Download Video

Youtube Link

Brilliant and rare promo clip of the Manhattans from 1969 in Central Park, featuring original lead George Smitty Smith who tragically died young and was replaced by Gerald Alston ....

Great tune from their Deluxe label period in the late 6T's

Fantastic video & 45. Superb stuff.

Thanks Sunny

Rich

Fantastic video & 45. Superb stuff.

Thanks Sunny

Rich

Good innit ... this was when they were working with George Kerr after they left Carnival ... both their late 60's LP's on Deluxe are excellent and hugely underrated.

Download Video

Youtube Link

Brilliant and rare promo clip of the Manhattans from 1969 in Central Park, featuring original lead George Smitty Smith who tragically died young and was replaced by Gerald Alston ....

Great tune from their Deluxe label period in the late 6T's

I have a longer version of this video on a DVD (this one is missing some seconds of footage in parts) that is also better quality. But I don't know how to rip it and put it up on youtube.

Random trivia about this 45: this is the last deluxe 45 they had and it came out right AFTER they signed to columbia and had released a columbia record.

I have a longer version of this video on a DVD (this one is missing some seconds of footage in parts) that is also better quality. But I don't know how to rip it and put it up on youtube.

Random trivia about this 45: this is the last deluxe 45 they had and it came out right AFTER they signed to columbia and had released a columbia record.

Sorry to have to contradict, but "Picture" was actually their first DeLuxe single (# 109). Their last one on the label was "Back Up" (# 144) and you're right about that coming out after they had released "There's No Me Without You", their first (and best) Columbia single.

Columbia , BTW, bought the group's DeLuxe masters, only they appear to have mislaid their paperwork and so they won't license or put out the material, as they can't prove they own it. At Ace/Kent, we tried unsuccessfully to license it all a couple of years back, to no avail....

You probably know that there are two groups of Manhattans doing the circuit, both with the full approval of each other. Blue Lovett's Manhattans tend to work the west coast, while Sonny Bivins' Manhattans stick to the east. Sonny's group is the more interesting, as it also contains the great Lee Williams of "Lee Williams And The Cymbals" fame...

Sorry to have to contradict, but "Picture" was actually their first DeLuxe single (# 109). Their last one on the label was "Back Up" (# 144) and you're right about that coming out after they had released "There's No Me Without You", their first (and best) Columbia single.

Columbia , BTW, bought the group's DeLuxe masters, only they appear to have mislaid their paperwork and so they won't license or put out the material, as they can't prove they own it. At Ace/Kent, we tried unsuccessfully to license it all a couple of years back, to no avail....

You probably know that there are two groups of Manhattans doing the circuit, both with the full approval of each other. Blue Lovett's Manhattans tend to work the west coast, while Sonny Bivins' Manhattans stick to the east. Sonny's group is the more interesting, as it also contains the great Lee Williams of "Lee Williams And The Cymbals" fame...

You're right, I got mixed up about the singles.

I sent a copy of this video on DVD to a woman who posts on one of the other message boards who was dating George Smith at the time. She said that the steps they're sitting on was George's apartment at the time and all the scenes are from right outside their house.

Sorry to have to contradict, but "Picture" was actually their first DeLuxe single (# 109). Their last one on the label was "Back Up" (# 144) and you're right about that coming out after they had released "There's No Me Without You", their first (and best) Columbia single.

Columbia , BTW, bought the group's DeLuxe masters, only they appear to have mislaid their paperwork and so they won't license or put out the material, as they can't prove they own it. At Ace/Kent, we tried unsuccessfully to license it all a couple of years back, to no avail....

You probably know that there are two groups of Manhattans doing the circuit, both with the full approval of each other. Blue Lovett's Manhattans tend to work the west coast, while Sonny Bivins' Manhattans stick to the east. Sonny's group is the more interesting, as it also contains the great Lee Williams of "Lee Williams And The Cymbals" fame...

Tony, didn't their first Columbia LP contain sides that they recorded for Deluxe ?

Tony, didn't their first Columbia LP contain sides that they recorded for Deluxe ?

Actually it was the second one, rather than the first, that had the 3 or 4 DeLuxe tracks on side two. When we put that album out on Kent (paired with the first Columbia one!) we argued that if Sony BMG owned those DeLuxe tracks, they would own the rest, but they can't substantiate their ownership of anything other than those tracks.

To make matters even more frustrating, I have actually seen and held the paperwork for the contract that proves all of the DeLuxe tracks were sold to Columbia - it's actually written, at the bottom of the contract, "Sold To Columbia on (such and such a date) 1973"!

Sorry to have to contradict, but "Picture" was actually their first DeLuxe single (# 109). Their last one on the label was "Back Up" (# 144) and you're right about that coming out after they had released "There's No Me Without You", their first (and best) Columbia single.

There's #146 "Rainbow Week" and #152 "Do You Ever" also on DeLuxe. Think it was the latter which was released after the Columbia release?

There's #146 "Rainbow Week" and #152 "Do You Ever" also on DeLuxe. Think it was the latter which was released after the Columbia release?

Opps forgot about those - don't think we can really count # 152, though, as it's a reissue of an earlier De Luxe 45 with a new catalogue number...

TONY