Thanks very much for posting that. It's fascinating info about Edwin's climb to fame and all completely new to me.

I loved seeing Edwin's live shows. He always gave 100%. I probably saw him live more often then any other act. It seemed like he was on somewhere in the North West all the time in the 80's. He was the only possible reason I would have gone to the Willows in Salford!

Me and a couple of mates at Edwin Starr's grave near Nottingham a couple of years ago.

Not very clear photo I'm afraid but the vase stands are like plastic impressions of Ric-Tic 45s (can't remember now which ones).

 

When Edwin was on Jools Holland's LATER show, he said that he first got to meet Sam & Dave at a big gig they undertook at the Cleveland Arena (which must have been around Spring 1966 after S&D had enjoyed their 1st big hit).

Edwin said that Cleveland had a great entertainment scene back then with all the top soul acts playing venues in the city.

All the top acts played the Cleveland Arena back then (which when it wasn't being used for music shows was the home of the Cleveland basketball team, the Cavaliers. The venue was closed in 1974 & demolished in 1977.

........... a few top soul acts performing there ......

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Edwin Starr's Cleveland Years

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a very interesting article m8

thanks!

I know little about the Annuals, except that they were managed by Marty Conn & had 45's out on his labels (Marconn & Conn Records; based on South Green Rd)

....... this ain't soul, its doo wop ... but this is the sort of sound Edwin's group was making back in the 50's .....

......... "Everybody talks about 'Get a Job' ... "

(should please Robb though , if he checks out this thread).

Nice thread. I know a lot about Detroit's and Chicago's music scene. But I never knew all that much about Cleveland's. I knew that The Moonglows were located there, recording with Alan Freed's Champagne label in 1952 (after moving from Louisville). I didn't know that The Futurtones came from Cleveland. I had thought they were an East Coast group, as Tress was a New Jersey label. I have almost no '50s music on Cleveland labels, I have some '60s a few records by The Vondells on Holiday, lots of records on Way Out, and a few on other labels, several O'Jays records on Saru and some other Saru Records, several Johnny Brantly productions on various labels, Ann Bogan and The Challengers, etc. I assume that Cleveland's music scene in the '50s was just as strong as in The '60s, but the difference was that the Cleveland artists during the R&B period had their releases on the major national labels, as well as the major national R& B labels. There weren't a lot of small R&B labels in Cleveland (they were spread around Ohio. There was a lot going on in Toledo. But it was all oriented towards Detroit. Most Toledo artists recorded in Detroit. Lots of Ohio artist recorded in Cincinnati, as King Records and their recording studio was located there. And, of course, The Hesitations (who I forgot to mention above). There was also Sonny Turner.

.... Ann Bogan and The Challengers, etc. I assume that Cleveland's music scene in the '50s was just as strong as in The '60s, but the difference was that the Cleveland artists during the R&B period had their releases on the major national labels, as well as the major national R& B labels. There weren't a lot of small R&B labels in Cleveland

Yes, Ann Bogan (later a Marvelette & member of New Birth) & the guys in the Challengers were from Cleveland.

George Hendricks, a current member of the Hesitations, has a long musical pedigree......

His first major singing position was in the Sahib's who around 1960 were one of Cleveland's finest soul groups (they performed on bills with the likes of James Brown, Jackie Wilson and most of the Motown acts). The group were just about the top local draw at the time but had no interest in recording and so never left a 'vinyl legacy' to look back on.

After this, he was a member of 'Ann Bogan and the Challengers' who recorded "Honey Honey Honey" / "Everyday" for the Tri Phi label. He was then to serve in Viet Nam & after returning took a break from the music biz.

Then in the 70's, he joined Red Top and the Young Family who recorded "Love Power / Barbara" released on the Tri City Label (owned by Choker Campbell). George toured the US with the group for several years.

In the late 70's he joined long time friend (& former Sahib) Lou Ragland & they formed the Chosen Few. Later still, George was vocalist for Harvey and the Phenomenals (ex of Daywood label).

.... more on George (& Edwin) here ....... https://rockhall.com/...-music-history/

Cleveland in the 50's & 60's had the artists and the recording studios (though in the 50's these were very basic) ...

..... the city never had a local guy with money who was prepared to invest cash into setting up a label and properly financing releases with decent distribution.

Way Out came the closest to becoming an established label (& their studio was really more of a front for 'number runners'). Way Out established deals (for distribution) with the likes of Atlantic & MGM but still didn't have the money to really go for it big time. Their biggest investor (after the start up) was Amer Football player Jim Brown (hence their Big Jim label). But Brown hooked up with the Friends of Distinction & went off to Hollywood to star in film's & build that group's career.

Too many Cleveland soul 45's say ... 'from the album ????' but those albums never got released (even though the tracks were cut) because of lack of funds.

Many of the master tapes for loads of unreleased 60's soul cuts lay locked in a studio vault just outside the city to this day. If they aren't 'rescued' soon, they will fall to pieces and the cuts will be lost forever.

Like every big US city, Cleveland had its own TV version of 'American Bandstand'.

Cleveland's equivalent went out weekly on ABC from 1964 to 1971, it was called UPBEAT.

Loads of top acts got to appear on the show including some local soul acts.

The O'Jays were on, as was Sonny Turner with the 60's Platters.

Otis Redding was on in December 1967, he sang solo ("Respect" backed up by the Barkays) & then did a duet with Mitch Ryder ("Knock On Wood"). He was in the city to do the show & play a gig at Leo's Casino.

After the show, he touched base with Kim Tolliver who was back home after being a member of Otis' touring review.

After that he headed to the airport & his private plane to get to his next engagement.

The plane crashed en-route & Otis + some of the Barkays were killed.

 

Yes, Ann Bogan (later a Marvelette & member of New Birth) & the guys in the Challengers were from Cleveland.

George Hendricks, a current member of the Hesitations, has a long musical pedigree......

His first major singing position was in the Sahib's who around 1960 were one of Cleveland's finest soul groups (they performed on bills with the likes of James Brown, Jackie Wilson and most of the Motown acts). The group were just about the top local draw at the time but had no interest in recording and so never left a 'vinyl legacy' to look back on.

After this, he was a member of 'Ann Bogan and the Challengers' who recorded "Honey Honey Honey" / "Everyday" for the Tri Phi label. He was then to serve in Viet Nam & after returning took a break from the music biz.

Then in the 70's, he joined Red Top and the Young Family who recorded "Love Power / Barbara" released on the Tri City Label (owned by Choker Campbell). George toured the US with the group for several years.

In the late 70's he joined long time friend (& former Sahib) Lou Ragland & they formed the Chosen Few. Later still, George was vocalist for Harvey and the Phenomenals (ex of Daywood label).

.... more on George (& Edwin) here ....... https://rockhall.com/...-music-history/

Cleveland in the 50's & 60's had the artists and the recording studios (though in the 50's these were very basic) ...

..... the city never had a local guy with money who was prepared to invest cash into setting up a label and properly financing releases with decent distribution.

Way Out came the closest to becoming an established label (& their studio was really more of a front for 'number runners'). Way Out established deals (for distribution) with the likes of Atlantic & MGM but still didn't have the money to really go for it big time. Their biggest investor (after the start up) was Amer Football player Jim Brown (hence their Big Jim label). But Brown hooked up with the Friends of Distinction & went off to Hollywood to star in film's & build that group's career.

Too many Cleveland soul 45's say ... 'from the album ????' but those albums never got released (even though the tracks were cut) because of lack of funds.

Many of the master tapes for loads of unreleased 60's soul cuts lay locked in a studio vault just outside the city to this day. If they aren't 'rescued' soon, they will fall to pieces and the cuts will be lost forever.

Numbers running was one of the major sources of income which could be laundered through record labels and recording studios and record distributorships owned by MANY of the African American entrepeneurs. Otherwise, we'd have seen a LOT fewer decent-sized Black-owned labels. Ed Wingate (Golden World), Wilbur Golden (Correc-Tone). etc. Some, like Diamond Jim Riley, had nightclubs as well, but also probably also had numbers feeding into their "empires".

Some mid 1950's shows in Cleveland.

Groups featured include the El Dorados, the Metrotones, the Hornets and others.

The Hornets were another local outfit that recorded.

In 1953 they were doing well, their lead singer being Johnny Moore. The Drifters came thru Cleveland for a show, spotted Johnny and recruited him to join their group. So he packed a bag & went on the road as a Drifter. He had a solo spell after his run in the military (as Johnny Darrow) and then went back to the Drifters when a vacancy occurred,

It was Johnny who led the Drifters when they relocated to the UK in the 70's.

Losing their lead singer finished off many a group, but when Johnny Moore jumped ship to join the Drifters, the Hornets soldiered on.

The group's new leader was Ben Iverson and they stuck with the plot through to the early 60's when the group landed a record deal with Way Out. Eventually they gave up due to changing music styles but Ben Iverson still wasn't finished.

He relocated to New York and continued his music career as both a solo artist and as a group lead singer.

He helped form the group Ben Iverson & Nue Dey Express who had a 45 out on Britne. The group then landed a deal with RCA and had the track "(You Can't Bend My) Super Rod" out that featured Ben on lead vocals (on the voc side of that single).

The group teamed up with new producers & for whatever reason (conflict between those producers & Ben who saw himself very much as the group leader or the producers not liking his old style vocal delivery) Ben was ousted from the group. Their producers & RCA re-named them; Crown Heights Affair) & they went on to have worldwide hits.

 

Edwin back in Cleveland (ahead of him signing with RicTic) ...

 

Edwin Starr was recruited by Bill Doggett in 1963 and went on the road with Bill's revue (singing lead vocals) from then. One of the early things Edwin must have done (though he wasn't using the name Edwin Starr yet) was to play percussion on the tracks included on Bill Doggett's ABC LP 'Wow' (cut in 64, released in January 1965). This album was issued in the US, Canada, UK, India & other regions, with a 7” jukebox 'Little LP' escaping in the States in May 65.

However, Edwin can't have been on the road solidly with Bill's outfit all the time throughout 1964 (and up to June 65) as he isn't name checked on some shows that took place during that period. On August 23^rd 1964, Bill Doggett's Orchestra played Carr's Beach in Maryland and for that show the featured people were Betty Everett, Billy Garner & Betty St Clair. On a show in Cleveland on Sunday March 21^st 1965 at the 'House of Blues' (really Gleason's) — see attachment above -- Edwin, along with Betty St Clair were the featured singers with the review. Next time they turn up on a live show (that I know of) was in mid May 1965 when the ensemble had a week long engagement at the 20 Grand Club in Detroit. For this engagement, the featured people in the review were Edwin & Vanilla Thomas. It must have been after one of these shows that first Holliday Records & then Golden World signed Edwin to a record deal (the 1^st contract was allowed to lapse when Golden World got involved). Edwin had been looking to cut a song he had recently written, “Agent OO Soul” but Doggett had been against the idea. So Edwin jumped ship, went into the Golden World studios in June 65 and his 1^st Ric Tic 45 was cut, pressed & in the shops (+ on the Detroit charts) by the beginning of July 65. The rest is history ….......

Edwin Starr back in Cleveland (after he had gone solo) ......

 

To follow on from the above club ad .... ... Edwin's Motown publicity shot .........

I believe it's well known that Edwin had been touring in the UK when Golden World was taken over.

He returned to the States & turned up for his 1st gig back there to be greeted by a Motown artist on the same bill (a Temptation I think).

The guy welcomed Edwin to Motown and it was the first he knew about the change to his contract status.

 

The Sahibs were rated by most as just about the best local black group in 1960.

Unfortunately they had no interest in recording ......

..... but the other guys in the group did provide backing vocals on the 1st (Way Out) 45 made by member Lou Ragland.

A picture of the group, a young Lou is on the left end .....

When "Agent OO Soul" hit from day one of it's release .....

Edwin had to instantly get himself a backing band & start to play gigs ....

... so he went straight back to Cleveland and recruited some guys he knew from the Futuretones days.

Here's the guys he got to back him .....

from left to right in the picture: Victor Stubblefield (trumpet; Cleveland), Tyrone Hite (drums), Anthony Hawkins (guitar), V.C. Veasey (bass) and Gus Hawkins (sax: Cleveland). This outfit backed Edwin during his Ric-Tic period (before the pair got homesick & heading back to Cleveland).

Edwin's big hit was of course "AGENT OO SOUL", I've no idea how he came up with the name the SOUL AGENTS for the band !!!

 

The non-brass players in the Soul Agents added one members younger brother to make themselves back up to 4 strong and became the rock group Black Merda.

They cut stuff for Chess (& were heavily influenced by Hendrix) ...............

However they mellowed out a bit and backed other vocalists up on more soulful tracks ........

......... Linnie Walker was one such singer ...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMRCMtgrcM