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More Pittsburgh Soul - Marva Josie

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Marva Josie was from Pittsburgh and gave her first live performance there at the tender age of 9. She was trained in opera but was soon singing R&B. By the early 60's she was performing in nightclubs and in 1962 secured a gig at a Detroit club. This seems to have resulted in her signing with Correctone Records, though her tracks were leased out to the Time label. 

She went on to cut for Sahara, United Artists, Julmar, City, Thimble and many other labels after those.

In 1965 she cut a song written by Herbie Hancock and I guess this signaled the direction she was heading in. 

Marva started singing jazz after the soul boom was over & she has become well respected on the jazz scene down the years.

 

...... BUT ... did she actually cut any soul tracks in Pittsburgh ??

 

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  • Roburt
    Roburt

    Her Detroit recording ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxD7lxguehU

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By the 70's, Marva was making jazz show appearances across Europe (for instance in Germany in 1970 and Holland in July 77).

Anyone know if she did any concerts in the UK during that period ? 

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That shot from the Kerby Scott TV Show is great. That show was broadcast by WBAL-TV 11 in 1967 and was the new Baltimore dance show.  The original dance show on Baltimore TV had been the Buddy Deane Show ( WJZ-TV) on which the film 'Hairspray' was based.

The Kerby Scott Show had commenced around April 1967 and was soon attracting stars such as Kim Weston (promoting her new MGM 45 “I Got What You Need”), Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (they were on in early July 67) plus Jimi Hendrix & the Experience. Local groups were also booked to appear on the show, one such outfit being Denny & the Hitchhikers who were on the show in mid September (67). Another lesser known group, the Soul Clinic were on the show in June 68. The local bands played their tracks live in the empty studio ahead of the show's broadcast slot. They then lip-synced to the track during the actual broadcast. I believe the show lasted for just over a year.

 

The Soul Clinic were from York, Pa ... so they don't qualify as a Pittsburgh soul outfit (York being much closer to Baltimore than to Pittsburgh) .....

... this is the track they performed on the Kerby Scott Show ...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJVZuVOHItg

Edited by Roburt

Marva Josie was from Pittsburgh and gave her first live performance there at the tender age of 9. She was trained in opera but was soon singing R&B. By the early 60's she was performing in nightclubs and in 1962 secured a gig at a Detroit club. This seems to have resulted in her signing with Correctone Records, though her tracks were leased out to the Time label. 

She went on to cut for Sahara, United Artists, Julmar, City, Thimble and many other labels after those.

In 1965 she cut a song written by Herbie Hancock and I guess this signaled the direction she was heading in. 

Marva started singing jazz after the soul boom was over & she has become well respected on the jazz scene down the years.

 

...... BUT ... did she actually cut any soul tracks in Pittsburgh ??

Probably none that were ever released (if any were cut).  Her recordings for Correc-Tone were made in Detroit (Produced in mid 1962 by Robert Bateman, and recorded in Correc-Tone's recording studio that Bateman had helped design and build.  Wilbur(t) Golden leased them to Time(Brent) Records in New York.  Her 2 Sahara Records cuts may have been recorded in Detroit "I Don't Care" (Bateman at Correc-Tone in mid 1962), and New York, "Heartbreak City", (a song written by New York writing team, Al Cleveland and Arthur Crier), in a session run by Bill Ramal (at least several if not many weeks later)-.  This seems to have been leased by Bateman to Morty Wilson's Sahara Records(New York), and distributed by New York's I.P.G.  I doubt that Bateman gave any money he received to Wilbur(t) Golden,  Clearly, "I Don't Care" was a Correc-Tone song (with Sonny Sanders and Willie Harbert as writers.  I don't know why Jobete Music got a cut of the publishing. 

 

In 1963, Marva stayed in New York, recording for City Records (co-owned by Julius Dixon?), and then in 1964-65 for United Artists in New York.  I don't know of ANY of her recordings being produced in Pittsburgh.

Edited by RobbK

Hey good thread, i knew about crazy stockings as i got a minter for less than a tenner and i like it, that quirky dance/fasions type of early usa life, hairspray epitomised this in the movie,

lots more info here on the artist which ive never heard before.

 

Thanks Garry

Her Detroit recording ...........

Always had a soft spot for this track...and actually prefer it to the flipside, "You Lied" which Mr.C used to spin at the 100 Club.

Have had white labels with and without promotional wording on them...but never seen a stocker on a red (or any other colour) label...anyone got one...would love to see it!

B side of I Love New York is the spine-tingling beat ballad "Don't".

Truly awesome stuff.

Agree...a truly epic slice of mid-60's NYC big production Soul. I recently found a US WD of it over here in Tokyo in amongst some other UA demos...all had an hand ink-stamped promotional mark on them...I wonder if these were label file copies under consideration for a Japanese release...alas it never gained a release over here.

Edited by Flynny

Always had a soft spot for this track...and actually prefer it to the flipside, "You Lied" which Mr.C used to spin at the 100 Club.

Have had white labels with and without promotional wording on them...but never seen a stocker on a red (or any other colour) label...anyone got one...would love to see it!

I've never seen a store stocker of either the Marva Josie OR the Laura Johnson.  I'd bet neither were ever in shops.  Interesting that the 3rd Correc-Tone production leased to Brent/Time, The Donays, got to (red) store stock.  But that's because it charted regionally and had decent sales.  Interesting that both Bateman's productions flopped, and Popcorn Wylie's was a minor hit.

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