worth noting that that these headline artists are predominantly black. Obviously, they had captured that ‘sound’ which complimented the main performers.

The Teardrops with the Vandellas
Rich DePaulis owned ‘General Talent Associates’, located in Pittsburgh's prestigious Gateway Center. DePaulis booked all the big acts for concerts as well as many of the local bands at the hottest Pittsburgh nightclubs. After hearing the name ‘Teardrops’ mentioned several times, he decided to check them out himself. It was a magical night and a perfect match. Rich DePaulis became not only their new agent, but also their new manager. Very soon, under DePaulis’ guidance The Teardrops were playing all the local hot spots Mondays through Thursdays and hitting the road on the weekends to open for countless top recording artists.
Their first concert came in January 1967, when they opened at the Syria Mosque, which seated 3700, for ‘Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs’ and ‘The Spencer Davis Group’ featuring Steve Winwood. This was possibly Winwood’s last gig before starting his band ‘Traffic’. Over the following three years they opened for a lot of great artists, mainly staying within a reasonable driving distance of Pittsburgh, which sometimes meant New York or Atlantic City. Since there were few large arenas in those days, the venues were mostly universities and there was no shortage of colleges to play at around their base. Many of the headline acts were either from the Pittsburgh or Detroit areas, which made it easy for DePaulis to match The Teardrops with the headline act and the performance venue. Along the way, Wayne Lips, Phil Dowd and Danny Schegel were replaced by Denny Hall, Jimmy DePaul and Chuck Walker. This would be the bands final line-up and the one which recorded their 45.
In January 1967, The Teardrops opened at the fabulously named Thunderbird Lounge, owned by Jim Maxim. The Teardrops took over the Tuesday night spot which used to belong to The Raconteurs. Jim Maxim and the Teardrops developed a great rapport over the next couple of years. He saw the Teardrops' potential and eventually decided to put up the money for the band to do a recording session at a local Pittsburgh studio and in January of 1970 the Teardrops recorded ‘Every Step I Take’.
Whilst mentioning The Raconteurs it would be remiss of me not to tell this story. Tommy James, originally from Michigan, came to Pittsburgh in 1966, after learning that a song he had recorded several years earlier was being played on radio stations all over the Pittsburgh area. Tommy's band, the Shondells, had broken up years earlier, so now Tommy was sitting in Pittsburgh with a huge hit developing, but of course Tommy had no Shondells. One night he walked into The Thunderbird Lounge, where The Raconteurs were playing and thought they sounded pretty good, so when they took a break Tommy walked up and asked if they would like to be the Shondells. They said yes and by the middle of 1966 ‘Hanky Panky’ had hit number one in the charts.
Over the years, the Teardrops opened for Tommy James several times. The original bass player, Danny Schegel, already knew Tommy's bass player, Mike Hale, since they were both from Pittsburgh. They used to get together and jam and share bass riffs. One day Mike Hale told Danny that they (The Shondells) were about to record a song called ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ but he was having trouble coming up with a comfortable bass line for the song. Danny Schegel came up with a bass line that was so laid back it actually dominated the song in the process. Hale loved the riff and used it on the recording and the result can be heard throughout the song. Unfortunately, Schegel was drafted shortly afterward and contact lost.
Back to the Teardrops and the MAX recording. Rich DePaulis was fan of The Hassles and knew their version of the Billy Joel penned 'Every step I take'. He liked the song and considered it a great fit for the band and a hit just waiting to happen. There is no doubt that Billy Joel and his cohorts had written a memorable tune, which builds nicely across the verse and delivers an instantly catchy hook line. Like most good compositions its relatively simple but comparing the two versions there is no doubt The Teardrops took it to a new level with a better arrangement and a musically and vocally better, more soulful delivery. 'Raise your hand' was chosen as the flip as it was an established tune in their repertoire and a fan’s favorite during their live sets at the Thunderbird Lounge. The MAX label was a dedication to Jim Maxim who never asked for a dime of his investment back. Maxim kept the label name and went on to help future bands get started.

Teardrops on Max
DePaulis and Maxim wanted success for their protégées and so the band worked hard promoting the single heavily through concerts and TV appearances, gaining a positive response from the public and music industry insiders alike. As their efforts began to pay off new bookings came in and they were scheduled to open for the likes of Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder and Grand Funk Railroad later in the year. Unfortunately, they were destined never to fulfill their engagements, release further material or achieve the recognition they richly deserved.
The Teardrops publicity photo in concert
The Teardrops disbanded several months after recording ‘Every Step I Take’. Of course, the fact that the song was written by the great Billy Joel didn't mean much at the time, but it would become a great talking point for the remaining band members years later. During the final days there was turmoil and disagreement within the band, which sadly they simply couldn't overcome. Finally, at one rehearsal, they all agreed that it wasn't going to work out and walked away. Only Dave Paugh and Denny Hall kept in contact.
Dave Paugh headed for California in the early 70's and began doing studio work around the L.A. area but missed the live performances. So, he called up his buddy Denny Hall in Elmira, NY and asked if he would like to come to California where the two started a new band called ‘Duck Soup’. It was the 70's and they were about to discover hard rock, funk, disco and any other genre you’d like to name. As Paugh now says “Duck Soup turned out to be the second-best band I ever played in. The Teardrops was like a bad marriage that you never really recover from.” Sam Ippolito later became the front man for The Jaggerz between ’76 to ’77.
The Teardrops and ‘Every step I take’ was lost for many years and could have sunk without trace, which would have been a tragedy for such an excellent group and song. It seems the band were clearly talented and going in the right direction musically and also in career terms. Maybe the Teardrops could have become the Shondells had Tommy James visited The Thunderbird Lounge whilst they were performing – who knows? Fortunately, some three thousand miles away an obscure music scene dedicated to all things soulful heard it, liked it and kept it alive for 40 years appearing on DJ playlists worldwide and appreciated by thousands of fans. Strangely, the 45 has probably been played in more venues than The Teardrops ever played at and I’m sure they would be proud of that achievement. These stories of potential commercial success followed by disagreement and breakdown seem to be so common across our music scene, but it’s something which keeps the interest alive and the collectors continually looking for that obscure local release which nearly made it, and the groups who had their hopes dashed.
In writing this I’d like to thank Dave Paugh of The Teardrops for his enormous help and input on the band and background, with other material being sourced from various internet sources. Dave is aware of the UK and global soul scene and is thrilled about the interest in the band and 45.
Andy MacIntyre
April 20.

artists

By Billy Jo Jim Bob in Articles · April 29, 20205 yr

By Mark Windle (April 2020).
“Looking back, I’m really proud of what we achieved in the 1960s” reflected the late Nelson Lemmond of The Tempests. “We made some great R&B. And played with some great talent too. We never performed with Otis or Wilson. But pretty much everybody else in between. At the end of the day though, things started to change. Otis had died, Martin Luther King had been assassinated. Civil unrest was everywhere and there was a militant atmosphere, even in the more progressive areas of the south. People ended up taking sides.”
This feeling echoes previous comments made by various session musicians and singers through the south, including those at Stax and other studios where white and black musicians and singers previously rubbed shoulders. The 1970s marked now dramatically changing times in the south and throughout the USA. The cusp of the two decades witnessed political unrest through Vietnam War and internal racial tension, demonstrated through riots in Detroit and other urban areas of the north. The musical landscape was also changing. Soul music was evolving. Hard hitting funk became the new musical voice. In the south, artists such as Chicago, Allman Brothers band and southern rock were now popular choices with white radio listeners. Other events happening around the country would also affect R&B programming. Nashville’s WLAC was changing its format. John Richbourg, the purveyor of soul who influenced so many local radio stations across America and including the Carolinas, was to leave in disagreement with the new radio policy. Within a couple of years, the final nail in the Nashville R&B coffin was displacement of the black community to make way for new urbanisation projects, dispersing black culture and music.
The beginning of the new decade saw a dramatic wane in popularity among the white record buying audience for soul music. There would still be clear pockets where the R&B industry would thrive, but these were primarily in the cities of the north and the west where the symbiotic relationship between funk and politics existed. In the south studios had their own issues. Socio-political evolution, revolution, and demand for racial identity bled through musical directions and created a true cultural divide. Bridges built via integrated bands and musicians through the mid to late 1960s were largely burned. Many small white-owned studios of the south would turn their focus to country music and southern rock.
There were some exceptions of course. To survive in the industry, independent studios did have to cater for new musical styles and artists but some, like Charlotte’s Reflections Sound Studios felt it was foolhardy to discard relationships with previous key industry players and artists from the black community, and would still be worth of keeping one eye on the residual R&B market.
All lay quiet for a few years between the last Smash 45 and the next release to appear under The Tempests name. In the interim period, the Branch brothers took up session band and production duties at Reflection Sound Studios on South Boulevard.
Wayne Jernigan was the studio’s creator. He had previously enjoyed popularity and some financial success as the drummer with Ernest Tubbs’ country band. Travelling on the road however had put a major strain on Jernigan’s relationship with his wife, so they took the plunge and moved east from Nashville to Charlotte to start anew, with plans to build a studio. Reflection Sound Studios opened in 1969. Jernigan initially struggled to get studio off the ground recording music only. It also become a place for hire for commercials, jingles and film audio tracks at least until business momentum secured its survival. Paul Scoggins, owner of Paul’s Lounge on the same street which featured several local and national acts, joined forces with Wayne as a silent partner with Jernigan’s production company. Ultimately the studio didn’t save Wayne’s marriage, but the facility would enjoy more than forty years of steady recording success via R&B and mainstream artists such as James Brown, Whitney Houston and Kenny Loggins. Probably its biggest commercial association was in much later years when Georgia college band R.E.M. would work on their Murmur and Reckoning projects which would soon shoot them to global fame. At that point the studio had long since been upgraded to new premises on Central Avenue.
Back in the early 1970s, Wayne Jernigan would perform multiple roles at the studio including management, production and as session musician, but realised a team of similarly talented individuals was needed for the studio to function effectively. With that, Roger and Mike Branch came on board as sessions musicians and also to learn some production skills along with Don Strawn, ex-engineer from Arthur Smiths’ studio.
The late Steve Calfee, guitarist, singer and songwriter with the band Lost Soul who had recorded Secret of Mine and I’m Gonna Hurt You for Raven Records a few years earlier, remembered his time there:
“About 1972 I was performing in a band that was supposed to become the back-up guys for what eventually became The Intruders, the R&B group. That bit didn’t work out unfortunately. Anyway, we went to Reflection Sound to do some tracks for a demo, and to add tracks for a guy called Ronnie Arthurs, who I believed performed and recorded as King Arthur. He was repairing a boat behind the studio for Paul Scoggins during his down-time to pay for the sessions. Wayne Jernigan was our engineer. Roger Branch was in and out at various points. The studio was located right on the highway at the time. As you walked in the front door there was a hallway, a waiting area with some couches and a chair or two. The control room was about twelve by twenty feet and looked out on the studio floor. Across the south end there was a raised stage area along the wall and the main studio floor, with baffles for sound isolation.”
The Cannonball song You Keep Telling Me Yes which enjoyed some popularity on both the beach music and the early northern soul scene was recorded at Reflection Sound Studios. Songwriter and Cannonball member Joe Crayton Clinard Jr. had some professional dealings with both Roger and Mike:
“Roger was always around the studio. We recorded three tracks there as Cannonball. I think he may have been working the board with Wayne Jernigan on No Good To Cry, Sunny Day Today and possibly You Keep Telling Me Yes, though that was recorded a year later. Everything thing was quick in and out in those days to save money. We were on the road when the strings were put on by Duke Hall.”
Jeff Ayres was on the inside: “I recorded at Reflection Sound in ‘74 with Roger. I was probably twenty years old at the time and knew very little about the professional recording process. The thing I remember most was the vintage 414....or at least vintage now...and how much I loved the sound of that mic. Also remember sleeping under the console while Roger was mixing one of our tunes at three or four o’clock in the morning. Does it really take that long? I found out in later years ...it really does take that long!”
Marshall Sehorn, who was originally from North Carolina, and industry partner Allen Toussaint were using Reflection Sound as an interim facility to record some of their own label artists and to edit pre-recorded material whilst waiting to finance their Sea-Saint Studios project in New Orleans. Roger already knew Sehorn and Toussaint through an introduction some years earlier by a Smash representative during promotion of The Tempests recordings. Ron Henderson and Choice of Colour, Wilbert Harrison, Eldridge Holmes and Aaron Neville were among those artists.
A characteristic of Reflection Sound was the multi-talented nature of its studio personnel and artists, as demonstrated by the latter-day discovery by the UK northern soul scene of Choice of Colour’s Your Love recording for ABC APT. The song was co-written and produced by Roger Branch. Washington-born lead singer Ron Henderson (ex-singer with The Orioles, The Spaniels and The True Tones), would not only record his own material with Choice of Colour but would also be employed as backing singer and writer for other artists.
The studio would attract other artists from neighbouring states to utilise the facilities. Arthur Freeman was one example, originally recording Played Out Playgirl years earlier on the custom label Regal in Florida. Freeman would re-record it with better quality production at Reflection Sound. Jernigan was in the habit of shopping demos around of their in-house productions to other labels, but for this recording struggled to find an interested label. Reportedly a desperate result of a financial deal with a local adult movie cinema owner, the 45 appeared first in 1971 on the ultra-rare Asta Arts imprint, then received a much wider distribution shortly after via the long running Nashville label Excello.
Local black singers were represented at the studio by Louis King, who previously appeared as King Louie with the Court Jesters on ‘Doc’ Johnson’s Wilmington Mockingbird label (which also featured The Generation’s version of The O’Jays Hold On). King had most likely been brought to Reflection Sound by Scroggins due to his appearances as a popular act at Paul’s Lounge. On these recordings Roger’s backing band would bring horns and a funk groove to the proceedings to support Louis’ competent baritone vocal.
What was effectively the Reflection Sound house rhythm section adopted the name of Backyard Heavies, for ensuing Scepter releases in 1971 and 1972. Consisting of Roger (guitar), Mike (keyboards), Stan Cecil (keyboards), Mike Russell (bass) and Paul “Mickey” Walker (drums), the band recorded the competent funk instrumentals Soul Junction / Expo 83, and Chitlin’ Strut / Humpin’ ; released as respective 45s. One final recording, Just Keep On Truckin’ was released on Hot Line, a subsidiary of the Cutlass label and essentially a Branch-Sehorn collaboration. Neither the Scepter nor Hotline 45s achieved any particular commercial success. However latter-day hip-hop producer Pete Rock and artist Kanye West would acknowledge the Backyard Heavies through sampling elements of Expo 83 in their respective works The Basement and Runaway.

Copyright E. Mark Windle 2019, 2020. Excerpt from The Tempests: A Carolina Soul Story, available exclusively from A Nickel And A Nail.

By Windlesoul in Articles · April 28, 20205 yr

JUST MAILED OUT TODAY ALL PRE-ORDERS FOR THIS NEW RELEASE :
HR 1516 - DELREYS INCORPORATED :
Destination Unknown -

Crying In My Sleep

£12 + £3 p/p = £15.00 - paypal as f&f please to - hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com
One of the occasions when we will do a 45 previously released on a small regional label in USA - this is one on an obscure Florida label we had lined up for release around 10 years ago.
'A' side is a Cleethorpes era dance winner - there's been a 1972 pretty hard-to-find £500+ original, an alleged boot repress £80+, occasional carvers £30, and a recent Soul Club press.

You now have a beautifully remastered Hit and Run with a quality flip. - pure indulgence on my part - totally brilliant deepsoul featuring Joann Stevens and I'm thrilled to be able to get another deep title out on the label.

releases

By Dewsburyborn in News Archives · April 23, 20205 yr

Just had the following press release sent in from Loveforce International Records
Loveforce International Records is releasing Rita Graham’s version of the Beatles Classic Come Together.
Graham who is a former Ray Charles Raelette and lead singer for Rita & the Tiaras, has had two songs on UK’s Northern Soul charts The first hit was “Gone with the Wind is My Love” performed by Rita a & The Tiaras. It was released in 1967 about the time the Beatles released their Sgt. Pepper’s album. It is included in the Northern Soul top 500 Rocklist. The second song was “My Cup Runneth Over” produced by Ray Charles. It was released in 1969, the same year The Beatles released “Come Together”.
“I think this is the right time for the world to Come Together” said Graham. “Times of crisis often bring people together. We can still come together spiritually even if we can’t come together physically.” She continued.
“It seems things have come full circle” said Loveforce International CEO Mark Thomas, “Ms Graham had a song on the Northern Soul Charts when Come Together came out. Now we’re releasing her version of “Come Together” as well.
The song will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Napster, Deezer, Instgram Stories, Media Net, and Tik Tok.
For further information contact Evan Lovefire at (661) 523-4954.
Links to listen to the song:
Apple Music / iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/come-together-single/1505519107
Spotify:

By Mike in News Archives · April 23, 20205 yr

Cannonball records have a new 45 out in May 2020, available to pre-order right now.
Have a listen below...
CBLL029 The Swans of New England "Cold Like Ice"

More info including pre-ordering via
https://cannonballsoul.com/

By Mike in News Archives · April 20, 20205 yr

LRK Records are super excited to announce we will be releasing the super talented soulful North London based singer Danny Toeman - She's got something about her / Give it all up (Mr. Showtime) on 7" limited edition vinyl.
You can pre order the single here :
https://dannytoeman.bandcamp.com/album/shes-got-something-about-her-vinyl-7-single-45rpm
She's Got Something About Her: Vinyl 7" Single 45rpm by Danny Toeman
When thinking about the true legends of Funk and Soul, a certain archetype and era springs to mind. Inspired by the greats, but forging his own path into unchartered territory, Danny Toeman forces music fans to rethink what it means to be a ‘Soul Man’.  
A vibrant and powerful performer, Danny Toeman seamlessly blends the classic vibes of Funk and Soul’s golden age with his own inimitable London edge that modernises his work, far from the realms of tribute and giving it a fresh ‘neo-vintage’ flavour.   His gravel tones combined with an altitude-defying falsetto set him apart, by creating a sound oozing with character and emotion. With his backing band ‘The Love Explosion’, Danny Toeman stages an electrifying show filled to the brim with feel-good funky soul, designed to make you get on up, and shake the blues outta your shoes!  
To date, Danny Toeman has shared the stage with soul luminaries such as Robert Cray, Betty Wright, and Charles Bradley, and recently supported funk legends Kool & the Gang at the o2 Arena. With recent sold out headline shows, his latest single She's Got Something About Her championed on BBC 6 Music Radio by veteran broadcaster Craig Charles, now is the ideal time to catch a live performance from a true rising star.  
With a charming eccentricity and flair enhancing the awe-inspiring musical gifts that consistently captivate audiences, Danny Toeman is a genuine talent and a thoroughly unique proposition in today’s musical landscape
PRE-SALE LINK: https://dannytoeman.bandcamp.com/album/shes-got-something-about-her-vinyl-7-single-45rpm
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dannytoeman/
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/dannytoeman

By LRK in News Archives · April 18, 20205 yr

Northern Soul Connections #22 - Baltimore
Site note - The most recent Northern Soul Connection of 2020, we are now at #22 in this long running series from Ken B aka Soul Source member @Kenb and this time around the focus is on Baltimore.
Northern Connections #22 not just birthplace of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" Baltimore and its close surroundings was a hotbed for music that became popular for our genre of Soul. The rosta of artists, songwriters, producers, labels, studios, recordings, and music business men and women is a long one and includes the likes of A&D Booking, Soul House, Horizon House & Knights of Maryland Klu Klux Klan, Bay Sound, Recordings Inc, Collection & The Civics, as well as not so many non-music entities such as and Some familiar-some lesser known.

Rod H. Armstrong and Ernie W. Donaldson had started out by attending parties together, and quickly turned that love into a business when they threw a Christmas Gala party in 1970. The second party they put on netted them $1000 which they invested in promoting teenage dances at The Famous Ballroom, in the 1700 Block of N. Charles St. They were both in their mid-thirties, and both worked at The Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, each earning $12K to $1 SK p.a.
In 1971 they took a chance and formed A & D Booking Agency. In 1972 they signed Elanor Mills, The Titans, and The Soft-Tones (managed by Roe-Don Management Company, as too were Chang or & Co) and put Ira Glover on a 10 week tour of Canada leaving July 23rd. In 1973 they brought First Class together, and by 1975 they were grossing ....

You can check out Kens other quality 21 Northern Connections all available via his 'activity' profile page, the link follows below...
More articles from KenB

connections

By Kenb in Articles · April 13, 20205 yr

Obituary

Tony May came from an arts-based family. His father was an actor and classically trained violinist, while his mother was a jazz pianist and composer; she wrote an Ella Fitzgerald 1939 recording. Tony learnt the piano and, as a teenager, tuned them at venues including the Harlem and Brooklyn Apollos and many other top black music night spots. This gave him an insight into the world of contemporary music. A degree course in Physical Education at Temple University didn’t work out - he found the course uninspiring and quit. Musicians had always fascinated him but his first job was in the air force as a technician.

Tony May eventually got into the music business as a humble record store worker, at the legendary Harlem black music store the Record Shack. A similarly unskilled job, at the big publishing organisation BMI, was taken on with the aim of furthering his musical learning. However, he was moved into the accounts department; which wasn’t really the idea. While there he began writing songs on the piano and met a fellow songwriter Naomi Stancil, which led to a recording session; Naomi knew an engineer there. On entering the studio Tony fell in love with the whole milieu and to get into a studio, even if only employed as a lowly gofer, he was prepared to drop his wages from $250 per week to $55. Within a year he was well-versed in recording techniques - his air force training helped. He worked as a full studio engineer first at Adelphi, then at Mira Sound in the Hotel Americana with Brooks Arthur, who was Goffin and King’s main engineer. Later workplaces included DCP for Don Costa and then the top independent studio in town - Bell Sound. He eventually became a master engineer for RCA. His film work on classics such as Barbarella, Cotton Comes To Harlem and Alice’s Restaurant are of particular note. The list of his musical engineering credits are endless but “It’s Your Thing” for the Isleys and the “Into The Mystic” for Van Morrison (recorded live) stand out.

While in the air force, May joined a vocal group that included George Banks, the brother of Larry Banks who was a member of New York vocal group the Four Fellows. While on leave Tony met George’s sister Harriet with whom he fell in love and married. He also became close friends with Larry and the two became life-long buddies. Much of that friendship was based on music, both were songwriters and in 1962 the Four Fellows recorded Tony’s first released number - ‘The City’ for the Pop-Line label. The pair formed Kev-Ton publishing and their next project was the mighty ‘Go Now’ / ‘It Sounds Like My Baby’ session that became a US R&B hit. They then saw the Moody Blues’ cover version of the Larry Banks and Four Fellows-member Milton Bennett’s ‘Go Now’ song chart worldwide. Bessie’s next single was for Spokane, both ‘Do It Now’ and ‘You Should’ve Been A Doctor’ were Banks & May songs and they also produced the tracks. An all-girl group called the Pleasures would be the duo’s next project, they cut three sides which came out over two 45s on RSVP in 1964 and 65. The Pleasures’ lead singer was Joan Bates, later known as Jaibi when she married, wrote and sang with Larry Banks. By 1965 Tony and Larry were at DCP Productions in Manhattan where they cut Larry on ‘I Don’t Wanna Do It’ and ‘I’m Comin’ Home’ when the proposed singer, Kenny Carter, didn’t make the session. Tony then teamed up with Teddy Randazzo at DCP and wrote ‘You’re Not That Girl Anymore’, for Little Anthony. It was only used as an LP track, so Randazzo recorded it himself on 45, then Tony and Teddy wrote the beautiful ‘It’s A Big Mistake’ for the Royalettes, which was issued on MGM. Tony also cut Gayle Harris’ ‘Here I Go Again’ for DCP in 1965.

By 1966 Tony May was a full-time engineer at most of the major facilities in Manhattan. Though he continued to write, usually with Larry, he used the pseudonym Anthony Cotto to keep his two types of work separate. It was a name he told me he adapted from the actor Yaphet Kotto. He had first used it as a co-composer along with his own real name for ‘The City’ in 1962; that was an odd thing to do – maybe Yaphet actually did have a hand in that first published work. He wrote as Anthony Cotto for the Geminis and Kenny Carter at RCA. In 1967 he reverted to Tony May when he composed and produced three more tunes, on his own, for Bessie Banks. Two were released on Verve - ‘I Can’t Make It Without You’ and ‘Need You’, the first of which became popular among UK soul fans belatedly in the 70s. The third song ‘Don’t Just Tell Me’ was unissued but was recut by Marian Love and featured on her 1972 LP that Tony produced in its entirety. The same year he wrote ‘Do You Feel It’ for the Joe Cuba Sextet on Tico. He also produced the Brazilian musician Hermito on an album in 1970 and the Brazilian jazz drummer Airto and the Voices Of Joy’s Paramount 45 in 1971. There was teo final productions of gospel LPs, one by Andrea Vereeen & The St Marks Choir in 1974 and Nat Townsley Jr’s “I Fell In Love With God” on ABC/Peacock.

As the years passed Tony fell out of love with the music industry to a large degree; having to engineer an endless list of “Now That’s What I Call Music” CDs will do that to a man with taste. But he was proud of the music he and his soul mate Larry created throughout their lives. When Larry died Tony was devastated and the loss of his loving wife Harriette only a year later meant he had a very tough time.

Ross Anthony May passed away 18th March 2020

By Ady Croasdell in Articles · April 11, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle April 2020.

The passing of Edwin James Balbier a couple of years ago went virtually unnoticed in UK northern scene circles: indeed few outside of the industry will recall his name. Yet, this individual would be the unwitting driving force behind one of the most popular soul re-issue (if brief) label imprints of the 1970s, even if it was the company’s younger soul music enthusiast employees who shaped the nature of the label arm of the operation.
Balbier’s initial interests did not lie in soul music, but more generally in the oldies market. Born in 1930, the Philadelphian had an early career in the US Air Force, then turned to retail and wholesale record business in Philly in the 1960s. Balbier arrived on UK shores in 1971 with his familial entourage of nine children to explore making a living in record importing and sales. The move to Manchester in 1971 wasn’t an overnight success, but he was a determined man with a strong work ethic and a desire to provide the best for his large family.
“Global Records was one of the first companies to import records into the UK” comments Rick Cooper, one-time employee of Ed Balbier’s empire. “Ed owned a couple of record stores in Philly in the early 60s. By the mid-60s he was a distributor of indie labels and then moved into the oldies and deletions business. Somehow, he must have found out that his warehouse full of old records was worth more in the UK than the US. Maybe UK collectors started turning up at his warehouse. Global was set up in a small basement on Corporation Street in Manchester city centre. His eldest son Eddie Jr. stayed in Philly keeping the house going and the warehouse operating. Ed never set out to specialise in northern soul. His main business was country, rock and pop albums and oldies singles. However he knew it was worth employing someone who could pick the titles that were in demand. Derek Howe was one of the first to work there, then Barry Tasker and Richard Searling. Barry was one of the best DJs in the early days and gave Richard his big break at Manchester's Pendulum Club. I landed a part time job at Global and was full time by 1973. By then Balbier had moved to larger premises on Princess St. and finally to the whole basement of an office block off Oxford St. This was about the size of a football pitch and could hold a huge number of records.”
Global’s first priority was to establish the importing side of its business:
“Balbier would go to the States every five or six weeks. He’d stay in Philly and use the warehouse as a collection and packing facility. Two or three times a year he would send a container by sea freight instead of the usual air freight. These would be filled with anything he picked up cheap, both singles and albums. I don't know where he bought them from but was probably smart enough not to buy anything that had already been picked clean. The singles always had some great stuff but not massive quantities. I wouldn't have time to play every unknown title so probably missed some good stuff. Also northern soul was still a fairly narrow genre so even playing everything I couldn't have predicted the future moves through mid-tempo, beat ballads, R&B and funk-edged soul. The best container had multiple copies of Eddie Spencer, Tobi Lark, Mikki Farrow, Jimmie Soul Clarke and most of the Miracle label. One-offs I remember were International GTOs, Gwen and Ray, and Michael and Raymond. I got quite a few unknowns but just kept them rather than selling them to DJs. Several of these eventually received plays at Stafford all-nighters and beyond.
I went to the States with Balbier a couple of times. This should have been a dream come true but was very disappointing. I would have to get up very early, be driven up to eighty miles to huge warehouses full of albums, spend eight hours sorting boxes looking for country and rock music, then get back late at night, exhausted. On my last trip with Global to the States, I was sent on my own. Another employee called Will, was already there. He was living in the Philly warehouse, sleeping in a tiny little room with instructions to never leave after dark. I flew in and was met by Ed’s son. As it was late, I stayed with him that night at the family house in the suburbs. Next day I got the train to inner city Philly to meet Will. As I was leaving the train station a young man approached me, asking the time. Being a young naive Brit I stopped to tell him. He grabbed my jacket, pulled out my wallet, took the contents and calmly walked off. No guns, knives or any violence so I wasn't too bothered especially as it wasn't my money he took. I got to look through books of mug shots at the police station and ride around in a cop car looking for the guy, but we didn’t find him. The warehouse work involved a ten- or eleven-hour day sorting albums with hardly any time to look for singles - even though there were thousands. Also it was February and -15C at night. All I wanted to do was keep warm with a beer in that tiny office. Looking back I should have spent time going through some of paperwork and files.”
Back in Manchester the imported sales were doing well. Record collectors would turn up at the huge basement location to pick up old recordings and to see what had just been imported, and mail order facility was provided. An occasional mail order list was available for customers with around a dozen pages of singles and albums. Ed Balbier focussed on the numbers end of the business, whilst day to day sales and customer contact were left to his employees. Balbier quickly become suspicious if any large orders were received. Panicking that the product was under-priced, items would routinely be marked as “out of stock” until the next list, by which time the price tag would be increased.
“The titles in large quantities were listed for wholesale to shops and northern titles listed on a ‘specials’ list. There was also loads of other stock that was lying around. Some of this had been roughly sorted by artist for unlisted collectors’ stock. The idea was that if someone asked what they had by, say James Brown, it was easy to find a large selection. This proved handy when something started getting played by a known artist on the northern scene. I got “Landslide” as soon as Ian Levine played it by simply going to the Tony Clarke section. Same for The Coasters’ “Crazy Baby”, Gene Chandler’s “Mr Big Shot” and The Van Dykes on Mala. Barry Tasker and Richard Searling got plenty of good stuff before me, so it was really when new stock arrived that I got the best records.”
So to the label arm of Global Records. Back in the 1960s Balbier was not entirely unaware of the soul music market as he distributed a number of independent labels back in Philadelphia, including stock running into the thousands of The Precisions’ “If This Is Love” on Drew. Balbier’s professional connections with Bernie Binnick, owner of Swan Records would be the root of the inception of Global’s foray into label releases and the eventual Cream imprint. Ed had acquired some Swan material from Bernie on ¼” mono tapes and ½” studio masters. Rick Cooper took the tapes to a former BBC sound engineer in Altringham who had facilities to deal the ½” tape. The engineer mixed the material including some instrumental versions of particular tracks and pressed up some 2-3 acetates of each track.
Global’s first two pressings replicated the Swan logo, as part of the requirement of the agreed licencing contract. These were The Guys From Uncle “The Spy” (UK Swan S-4240), a popular Wigan Casino instrumental at the time, and The Modern Redcaps “Never Too Young To Fall In Love” (UK Swan S-4243).
As these sold well, Ed Balbier supported Rick’s idea to set up a label dedicated to releasing further content. There was still Swan material left to utilise, and a new label imprint meant that sourced from other labels could be considered. With that, Cream was born.
Swan output was further represented via Eddie Carlton “It Will Be Done” (Cream 5001), which was mixed from a four-track session master tape. The instrumental version was chosen to replace “Misery” which appeared on the original 45. Cream 5003 would complete the Swan product, featuring The Jaywalkers’ up-tempo “Can’t Live Without You”, and on the flip, an instrumental version of Sheila Ferguson’s “Heartbroken Memories”.
James Fountain’s “Seven Day Lover” (CRM 5002) would be Cream’s biggest seller. Rick felt the time was right to choose this as the inaugural release. In many ways a ground breaker for the northern soul scene with its heavy funk bassline, it was near the peak of its popularity with the original Peachtree format being played by DJs at various events across the country. The time was also right to market a legitimate reissue as demand had not been affected by bootlegging.
“William Bell owned the Peachtree recordings. He wasn’t exactly hard to get a hold of, being a public figure. I contacted him by letter, we drew up a contract. The contract was fairly simple. He confirmed he had the right to licence out the recording. Global agreed to pay an advance and an amount per record when sales had covered the advance. The rights were exclusive for three years. We started pressing and did lot of promotional work was done on this one. Advertisements were placed in Black Echoes and Black Music magazines. We even tried to get national distribution through the major labels, including CBS. In the end they didn’t want to commit, so we supplied directly though Global. Some high street shops picked it up also, like HMV and Boots. The first pressing run of 5000 sold within a week, so we followed it up with another 5000, and then another 2-3000. We must have sold up to 11000 in the end.”
Enter American #2; Irving Weinroth. Irving, a local Judge and his son had been co-owners of the US Party Time label in the 1960s, which had featured the Showstoppers on “Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party” and The Four Perfections “I’m Not Strong Enough”. Both groups were known on the UK northern soul scene for these recordings and would make easy choices for release.
“He was the person I dealt with for leasing The Showstoppers and The Four Perfections” says Rick. “At the time Irving was out of the record industry. He told me that the Party Time label had been set up for his son some years before. I guess Irving provided the money to try to get his son into the record business. I met him at the North Broad St. warehouse in Philly. He mentioned the producer listed on the Four Perfections record, Kip Gainsborough, was a made-up name from Kip their dog and the street they lived on. Maybe they did this to hide some-one under contract to another label, who knows. He gave me a copy of the Four Perfections and a couple of unreleased Showstoppers tracks. The instrumental version of “I’m Not Strong Enough” on the flip of the Cream release was mixed at Grand Prix studios by Walt Khan, the producer of Life’s “Tell Me Why”.”
Johnny Jones and the King Kasuals’ funked-up version of “Purple Haze” would see a simultaneous release in 1976 on both UK Brunswick and Cream:
“Around the same time, “Purple Haze” was becoming popular in the northern clubs. The original US Brunswick stated it was a Peachtree record, produced by William Bell, not a Peachtree recording (the usual term). We felt this inferred that Peachtree retained more ownership than merely producing the record. I asked William if we could licence “Purple Haze” for release on Cream in the UK. He told us he had owned the recording, so we exchanged contracts and had the record pressed. About two weeks later Decca issued “Purple Haze” on UK Brunswick. We sought legal advice and informed Decca that we had exclusive rights to release the record, through William Bell. The only way we could prove this claim was to refer to William Bell’s contract with US Brunswick. I phoned him and said he’d try to find it. Time was running out as Decca was already selling their record as well as threatening a court injunction. I was on the phone to William Bell every day for about a week to see if he had found the contract. Eventually we decided to withdraw our release of the record as the contract couldn’t be located. I don’t know if Ed Balbier sorted the money side with Bell, maybe he refunded the advance. Whatever, I don’t remember any animosity between Global and William Bell.
One of the DJ's from Amsterdam used to take any deep soul stuff I had at Global. Millie's records bought loads. Loads of the stuff sold by Global to the Netherlands was originally surplus stock we’d bought from John Anderson’s Soul Bowl. I was sent three or four times in the mid 70's to Norfolk in the largest van you could drive without an HGV licence. John Anderson took me to what looked like an old village primary school a few miles out of King’s Lynn. This was packed with 45's. We loaded up the van as much as possible paying about 1p per disc. Back at Global I'd play through them and send samples off to customers in Holland. They would order hundreds at 75p each. We must have got tens of thousands of records from Soul Bowl but not one was in any way ‘northern soul’. John must have been the most thorough dealer of them all. Most people would have let a few slip through. One load was the remains of his Sue/Symbol/Eastern label buy. We also approached William Bell again for a contract to press one thousand copies of Mitty Collier’s “Share What You Got / I’d Like To Change Places” (UK Peachtree P 122) from the original master tape, to sell to the Netherlands. A few copies of that ended up in HMV in Manchester, the rest went to Millie's.
“I left Global after a disagreement with Ed Balbier just after The Showstoppers’ record came out on Cream” continues Rick Cooper. “I'd done the work on the record. It was getting good reviews in the music press and I had been busy sending out promos. Ed then told me that the record, and all previous releases on Cream, were to be sold at the top price charged for US issues and not the same as the usual UK label price. From memory I think this would be 75p instead of 59p. This would mean the price in the shops would be at least £1.25, same as US pressings. This to me was crazy as the whole point of setting up the label was to get records into the big chains such as Boots, HMV, Smiths and Woolworths. They would have never allowed one label's singles to sell at higher prices. If Ed wanted the higher price it would have been simpler just to get the records from the US via the owner or label. We did this for plenty of titles- Carstairs, Oscar Perry, Nasco, Jamie Guyden etc. These sold well in specialist shops but were not really worth issuing on Cream. This is how Inferno, Grapevine, Selectadisc and Black Magic worked it with their records, so I couldn’t understand why Ed thought he could do it differently. We also stocked The Showstoppers’ original record in large quantities at Global, so what was the point of the Cream release. Seemed bloody stupid. I left Global in 1976 and sold most of my own collection to fund a trip to the States. Global would eventually close in the late 1980s. Yanks was the name used for the retail part of the Manchester warehouse, situated in the same premises but set out more like a shop with records in racks. His son, Gregg, was more involved with this but this was after I'd left. Roger Banks helped Ed sort out and price up the stock as northern started its comeback”
So, the epilogue: much of the remaining stock and tapes were eventually sold to Rollercoaster Records, where Dave Flynn remembers initially stored the stock in an attic lorry trailer in a field before moving indoors to a low ceiling ladies clothing store in Cirencester. Robinson's Records also apparently accrued some of the stock. Ed Balbier returned to the US, around ten years after his first wife Anna had passed away. He retired from the business in the 1980s, settling in Denver, Colorado but still took the time to travel the world. He passed away in September 2018, aged 87. His obituary reads: “Edwin is survived by his second wife Gloria, his nine children, eleven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He will be remembered for his demanding work ethic, love of travel and decaf mocha!”

Copyright 2020 E. Mark Windle, A Nickel And A Nail and Soul Music Stories e-zine.
Acknowledgements: Rick Cooper, Richard Searling, Pete Smith, Roger Banks, Neil Rushton, Ian Cunliffe, Dave Flynn, Dave Moore.

labels

By Windlesoul in Articles · April 10, 20205 yr

New Diggin' Deep 45 - Joe Johnson out 24th April. Available for pre-order now, release date 24th April 2020. Read and listen...
Joe Johnson "I’ve Done No Wrong" / "Trust In Me"

NEW FROM DIGGIN’ DEEP RECORDS
THE ONE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
THE NEWEST ‘DIGGIN’ DEEP’ LIMITED EDITION 45
RELEASE DATE FRIDAY 24th APRIL 2020
TWO RARE AND PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE SIDES FROM NEW YORK CITY USA.
SHOWCASING THE TALENTS OF JOE JOHNSON & WARREN SCHATZ.
AVAILABLE TO PRE ORDER NOW!
Can You Dig It?
DD011A Joe Johnson ‘I’ve Done No Wrong’
DD011B Joe Johnson ‘Trust In Me’
It is with great pleasure that we announce the latest Diggin’ Deep 45. A new release and two beautiful sides, to lift your spirits and feed your soul!
Both these tracks are from the vast repertoire of Warren Schatz in New York City. The maestro who brought us The Brothers ‘Are You Ready For This’, The Voice Box ‘I Want It Back Your Love’, The Third Time Around ‘Soon Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’, The American Youth Choir ‘Keep Your Fine Self Near Me’, Evelyn Champagne King ‘Shame’ and many more!

JOE JOHNSON – I’VE DONE NO WRONG / TRUST IN ME (Written by Robert G Maxwell)
Joe Johnson was born May 18th 1950 in Dixie Georgia, just about as far south as a person can get before hitting the Gulf of Mexico. As a young child he attended Georgia Baptist Church, where he watched his mother and grandmother singing. He knew in his earliest years that he wanted to sing more than anything else.
Aged seven his family moved to New York where he was exposed to popular music for the first time, a very different style of music to what he had been used to.
Away from the south, Joe lost interest in singing until in December 1959 when he visited Georgia to see family for Christmas. Finally, he felt back home, listening to good southern music once again, in the environment he had grown up in. It would be 1963 before he returned to New York, aged just thirteen years old. And he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life…. sing southern soul music.
In the early 70s, a friend who heard him sing said that he should try to get a recording deal and suggested he should go to Associated Recording on Broadway where many artists went to record demos. It was there that he met Warren Schatz, who at the time was a young engineer working at the studio. Warren had a track of a song he had just finished called “Keep Your Fine Self Near Me”, which he asked the young Joe Johnson to sing. Schatz and his writing partner Stephen Schlaks had just finished a demo of a song of Steve’s called “Together We Can Make It”, which the publisher, George Pincus of Gil Music had placed with Polydor for release under the name of the American Youth Choir. They decided to use Joe’s recording of “Keep Your Fine Self Near Me” as the “B” side. The record gained a 45 release in the UK, as well as the USA and fans of Northern Soul will remember it getting occasional spins in the mid 70’s.
Around that time Warren Schatz was publishing songs by The Main Ingredient (formerly the Insiders) who were with RCA and one of their writers, Robert Maxwell had written two new songs: “Trust In Me” and “I’ve Done No Wrong”. Warren and Robert had previously worked together and a couple of years earlier had recorded a demo of “Baby, Don’t You Know That I Love You” backed with “I Want It Back (Your Love)” by the Voice Box for Loma Records. Warren finished recording the background tracks for the two new sides and decided to try Joe on those as well as ‘Keep Your Fine Self Near Me’. The result was two further fabulous soul sides combining the sublime blend of a big city arrangement, instrumentation and production with the rich southern timbre and raw emotion of Joe Johnson.
Warren knew he had something, but having nowhere to place the tracks at the time, decided to private press just a handful of discs to get around to DJ’s, aiming to create some interest in Joe. He said “I think I just enjoyed seeing my name on a record. But nothing happened. I got busy. They never got to the DJ’s and the project ended”
Right after that Schatz and Johnson somehow lost contact and their gem of a record was shelved and put away. Until now.
Diggin’ Deep are proud to bring you the first official label release of this absolutely wonderful Warren Schatz hidden gem; Joe Johnson ‘I’ve Done No wrong’ c/w ‘Trust In Me’.
Please take a few minutes to listen to the promotional video.
Both sides are now available on a beautifully mastered 45.
DD011 collector’s release is a limited pressing @ just £12 each plus postage and packing.
Avoid Disappointment. Pre-order ON WEBSITE ONLY now, while stocks last: www.Diggin-Deep.com First come, first served.
Diggin’ Deep Records – Sheffield, England. Making available a series of excellent Soul recordings from the 60’s and 70’s, most of which will be released as a limited edition 45 for the very first time, and the occasional, carefully selected, re-issue. Many more titles are already lined up for limited future release. Keep informed by collecting the vinyl, joining the mailing list, visiting the website and social media pages regularly and ensure you’re among the first to know!
https://www.Diggin-Deep.com

By Sean Hampsey in News Archives · April 8, 20205 yr

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel is a new biopic that premieres on the US Tv Network Lifetime this weekend April 11th 2020
Should be available to those who can view US Tv, hopefully a Uk showing will follow soonest?

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel
Premieres April 11 at 8/7c

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, from executive producers and Grammy Award winners Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott, premieres April 11 at 8/7c.
The authorized musical of incomparable gospel singers, The Clark Sisters, recounts the story of the highest selling female gospel group in history and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark (Aunjanue Ellis).
Credited with bringing Gospel music to the mainstream, the five Clark sisters (Christina Bell as “Twinkie,” Kierra Sheard as “Karen,” Sheléa Frazier as “Dorinda,” Raven Goodwin as “Denise,” Angela Birchett as “Jacky”) overcame humble beginnings in Detroit, enduring abuse, loss, rejection, betrayal, and sibling rivalries to achieve international fame as icons of the Gospel music industry.
Trailer | The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of the Gospel | April 11, 2020

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel | Dorinda Clark Sings | April 11, 2020 | Lifetime

By Source Team in News Archives · April 8, 20205 yr

Regretfully we have had to cancel this years event due to the protracted Corona virus outbreak. Tour operators, airlines and government guidelines have made announcements saying there will be no tourists arriving to Ibiza until at least the 1st June and we are desperately dissapointed for everyone in the UK and Europe who had booked for this great event. I have heard from many of you who are already being offered refunds or dates changes from the operators which is good news as some folk having already changed dates with airlines for next years Modified Ibiza which will be from the 21st to 25th May this does not clash with May bank holiday as that is on the 31st.
Thanks for your support and encouragement over the years and we will continue this cracking event for many years to come, Best wishes to everyone Steve

By Ibiza Steve in Event News · April 8, 20205 yr

Kings Of Soul, following discussion about a recent BBC show that was titled 'Kings Of Soul', I thought it may be interesting to see what our own Soul Source members take on such a format would be...
So after an all in members shout, we managed to get hold of a load of single artist and video nominations, allowing us to put all the selections together into a Youtube video playlist.
The Final result is here...
Soul Source Members - Kings Of Soul Video Playlist 2020

Just press 'play' and all selections should play automatically (you can use the arrows to "skip/replay"}
Members 'king of soul' shouts, the complete list of all our nominations
1 Bobby Womack - Lookin for a love - @Seano
2 Otis Redding - Try a little tenderness - @Bo Diddley
3.Paul Williams - For Once In My Life - @Firecrest
4. Jeff Perry - Love Don't Come No Stronger - @Tomangoes
5. Johnnie Taylor - Who's making love - @Shinehead
6. David Ruffin - Walk Away From Love - @Jaco
7 Jerry Butler - Only The Strong Survive - @Soulfusion
8. Jackie Wilson - Higher and Higher - @tiberius
9. Levi Stubbs - Ask The Lonely - @MikeHump
10 Little Anthony - Hurt So Bad - @davebanks
11. Wilson Pickett - Don't knock my love @Hayden Road
12. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On - @Mike
13. Dells - Does Anybody Know I'm Here - @Smudger
14, Luther Vandross - A house is not a home @Daved
15 Little Milton - Grits Ain't Groceries @Martin L
@Speedlimit and @Soul Shrews couldn't use both nominations as needed a video nomination as well for the video playlist aspect

Thanks and hats off to all who shared their choices, and assisted in putting this together.

soul source

By Mike in News Archives · April 7, 20205 yr

UPDATE: THE 5th BLACKPOOL INTERNATIONAL SOUL FESTIVAL.
Firstly, thanks for your patience and understanding over recent weeks. In these exceptionally difficult times we have taken the difficult decision to postpone the event which was due to take place over the weekend of June 12th-14th.
The re-scheduled date, when we will come back bigger and stronger than ever, is confirmed for June 18th-20th, 2021.
All tickets already purchased for June 2020 will now be automatically transferred to this new date.
We have spent the recent days talking with all the artists who were due to appear this year, and we can now confirm that Maxine Brown, Barbara Mason, G C Cameron and Jimmie Delphs have all agreed to appear next year, and, to ensure that it's our best event to date in 2021, I have also secured the services of three more legends of our music : Betty Harris, Darrow Fletcher and Dean Parrish!
So, seven wonderful American acts for us all to look forward to in June 2021!
If you require any further information on the ticketing side of things, please email to: ticketquery@wgbpl.co.uk
Please be patient whilst your query is dealt with as the venue are currently dealing with other rescheduled events. For their added safety, the team there are all working remotely at the moment, but please be assured that we value your support.
Please note: We will soon be on sale to NEW customers for June 2021 at NEW prices, and we will keep everyone updated on this via our website: https://www.blackpoolsoulfestival.co.uk
Of course we would have loved to run as planned this June and to welcome you all to one of the most eagerly-anticipated soul weekenders on the calendar, but we are determined to come back stronger than ever next year, when we are all in a better place and ready to celebrate all together, in style.
Sending love and hope to you all,
The Blackpool International Soul Festival team.

By Goldsoul in Event News · April 6, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle. March 2020

When I asked reissue / retrospective soul label owner Garry Cape about the motivating factors for his 2020 return to the soul market with the reactivation of his Hit and Run label series, issues of mortality seemed to be at the top of the list:
“I guess it had something to do with my good friend John Anderson becoming ill and passing away recently. It made me think. I’d had some health issues a few years back. What if I was gone? I generally work alone. So I’m sitting on a bunch of unreleased recordings that would potentially never see the light of day, and that would be a real shame.”
The Garry J. Cape story starts in the early to mid-1960s. Garry is a name well known to a number of soul fans and record collectors across a number of scenes, both through independent activities and his collaborations with John Anderson. I read a comment somewhere that the northern soul scene found these two individuals, not the other way around; reflecting their eclectic taste for a wide range of deep sweet and southern soul, some which fitted the northern scene perfectly even if not by design:
“Where do I start? I have an interest in all things Americana. My first entry into the world of soul in the 1960s was an appreciation of American music through hearing cover versions by UK artists on the radio and TV as a schoolkid. My longer-term interest was probably initiated through being hooked on the Stax and Atlantic R&B releases of the time. I was at an age where you wanted to stand out as an individual. Whilst most of my friends were interested in Detroit and Chicago sounds it felt like I was the only around who was immersed fully in the southern soul, and I was doing that by buying imports. Most kids I knew who were into soul would go straight to the Dave Godin pages when the Blues and Soul magazine came out. For me, it was the John Abbey section. Southern soul was his thing and it struck a chord with what I was listening to at the time. I was soon buying from Ernie Young’s mail-order from Nashville, and Stan’s in Shreveport, Louisiana. It took an age to order and receive these records from the States, but I was still generally getting them before any happened to be issued on UK labels. I turned my hand to buy and selling records to schoolmates.”
Eventually Garry left school to work for the civil service in the tax office, while continuing to deal in record sales on an informal, part time basis. The first move toward reissuing music possibly originated from his mail order dealings with Ernie Young in Nashville. Young owned the legendary Excello records, home of licenced in swamp blues as well as local R&B, gospel and eventually soul music.
Ernie’s Record Mart was located on 179 Third Avenue. Ernie Young (the uncle of WSOK founder Cal Young) was primarily interested in selling records but used his own shop to set up the gospel orientated Nashboro label and then Excello a year later. Excello was to become one of the most successful and prolific Nashville early R&B labels. Ted Jarrett, in his biography “You Can Make It If You Try”, commented on the cramped conditions artists had for recording at Ernie’s place; gospel would be recorded on the bottom floor of the shop with a simple microphone set up, and R&B upstairs in a small room. DJ Morgan Babb would broadcast his show from Ernie Young’s record shop window in the early 1950s. At its peak a decade or so later, around a thousand mail orders were reported to processed on a daily basis, including soul 45s sent to collectors in the UK and Europe.
A symbiotic relationship existed between Ernie Young and DJ John Richbourg who worked for Nashville’s WLAC radio station, one of the first in the US to broadcast R&B. Since the 1940s WLAC had a 50,000 wattage broadcasting capability, enabling twenty-eight states to receive a signal; reaching parts of Canada and the tip of Southern Florida. The primary intention of WLAC from the outset was to serve the relatively untapped black audience across the deep south. As “race music” became labelled R&B, Richbourg would run night-time shows, when the broadcasting signal was strongest. The coverage by WLAC had, in a literal sense, far-reaching effects. The station played a major part in giving teenagers – black and white - access to soul music in the south, and Richbourg would promote Ernie Young’s record mail order business on air.
Richbourg first got a taste for the recording business by using WLAC’s studio facilities to record gospel music, then gradually other facilities at Stax and American Recording Studios in nearby Memphis. His preference moved progressively towards recording R&B and soul acts, both for his own label in the early 1960s, and for lease to third party labels, culminating in a partnership with Monument owner Fred Foster which took the Sound Stage 7 label to great heights. In terms of soul music releases, Sound Stage 7 was certainly one of the most prolific to come out of Nashville, featuring Joe Simon, Ann Sexton, Roscoe Shelton, Roscoe Robinson, Jackey Beavers, The Avons, The Valentines, Latimore Brown and several others. Richbourg’s production and artist management skills and activities were pooled under the J.R. Enterprises banner. Raw local talent and in-leasing of artists from other parts of Tennessee and the cities of the north ensured longevity for the label.
A departure from WLAC occurred in 1973 after disagreeing with the station’s decision to change musical programming towards a mainstream pop format. Richbourg’s attention turned to creating new labels, Seventy Seven and Sound Plus. He was still utilising some artists from the Sound Stage 7 days, but also finding new singers like Ann Sexton. As he owned the old masters as part of the severance deal with Fred Foster (when Foster decided to close the label to concentrate on his country music interests), he was also in a position to reissue tracks.
“I'd already been doing quite a bit of business with John Richbourg by mail starting in the mid-1970s. At that point I was about the only English dealer selling to Japan” Garry remembers. “He started reissuing a lot of deep soul from Sound Stage 7 on his Sound Plus label. I also developed a market in Holland with the Surinam guys who were into the same stuff and was buying thousands of Sound Plus 45s from him by this time. I met John face to face in Louisiana in 1978. He had a brother in New Orleans, so he drove down from Nashville and we had spent some time together. He was a great guy, always very courteous. He tried to sell me his masters but I declined. Seems kinda nuts now but at that time he'd just leased them to Japan who had produced a range of related LPs. I also had J.R. repress several things for me which he had not already done. Sometimes they would be on Sound Plus. Sometimes they would end up being on his other label Seventy Seven as he had thousands of untitled labels which he needed to use up! I recall having him press me 5,000 copies of Ann Sexton - I sold half of them in the UK for the Northern side and the others in Holland and Japan for the deep flip.”
Now in his late twenties, Garry had to make a career decision. “I was at the point where I was ready to take on record dealing full time. I’ve never liked to be idle and found that I was working on the day job all day and spending every evening selling records. I was young enough to take a risk. I knew I had the income tax career to fall back on if things didn’t work out. For the first few years things went well. I was importing records from the US and selling to the UK, Europe and Japan, trading as Black Grape.”
Hit and Run, the first Cape-owned imprint, was also established during this time. Garry was in touch with Stewart Madison of Alarm Records in Shreveport, Louisiana. Madison would eventually move onto Malaco, and Garry does not deny the impact Madison had on opening various doors to artists and unreleased material over subsequent decades. For Hit and Run 5001 “Married Lady” / “Are You Living With The One You’re Loving With?” by Murco recording artist Eddie Giles was chosen. Both sides did see a 45rpm release in 1973 (Alarm 106), though most subsequent releases would consist of unissued songs from Bobby Sheen, Bobby Patterson, Erma Shaw and others.
“Hit and Run has always been around, I’ve always kind of had it as a label. Pressing runs were usually around 500 each time. A short series of 45rpm releases also appeared on Special Agent. I did these for the Dutch market, who were interested in deep soul and I’d been asked for certain recordings. For that reason I kept the imprint separate from Hit and Run. It was basically more of a straight-forward business arrangement providing a service for a third party, and carried releases from artists like the Ohio Players, Herman Hitson, Johnny Adams and Percy Milem. Eventually I had issues with the people from Holland, and things came to an end when they started sourcing their own artists.”
By the early 1980s, Garry was finding it harder to sell 45s. He returned to his income tax career, and thought it was time to sell his stock. “In my head at the time I just wanted out of the game. I attempted to sell it all to Soulbowl but even John was finding it hard for while at least. So, it was another ten years in the tax office full time, with little activity in soul music business for me. Then in the mid-nineties tax office were scaling things down – they offered a redundancy package and I took that to start importing 45s again in 1996.
“Both John Anderson and I were importing stuff together over thirty years, going back and forward to the US. We kept running into each other because of the nature of the work and we’d turn up at the same music festivals. We both had stuff that we wanted to put out. I’d say the two individuals who have influenced my career directions in the soul label field have been John Abbey and John Anderson. I was never into hardcore northern soul as such and didn’t necessarily follow John Anderson from the angle of digging for hard to find 45s. But he was like an older brother to me who I respected and admired for the business he had established over the decades.
A ‘new’ Grapevine label seemed to be a logical vehicle for our collaboration. Initially John wasn’t keen on the idea, thinking Grapevine imprint was done and dusted as a concept. But I felt that adopting the name would be a positive. Eventually we settled on Grapevine 2000. We became formal business partners setting up the Grapevine Music Group and released over sixty 45s and thirty-five CDs over a seven-year period. Grapevine only came to an end, when John had a desire to move into more contemporary recordings. Soul Junction was started to deal with this product. I eventually came out of it and Dave Welding stepped in with John to continue the label.”
Grapevine 2000 would showcase an eclectic mix of recordings including rare 1960s soul such as The Magnetics and The Servicemen, and unissued or hard-to-find 1970s / modern soul recordings such as Guitar Ray, Sandra Wright and Choice of Colour.
The Soulscape CD series was to be the next venture for Garry, aiming towards a southern soul market:
“I had access to the master tapes from Malaco. They had purchased the songs owned by Muscle Shoals Sound song writers. I found all these song writer demos – literally thousands of them. Admittedly certain tracks you only needed to hear for five seconds and - wow - no thanks. But lots of great quality material too. Listening through all the tapes was a hard slog but I am particularly proud of getting two albums out on George Jackson and another two by Philip Mitchell, both presenting recordings from their 1972-74 period. Another achievement for me was finding Mary Gresham. Previously she was unheard off; she did have a couple of singles out but they were by her and her ex-husband. There are some great tracks on her album “Voice from the Shadows” (Soulscape SSCD7008). I released a couple of them on 45: “I’ll Never Let You Walk Alone Again” / “You’ve Never Really Loved Until You’ve Loved Someone” (Hit and Run 1501). I don’t think I have any product which didn’t turn out the way I wished. I’m not going to put something out if I don’t have faith in it. Otherwise it just isn’t worth the effort. Also to be fair I had a lot of quality material at my disposal. As I was in and around the Shoals area generally, other doors opened up for me which gave me access to future projects. I could never break into the FAME thing though as I think Rick Hall was holding out for too high a price for his stuff. Despite that, the Soulscape series was pretty successful, and I ended up doing thirty-one CD titles in the end.
I returned to the Hit and Run label in 2009. I was still getting calls about the Soulscape CDs and being asked if had I any plans about doing some 45s from them. So I put out a few which did well. A heart attack around that time though required a change in what I was doing. Health professionals were telling me to cool off a little. I was constantly travelling to the US, maybe four or five times a year and always on the go. I had to make some lifestyle changes. I still kept an ear to the soul scene but slowed right down. People would keep asking for the old Soulscape CDs, vinyl and the possibility of releasing more tracks. But again I was out of it….until now. John Anderson’s passing made me reflect on my position. I’ve nearly always worked alone, and somebody needs to put this stuff out in case it’s lost forever. With that, the Hit and Run label is now reactivated from 2020.
The focus has always been southern soul, featuring recordings taken from previously unreleased master tapes and occasionally from ultra-rare 45s. I’m now excited to get this product out. It’s a different selling landscape now compared to the 1970s and 1980s. I like the idea of working through social media and the internet as opposed to the wholesale world I used to operate in. It keeps me in touch directly with the buying market, and nice to build an interested customer base on platforms like Facebook. The idea for me at the end of the day is not to earn a huge income – at my age and situation I’m comfortable enough. But I like to keep busy, I’m not one to sit still and the passion for soul music is still very much there. My goal and dream now is just to get the music out there.”

By Windlesoul in Articles · April 3, 20205 yr

A quick and easy Soul Source catch up of the top $ ebay results that ended during March 2020
Soul Record Auctions - Recent Completed Soul Auctions [sorted by value]
Fred Williams And The Jewel Band Tell Her Solo 1969 .. $4477.00 ended 07 Mar 70s Soul Doc Peabody - Here Without You Hear Both Sides $3383.00 ended 04 Mar The Tiaras Ultra Foolish Girl Surprise Canada Listen $3020.00 ended 10 Mar J T Parker - If You Want To Hold On - Academy - Mp3 $2812.00 ended 23 Mar 70s Soul - Sonic Explosion - We Belong Together - Big C.. $2543.88 ended 22 Mar Northern Sweet Soul - Saints - I Ll Let You Slide - Wig.. $2417.00 ended 23 Mar Bobby Moore Rhythm Aces - Dedication Of Love Lp - Phi.. $2113.88 ended 29 Mar Brief Encounter - S T Lp - Seventy-seven - Modern Soul .. $2028.00 ended 29 Mar Hopeton Lewis Come Live It Up Tonight Reggae Soul Ton.. $1993.00 ended 02 Mar The 7th Avenue Aviators You Should O Held On $1990.12 ended 23 Mar Betty Wilson The Four Bars I M Yours All Over Again Da.. $1950.00 ended 06 Mar Original Jazz Funk Uncle Funkenstein Together Again R L.. $1836.15 ended 29 Feb Frazelle Today Is The Day Holy Grail Modern Soul Disc.. $1774.00 ended 18 Mar Sweet Soul Funk - The Scorpion - Keep On Trying - Sbp -.. $1601.99 ended 23 Mar Tommy Mcgee - Positive-negative Lp - Mtmg - Private Sou.. $1576.00 ended 30 Mar Sweet Soul Funk - Little Caesar Euterpeans - It Was L.. $1525.00 ended 23 Mar True Image Keep Me Dancing Modern Soul Northern Boogie.. $1500.00 ended 18 Mar Spiritual Jazz Modern Soul Funk The Night Of Power A.. $1324.99 ended 11 Mar Owen Marshall - As Captain Puff In The Naked Truth Lp -.. $1302.00 ended 08 Mar Crossover Sweet Soul Superbs Wind In My Sails Dore Vg .. $1268.99 ended 30 Mar Satin Your Loves Got Me Say You Will Crossover Soul Fun.. $1250.00 ended 01 Mar Ted Rabb Hellstorm Get Off Your Rump Modern Soul Nort.. $1225.00 ended 11 Mar Inverts Time Will Change Broadway Promo Hear $1220.00 ended 08 Mar Hilton Felton - Family Friends Lp - Private Funk Jazz.. $1214.89 ended 29 Mar Promo Copy The Superbs Dore 753 M- Soul 45 $1214.73 ended 16 Mar Cashmeres Show Stopper Hem Hear $1214.00 ended 08 Mar Moments - Baby I Want You Hog Vg Monster Grail $1213.00 ended 13 Mar Leon Gardner Farm Song 1969 Usa Igloo More 1960s Usa .. $1205.23 ended 27 Mar Hear The Fantastics - Where There S A Will - Impresar.. $1200.00 ended 29 Feb Yiddish Soul Brother Amnon Only Girl I Had Chess Hear $1136.11 ended 30 Mar Funk James Fountain Seven Day Lover Peachtree Hear $1027.00 ended 08 Mar Bob Coswell His Dynamics-my Baby Is All Right-rare Or.. $1026.88 ended 05 Mar Modern Soul Funk - Network Co - Spirit Of The Boogie.. $1025.00 ended 23 Mar Funk - Detroit Sex Machines - The Stretch - Soul Track .. $1009.99 ended 22 Mar Funk - Deloris Ealy - I Ve Been Looking - Velvet - Mp3 - $1009.99 ended 23 Mar Listen Unknown Island Funk Modern Soul - Nassau S Sti.. $999.99 ended 22 Mar Billy Harner I Got It From Heaven On Sound Gems Sg114 P.. $999.00 ended 11 Mar Underground Resurrection Reality Mega Funk Sweet Soul.. $993.00 ended 18 Mar Soul Toni Basil Soul Breakaway A M Dj Copy 791 $960.00 ended 15 Mar Tobi Lark Sweep It Out In The Shed $934.91 ended 23 Mar Sweet Soul - Domestic-five - It S An Empty World - Aqua.. $903.00 ended 23 Mar Funk Psych - Inter Circle - The Pusher The Players - So.. $899.00 ended 22 Mar Modern Soul Boogie - Wreckin Crew Band - Cruisin With.. $898.00 ended 22 Mar Les Watson The Panthers Occasionally I Cry-1966 Dalla.. $865.00 ended 01 Mar Latin Funk Soul Breaks La Tribu Para Que Musimex Promo .. $860.00 ended 30 Mar Modern Soul Pure Release I Ll Know It S Love For Sure S.. $860.00 ended 30 Mar Crack Of Dawn Mind Wrecker Holy Grail Modern Soul Dis.. $854.00 ended 18 Mar Acetate - Dontelles - Whisper That - Del-val - Unreleased $843.00 ended 23 Mar The Lost Soul A Secret Of Mine 7 $819.00 ended 30 Mar Paramour I Never Knew Disco Holy Grail Modern Soul Ha.. $808.99 ended 11 Mar Crossover Soul J P Robinson Our Day Is Here Blue Candl.. $787.78 ended 09 Mar Norris Vines And The Luvlines - Give In 7 45rpm Cana.. $787.00 ended 16 Mar Disco Funk Soul Lp - Gloria Ann Taylor - Deep Inside Yo.. $765.00 ended 15 Mar Modern Soul Boogie - Rear-view - Make Your Body Move - .. $754.00 ended 22 Mar Frankie The Damons - Man From Soul - Jcp - Vg Mp3 $754.00 ended 23 Mar Jimmy Bennett The Family Hold That Groove Grail Mode.. $735.00 ended 11 Mar Modern Soul - Sudden Change - Used To Think - Blackout .. $730.00 ended 22 Mar The Differences - Mon Ca Records M1783 - Five Minutes -.. $727.85 ended 05 Mar Weldon Irvine Time Capsule Sealed Original Lp Album .. $721.00 ended 15 Mar Cecil Lyde Fisher Giles Serve Me Right To Suffer Mod.. $720.00 ended 11 Mar Lee Mcdonald - Sweet Magic Lp - Debbie - Modern Soul Fu.. $710.00 ended 30 Mar Modern Soul Boogie Brian Zan Schemin On You Honey Hu.. $699.00 ended 08 Mar Funk - Little Willie Jones - My Big Mistake - Power Vg .. $698.99 ended 23 Mar Warren Doris Lost In Space Ultra Modern Soul 7 Disco.. $687.00 ended 11 Mar Appreciations - I Can T Hide It - Aware - Mp3 $687.00 ended 23 Mar Tiara S Loves Made A Connection You Re My Man.. $682.00 ended 09 Mar Vee Gees - Talkin Jump Off Vg Rare $681.00 ended 12 Mar Energize Piece Of Class Mega Modern Soul Star Of The Di.. $676.00 ended 11 Mar Frankie Crocker Ton Of Dynamite Funk Orig Listen $665.00 ended 10 Mar Manny Corchado Pow Wow Chicken And Booze Decca La.. $661.01 ended 18 Mar Ron Preyer Dancin Fever Ultra Modern Soul Boogie Hey Lo.. $653.43 ended 11 Mar Funk Lee Moses Time And Place Lp Maple-6001 Ster.. $649.99 ended 01 Mar Mint- Sweet Modern Soul Sterling Come And Love Me Sausa.. $623.13 ended 05 Mar Z13 Musimex 523 Latin Soul Funk La Tribu Para Que Todo .. $610.00 ended 22 Mar Modern Soul - Chosen Few Band - What It Takes To Live -.. $610.00 ended 22 Mar Funk - Sir Guy - Let Home Cross Your Mind - D P G - Vg.. $610.00 ended 25 Mar Jimmy Fraser Of Hopes Dreams And Tombstones W .. $609.99 ended 26 Mar Joblot 400 Tamla Motown Funk 7 Vinyl Record Collecti.. $607.58 ended 15 Mar Oscar Perry - Body Movements Lp - Gamma - Private Moder.. $600.00 ended 30 Mar Cajun Hart Got To Find A Way Orig Usa $599.99 ended 19 Mar Funk - Aaron Neville - Hercules - Mercury - Vg Mp3 $590.55 ended 22 Mar Mary Saxton On Quality - Take My Heart - Canadian Female $587.00 ended 06 Mar Kenny Gamble - The Jokes On You - Arctic - Mp3 $587.00 ended 23 Mar Mikebbi Big Question What S Wrong Nigerians Og Lp.. $582.78 ended 04 Mar The Sparkles Old Town 1160 Mint Soul 45 $579.99 ended 30 Mar Joanie Sommers Don T Pity Me Orig Canada Listen $575.67 ended 10 Mar Crossover Soul Funk Rhonda Davis Can You Remember Duke .. $569.00 ended 08 Mar Life Ain T No Carnival Jay Rpm Exit Life Is What .. $567.89 ended 27 Mar Standing Room Only Sacrifice Modern Soul Funk Sweet So.. $565.00 ended 11 Mar Tan Geers - What S The Use Of Me Trying - Okeh - Mp3 $561.99 ended 23 Mar James Mason Rhythm Of Life Lp Jazz Funk Soul 1977 Orig.. $560.00 ended 08 Mar Michael Dixon J O Y You Re All I Need Ultra Modern S.. $555.00 ended 18 Mar Narvel Felts Girl Come Back Renay Hear $551.00 ended 29 Mar Tidals Land Of Juhasifa Hasifa Dub Soul Syndicate.. $545.99 ended 09 Mar Paulo Bagunca Tropa Maldita - Psych Folk Soul Funk 19.. $540.00 ended 15 Mar Forest Terry Branch In Out Funk Sweet Soul Satellite .. $535.00 ended 11 Mar P J City Straight Forward Modern Soul Funk Disco Lis.. $530.00 ended 11 Mar Modern Soul Boogie Brian Zan Schemin On You Honey Hu.. $530.00 ended 29 Mar The Aquamen Line And Track 1966 Promo Hiback 7 Vg M.. $525.00 ended 12 Mar Earl Jackson Soul Self Satisfaction Abc Promo Hear $520.98 ended 29 Mar There you go, thats the top 100 from last month, March 2020
If you do want to stay ahead of the eBay game, then sign up for our ebay highlights newsletter via the link below. Tomorrows ebay bargains sent directly to your inbox... every day!

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/newsletters/5-tonights-ebay-enders/ you go,

By Source Team in News Archives · April 2, 20205 yr

IT'S BEEN A WHILE - GEORGE JACKSON IS NOW HERE !
GEORGE JACKSON - I Want That Love Back / If I Could Open Up My Heart - HR 1515
'A' side from the 1991 CD 'Heart To Heart Collect', became a 'Soul Essence' anthem and still sounds the business today; flip is a 1972 midpacer from the 2002 Grapevine CD 'In Muscle Shoals'. Two classic George Jackson sides.
Listen...

NOW ACCEPTING ORDERS WITH PAYPAL PAYMENT :
Price is £12.00 + £3.00 p/p - you can send 3 45s for the same price as 1, so if you need some back numbers of HR releases, this might be a good time. ( All HR 45s now have soundclips on fb group - most are also on youtube )
Simply make paypal payment ( by 'friends' please) to - hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com - any queries, email me on same address.
If you have ordered HR from me before, I should have your address. If this is your 1st order, please pm me your address.

By Dewsburyborn in News Archives · March 29, 20205 yr

Just a quick word that a 'Online Soul Event' section has been recently opened up in our Soul Source Event Guide.
Offering all the same major features as our other sections but tweaked to reflect the online part, you can view and add current online events right here...
https://www.soul-source.co.uk/calendar/1-online-events/

By Mike in News Archives · March 27, 20205 yr

Details of a new vinyl lp release from Outta Sight Records were found blowing around that may be of interest. Here's the blurb direct from their website...

THE ONLY WAY IS UP!
Move On Up To Northern Soul
OSVLP025
WE ARE TRULY BLESSED!
Pastor Smokie Norful, two-time Grammy award winner, leads proceedings with the FIRST EVER UK release of his Motown Modern Soul Anthem “I’ve Got What You Need”. DeeJay’s stand up and take note, if you subscribe to “OVO” (original vinyl only) this is your opportunity to pack the floor –
Side 1, Track 1 – it couldn’t be simpler!
You really don’t need any other reason to buy this album, but, how about our title track, the original version of “The Only Way Is Up” by the late great Otis Clay – Side 2, Track 1 – another guaranteed floorfiller. It is of course familiar to everyone for the chart-topping 1988 cover-version by Yazz and the Plastic Popualtion.
Another sure fire winner is the Cornelius Brothers’ Gold Disc “Too Late Turn Back Now” which caught the imagination of the rare soul scene in the Nineties and remains a firm dance floor favourite today. We must also be grateful for the first ever independent license of Jerry Butler’s awesome “Stop Steppin‘ On My Dreams” which first came to light on his 1972 ‘Spice Of Life’ album.
And we haven’t even mentioned Jesse James, Jackey Beavers, Alice Clark, Gloria Scott and the original and best version of the ‘Cleopatra Jones’ song “It Hurts So Good” by Katie Love.
“The Only Way Is Up!”
SIDE 1
Smokie Norful - I've Got What You Need
Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose - Too Late To Turn Back Now
The Independents - Lucky Fellow
Jesse James - If You Want A Love Affair
Jerry Butler - Stop Steppin' On My Dreams
Wendell Watts - You Girl
Katie Love and The Four Shades Of Black - It Hurts So Good

SIDE 2
Otis Clay - The Only Way Is Up
The Jackey Beavers Show - We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love
The Fantastic Puzzles - Come Back (Part 1)
Alice Clark - Don't You Care
Gloria Scott - (A Case Of) Too Much Love Makin
Chris Bartley - Tomorrow Keeps Shining On Me
Sonny Turner and Sound Limited - Now That You're Gone
More information including purchase options
https://www.outtasight.co.uk/#!/THE-ONLY-WAY-IS-UP/p/180369774/category=40724010
Video Playlist - Enjoy our playlist of selected tracks from the album

A clip from the 2018 Spike Lee movie 'BlackkKlansman' featuring the Cornelius Brothers "Too Late To Turn Back Now"

By Source Team in News Archives · March 24, 20205 yr

I have some good news in these trying times. I managed to come to an amicable agreement out of court arrangement with a subsidiary company of Getty Images. They have taken all my images off their sites and no longer profit from my intellectual property. Financially there was no great return for me but it was a moral boost to stop huge monopolies profiteering from this illegal and insidious practice.
I would like to send a big thank you to all those people supported my campaign when I first mentioned it here on Soul Source. I am personally grateful to Oscar Romp and friends that supported my struggle by writing directly to Getty Images insisting that they stop the illegal methods of using my photographs without permission.
My original photographic files were stolen in 2004 from a computer in a photographic gallery exhibition by Jon Swinstead, owner of the PYMCA gallery in London, see: https://subcultz.com/2018/07/30/pymc-british-subculture-fashion/
Swinstead also runs a new photographic archive entitled 'Youth Club' and so for all those soulies that are photographing the scene please be careful to protect your work at all costs and be mindful that big business will seek to profit from your hard work often without payment.
In order to protect the UK soul scene from exploitation and commercialisation we have to be mindful of individuals like Swinstead and companies like Getty etc that have no moral basis to their endeavors and seek only short term greed and profit. This has to stop and I would please urge everybody on the soul scene to report any breaking of international copy right laws to a legal specialist in intellectual property theft.

Books

By John Barrett in News Archives · March 23, 20205 yr

The COVID-19 measures have left the Rare Soul scene littered with cancelled events and the faithful following home alone at the weekends; so the Bury Town Hall team have decided to launch a ‘virtual’ all-nighter.
The show will be broadcast over internet radio every Saturday while we’re under lockdown from 21:00 until the early hours of Sunday morning.
The format will be just like a real event with a selection of DJs from previous and upcoming all-nighters at Bury Town Hall selecting their spots, carefully in order, from actual records they own to keep it real.

You can join us at https://www.radioking.com/radio/soulallniter and we also hope to be posting links for use with iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, Real Player & Quick Time in the near future.
Please note - The radio link above is only 'live' while the show is 'live'

We hope you enjoy the show and it goes some way to filling the void and lifting your spirits

By Eddiefoster in News Archives · March 20, 20205 yr

HAYLEY RECORDS 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2000 - 2020

Album release ‘Detroit. My home town’ VARIOUS ARTISTS HRLP 1001.

As part of our 20 year celebrations, Hayley Records is proud to announce the release of our first ever 12” long playing vinyl album, ‘Detroit. My home town’.
The album features a selection of Hayley 7” single releases from JJ BARNES, THE STYLISTS, TONY HESTER, DEON JACKSON, SHARON McMAHAN, JIMMY DELPHS, BOBBY SHEPPARD, THE PERFECTIONS and GILFORD & SCRUGGS plus three previously un- issued gems from the United Sound Systems and Golden World vaults.
‘All over and done’ by JIMMY GILFORD was intended for release on THELMA RECORDS in 1966 but never made the cut. It’s infectious up tempo beat, supplied by various members of the Funk Brothers collective, gives it immediate dance floor appeal.
‘It’s not what you say (but how you say it)’ by the ever popular ROSE BATTISTE adds to her catalogue of top quality releases. Recorded at Golden World studio on Davison Avenue with Mike Terry and the rest of the studio players, it jumps off the vinyl with inspiration and soulfulness.
The third previously unreleased tune will be familiar to Detroit collectors and aficionados from it’s release by Tommy Neal, but this is ‘Goin’ to a happening’ at the originally intended, slightly faster speed, without Neal’s lead vocal. ‘Popcorn’ Wylie and sound engineers Ed Wolfrum and Danny Dallas provide the male backing vocal parts with Pat and Diane Lewis singing the angelic female shrills. Together, we call them ‘POPCORN’ WYLIE and the UNITED SOUND SINGERS.
Initial response to the release has been fantastic. Look out for reviews in Soul Up North and Blues & Soul magazines and a featured spot by Richard Searling on his Solar radio show.

To order the album check out
http://www.hayleyrecords.co.uk
‘AIN’T THAT SOMETHING’

By Rob Moss in News Archives · March 19, 20205 yr

PRESALE | Aladean Kheroufi - Sorry If I Hurt You b/w Nothing Ever Changes (KIM-005)
We have a new release, it's a fusion of minimalist soul / fuzz. A catchy A side with a floating island ballad on the flip. It won't appeal to everyone, the B side 'Nothing Ever Changes' has something about it and seems to fit with current times, in that whilst in uncertain, sad times, there is a sense of hope and optimism for the future as we discover our fragility and the need to work together selflessly if we are to survive.
The Estimation's 2nd release also out in a few weeks time (it's a really good one).
Here's the low down on Kimberlite release KIM005. Youtube links at bottom.
Aladean Kheroufi - Sorry If I Hurt You b/w Nothing Ever Changes
This brand new release from Kimberlite Records features Aladean Kheroufi with the instantly catchy, danceable number 'Sorry If I Hurt You'. But wait!, flip it over to hear 'Nothing Ever Changes' and you are whisked away on a beautiful lush meditation. It's sparse arrangement of simple vocals and caressing horns provide a blanket of warmth through a journey of reflection and realisation.
As a lover of soul music it can be tough to lift your head from boxes of fifty year old 45s. From the iron-hand of Berry Gordy in Detroit to amphetamine-zonked working class kids in the North of England, to harmonizing Tejanos, and California car culture, soul music is a genre of subgenres each requiring nuance to properly understand. It’s intoxicating and addictive.
If you’re reading this though, you’ve picked up something different. Aladean Kheroufi, a Canadian by way of Algeria has got something new to show you. His sparse, minimalist sound is a fresh and contemporary examination of soul music which we’re proud to press to vinyl.
The A side, Sorry If I Hurt You, is a sober exploration of guilt, victimhood, and the toxic power dynamics found in failed relationships. Syncopated rhythm, cutting fuzz guitar, and haunting background vocals along with Aladean’s breathy delivery give this side an atmosphere you’ll need an oxygen tank to survive.
Flip the disc and you’ve got Nothing Ever Changes, a superficially sullen ballad that probes for meaning in self, relationships, and a place in the world. A delicate trumpet and flute arrangement lift the tone of this side from a place of darkness to one of hope, and conveys the spiritual growth that's found when such themes are analysed.
Release Date: 27th March 2020
Now available for Pre-Order at www.raretoones.com
Whole enquiries to raretoones@gmail.com

By Rare Toones in News Archives · March 18, 20205 yr

E. Mark Windle, March 2020.

Among other genres, Elvis Presley was informed by the blues. Even as a young teenager, the songs he heard on Beale Street were a source of significant musical inspiration. And it would not be unreasonable to suggest that his interpretation of Arthur Crudup’s blues number “That’s All Right” helped kick-start the teenage rock ‘n’ roll revolution. But if that’s true, then “Hound Dog” provided the pace. It was almost inevitable that Elvis’ take on the song, which sold ten million copies worldwide, would overshadow the original version and the story of the woman who originally recorded it.
“Big Mama” Thornton was a fiercely independent woman; sometimes described as intimidating because of her physical frame and demeanour. Her personality may well have been a result of nature and nurture, given her difficult childhood and early adult years. In the context of the 1950s for a black female singer to break from the gender stereotype and stand out in a male dominated industry, a no-nonsense disposition was surely essential. In many ways, Thornton was a pioneer.
Willie (born Willa) Mae Thornton was born in 1926 in the tiny rural town of Ariton, seventy miles from Montgomery, Alabama. This was a time when gender rights barely existed and racial oppression in the areas was the norm. She was first exposed to music via spirituals and gospel music at her father’s Baptist church, and learned to sing and play the harmonica and drums. Willie Mae had to compete with six other siblings in the household. She left home at fourteen years of age after her mother died prematurely, taking up menial jobs at a local drinking establishment. One night she was given the opportunity to substitute for a local singer who failed to turn up, and a love for the blues developed from there. She hit the road with Sammy Green’s Georgia-based Hot Harlem Revue for the next eight years.
After a relocation to Houston, Thornton signed to Peacock. Label owner Don Robey was known as a ruthless businessman, yet aspiring singers would still flock to the label in the knowledge that Peacock and its subsidiaries carried the biggest roster of gospel and blues acts in the south. Robey’s connections also ensured excellent national record distribution. During her tenure with Peacock she performed in R&B package tours across the country with Junior Walker, Esther Philips and others.
Thornton recorded the 12-bar blues “Hound Dog” under the studio supervision of song-writing duo Mike Leiber and Jerry Stoller. Mike Stoller was approached by Johnny Otis, who’d been given the task by Don Robey to find a hit for Thornton. When they first met, Leiber and Stoller found her a formidable character:
“In her combat boots and oversize overalls, she was a bit frightening. There was something monstrous about Big Mama, but I wasn’t looking at her that way. We saw her as the perfect instrument for deadly blues that we relished. We knocked the song out in a couple of minutes; it just happened like lightening. We knew as they say in the south, that this dog would hunt. 'Hound Dog' had just the right amount of country-funk that the lady embodied.”
It reached number one in the Billboard R&B charts in 1953 and stayed there for seven weeks. The song was a perfect vehicle for Big Mama’s growling vocal delivery. Half a million copies were sold in the first three months alone. There was little financial reward however; a trend running throughout the most of her career. Even Leiber and Stoller didn’t initially benefit. Johnny Otis put his name to the song as composer and had informed Don Robey that he had power of attorney to sign for Leiber and Stoller, which was untrue. As Leiber and Stoller were underage, their parents signed a new contract with Robey, and a cheque was eventually received for $1,200. It bounced. Things were remedied for the song-writing duo three years later however, when a young white rock ‘n’ roll singer from Memphis recorded the song and “Hound Dog” hit the stratosphere.
That song would be Thornton’s musical peak in terms of Billboard chart success, but it wasn’t the end of her singing career. She tried out a number of record labels around L.A. and San Francisco in the 1960s and took on a European tour with the American Folk Blues Festival while under contract with the Arhoolie label. England embraced visiting blues singers, through an appreciation of the genre by home-grown bands like The Rolling Stones, The Animals and the Yardbirds. Thornton was among the first female US blues singers to perform there.
Three albums were released on Arhoolie, with the final one “Ball and Chain” presenting the title track and the up-tempo version of the spiritual “Wade in the Water”; the 45 format of course an in-demand R&B collector’s item. “Ball and Chain” was an original Thornton composition but once again the song was popularised by another singer; Janis Joplin. Joplin did acknowledge Willie Mae as a major influence, crediting her as the writer, and contrary to what is frequently reported in other bios, some royalties did come her way. Through the 1970s Willie Mae took part in more live tours including the American Folk Blues Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival, appearing alongside Muddy Waters, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and other blues masters.
“Sassy Mama” was her final album, recorded for Vanguard Records in 1975. She continued to perform until the end of the decade, but inevitably the physical consequences of alcohol dependency which ran through most of her adult life would start to take hold. For the most part, Thornton didn't perceive it as a "struggle" against alcohol. But she suffered progressive issues related to liver disease and her large frame, losing over 200lbs through illness and finally succumbing to a heart attack on July 25, 1984 in Los Angeles. Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the same year.

By Windlesoul in Articles · March 16, 20205 yr

Details of a new documentary showing on BBC 4 this Friday 20th March 2020 and the Saturday after The title says it all ...
The Story of Ready Steady Go!
A 60 Min documentary showing at 9pm Friday and available via the BBC IPlayer afterwards
'Documentary that showcases Britain’s iconic 1960s music show, Ready Steady Go!, which revolutionised television 'for the kids' and introduced emerging talent from the era'

Video Clip

Could be an interesting documentary, guess it depends on the content/thrust/range and all that.
If you do catch it, then let us know your take afterwards via the comments below...

By Mike in News Archives · March 15, 20205 yr

The Guardian recently featured a paragraph or four regarding Kenny Carter as part of their weekly column Music Notes:. Preview and link follow below......
Unearthing Kenny Carter, soul’s unluckiest lover
Ben Beaumont-Thomas, music editor
A genre coinage that has never really caught on, but perhaps should, is “deep soul”, the name given by record collector Dave Godin to a certain kind of emotionally raw mid-century soul music informed by the downbeat lyrical themes of the blues. Godin’s compilations of this stuff, Deep Soul Treasures (on Ace Records), are full of fleetingly famous soul stars whose seven-inch singles a certain kind of pork pie-hatted gentleman would spend his children’s university fund on...
Walk over to the weekly column article titled 'Musical notes: how male pop stars are making love songs all about them for the full read'
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/11/musical-notes-how-male-pop-stars-are-making-love-songs-all-about-them/

By Mike in News Archives · March 14, 20205 yr

By E. Mark Windle, March 2020.

Let’s face it. There would be no need for a Women’s History Month forty years on from inception, if under-recognition of female contributions to culture, society and the workplace wasn’t still a “thing”. The music business can be as guilty as any other male dominated industry of inequality and denied opportunity. Female recording artists are still on average earning less than male counterparts. Less women reach music executive positions. Less are employed as songwriters, musicians and DJs.
The good news is that strong, determined, pioneering women are well represented though the decades, and in all facets of the business. Take Hattie Leeper, the first female African American DJ to be employed on a commercial radio station in North Carolina. At fourteen years of age, she would hang around the WGIV station. Hattie would make coffee for staff, answer the phone, file 78rpm records for DJs – just about anything to get her foot in the door. From these humble beginnings a chance to introduce records was offered after a DJ failed to turn up for work. “Chatty” Hattie, as she became known, was an established household name by the time she had moved up through the WGIV ranks and onto Big WAYS, two of the most popular stations in the Carolinas for R&B in the 1960s. Her secretarial position at the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers allowed her to meet luminaries such as Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records and Berry Gordy, owner of Motown. This helped further Hattie’s interests in promoting, managing and recording soul music artists in the region. Hattie enjoyed an extremely successful career in the media and was inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Back in her early days, Hattie struck a friendship with record label owner Florence Greenberg, another woman who worked in what was traditionally deemed a man’s world. She was not African American. She was a Jewish middle-aged suburban wife, with two children in tow. Florence was captivated by the song-writing creativity coming out of the Brill Building in New York and driven by a strong passion for R&B. If it wasn’t for her Scepter-Wand label empire, the careers of The Shirelles, Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson would not have been catapulted to fame so quickly, if at all. Maxine Brown, another of Greenberg’s high-profile artists, commented once: "She was a brave woman - the only woman (at the time) to own a record label in this business, competing with men and standing in there toe to toe with male producers and record owners."
Sadly, background tales of poverty and prejudice are found within the profiles of many of our female African American icons. Billie Holiday and Etta James had their demons, including heroin and alcohol addiction. Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin endured years of physical and mental abuse from their respective partners. Many artists succumbed to the consequences of their circumstances. But circumstance can also inform creativity, and some make it despite it all. Within just a few years of divorcing her manager-husband, Aretha’s “Amazing Grace” LP was a two million seller, and her Queen of Soul status established.
If there was one recording which epitomises the sentiment of this month’s theme, Aretha Franklin gave us that too. In her initial recording period with her first label Columbia, she was mainly resigned to presenting jazz and standards and was prevented from straying too close to soul music. Columbia just didn’t know what to do with her artistically. Signing to Atlantic in 1967 and “Respect” was a game changer. Placed near the top of Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, the song landed two Grammys including the award for "Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, FEMALE”. Aretha’s unique spin plus the musical punch from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section transformed Otis Redding’s original take as weary, bitter male commentary into a woman’s unambiguous demand for respect in the domestic setting. But it came to represent even more than that. “Respect” was recorded when the country was about to be embroiled in violent political unrest. The song hit the airwaves just at the right time to be adopted by the civil rights movement. And thus, it became a banner for both social and racial freedom. There may not have been any explicit political commentary within the lyrics but then there didn’t need to be. One word said it all.

artists

By Windlesoul in Articles · March 13, 20205 yr

An interesting motown feature based on the recollections of one of the group can be had via The Blade website (link below)
Motown moment: Toledo's Prentiss Anderson recalls local hit that came out of historic label
He was there in the label’s early days.
Anderson, 80, is today a reverend at New Bethel Church of God in Christ in Toledo, where he serves under Bishop Rance Allen. (Allen himself brings a noteworthy musical pedigree to the congregation: The gospel vocalist heads the Grammy Award-winning Rance Allen Group.) But in the early 1960s, Anderson was one-third of Lee and the Leopards, one of the early groups to sign with Berry Gordy at Motown Records....
Full article here
https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2020/03/08/motown-moment-toledo-s-prentiss-anderson-recalls-the-local-hit-that-came-out-of-the-motor-city/stories/20200308002

Both sides can be listened to below, here the 'Trying to make it' side has always been the preferred one....

motown music

By Mike in News Archives · March 12, 20205 yr

Fresh from Daptone records is the new album from The James Hunter Six, titled 'Nick Of Time'
This album is out now in various formats and certainly hits the mark here, and already picking up high reviews in the media.
Details and previews follow below...

The James Hunter Six - Nick Of Time LP
Company Blurb
The James Hunter Six are back with another sublime offering of no-nonsense rhythm and blues. Recorded and produced by Bosco Mann, Nick of Time is a shining example of how a master song-smith can continually draw fresh water from a bottomless well. In addition to the uptempo, swinging R&B that has put JH6 on the map, Nick of Time explores so much more! The opening track and lead single, "I Can Change Your Mind", is a beautiful, mid-tempo rumba that tips the hat to the sound of many early King/Federal releases, but executed with a vibrancy that propels the tune into the 21st Century. The lush arrangements on "Till I Hear it from You" and " He's Your Could Have Been" sound like lost tracks from an early '60s Burt Bacharach session. The straight forward soul of "Brother or Other" (whose timely message is only tantamount to its groove), and the sparse "Paradise for One" (that finds James channeling his innermost Nat King Cole), enrich the album with sounds one may not readily associate with James and Co. - culminating in James' most exciting full-length release to date.
Released March 6, 2020

James Hunter Six Video
Nick Of Time by James Hunter Six
Tracks
I Can Change Your Mind 02:35
2. Who's Fooling Who 02:55
3. Till I Hear It From You 02:34
4. Never 04:02
5. Missing In Action 02:37
6. Nick Of Time 02:49
7. Brother Or Other 03:21
8. Ain't Goin' Up In One Of Those Things 02:21
9. Take It As You Find It 03:20
10. Can't Help Myself 02:02
11. How Bout Now 02:55
12. Paradise For One 02:08
13. He's Your Could've Been 02:40

Stream/Purchase Options
via various providers here
https://daptone.ffm.to/nickoftime.owe

By Mike in News Archives · March 10, 20205 yr

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