Love this, still got my copy, brings back memories and all that stuff but just had a mooch and found out The Voice Masters have all been members of The Originals at one time or other!

have I got this right?

 

.... INFO ON THE VOICEMASTERS, who were from St Louis .....

Back at that time (1972/73), St Louis was something of a hot bed for soul styled talent though this had largely gone untapped. Kent Washburn quickly commenced studio work with the Hypnotics, a locally based male trio led by James Thompson. Thompson had already been involved in the music business for around seven years as a singer and song writer. He had started his first group, the Voice Masters back in 1965. This outfit comprising himself (as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter), Arthur Jeffries (1st tenor), Godfrey Lewis (2nd Tenor) and Morris Henderson (Baritone). They had been signed to the Copa label and had cut some tracks with Oliver Sain (“My Love Was All In Vain” & “Dance Crazy”) which escaped on a single. Their initial recordings were then picked up by the New Orleans based Frisco label but despite gaining a national distribution deal, this second incarnation of the single again failed to make a commercial breakthrough. The group soldiered on though with Don Bodie replacing Godfrey Lewis as their 2nd tenor. Mamie (the owner of Bamboo Records) signed them before handing over the creative positions at the St Louis based label to a team from Chicago. The Voice Masters initial Bamboo release (in 1967) coupled “If A Woman Catches A Fool” with “You’ve Hurt Me Baby”. Gene Chandler led the team from the Windy City that took over the reigns at Bamboo Records and in no time at all he had transferred the labels creative base to Chicago. In 1969, a second Voice Masters Bamboo 45 escaped, this again featuring “If A Woman Catches A Fool” which on this occasion was coupled with “Never Gonna Leave You”. Gene soon recognized James Thompson’s skills as a song writer and so started using his songs on both his own sessions and those of other Bamboo artists. The Voice Masters final single was their most successful as “Dance Right Into My Heart” (again utilising “If A Woman Catches A Fool” on the flip) made the national soul charts in June 1970. The 45 peaked in the Top 50 of the chart but with James now being so highly regarded for his song writing, the group wasn’t encouraged to continue on.

The Hypnotics of course had big cuts out on Reprise in 1973 and later on Emkay. The Hypnotics on Cheapo are a different outfit.

The Voicemasters out of Detroit were a totally different group (Anna, Check-mate, Chess) and included Lamont Dozier & 2 guys who would later be in the Originals.

Edited August 18, 20168 yr by Roburt

Superb info Roburt many thanks :-)

Thanks for the info Roburt and also for clearing that up - a different Voicemasters 

A biggie from these Voice Masters ... 

Edited August 18, 20168 yr by Roburt

James Thompson also penned the smash hit 'get down '...for Gene  Chandler. ..his ship came in with that one 

Q1 ... Did Frisco really put out 2 different versions of the Voice Masters 45 ... one featuring "In Love In Vain" & the other having "Dance Crazy" as the flip side ??

I guess they must have as "In Love In Vain" is numbered 15235-C, which would make "Dance Crazy" 15235-B.

They didn't seem to promote this 45, so why put it out twice ??  The label must have done some deal (in 65) with a promoter up on the east coast as Frisco 110 (Danny White) charted up in DC (& I'd guess it got some action in Memphis where it was cut).

2nd Q ... my contacts in St Louis assure me that the Voice Masters 45 was released on the local Copa label first. That is where it's Frisco number originated it seems. However, I've never actually seen (in the flesh) a copy of this 45 on Copa. Anyone here got a copy of it ??

Q3 ... There was a Copa label out of Texas, was this a totally seperate entity ?

 

Edited August 19, 20168 yr by Roburt

On 19/08/2016 at 07:48, Roburt said:

Q1 ... Did Frisco really put out 2 different versions of the Voice Masters 45 ... one featuring "In Love In Vain" & the other having "Dance Crazy" as the flip side ??

I guess they must have as "In Love In Vain" is numbered 15235-C, which would make "Dance Crazy" 15235-B.

They didn't seem to promote this 45, so why put it out twice ??  The label must have done some deal (in 65) with a promoter up on the east coast as Frisco 110 (Danny White) charted up in DC (& I'd guess it got some action in Memphis where it was cut).

2nd Q ... my contacts in St Louis assure me that the Voice Masters 45 was released on the local Copa label first. That is where it's Frisco number originated it seems. However, I've never actually seen (in the flesh) a copy of this 45 on Copa. Anyone here got a copy of it ??

Q3 ... There was a Copa label out of Texas, was this a totally seperate entity ?

 

Spot the credit ? anyone ever get a copy ? or was it never released as such ?

Edited February 17, 20214 yr by Blackpoolsoul

On 18/08/2016 at 22:35, Lfcjunkie said:

James Thompson also penned the smash hit 'get down '...for Gene  Chandler. ..his ship came in with that one 

 

On 18/08/2016 at 23:48, Roburt said:

Q1 ... Did Frisco really put out 2 different versions of the Voice Masters 45 ... one featuring "In Love In Vain" & the other having "Dance Crazy" as the flip side ??

I guess they must have as "In Love In Vain" is numbered 15235-C, which would make "Dance Crazy" 15235-B.

They didn't seem to promote this 45, so why put it out twice ??  The label must have done some deal (in 65) with a promoter up on the east coast as Frisco 110 (Danny White) charted up in DC (& I'd guess it got some action in Memphis where it was cut).

2nd Q ... my contacts in St Louis assure me that the Voice Masters 45 was released on the local Copa label first. That is where it's Frisco number originated it seems. However, I've never actually seen (in the flesh) a copy of this 45 on Copa. Anyone here got a copy of it ??

Q3 ... There was a Copa label out of Texas, was this a totally seperate entity ?

 

I've never seen a St. Louis-based Copa Records.  I have a couple records on The Texas label.  Both my Houston-based Copa label records have 8000 series catalogue numbers, with that same number and a -A designation for the plug side.  So, unless the Texas label changed their cut number series, that 5-digit number (15235) probably comes from a different, St. Louis-based Copa label (not likely to have been affiliated with the Houston label. 

Discogs photo

Edited July 30, 20222 yr by Smudger

My original posts were made 6 years ago ... Discogs has caught up over that time & have now provided the answer to my question (with a little help from our kid -- CHEERS).