So I came across this record at home at the weekend.

 

It's on IX Chains, by JG Lewis (aka Johnny Gilliam, 'Room Full of Tears', 'Tell Your Friend..' 'Find Yourself Another..').

 

Anyway I couldn't remember it, so I stuck it on. Nice enough. Sounds like he's trying get on the Barry White bandwagon. Good luck to him. 

 

Then I realised that although its a different song, the title, 'What Am I Gonna Do' is very close to that of a Barry White hit ('What Am I Gonna Do With You').  Then, via Google it transpires that he did another one on IX Chains called 'Let The Music Play'...Also the name of a big hit for Barry White (again, different song).

 

So what kinda crazy business plan was this? Did they hope to mop up sales from the unlikely scenario of punters going into the record shop and asking for, 'that one called 'What Am I Gonna Do' / 'Let The Music Play' By? 'Dunno. Can't remember what his name is ... it's a guy with a deep voice..'?!?

Edited May 21, 201312 yr by son of stan

Are you asking why a record label released two records by the same artist? Because that is not unusual.

 

Also, Johnny Gilliam sounds exactly like Jerry Butler, not as similar to Barry White.

also, if i am missing a deeper question in your post, i apologize

ok, i reread your post and see that you are asking if they were trying to trick buyers into buying records by a singer with a deep voice by releasing two songs that are the titles of barry white songs. sorry i missed that.

Wasn't that label a source of cheap alternative versions of the big sounds of the day?,ie Trieste"I can see him making love to you",inferior take on the Anderson bros.Dont know who was behind it though.

STUPID TALE (almost related to the above) .....

...... back in my school days (64-ish) a mate of mine went into a record shop and requested the latest ROLLING STONES 45 ....

......... when he got home, he pulled the single out of the bag and found he had been sold a record by TOM JONES

Guess the sales assistant had cloth ears.

Wasn't that label a source of cheap alternative versions of the big sounds of the day?,ie Trieste"I can see him making love to you",inferior take on the Anderson bros.Dont know who was behind it though.

 

I don't know what the deal was with the Raymond Smith ("Seven Day Lover", #7007) and Trieste ("I Can See Him Loving You", #7021) 45's as far as the northern soul scene was concerned. It seems like there was some "input" from the UK side of things to get those recorded but I don't know for sure.

 

Apart from those releases though, most of the remaining 20+ 45's on that label are of high quality and doesn't seem to have anything to do with tailor mades etc.

 

Some of my faves:

 

Steptones - Let The People Talk

Calvin Arnold - Satisfy My Woman

Randy Brown - It Ain't Like It Used to Be

Pride, Passion & Pain - Some Kind Of Man

Crystal Image - Gonna Have A Good Time

 

Wasn't that label a source of cheap alternative versions of the big sounds of the day?,ie Trieste"I can see him making love to you",inferior take on the Anderson bros.Dont know who was behind it though.

 

 

.Dont know who was behind it though.

I found something on line that suggests it was a subsiduary of the Mainstream label. Don't know if that's true. Certainly the same address. 

Edited May 21, 201312 yr by son of stan

it was a real label, some of the titles charted. there was some stuff licensed in though.

I did an article on IX Chains for Voices From The Shadows in 1990 ish featuring a review of each 45 and a label listing. Some fabuous tracks are tucked into those 20 odd 45's that's for sure!