Roburt

A bit more info on Ruth's work with Karl Holmes & the Commanders in 1966/67 ...... In July 66, Ruth + Karl Holmes & the Commanders undertook a big gig in Paris. By all accounts, Ruth was knocking audiences out with her performances. After Paris, the ensemble headed off to Italy for additional gigs. They were packing them in @ Club Bussola di Bernardini near Viareggio where Ruth was the darling of the Italian Riviera at the time. In 1967, the ensemble were back in the US and jumping between regular bookings at the Cheetah Clubs in New York & Chicago. It seems that Karl & the guys had an EP released (by Barclays) in France after their gigs (with Ruth) in the country -- I don't believe Ruth appeared on any of the tracks on the record though .....

Found a report that members of Gladys Knight & the Pips were injured in a highway crash near Fairfax, Va while touring (January 1962). No detail on whether they had to cancel any proposed gigs.

A few extra facts on Marie to update the above ..... When she was touring with Jersey Joe Walcott in January 1952, the revue (booked by Glaser's Assoc Booking Agency) was pulling in $1,500 a night. The backing singers on the tour were named the Knightingales, reinforcing Marie's position on the package. In 1954 she was said to be involved in a love affair with Sonny Carter, the singer with the Joe Thomas Band -- this could have been a front to deflect gossip about her long affair with Rosetta Tharpe. But by 1955, Marie & Rosetta split following a big argument, so the earlier story may have been true. Marie immediately went out as a solo act playing night clubs performing jazz & blues numbers. In 1959, it was reported that she was making good money from her regular night club gigs. While in Miami for some night club gigs in March 1962 (see Knight Beat ad above), she did a guest solo gospel spot at a Sunday service in a local church. In Feb 62 she was signed up by Queens Artists Booking Agency and was expected to be signed to a deal with Columbia Records (here deal with Okeh must have expired, however she next turned up on Diamond Records). Later that year (62) she undertook a 23 day long tour of Sweden along with King Coleman, Lester Young & others.

Yes you're right. Marvin Marshall was musical director (& guitar player) for the Supremes & then for the Temptations for a while in the 70's (I believe). He also played on Ronnie McNeir recordings. Guess others who backed up Motown artists on the road (at times) were Tony Newton, Andrew Smith, Johnny Griffith, Richard Allen, etc.

A 1972 chart .........

Studio 76 in New York was owned by Ed Chalpin who ran PPX Enterprises. PPX had it's own label (but mostly licensed stuff out to bigger outfits) + links with RSVP Records. In 1965 / 67 the likes of Curtis Knight & the Squires (who included Jimi Hendrix in their line-up) used Studio 76 a lot. Some of their tracks escaped on RSVP. These are (some of) the tracks that have been issued many times down the years, re-badged as by Jimi Hendrix (sometimes Jimi Hendrix & Curtis Knight).

Probably dates from the mid 60's when Don (& Leo) were cutting demos for DCP ...... Don Costa Productions ....

Ruth was touring in 1960 on a bill topped by Jackie Wilson. She played the Regal Theatre in Chicago in June that year ......

It seems that Choker & his orchestra backed up the Motortown Review (incl Stevie Wonder) @ the Regal Theatre in Chicago . A picture off the net ................

A PIECE OFF THE NET by Bay area musician LARRY VANN .............. .... We played the Oakland clubs. We were able to get our feet wet with great R&B acts such as The Whispers, The Ballads, Marvin Holmes and the Uptights. We gained a lot of ground. It was a great time to learn and be on the scene – getting our feet wet with great R&B acts, the great talent in the area. We played the big rooms in the area. One was the Continental Club in Oakland - they brought James Brown, Bobby Bland, Charles Brown; another was The Sportsman Club, one of the premier Black clubs in Oakland. Some of the artists they brought were Jerry Butler, The Impressions, and Major Lance. And history tells us that Billy Holiday also played there, but that was before my time, but still very interesting information. Another premier club in Oakland was the Showcase. Some of the artists they brought were Johnny Talbot and Johnny Hartsman. These were all premier “cats” in the area we had to gauge ourselves from and learn from. It was an important time in my musical growth. In 1966 or ’67 I went on my first tour – it was with The Whispers. We were part of a “review”. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was able to be on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” right before it ended. Many of the clubs in the circuit unfortunately closed. At that time it was an incredible circuit. You could see some of the biggest names. While out on that tour, I met: Buddy Miles in Omaha, Nebraska at the Paul B. Allen Showcase; Sam and Dave – we opened for them in Buffalo, New York at the Dellwood Dance Hall. We almost starved a week before they came because something went wrong with the booking and we were there one week before they arrived, in the dead of winter. I also met Dyke of Dyke and the Blazers who did “Funky Broadway” down in Phoenix where he lived. He used to always come see us all the time when I was with The Whispers. This was an incredible tour for me, a big, big journey for me in my career. I learned and grew a lot, I learned a lot about life .......

Seems Motown hired guys from all over to play in bands backing their acts ............... got this off the net ....... LARRY VANN -- My earliest performances started with the NAACP Talent Shows in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area where I lived. Through these shows, I was able to get my “chops” together by playing behind so many acts – there was a lot of time to prove ourselves, a lot of recognition and exposure to the up and coming Bay Area young talent. Next, we played the Oakland clubs. We were able to get our feet wet with great R&B acts such as The Whispers, The Ballards, Marvin Holmes and the Uptights. We gained a lot of ground. It was a great time to learn and be on the scene – getting our feet wet with great R&B acts, the great talent in the area. We played the big rooms in the area. One was the Continental Club in Oakland - they brought James Brown, Bobby Bland, Charles Brown; another was The Sportsman Club, one of the premier Black clubs in Oakland. Some of the artists they brought were Jerry Butler, The Impressions, and Major Lance. And history tells us that Billy Holiday also played there, but that was before my time, but still very interesting information. Another premier club in Oakland was the Showcase. Some of the artists they brought were Johnny Talbot and Johnny Hartsman. These were all premier “cats” in the area we had to gauge ourselves from and learn from. It was an important time in my musical growth. In 1966 or ’67 I went on my first tour – it was with The Whispers. We were part of a “review”. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was able to be on the “Chitlin’ Circuit” right before it ended. Many of the clubs in the circuit unfortunately closed. At that time it was an incredible circuit. You could see some of the biggest names. While out on that tour, I met: Buddy Miles in Omaha, Nebraska at the Paul B. Allen Showcase; Sam and Dave – we opened for them in Buffalo, New York at the Dellwood Dance Hall. We almost starved a week before they came because something went wrong with the booking and we were there one week before they arrived, in the dead of winter. I also met Dike of Dike and the Blazers who did “Funky Broadway” down in Phoenix where he lived. He used to always come see us all the time when I was with The Whispers. This was an incredible tour for me, a big, big journey for me in my career. I learned and grew a lot, I learned a lot about life. My work with Motown started in the late 60’s, working in the backup band for The Marvelettes. We got picked up to play in their backup band while they were in our area. Also in the late 60’s, I was a part of the Temptations Review. We didn’t back them up, just in the same review. That was really a treat – they were really hot at that time. I had the pleasure of working with Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions – their drummer spent a lot of time with me. He saw I was just a young brother, new to the scene. He was the first one to show me about rudiments, taking me aside to give me some training. I learned a lot just hanging out with him and watching him play – he was a master drummer. He came to an unfortunate end. While touring down south, driving over an icy bridge, they lost control of the car. They were also pulling a trailer. The car fell over into an icy river and everyone perished. It was a really sad, sad note for me to find out about that. I always looked forward to them coming to the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area. We would usually get together and kick it, so this was really a big loss for the music community and me. Another highlight in my career was in the ’70s, while working with Marvin Holmes and Justice. We worked with Rufus Thomas, Mr. “Do the Dog”, the father of the great Carla Thomas. Rufus Thomas taught me how to end songs. I used to just do “a feel”, then do a lot of rolls/movements, playing off the cymbals. He stopped me at a rehearsal Ð he said, “drummer, don’t ever end like that. End like this…”. He then showed me how to do a flam and then roll on the cymbals, making a big swell with the ending chord. I never forgot that – he showed me how to end a song. That was an incredible highlight to perform behind Rufus Thomas. Also in the 70’s, I was back with The Whispers. I went to Europe for the first time, Geneva, Switzerland. We performed there for about a month. After that, I became a staff musician for the Soul Train Records, developed by Don Cornelius and the great Black promoter, Dick Griffey. We recorded the first Soul Train Gang LP, down on Sunset Boulevard at the RCA studio. During that time, we also did the “Midnight Special” television show. Working as a staff musician for Soul Train Records was a big moment for me. It was also great working with Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey.

Guess Johnny Talbot & his band / orchestra were one outfit used by Motown to back up their artists ......

Yes, I also miss getting together with this couple these days ............. Macce's finest ............

Another Gene McDaniels cut that Georgie did better than the original (IMHO) was "Point Of No Return" which was a main stay in Georgie's live act back in the day. Georgie liked his soul covers to be LP tracks & fell out with his record label when they insisted that a cover of a Billy Stewart track (Sitting In The Park ?) came out on 45.

Couldn't have picked a better label name me thinks !?!?!

Georgie cut many covers of soul songs coz he loved R&B / jazz so much. His live act (back in the 60's) consisted of just about all soul songs & with him playing a Hammond B3, he could add that Stax feel to many. He did by far the best version of "Tower of Strength" IMHO.

Berry Gordy must have gotten EVD & the Funk Bros to back up his acts on these shows ...... ....... BUT THEN .... the venue was only a few minutes drive from the studios ....

I guess that Hamilton Bohannon must have worked with the likes of Carolyn Crawford & Liz Lands at Motown which is why he had them as lead vocalists in his band after he went solo & recorded in his own right.

Anyone know who toured backing up Marvin Gaye or other hot acts who cut for the label (Martha & V's, etc). .... ALSO .... did 'signed-in established acts such as Gladys & the Pips, Isley Bros ever get assigned Motown backing bands to tour with OR did they just keep the people that had always toured with them ?? I know the likes of Ray Parker Jnr (& others who made it big in the 70's / 80's) started out as musicians backing Motown acts. Did many Motown related musicians join up with H-D-H's new Invictus / Hot Wax set-up (the likes of Melvin Davis & McKinley Jackson come to mind). I know EVD toured the UK in the 70's as lead musician backing up Freda Payne and the Tops had ex Motown related guys in their touring entourage long after they had quit Motown.

Motown was always a very professional company, it did things the right way much of the time. This even applied to the Motown touring bands that were sent out on the road with the company's acts. A quick run-down of the guys involved on Motown tours is as follows:- The Joe Hunter Band (Hank Cosby, James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin, Mike Terry, etc -- basically the Funk Brothers) had gone out on tour behind Jackie Wilson for some of the summer of 1961 and they also toured behind Motown acts back then (the likes of the Miracles I guess). Popcorn Wylie & the Mohawks were also going out touring with Motown acts in 1961 and this seemed to go on at least till the end of that year if not into 1962. Popcorn Wylie had signed to Epic as a solo artist in summer 62 and had 2 x 45's out for the label (the 1st in October 62 with the 2nd following in Feb 63). He did eventually return to Motown in the early 70's but no doubt he wasn't involved with Motown tours after 1961. The Choker Campbell Band had taken over on Motown tours by summer 1962 and that outfit was still providing support to Motown review tours through to November 65. For a while an outfit went out on tour that was billed as the Motown Recording Band or just the Motortown Band but I have no real idea who led them & who made up their number. Hamilton Bohannan had taken over the Motown touring band leading duties by 1967 and he seemed to stay in this position until 1972. Bohannon had started touring in 65 as drummer behind Stevie Wonder but had been promoted to lead the Motown Sound Band by 67. Of course, some acts (Tempts, Miracles, 4 Tops) had their resident touring musician/s that went just about everywhere with them. Top acts were also granted special privileges, so at times in the late 60's, Earl Van Dyke & some of his guys would play on live shows backing the likes of Diana Ross (solo & with the Supremes). But most of the time, EVD & the Funk Bros were too busy in the studio to be allowed out on tour. Anyone fill in the gaps in the above info. I know that the bands featured on Motown Live recordings are detailed on the LP's released but there is still much missing data. No doubt some of it has been detailed in books written by Motown artists (I seem to recall Mary Wilson writing a bit in her book about the guys in the tour bands that backed up the Supremes & other acts). The Temptations (in the US) were Motown's top live act for many, many years and they had a regular line-up who played as 'the Temptations Big Big Band'. Who were the guys in this line-up ? Edwin Starr, when he had his first hits, sourced many of his backing band members from his old stomping ground, Cleveland. Even when he was signed to Motown he used Cleveland guys but eventually he set on the band to back him up on live shows that evolved into Rose Royce. Of course, some outfits were self contained (Jnr Walker & All Stars and many 70's groups signed to the label such as the Commodores) and so didn't need a backing band. But the backing musicians played a major part in how Motown acts sounded, both in the studio & on tour, so just who did what & when ?

A show in Laughlin, Nevada in 2000 where Sonny & his group got away with being billed as the Platters ....

The blurb on the book's cover .............

It seems to be more of a photo book about the lowrider scene with some stories that are music connected.

Sonny Turner still performs on a regular basis and next week he's undertaking 2 shows in Florida (his base for many years has been Las Vegas). He's on next Wednesday a few miles up the coast from our winter home here in Coral Springs ..... only trouble is as he's doing his final show rehearsal next Wednesday for this show, we'll be waiting to board our flight from MIA back to Heathrow ...... DOOHH !! A recent pic of Sonny ...............

It seems that Eddie Spencer's 45 wasn't recorded as a solo effort but with the group he was fronting back then ...... Wonder why the bands name was dropped from the 45 when it was released ?