Magictones Wheelsville Red Label

[Mr Smithy]

I've never seen one of these with this label, always the multi colored one.
Have I just led a sheltered life ?
Where does it fit in, 1st press? re-issue?
Anyone know?
The white sticker looks like a Demo sticker that has been inked out.

[Robbk]

I saw this one out also back in the day.  I think its a second press run, but NOT a re-issue.  I think it was out, possibly 3-6 months after the first, multi-coloured issue (or was it before-I can't remember)?.  But, it has a different  catalogue number.  I'm pretty sure that this one was pressed and distributed by Ed Wingate's Golden World/Ric-Tic, while the other was pressed and distributed by Mike Hanks' MAH's/D-Town Records, as an independent.  It was the same situation with MAH's 1037 and 1038.  They each had a Wingate-pressed and distributed and independent press run.

[Mr Smithy]

 I think it was out, possibly 3-6 months after the first, multi-coloured issue (or was it before-I can't remember)?. 

So, if I understand you,  it came out either 3-6 months before, or 3-6 months after the multi coloured?

 

[Robbk]

So, if I understand you,  it came out either 3-6 months before, or 3-6 months after the multi coloured?

 

I found both within 3-6 months of each other during the airplay and first sales run of the record.  I can't remember which I saw and found first.  I know that some time around that period, Mike Hanks ran out of operating money, which led him to need to go to an outside source for money for press runs.  That ended up being a pressing and distribution deal with Ed Wingate's golden World/Ric Tic operation.  I believe that resulted in the red Columbia Chicago/Terre Haute pressing shown above, but I'm not positive.  The multi-coloured pressings, if I remember correctly, had one RCA pressing, and one local Detroit plant (American?).  But as they were pressed only within some months, I would guess that the multi-coloured was first, and then hanks ran out of money during the record's run, needed to press more, and so, went to the outside source for more money.  That would make the red pressing the latter.  But, it could also have been just the opposite.  He could have needed the money first, got the pressing deal (which also included The Magictones' 2 releases on MAH's 1037 and 1038), and after getting some new cash of his own, had a second pressing of "Me And My Baby" pressed up at a local plant, and not distributed by Golden World.

[Robbk]

The Magictones' MAH's 1037 and 1038 were released in 1968, while their red Wheelsville pressing was released during 1965.  So, my theory about needing the money for an outside pressing job is not related to the situation in 1968, when Hanks went to Wingate for financing help.  So, I believe that this Columbia pressing probably came first, because its 107626 number indicates late 1965, and I think the locally-pressed Wheelsville may have been a little later.  It is listed as 1966 on Global Dog, and a couple other discographies.  It seems possible that Mike had a first pressing (of the Wheelsville USA 700000) pressed at Columbia near the end of 1965, right after he released the Freddy Butler and Rudy Robinson first series singles, then he started the pink labels, and after the first five were released, he released another pressing of The Magictones on the new, pink label on Wheelsviile USA 106 in early 1966. The problem with this theory would be that the red 700702 release  was also numbered 106, and would imply that if it were pressed in late 1965, that the Wheelsville USA catalogue release numbers were already scheduled up to at least number 106 near the end of 1965.  That's believable for Motown.  But hard to imagine that Hanks' operation planned that many releases THAT far in advance.

 

So, as I have no real evidence to know for sure, I can't say which pressing was released first.  Maybe if we can date the pressing numbers of the other plant, we can figure out which was first.  What we DO know is that both were out fairly close in time to each other (the second was not pressed for "oldies sales", but was likely just a second, follow-up pressing to take advantage of continuing sales.

Edited December 22, 2014 by RobbK

[Tony Smith]

I've only ever seen this on the red label along with Cody Black 107 "I Am Particular", the pink label was a later release coupling "How Can I Forget You" with "Me And My Baby" 114.

[Tlscapital]

Like said above, this one was apparently released only as red labelled styrene (with extra catalogue numbering system) but never on pink labelled vinyl;

 

 

Then these two had both releases;

 

 

[Mr Smithy]

So it looks like this was first, before the multi coloured one.
and the Cody didn't get another run.
 

[Robbk]

So, that confirms my guess that the red Columbia issue was an end of 1965 release (per 107000 pressing #), and the pink release was early to mid 1966.  So, for whatever reason, Hanks switched pressing plants for issue # 106 and 107, and went back to his other Chicago and Detroit local plants for 108 on, and a later pressing of 106.

[Tlscapital]

So, that confirms my guess that the red Columbia issue was an end of 1965 release (per 107000 pressing #), and the pink release was early to mid 1966.  So, for whatever reason, Hanks switched pressing plants for issue # 106 and 107, and went back to his other Chicago and Detroit local plants for 108 on, and a later pressing of 106.

OK Robb, and just for the info "soulfulkindamusic.net" set those dates (both at the dawn of 1966) but what is the source here ? I dunno !

 

1062 — Lee Rogers — My One And Only / You Won’t Have To Wait Till Christmas - 1965

1063 — Dee Edwards — All The Way Home / Love Love Love - 1966

1064 — Buddy Lamp — Just A Little Bit Of Lovin’ / Next Best Think - 1966

 

&

 

104 - Debora Healey — Don’t Do Nothing I Wouldn’t Do / Can’t Erase My Old Love’s Face - 1965

105 - Not Released

106 - Magic Tones - Got To Get A Little Closer / Me And My Baby - 1966

107 - Cody Black - I Will Give You My Love / I Am Particular - 1966

[Paul Dunn]

101 Jimmy Gilford, 102 Steve Mancha, 103 Little Sonny and 104 Deborah Healy. were all Red-Blue-Pink, don't know what 105 release was 106 Magictones mine is R-B-P but I have seen red before 107 Cody Black mine is red (Would love a multicolour if it exists). Logic would suggest the red magictones was a later press as the next release Cody Black also red but could well be wrong.

 

Anyone know what 105 release was?

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Tlscapital]

101 Jimmy Gilford, 102 Steve Mancha, 103 Little Sonny and 104 Deborah Healy. were all Red-Blue-Pink, don't know what 105 release was 106 Magictones mine is R-B-P but I have seen red before 107 Cody Black mine is red (Would love a multicolour if it exists). Logic would suggest the red magictones was a later press as the next release Cody Black also red but could well be wrong.

 

Anyone know what 105 release was?

 

Regards

 

Paul

unreleased

[Robbk]

101 Jimmy Gilford, 102 Steve Mancha, 103 Little Sonny and 104 Deborah Healy. were all Red-Blue-Pink, don't know what 105 release was 106 Magictones mine is R-B-P but I have seen red before 107 Cody Black mine is red (Would love a multicolour if it exists). Logic would suggest the red magictones was a later press as the next release Cody Black also red but could well be wrong.

 

Anyone know what 105 release was?

 

Regards

 

Paul

It seems to have been never used (no release).  I've never seen a 105, and never seen any listing for one, nor even a scheduled record for that number.

[Tony Smith]

I think 105 for sure doesn't exist, and looking at master numbers for Wheelsville 10001 and 10002 they have consecutive numbers with D-Town 1043 Silky Hargraves "Hurt By Love" which sounds like it was recorded at he same session as Freddie Butler, My suggestion is these 2 where the start of a new numbering system, which was discontinued and the label reverted to the old numbering and columbia pressing along with D-Town 1063 & 1064.