Am guesting on Soul People this sunday on www.solarradio.com Sky 0129 from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Hope you can catch the show.

As posted elsewhere this time I am doing something a bit different - playing two hours of records on the Chess label from the later "dark" years of the Chess empire. In the required Soul People style this will be a mix of crossover, funky, deep, and steppers. All off of 45s, and all on Chess. Very few are really rare and most of these are available with a bit of searching., even though a number are quite obscure.

The years feratured are not the widely acclaimed classic soul years for Chess (OK we all know the TNJs, Vibrations and Free Spirit) but features music from 68 onwards and after the main acts started drifting away from the label. It encompasses the years when Chess was a shell company under GRT, buying in mostly songs from other Cities such as DC, NY and SF.

Promise some interesting stuff and I'll garnish it all with what I hope you'll find is some interesting info on some of these obscurer names under the Chess logo.

Edited February 16, 201213 yr by Steve G

Currently hearing some very nice tunes from the Chess outputing empire that was, whilst being thoroughly educated and quite suprised.

A huge thanks Steve for your time in researching every detail, yes - every detail !!

A valued show, musically welcomed, whilst being blessed in the richness of the Chess stables history and it's artists geography.

Thanks .

.

Edited February 19, 201213 yr by Nick Harrison

Thanks Nick,

Here's the playlist - some interesting stuff on the years when everyone says Chess was in decline, and much of it findable without taking out a bank loan - could have done another hour - couldn't fit some in :

1. Harvey Scales & Seven Sounds "The Funky Yolk" (2089)

2. Etta James "Out on the street, again" (2153)

3. 1619 B.A.B "World" (2147)

4. The Friendly Five "Two can do" (2110)

5. Ray Frazier & Shades of Madness"Gonna get your love" (2106)

6.Five Miles High "So frustrated" (2116) (were the Counts on Shrine!)

7.11th Commandment "Why are you so hard to forget" (2139)

8. American Gypsy "10,000 Miles" (2170)

9. Jeannie reynolds "You ain't the only man God created" (2150)

10.Wildfire "Put some more flavor" (2173)

11. Free Spirit "Love you just as long as I can" (2154)

12. Free Spirit "Mr Fix-it man" (2164)

13. Barbara Carr "Love me now" (2130)

14. Lee Eldred "You saved me baby" (2123)

15. Ferguson Davis & Lee "She's gone" (2138) (Lifestyle on MCA!)

16. Walter Webb & Highlighters "Your time is gonna come" (2091) (nucleus became Rhythm Machine)

17. Tennison Stephens "Where would you be" (2073)

18. Billy Stewart "Crazy 'bout you baby" (2063)

19. The Kittens "How long can I go on" (2055)

20.Sidney Barnes "Baloney" (2094)

21. Fred Martin Review "I'm the one who loves you" (2152)

22. Eddie Bradford "You made your bed" (2133)

23. Baby washington "Is it worth it" (2099)

24. Over Night Low "To be or not to be" (2146) (nucleus became Sun I think)

25. Vibrations "Shake it up" (2151)

26. Love & Brotherhood "Sugar Pie Honey" (2121)

27. Love & Brotherhood "You're my man" (2115)

28. Shadow "People don't know what love is" (2162) (Jive Five on their first of four name changes!)

29. Greg Perry "Love control" (2032)

30. Chuck Corby "Complete opposites" (2077)

31. Sunday "Ain't got no problems" (2074)

32. Denise La Salle "Countdown and fly me to the moon" (2078)

33. Sam Dees "Can you be a one man woman" (2109)

34. Sam Dees "Love starvation" (2133)

35. TNJ's Don't forget about me" (2155)

36. TNJ's "Falling in love" (2155)

37. Black Merda "Reality" (2095)

38. Solomon Burke "I'm leaving on that late late train" (2159)

39. Jimmy Ruffin "What you see ain't always what you get" (2168)

40. Jimmy Ruffin "Tell me what you want" (2160)

41. Al Downing "I'll be holding on" (2158)

Hi Steve,

your above post is proof enough that this label was "incorrectly quoted" as in decline from 1968 onwards, infact rather the opposite with the musically favourable.

Good soul folks will always quietly collect anything Chess related after the main acts had departed, making the later 45's somewhat harder, if not more obscure and less fashionable by the earlier label loving definative authentices. (IMHO)

Any time served collecting Chess soul boy should indentify his current 45's, add more whilst cheap and "ring fence" as an future investment. .

Well done Steve, not heard it all yet but what i heard was great - the playlist looks great too!

Cheers

Steve

I missed this. Is it available anywhere to listen online or as podcast ?

For me this is just the sort of thing the Internet was invented for !!!

Cheers

rob

Rob here is a link.....

Enjoy!

Steve

https://www.mixcloud.com/steve-guarnori/soul-people-plays-chess-19th-feb-2012/

Cheers Steve, had a great afternoon listening to all that good stuff. Especially loved 11th Commandment and Fred Martin.

Great Job !

P.S. When's the 'purple' Stax show coming ??!!

Good idea man! Would need to also play album tracks for that one since there's not enough 45s for two hours

Cheers Steve, had a great afternoon listening to all that good stuff. Especially loved 11th Commandment and Fred Martin.

Great Job !

P.S. When's the 'purple' Stax show coming ??!!

I've heard that the Eleventh Commandment on Chess were from Boston. The Fred Martin Revue track originally came out on ru-jac, I'm pretty sure the group is from baltimore.

What are the four name changes of the Jive Five, or at least the 3 that come after that one? After shadow they became Ebony, ivory, and Jade. That leaves two name changes... what are they?

Hi there, yes on the comentary I said I thought 11th Commandment were from NY, Boston you think? interesting - been trying to find something out about this group.

Fred Martin on Ru-Jac first yes I thought I said that, can't make up my mind about where Fred was from, since 3 of his 4 were on Rujac. This one was a Philadlephia Production though according to the label.

Jive Five became Shadow, EI&J, Samson, and "Sting".

Hi there, yes on the comentary I said I thought 11th Commandment were from NY, Boston you think? interesting - been trying to find something out about this group.

Fred Martin on Ru-Jac first yes I thought I said that, can't make up my mind about where Fred was from, since 3 of his 4 were on Rujac. This one was a Philadlephia Production though according to the label.

Jive Five became Shadow, EI&J, Samson, and "Sting".

there are 7 fred martin revue records. I think they are from baltimore, e.g., from the dcsoulrecordings website.

the reason i think the eleventh commandment are from boston is because my copy came from a collection of some boston dude that put extensive notes on each sleeve about where specifically in boston the group is from, the date of release, when he saw their show. it also said they performed at the apollo a lot.

Are you sure the jive five were called "sampson"? that is the title of one of the ebony, ivory, and jade sides on columbia. Are you sure they later actually changed their name to that? I also have never heard of a "sting" record (besides the lame dude from the police). Can you give me listings for records by the two groups? thanks a lot.

every time i see this thread title I'm confused for a few seconds thinking this is about soul fans playing chess, as in the game. I guess you might have done that intentionally.

there are 7 fred martin revue records. I think they are from baltimore, e.g., from the dcsoulrecordings website.

the reason i think the eleventh commandment are from boston is because my copy came from a collection of some boston dude that put extensive notes on each sleeve about where specifically in boston the group is from, the date of release, when he saw their show. it also said they performed at the apollo a lot.

Are you sure the jive five were called "sampson"? that is the title of one of the ebony, ivory, and jade sides on columbia. Are you sure they later actually changed their name to that? I also have never heard of a "sting" record (besides the lame dude from the police). Can you give me listings for records by the two groups? thanks a lot.

Thanks for the info on 11th Commandment Bob - great, since they have been a real mystery and some people even confuse them with the male group(s) of the same name: I like this type of information.

And Fred Martin, looks like I've a few more to get sometime then

Re Jive Five - i'd need to check again but believe the Samson was on Honey Bee Records. The "Sting" thing, yes at first blush when I first came across it I thought it was the lame dude from the Police too, and then the equally lame dude from the world of wrestling, but it's actually the remnants of the Jive Five. Its' on ABC and 1978

.

every time i see this thread title I'm confused for a few seconds thinking this is about soul fans playing chess, as in the game. I guess you might have done that intentionally.

Yes

Re Jive Five - i'd need to check again but believe the Samson was on Honey Bee Records. The "Sting" thing, yes at first blush when I first came across it I thought it was the lame dude from the Police too, and then the equally lame dude from the world of wrestling, but it's actually the remnants of the Jive Five. Its' on ABC and 1978

The DJ before me (Bob Miner) did a Eugene Pitt interview, if I can't get some confirmation from someone else first I'll go to the source to see what Eugene says. Thanks.

Also, I pulled out my copy of Eleventh Commandment and I was wrong. This is what the dude wrote on the sleeve:

-----

Very Hard to Find Apollo Group

From Washington DC

WQSR Classic

Summer of 1973

Nice Ballad

11th commandment

----

I googled and WQSR broadcasts from Baltimore.

The record is produced and written by DC saxophonist and producer Billy Frazier. Eleventh Commandment on Chess has to be DC. Sorry I said Boston before.

oh yeah, if anyone here plays chess on chess.com and wants to play, pm me. my rating hovers between 1150 and 1200.

Also, I pulled out my copy of Eleventh Commandment and I was wrong. This is what the dude wrote on the sleeve:

-----

Very Hard to Find Apollo Group

From Washington DC

WQSR Classic

Summer of 1973

Nice Ballad

11th commandment

----

I googled and WQSR broadcasts from Baltimore.

Excellent....thanks!

The DJ before me (Bob Miner) did a Eugene Pitt interview, if I can't get some confirmation from someone else first I'll go to the source to see what Eugene says. Thanks.

Actually there is a website interview with one of the J5 that mentions this. I googled it earlier wil try and refind the link.

found it:

https://www.soulexpress.net/jivefive.htm

seems definitive. Probably soulfulkindamusic should be updated too

have now secured stock copies of both sting 45s and all 4 showdown 45s (actually I already had the hit one)...

found it:

https://www.soulexpre...et/jivefive.htm

seems definitive. Probably soulfulkindamusic should be updated too

Yup, I'll tip dave off...Thanks Steve

have now secured stock copies of both sting 45s and all 4 showdown 45s (actually I already had the hit one)...

I'd be interested to know what the Sting ones are like. I have probably passed them by without looking in the past, seeing the name you'd think it was the limp Police dude as you call him.....ATB Steve

I'd be interested to know what the Sting ones are like. I have probably passed them by without looking in the past, seeing the name you'd think it was the limp Police dude as you call him.....ATB Steve

I will let you know. Apparently there's a whole LP on ABC but I don't collect Lps