I was looking at the Gents on Paramount (great record) trying to figure out where it was from and I see the record is produced by Bobby Flax and Lanny Lambert. I googled and found that the pair wrote a bunch of pop songs and some soul songs. Anyone know where they were based or more info about them? I can't find like a webpage devoted to either one. Bobby Flax became some sort of executive at EMI. Apparently Dana Plato was married to a guitarist named Lanny Lambert but I can't imagine it's the same guy, he would be too old right? Anyone have any more info? Thanks.

I was looking at the Gents on Paramount (great record) trying to figure out where it was from and I see the record is produced by Bobby Flax and Lanny Lambert. I googled and found that the pair wrote a bunch of pop songs and some soul songs. Anyone know where they were based or more info about them? I can't find like a webpage devoted to either one. Bobby Flax became some sort of executive at EMI. Apparently Dana Plato was married to a guitarist named Lanny Lambert but I can't imagine it's the same guy, he would be too old right? Anyone have any more info? Thanks.

Yep, basically great pop writers perhaps best known on the Northern scene for the poppy but storming "Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong" - Bullet (or Silver Bullet in the UK). They had some commercial success with Gloria Gaynor's "All I Need Is Sweet Lovin'" and co-wrote and produced J.J. Jackson's "Let Me Try Again" on US Magnaglide and UK London. I'm pretty sure they were New York based and came through towards the end of the Brill building era.

Ian D

Yep, basically great pop writers perhaps best known on the Northern scene for the poppy but storming "Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong" - Bullet (or Silver Bullet in the UK). They had some commercial success with Gloria Gaynor's "All I Need Is Sweet Lovin'" and co-wrote and produced J.J. Jackson's "Let Me Try Again" on US Magnaglide and UK London. I'm pretty sure they were New York based and came through towards the end of the Brill building era.

Ian D

Yep Ian , they were very creditable pop music writers who also occasionally wrote some nice soul influenced tunes.

Think you may have overlooked a minor, insignificant northern soul record they wrote called "Turning My Heartbeat Up" by the MVPs !!! LOL

Another of their better "northern" tunes was a thing on Vanguard by a group called Spare Change "Alive and Well". I believe it got some Northern scene spins , can anyone confirm ?

Bobby Flax was based in NY. I met him about 10 years ago and bought a few copies of the MVP's from him. Very nice guy.

I wonder if Lanny Lambert was related to Dennis Lambert - half of the Lambert and Potter team who wrote lots of things for the Four Tops (amongst others) during the 70's?

Think you may have overlooked a minor, insignificant northern soul record they wrote called "Turning My Heartbeat Up" by the MVPs !!! LOL

Damn. Trust me to forget about that! One of the best blue-eyed Northern Soul records ever!

Ian D

thanks everyone for the info.

Given the debate here on the race of the MVPs, Greg, did you happen to ask Bobby whether the MVPs were White or Black?

BOBA:

BOBBY FLAX BECAME A MUSIC ATTORNEY IN NEW YORK AND WENT TO WORK FOR EMI RECORDS. HE LEFT THERE IN 2009 AND NOW IS PRACTICING LAW ELSEWHERE. HE HASN'T WRITTEN SONGS SINCE THE 1970s. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHAT HE IS DOING, LOOK AT THE NEW YORK BAR RECORDS AND YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT HE IS DOING. I KNOW HIM PERSONALLY AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET INFO ON HIM THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS. THERE ARE A LOT OF ARTICLES ABOUT HIM FROM WHEN HE WORKED FOR EMI, BUT IF YOU DON'T USE THE NEW YORK BAR RECORDS AS THE STARTING POINT FOR YOUR SEARCH, YOU WON'T FIND ANY RECENT ARTICLES AS HE NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN LIKE HE WAS WHEN HE WAS AT EMI. GOOD LUCK.

Thanks so much for the info. I actually did find out who the gents on paramount were since I wrote the first post. The group was from Newark, NJ and were the same group as the Young Gents on Buddah. They evolved into Elegant Taste on Magna-Glide.