Although his ABC 45 has been a big record for over 50 years, little is known of Earl.

I made mention of him in the current BBC Proms thread ... ... I chatted with Johnny Pate for ages and then it came to me that I knew nothing about Earl Jackson (Johnny P co-wrote "Soul Self Satisfaction" and ran the studio session). The 45 was released in October 68, so the track was most probably cut in August / September that year. Pate's main focus at the time was the Impressions and similar groups (the Mighty Marvelows, etc.) but he didn't seem to be super busy at that time. I asked him about Earl & his recording session and the songs he cut. Johnny couldn't remember anything at all about the guy, the song or the session. He stated  I just used to go into the studio from 9 to 5 everyday and work, do whatever was called for each day. It was just my job.

So, even the guy who masterminded the track remembers nothing at all about it or about Earl. So further digging seemed appropriate. His recording session took place in Chicago but that doesn't mean he was from that area. Johnny Pate was the 'go-to' guy at ABC if you were cutting soul tracks from the mid to late 60's. So singers would be signed to ABC in (say) New York or LA but be sent to cut in Chicago. So, Chicago may not be significant when it comes to Earl.

I first visited BMI to check what they had on him (see below) ..... He wrote 20 registered songs, mostly in conjunction with Gregory Carroll. Gregory Carroll had been in the music biz for years, so that link seemed more promising. Greg was from Baltimore and had started out as a member of Sonny Til's Orioles. But when work started drying up for the group (1955), Gregory moved on and got into studio / behind the scenes work. He couldn't stay away from the mic though and started a new group in 56   -- the Dappers. They didn't do too well and so he continued his other works. Next came Greg & Peg (with Peggy Jones aka Lady Bo). He had a solo 45 out in 1960 & then started a group with Doc Wheeler and Doris Troy. He then worked with Doris Troy and the pair wrote "Just One Look". He produced the song on Doris & it became a massive hit. Based in New York, he followed that with sessions on the likes of the Coasters, the Essex, Big Joe Turner, Ashford & Simpson, Anna Craig ("The Life Of The Party"), JoAnn Courcy ("I Got The Power"), The vibrations, Lou Christie and more. He also got back in front of the mic himself again; in conjunction with J R Bailey he started the Previews (Veep; 1965).

So Gregory Carrol, with whom Earl worked on at least nine songs, was New York based and worked with lots of NY soul scene folk (Henry Glover, etc.). So it's quite safe to assume Earl was NY based while working with Gregory.

So did Earl work in the studio with Gregory Carroll. If he did, either the tracks weren't released or they were put out under a different name.

Is there anyone on here who has researched Gregory Carroll and his studio / song writing work in the mid to late 60's. In 1968 Gregory, in conjunction with J R Bailey, was laying down tracks like "I've Got My Lovelight Shining" on cuts released as by Chuck Wood. So it seems his song writing with Earl had ended by then (the successful songs the pairing wrote came out in 63,64,66). Anyone have knowledge of who Gregory Carroll got to sing the demo versions of his songs -- Gregory himself or someone like Earl. Knowing more about Gregory's way of working on his demo cuts MAY help to shed more light on the mystery of Earl Jackson.  

Edited July 21, 20231 yr by Roburt

Earl also wrote with Ralph Bass and Morton Craft, both New York based.

Gregory Carroll has 226 songs registered with BMI; so he must have cut hundreds of composers demo tracks  -- singing himself or using guy / gal pals to handle the vocals for him.  

Edited July 21, 20231 yr by Roburt

Brilliant research

There was this speculation about Jackson's identity just last year on Soul Source. 

Good research Roburt, Any relationship known between Gregory Carroll and Earl Carroll of The Cadillacs. Both in New York for much of this period.  Could Earl Jackson be a moonlighting Earl Carroll ? I am speculating.

With Gregory Carroll being a long time member of the Orioles & then other NY area groups through to the mid 60's, it is highly likely that he got to know / did shows with Earl Carroll of the Cadillacs.

Gregory Carroll had started life as JOHN Carroll (no idea why he changed his name) and his 1st group -- the Four Buddies -- were from the same area of Baltimore as Sonny Til & the other original Orioles. John / Gregory's older brother, was also in a local group, the Four Buds. So the Carroll family were well connected in Balto R&B circles. Gregory / John's group (4 Buddies) recorded a load for Savoy between 1950 and 1955 and had some hits. But Gregory was soon to become an Oriole.

The Cadillacs were from New Jersey and when the group split into 2 rival groups in 1957, Earl Carroll led one version with J R Bailey being in the other one. It seems that the Balto' Carrolls and the Cadillacs Earl Carroll weren't related but they must have known each other. Even more so after Earl left the Cadillacs in 61 to join the Coasters -- as already stated, Gregory Carroll worked with the Coasters (in 64 on "Wild One" & other tracks).  

Gregory Carroll had started life as John Carroll, J R Bailey took on numerous different names (for recording purposes), so there's no reason why a long time group member (Earl Carroll) wouldn't try a solo recording and put it out under a different name ... but as you say, that's speculation.

One thing against it though ... Earl Jackson is the name he used to register his songs & that still seems to be the name used. Lots of guys used alternate names, but down the years they have linked their 'false names' to their real name to ensure their composer's royalties due continue to roll in. There is no other name linked to Earl Jackson on the BMI site.   

Edited July 21, 20231 yr by Roburt