HOF: The Precisions - Male Group Inductee

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Cracking read.

Can't quite believe Stemmons Express were white however!

Jim

Cracking read.

Can't quite believe Stemmons Express were white however!

Jim

I'm surprised that you're surprised.

The vocalist on Stemmons Express is very obviously "white" and not in the same league as those great group soul vocals from the Precisions.

I'm surprised that you're surprised.

The vocalist on Stemmons Express is very obviously "white" and not in the same league as those great group soul vocals from the Precisions.

I'm not disputing it, just surprised !

And one of the group, the lead I think has the lovely Priscilla Page as a sister.

Great piece Dave. Looking back am really pleased with The Precisions CD we released on Joe Boy.

When I interviewed George McGregor for research to write the sleeve notes for the CD,   he was nonplussed by the value of "Sugar Ain't Sweet" (I got a copy off Johnny Powers) and insistent that with the right push The Precisions woulds have been as big or bigger than The Temptations.  The fact that Otis Redding's manager, Phil Waldren, was acting as their booking agent shows they were looking destined at great things at one time.

And one of the group, the lead I think has the lovely Priscilla Page as a sister.

 

You'll be telling me next that their pet dog was Pepe The Poodle     

 

Cheers

 

Richard

Yet another great write up for the Hall Of Famers, I for one am really loving these tributes to greats of our scene, well done and pats on the back all round 

They are fantastic pieces of work. Well done the HOF team - a real labour of love.

 

Peter

You didn't make mention of the unreleased Swamp Dogg / Atlantic tracks that escaped on the Swamp Dogg / Billy Prince compiled CD that was also available for the 1st time at the group's initial appearance in Prestatyn. 

Also the fact that the group weren't present in the studio when the backing track to "If This Is Love" was laid down. One of the guys on that backing track who had just been visiting Detroit and happened to be in the studio when the session started was Lou Ragland. He participated on the session and played tambourine on "If This Is Love" ... ...

I was a member of the production team for the Prestatyn Weekender back then and visited San Diego about 4 months ahead of the groups appearance there. Billy came to my hotel & I interviewed him in person and talked with one of the other guys on the phone. I used the info from those chats to write a full bio on the group which appeared in the printed programme for the weekender (it's since been posted up on here after some objected to the fact that Billy & Swamp had put their own CD out).    

Other bits of useful / useless info on the group & it's members ...

After "If This Is Love" did quite well commercially, it prompted Sidra to place ads to promote the 45 nationally in November 67 ...

On the back of the 45's success and as a result of the fact that the group's stage show was judged only just 2nd in ranking to the Temptations live work, they toured all over back then. On their way to some shows in Jamaica, the group played a big gig in Miami early in 1968 (a good time to leave the frozen wastes of Michigan).

The distribution agreement with Laurie was agreed in Feb 68 and April 68 saw the 1st release under the agreement with Drew, this being the group's "Instant Heartbreak". 

DON'T ASK ME WHY ... BUT ... a big week long soul show was put on in Detroit in March 67. It was titled the 'MEMPHIS SOUL SHOW' and featured the following as the top 3 live acts on the bill; Deon Jackson, The Precisions & Betty Harris ... what any of them had to do with Memphis is beyond me.

Their last Drew 45 -- "this Place" --  did well for radio plays in May 68. It was a featured pick track on WLOU in Louisville, Kentucky.

They signed with Atco in Nov 68 and were assigned Jerry Williams (Swamp Dogg) as their producer. Their 1st Atco 45 escaped in Jan 69.

Billy Prince is on FACEBOOK and is always happy for group related items to be posted on his page. I've posted quite a few bits up there over the last 5 -10 years. He will usually post a comment related to the item put up & many times, his input gives us more facts on the activities of the group back in the day. He still performs in & around San Diego, mainly with a group of musicians for whom he acts as lead singer. 

A montage I put together based around the Precisions shows at Harlem's Apollo ... a week of shows that commenced on Friday 29th Nov 68 ...

The line-up of artists that week was certainly very strong .. The Bandwagon were enjoying their 1st big UK pop chart hit at the time. They'd soon head across the pond to base themselves in the UK. The other guys in the group soon returned to the US but Johnny (accompanied by any number of different backing singers even though his health was beginning to fail) continued on here thru to 1975. 

A few more bits on Billy & the group ...

Billy as a kid & back in 1966 (looking a bit like a young Obama) ...

Billy on stage: with Spyder & solo ...

The Precisions pictured with Spyder back in the 60's ...

A montage of pics of the group; 5,4,3 (one extra just about totally hidden) & 2 ....

 

 

More info for the Soul Source Precisions archive ....

 

 

On 10/10/2014 at 19:15, Dave Moore said:

News/Article/Feature Highlight:

The Precisions singing group are enmeshed in Detroit’s golden era of soul music having actually had a record label established in the Motor City, specifically as a vehicle just for them...

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Dave

i find something new each time I read it. I think that’s the power of the article, rather than my age.

so glad Mike’s is rotating the articles around.

cheers to both you and Mike

Hi KenB,

It's great that people add bits to them too. Some of them have become kinda organic in that they grow everytime I visit them!  What Soul-Source is best at!  

Regards,

Dave