Johnnie on the spot, Dennis Edwards.

[Davebanks]

link to Dennis Edwards talking about how he came to record Johnnie on the spot.

 

Dave Banks

[Robbk]

I was not able to play the Dennis Edwards interview, because that video is restricted where I am now.  Can someone please paraphrase for me what Dennis said about how he came to record it?  I am very curious, as the recording sounds very like Dennis' 1966-67 Motown solo cuts, and a Motown studio cut, rather than an off-Motown Detroit cut, such as made by Groovesville/Solid Hitbound, Golden World/Ric Tic, Ollie Mclaughlin, Thelma, Correc-Tone, and the other Moptown imitators.  Having Joe Hunter arrange, and Ronny Savoy write (and probably produce it?), one would have expected it to sound more like a Ric Tic cut.  But, it sounds like it was recorded in The Snakepit, or at United Sound.  It also sounds like it came from the period when Dennis was contracted to motown (later than his cuts with The Celebrities on Boss.  Could it have come just between Boss and Motown?  I'm curious about who produced it, and who paid for the production (International Soulsville).  I doubt that Joe Hunter or Ronnie Savoy did. 

[Wheelsville1]

2 hours ago, RobbK said:

I was not able to play the Dennis Edwards interview, because that video is restricted where I am now.  Can someone please paraphrase for me what Dennis said about how he came to record it?  I am very curious, as the recording sounds very like Dennis' 1966-67 Motown solo cuts, and a Motown studio cut, rather than an off-Motown Detroit cut, such as made by Groovesville/Solid Hitbound, Golden World/Ric Tic, Ollie Mclaughlin, Thelma, Correc-Tone, and the other Moptown imitators.  Having Joe Hunter arrange, and Ronny Savoy write (and probably produce it?), one would have expected it to sound more like a Ric Tic cut.  But, it sounds like it was recorded in The Snakepit, or at United Sound.  It also sounds like it came from the period when Dennis was contracted to motown (later than his cuts with The Celebrities on Boss.  Could it have come just between Boss and Motown?  I'm curious about who produced it, and who paid for the production (International Soulsville).  I doubt that Joe Hunter or Ronnie Savoy did. 

Hi Rob,this was recorded just prior to Dennis joining the Contours,on the I didn’t have to side is Ronnie Savoys brother Bob Reeco as producer. 

[Wheelsville1]

13 minutes ago, Wheelsville1 said:

Hi Rob,this was recorded just prior to Dennis joining the Contours,on the I didn’t have to side is Ronnie Savoys brother Bob Reeco as producer. 

Ps.I am positive the percussionist on I didn’t have to is Jack Ashford. 

[The Yank]

2 hours ago, RobbK said:

  Having Joe Hunter arrange, and Ronny Savoy write (and probably produce it?

Ronny produced the "Johnnie ..." side

[Robbk]

So, Frank Brown was the financier, executive producer and owner of the record label (Soulville International).  He owned a few small Detroit Soul labels during the 1960s. No relation to Kable, Mickay's and Ring's Fred Brown, Frank had his own label, Valtone (1966-69), and had a few other small Detroit labels of his own before that.

Edited February 15, 2018 by RobbK

[Dysonsoul]

On 2/9/2018 at 17:05, neckender said:

I was at tim brown's place in the late 8ts/early 9ts (can't remember exactly when) and he told me that he'd just got one of the best unknowns for a long time and he played me the two sides covered up. It wasn't for sale; he just wanted me to hear it and i wasn't unimpressed!!   I assumed Martin K had found it, but i later heard that it had been discovered by Craig Moerer and sent to Anglo American.  Ill ask Craig to confirm this sometime, or someone else can.

Early 1990/1  Craig M sent a couple of thousand 45s to  the Tod warehouse - Martin K had brokered the deal (infact Craig had been to the Uk some months earlier and had a day at the warehouse) Anyway  while looking through the boxes Browny shouts to me" dya know Dennis Edwards on Int Soulville ? " which of course i didn't , he put it on and of course a pretty exciting double sider ! Tim rang Martin with the details and he found a copy or two within a short pace of time ,he searched high and low but it was never kicking around. There are many twists and turns to the story as it goes,  so much so that while writing stuff for the digging book i said to Browny the D.E story needs to be documented factually.. i mean look how many versions are in this thread ! Ah when we spoke about it mine and his versions are not strictly speaking identical, but the above is how it was. I remember you coming up Mark a few years after in the V.W Beatle (i think to pick a D.E up . I thought the record would have gone far more popular than it did - what a incredible double sider !

[Wheelsville1]

6 hours ago, Dysonsoul said:

Early 1990/1  Craig M sent a couple of thousand 45s to  the Tod warehouse - Martin K had brokered the deal (infact Craig had been to the Uk some months earlier and had a day at the warehouse) Anyway  while looking through the boxes Browny shouts to me" dya know Dennis Edwards on Int Soulville ? " which of course i didn't , he put it on and of course a pretty exciting double sider ! Tim rang Martin with the details and he found a copy or two within a short pace of time ,he searched high and low but it was never kicking around. There are many twists and turns to the story as it goes,  so much so that while writing stuff for the digging book i said to Browny the D.E story needs to be documented factually.. i mean look how many versions are in this thread ! Ah when we spoke about it mine and his versions are not strictly speaking identical, but the above is how it was. I remember you coming up Mark a few years after in the V.W Beatle (i think to pick a D.E up . I thought the record would have gone far more popular than it did - what a incredible double sider !

Great story Andy,it’s always good to get the true facts from the original source,J.O.T.S has never done it for me,however I think the flip side is tremendous and like yourself I thought it would have become more popular than it has. 

[Tai-pan]

20 hours ago, Dysonsoul said:

Early 1990/1  Craig M sent a couple of thousand 45s to  the Tod warehouse - Martin K had brokered the deal (infact Craig had been to the Uk some months earlier and had a day at the warehouse) Anyway  while looking through the boxes Browny shouts to me" dya know Dennis Edwards on Int Soulville ? " which of course i didn't , he put it on and of course a pretty exciting double sider ! Tim rang Martin with the details and he found a copy or two within a short pace of time ,he searched high and low but it was never kicking around. There are many twists and turns to the story as it goes,  so much so that while writing stuff for the digging book i said to Browny the D.E story needs to be documented factually.. i mean look how many versions are in this thread ! Ah when we spoke about it mine and his versions are not strictly speaking identical, but the above is how it was. I remember you coming up Mark a few years after in the V.W Beatle (i think to pick a D.E up . I thought the record would have gone far more popular than it did - what a incredible double sider !

Well, it just goes to show how time plays tricks on memory. I left the scene back in 81/82 and not to return until the late 90's, could have sworn that this was one of the latest of the records from the 'golden newies era' in the early 80's that Sam played. I even remember it on the decks covered-up. I think it may have been covered as 'Ronnie McNeir' but not sure. Can someone on here ask Sam about it, cause I'm starting think I'm losing the bloody plot!!  

[Chalky]

10 hours ago, Tai-Pan said:

Well, it just goes to show how time plays tricks on memory. I left the scene back in 81/82 and not to return until the late 90's, could have sworn that this was one of the latest of the records from the 'golden newies era' in the early 80's that Sam played. I even remember it on the decks covered-up. I think it may have been covered as 'Ronnie McNeir' but not sure. Can someone on here ask Sam about it, cause I'm starting think I'm losing the bloody plot!!  

Definately not the early 80s Andy.  Sam if I remember rightly credited this as being one of the records that got him back on ghe Northern merry go round after his years with the Modern stuff etc. 

Edited February 15, 2018 by chalky

[Steve L]

12 hours ago, Tai-Pan said:

Well, it just goes to show how time plays tricks on memory. I left the scene back in 81/82 and not to return until the late 90's, could have sworn that this was one of the latest of the records from the 'golden newies era' in the early 80's that Sam played. I even remember it on the decks covered-up. I think it may have been covered as 'Ronnie McNeir' but not sure. Can someone on here ask Sam about it, cause I'm starting think I'm losing the bloody plot!!  

One thing Ive learnt in recent times is that your memories arent necessarily accurate, even if you think they are. Some will be but some won't, I think everyone our age ought to realise this......