Are There any other Artists like This On Stax ...Paul

Lena was one of the last artists signed to the label,shows what state the business must have been in to have made a decision like that.I wonder if Hughie Green was still on a percentage of her earnings at that time?

Do you reckon theres any Undiscovered Gems in the vaults?

Are There any other Artists like This On Stax ...Paul

unfortunately lots of them. lena also has an lp with a horrible cover.

i think motown had even worse set of random white pop 45s in the 70s.

In response to your second question, it depends on what you mean by "undiscovered". There are collectors who have or who have heard the whole discography. But there definitely are tracks that are good northern or crossover records that are not well known to northern collectors.

i thought this was like a one-time-thing, i never knew she had a further (sad) career

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Zavaroni

Sadly she died in poverty a few years ago in a flat near me. It was a bit of a scandal she had nothing in her flat and weighed under 100 lb. She'd been living on welfare for some years and seemingly had absolutely nothing to her name.

Jimmy, Stax was like many other labels in the 70s trying to get market share and compete with the increasingly dominating giants of the industry - and that meant leasing in whatever they could get.

Mind you if I was Lena's manager I'd want a label with better distribution channels into the pop market than Stax to put out her work on.

Edited July 3, 201212 yr by Steve G

Al Bell was genuinely convinced that Lena was going to knock the American public dead and was desperate to have her on Stax.

Thats sad Steve

What about Delaney and Bonnie, Sean Morton Downey Jr & Glenn Yarbrough?

Curtom also went a bit off course with the Patti Miller and Ruby Jones LP's.

Edited July 3, 201212 yr by John Reed

ON MOTOWN

JOSE FELICIANO

GRANDMA (FROM BEV HILL BILLIES)

BOBBY DARIN

ALBERT FINNEY

to name a few

Lena Zavaroni used to sing in what for a number of years was my local pub - The Britannia on Lever Street, London EC1. Happily, that was just a bit before I became a regular there.

'The Brit' is one of those old-fashioned boozers the size of a living room, but which has a long tradition of music entertainment. I'm sure they have live music there still.

Being on the fringes of London's East End, it also had strong gangster connections (didn't they all?) with the Kray family (Charlie Kray) in particular, being something of a regular. The pub is just a couple of minutes away from the council tower block that Ronnie and Reggie moved their dear ol' mum to after it was built, and at which location they were arrested and eventually put away.

The pub is very much one of those haunts were every punter has a story to tell about 'the good old days' when they were a 'tasty geezer' and a force to be reckoned with on the manor. How true those stories were is another thing, although many of them were undoubtedly based entirely on fact! Sadly, those characters passed away one by one and I doubt if any of the real old timers remain now.

As well as Lena Zavaroni, the pub was also a favourite local venue of the duo Peters and Lee (remember them?). A guy called Johnny Day(e) also performed there frequently. He was a member of some group that charted in the 60s a couple of times, but I don't remember which group it was.

In later years, a group called 'No Spring Chicken' played there for a while. Their repertoire included solid blues and R&B numbers. The band was made up entirely of seasoned session musicians. The white-haired keyboard player supported Tommy Hunt at the Wigan Casino and used to be in a Birmingham/Midlands R&B/Mod-type band in the 60s. Again, I can't remember his name or the name of the group they were in back then.

About seven or eight years ago, a local guy, who also had had bit of a music career performed there a few times. His name - Moon Williams!

The late Jim Demetriou and I did a few soul nights in the pub, but they didn't exactly go down a storm and our residency was short-lived! That would have been '92-'93 perhaps. Ah, the memories.

Sorry to go off at such a tangent, but with Tommy Hunt, Moon Williams, Wigan Casino, and a handful of 60s gangsters all connected to Lena Zavaroni through a back street boozer, I hope it was worth it!

There were quite a few duds on Stax....

Skin Alley's a great band though - just doesn't quite fit on Stax!

the crappy record i always find is that dino and the california cafe thing.

Are There any other Artists like This On Stax ...Paul

i remember when we where in a record shop in L.A. and glenn hunter bought this and said thats going on e-bay ...knowing glenn he probably got someone to buy it, and for more than what he paid for it...

Lena Zavaroni got a big push in the US. I seem to remember her making the talk and variety show rounds. The LP was stinking up the cutout bins for years. Skin Alley had two LPs on Stax (their first two LPs were not released in the US). The first (and better) one "Two Quid Deal" again was heavily distributed. The second one must have been a last gasp as it is much harder to find, although there is no demand for it. They sounded like they were aiming more at the US audience.

Skin Alley had two LPs on Stax (their first two LPs were not released in the US). The first (and better) one "Two Quid Deal" again was heavily distributed. The second one must have been a last gasp as it is much harder to find, although there is no demand for it. They sounded like they were aiming more at the US audience.

I have them all on UK pressings, didn't realise 'Skin Tight' (the last one) got a US release. Definitely the weakest of their four LPs.

I have them all on UK pressings, didn't realise 'Skin Tight' (the last one) got a US release. Definitely the weakest of their four LPs.

John, here's a copy so you can compare the cover, etc. It's not worth $40 though, you can find it for under $5 here. If I had one I would be glad to send it over the pond to you. I've found the UK Transatlantic issue of 2QD here in the US.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SKIN-ALLEY-Skin-Tight-1973-UK-PROG-LP-USA-PRESS-MINT-/160706788947?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item256adefe53

Strange, it's a completely different sleeve! Interesting.

I'll stick to the UK copy though, I'm funny like that!

cheers

js

What about Delaney and Bonnie, Sean Morton Downey Jr & Glenn Yarbrough?

.

...and what exactly is wrong with Delaney & Bonnie, Mr. Reed?

I personally think that their 'Home' album is as good as anything on Stax. And the single mix of 'It's Been A Long Time Coming' is one of the best records of the whole 'fingerclickin' era. Booker T and the MGs and the Memphis Horns play on it, the songs are great, the singing never less than excellent and on many occasions exhilarating. A proper southern soul record, in fact...

...which is not an observation I'd care to make about Messrs. Downey Jr or Yarborough's work, however....

Edited July 3, 201212 yr by TONY ROUNCE

Delaney & Bonnie never really floated my boat, maybe I should give them a revisit.

I didn't realize morton downey jr was a recording artist (before his talk show) until recently, he had a bunch of records. I didn't know he had a Stax LP though.

I didn't realize morton downey jr was a recording artist (before his talk show) until recently, he had a bunch of records. I didn't know he had a Stax LP though.

Buy this or ZIP IT!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sean-Morton-Downey-Jr-I-Believe-America-STAX-vinyLP-/120201921720

Don't take it into any bathrooms, though, you might be assaulted by neo-Nazis.

He was a DJ on a lot of stations. He's credited on a Miami garage 45 by the "HM Subjects" (actually a band called the Montells)

Thank goodness I only really collect 45s

Delaney & Bonnie never really floated my boat, maybe I should give them a revisit.

You should certainly revisit the Stax album, that's for sure.

Here's the album version of 'It's Been A Long Time Coming'. The single mix is better but either way it's still one of the most joyful and uplifting records I've ever heard:

[media=]

The B side of the single (not on the album) is a terrific version of Eddie Floyd's 'We've Just Been Feeling Bad'

The album also has great versions of 'My Baby Specialises', 'Things Get Better' and particularly 'Everybody Loves A Winner', among its other goodies. Almost all of its songs are written by the likes of Steve Cropper, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd etc...

Edited July 4, 201212 yr by TONY ROUNCE

I also quite like one of Bonnie's Columbia sides. I reviewed it in In The Basement once and got some complaints - hope it wasn't you John ?

I also quite like one of Bonnie's Columbia sides. I reviewed it in In The Basement once and got some complaints - hope it wasn't you John ?

Her duet version of 'Never Give You Up' on Capricorn, with Dobie Gray, is also top notch and well worth picking up on 45.

Southern soul fans on here should also note that Bonnie Bramlett is Muscle Shoals legend Jeanie Greene's favourite singer. Recommendation enough for me...

Only distributed by Stax in the US and obviously not soul, but it was issued on Stax in the UK.

One of my all-time TOP 10 tunes:

Only distributed by Stax in the US and obviously not soul, but it was issued on Stax in the UK.

One of my all-time TOP 10 tunes:

...and one of my all-timers, too.

At risk of veering wildly off topic, the Searchers' version from one of their Sire albums (can't remember which one, I only have their Sire tracks on CD now) is also lovely...

Buy this or ZIP IT!

https://www.ebay.com/...P-/120201921720

Don't take it into any bathrooms, though, you might be assaulted by neo-Nazis.

He was a DJ on a lot of stations. He's credited on a Miami garage 45 by the "HM Subjects" (actually a band called the Montells)

I just remember my dad watching his show when he was a kid, I remember there was one episode where it was Witches vs. Nazis. I can't tell if that's awesome or so stupid it's not even awesome.

I just remember my dad watching his show when he was a kid, I remember there was one episode where it was Witches vs. Nazis.

Don't suppose you'd remember who won, Bob?

Edited July 4, 201212 yr by TONY ROUNCE

At risk of veering wildly off topic, the Searchers' version from one of their Sire albums (can't remember which one, I only have their Sire tracks on CD now) is also lovely...

Have to check that one out. Really like The Searchers version of Ducks Deluxe "Love's Melody", but I've only got that on a 45. Will have to get the LP.

I also quite like one of Bonnie's Columbia sides. I reviewed it in In The Basement once and got some complaints - hope it wasn't you John ?

Nope wasnt me, as you all know I've never been one to complain

Don't suppose you'd remember who won, Bob?

nobody wins in that situation