The thread on European 60's soul is highlighting just how many US soul singers came over to Europe back in the day. In the UK, we had Geno Washington, R B Greaves (Sonny Childe), P P Arnold, Jimmy Thomas, the Fantastics, Flirtations, Clyde McPhatter, J J Jackson, B J (Brenda) Arnau, Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon, Johnny Moore & the Drifters, Tommy Hunt, Rosetta Hightower and more.

But as well as relocating both ways, some US soul acts recorded here and a number of UK acts went on to record in the US. In addition to this, a number of US acts cut live recordings here & likewise, UK acts in the States. Lots of US blues & jazz artists cut over here (some in studios, some live -- for instance Sonny Boy Williamson cut a live album with the Yardbirds). More in the soul vein; Larry Williams + Johnny Watson plus Garnett Mimms cut live albums in the UK. A number of US Acts also cut soul tracks in the studio over here, the likes of Timi Yuro, J J Jackson (before he relocated to the UK) and Bloodstone cut popular tracks here.

As time passed, some UK acts that had become popular in the US started cutting tracks in US studios; the likes of the Average White Band and Billy Ocean spring to mind. At one stage (when the Foundations were having hits in the US), it was even proposed that the 4 Tops would come to London to work with Tony MacCaulay but I don't think the session actually took place. Of course, UK pop / rock acts such as the Rolling Stones (@ Chess), John Lennon, Jeff Beck (with the Funk Bros @ Motown) had got the ball rolling earlier on.

Anyone know of other US Acts who cut here or UK acts who cut there ??    

Edited January 11, 20196 yr by Roburt

The Freddie King track cut in Oxfordshire (A cover of a General Johnson song) ... 

 

Bloodstone also cut numerous tracks in Oxfordshire (Chipping Norton) .....

 

Edited January 11, 20196 yr by Roburt

Wow, never realised Timi Yuro 'Never' was recorded in London 

Wonder why so rare / hard to find on the 7"?

Remember a mate finding one in Liverpool for £1 early 90's but looks like a four figure 45 now

The Tony Macaulay song the 4 Tops were going to cut ... 

 

The Billy Ocean track cut in Muscle Shoals ... 

 

The 4 Tops did get to record over here in 1970 ... 

 

Ella Fitzgerald cut get ready at Olympic studios Barnes  West London, my cousin worked at the railway station and got her autograph

Sonny Boy Williamson also did a live album with the Animals, I prefer it to the Yardbrids one, its on Youtube although (as the sleeve notes say) he was quite drunk and slurry it's pretty raw in places and sometimes he seems to be doing a different song to the band. 

Rocky Roberts was a Yank who based himself in Italy ... he did come over here to record though.

Was this Major Lance acetate track cut over here too ?

 

Little Richard cut Get Down Get With It at Abbey Road

 

34 minutes ago, Roburt said:

Rocky Roberts was a Yank who based himself in Italy ... he did come over here to record though.

Was this Major Lance acetate track cut over here too ?

 

The Major Lance cut is on the flip of the 1974 WB version of 'Without a Doubt' which I remember being told years ago was recorded in the UK 

7 minutes ago, rotherham soul said:

Little Richard cut Get Down Get With It at Abbey Road

 

Second wow of the afternoon, didn't know that either 😃

7 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Second wow of the afternoon, didn't know that either 😃

Wonder who played on it - Chas & Dave?!

Here's another Four Tops song recorded in London - 

 

A Moody Blues cover recorded in London - 

 

Cheating a bit here as she was born in Sth Africa ... but in the 60's, Sharon Tandy based herself in the UK. She signed with Atlantic and they sent her to cut some tracks at Stax in Memphis ....  

The Showstoppers, the Invitations & Felice Taylor all cut here in the UK too ...  plus Gloria Jones cut here after she married Marc Bolan & moved to the UK.

Edited January 12, 20196 yr by Roburt

17 hours ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Wonder who played on it - Chas & Dave?!

Quite possibly; Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock were respected session musicians in London at this time. Here's Chas playing on the Soul Survival LP that same year, same city, same label and the same studio: 

 

Edited January 12, 20196 yr by Timillustrator

4 minutes ago, Timillustrator said:

Quite possibly; Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock were respected session musicians in London at this time. Here's Chas playing on the Soul Survival LP that same year, same city, same label and probably the same studio: 

 

...plus of course "Get Down With It" was produced by Norman Smith , who went on to have a couple of pop hits as "Hurricane Smith"...

Four Tops liked recording in the UK....another one

Another American who spent a lot of time over here & who recorded here many times was Donnie Elbert ...

not only did he record himself, but he even produced stuff on British acts at times (an example being UK mod / soul group Fleur De Lys) ... 

 

Another ex-serviceman I don't think we've mentioned yet - Ronnie Jones...

https://www.cyrildavies.com/Ronnie.html

18 hours ago, Jerry Hipkiss said:

Another ex-serviceman I don't think we've mentioned yet - Ronnie Jones...

https://www.cyrildavies.com/Ronnie.html

You're right, he hadn't been mentioned yet AND he was performing / recording over here for quite a long time ... 

Edited January 18, 20196 yr by Roburt

The Stylistics cut some tracks over here in the late 70's .... they toured here every year around that time.

As stated earlier, US national Rocky Roberts based himself in Italy but came over here to record in the early 70's ... a UK outfit that went the other way (to Italy) was the Doc Thomas Group. It's members started life in the midlands and came together to form the Shakedown Sound (a blues & then soul band). When Jess Roden quit the group to join the Alan Bown Set early in 1966, the other members stuck it out and soon became Jimmy Cliff's backing band. After a couple of years gigging around the UK backing up Jimmy's soul act (including a niter gig at the Mojo club on 30th Sept 67 that I attended), they split with Jimmy & relocated to Italy. There they recorded an album as the Doc Thomas Group and spent another couple of years based in the country. Eventually they returned to the UK and with a new lead vocalist morphed into Mott the Hoople.

Edited January 21, 20196 yr by Roburt

A couple of tracks off the Doc Thomas Group's Italian LP ... 

 

Edited January 21, 20196 yr by Roburt

Another ex US serviceman who came to the UK and stayed ... John L Watson ... 

 

 

Edited January 23, 20196 yr by Roburt

Didn't Dusty Springfield cut a few tracks in Memphis and sling them on an LP?

2 hours ago, jam66 said:

Didn't Dusty Springfield cut a few tracks in Memphis and sling them on an LP?

   Yes-

 

                     

 

Just a bit of British humour mate (or a poor attempt at such), such a highly regarded album I was surprised nobody had brought it up.

I was just making sure ! 

Dusty's "Brand New Me" album was recorded in Philadelphia.

Edited January 30, 20196 yr by the yank