Whilst wandering around my "old home town" today I came across 2 of a series(?) of vinyl Albums, namely Andre Williams-Detroit Soul volumes 3 and 4 in a record stall in the indoor provisions market!. Whilst apart from the track listings and pictures of a variety of label photos on the lower rear part of the sleeve/slight colour variation on sleeves/labels the information on both sleeve notes and an inner A4 sheet "The true story of Andre Williams in his own words" They are virtually identical!!! There are no credits on either sleevenotes or label, and no manufacturing address other than Detroit Michigan.

The albums themselves appear to be quite recent, and my only lead came from the stall proprioters statement that Andre Williams had appeared at a now defunct live music establishment in Newport called TJ's some ten years or so prior!!!!In my "own backyard" I ask you????? I'm as mystified by his "appearance" as I am about the albums?????......Can Anyone advise?

He played in Bristol a few years back too.

Apparently he is a very bad man.

The albums came out about 5 or 6 years ago.

TJs was a fantastic gig venue.

Edited July 5, 201212 yr by john s

"Apparently he is a very bad man."

Oh, indeed. A very bad man....and a total gas. Name another septuagenarian who's been kicked out his assisted living housing for drug possession.

We love him in New Orleans. I presume that's why he sticks around.

Andre has been involved with the music biz for about 60 years now.

He learnt the 'tricks of the trade' very early on (probably coz when he was young, he got ripped off by label owners, managers, clubs) ....

... since then he has been applying 'the unwritten rules' to his own advantage.

Andre used to bounce about between Detroit, Chicago & St Louis. He was originally put in charge of Bamboo Records when the label was started up in St Louis (1968) but he was soon relieved of his post & Gene Chandler took over (by all accounts, Andre was running the label for his own benefit & not that of the owner or the artists who had been signed up).

I'm as mystified by his "appearance" as I am about the albums?????......Can Anyone advise?

Those LPs were released in 2002. There were 4 volumes.

The first two focused on his 50s recordings and were called "Detroit Grease" vol 1 & 2.

The last two focused on his 60s recordings and were called "Detroit Soul" vol 3 & 4.

Don't know who did them, but at the time they were available from many garage distributors like Crypt, Norton etc.

Check these links:

https://www.discogs.c...release/3670263

https://www.discogs.c...release/3671493

https://www.discogs.c...release/3671619

https://www.discogs.c...release/3671643

I used to play in a band that acted as his supporting act when he played in Malmoe, Sweden back in 1998 when he was touring on the back of his incredible "Silky" album. He is indeed a very "bad" man and the gig after-party was one of the most blasting parties I've ever had the pleasure to experience.

Edited July 6, 201212 yr by Sebastian

Cheers for the feedback fellas, I'm guessing the Detroit link in the title of the latter two albums is basically to do with his time in the Motor City rather than the actual tracks on these dittys, as Chicago and Texas labelled releases are included, or am I being naive?