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Yanks Over Here, Brits Over There


Roburt

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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 ??    

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Edited by Roburt
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Guest Spain pete

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

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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 ?

 

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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 

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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 by Timillustrator
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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"...

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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.

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Edited by Roburt
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