Roburt

This is quite old but it contains some decent facts on Al and quotes from a few people who knew him ...... https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2013/11/01/remembering-d-c-soul-star-al-johnson/

Another CD containing Shiptown tracks ............... https://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Mine-Raw-Soul-Norfolk-Virginia/dp/B004MPAFRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388571731&sr=1-1&keywords=barbara+stant

A wrist slashing pick from me .................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzC8S3SMUo

I got in touch with Lou about the Way Out / Numero project & this was what he had to say ........... I have spoken to Jon Kirby and they are in the packaging stage at this time and getting all the necessary insert information together for the booklet. So it seems that we can expect a comprehensive Way Out Records package in the very near future. Guess that will mean both vinyl (unissued & rare tracks on 45) & CD releases as part of the overall project. A bit about Jon Kirby here ............ https://uncannedmusic.com/post/41655701396

If you're into Cleveland / Ohio soul, this locally produced CD is about to escape ............... .......... don't have a full track listing yet ................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_lklZMX7DQ

Derek, Numero (up there in Chicago) have been pulling together a Way Out project for about a year now. They have been using Lou Ragland as a consultant & (I believe) have gained access to a lot of old mastertapes of unissued tracks that have languished in a local recording studio for 40+ years. Not sure if their project is near to fruition yet, will ask Lou if he knows. The Saru label went through 2 phases of management / ownership. Lou R was involved with one of them, the O'Jays members with the other. Not sure if the O'Jays retained the rights to the stuff they worked on at the label.

Two of the songs that the African Beavers cut were penned by Wayman Glasco and one by Bill Cook ...... ....... I guess that's a good pointer to who ran the company that they cut their tracks for ............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6erbSe2E8I

Another African Beavers cut ............... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8aqt1acb3U

Gwenn Records was a 1960's New York / New Jersey based label that released records by Buster Brown a while after the guy had enjoyed his big hit on Fire; "Fannie Mae". I would guess that the label was owned or run by the likes of Wayman Glasco & Bill Cook. Bill Cook had been around for a while as he had been Roy Hamilton's manager back in the mid 50's. I would say that he also acted as manager for Buster Brown and a later Gwenn Records group, the African Beavers. RCA licensed a few tracks by the African Beavers (from Gwenn) in 1965 and put out 2 45's by the group. These found a degree of favour at the time and since, their 1st RCA outing also escaping in Germany & the UK. It seems likely that the guys who formed the group had made a start while they were serving in the military, possibly at a base in Europe (Germany ?). However, I'd guess that their tracks were cut back in the New York area after they returned from a spell in service. The lead vocalist on their initial recordings is said to be Tony Fox / Larry Hale / Larry Cappel which could explain why their 45 ended up being licensed by RCA. A picture sleeve RCA 45 was put out but the photo of the group doesn't include Tony Fox (the "Love, Let Love, Be Loved" guy) in the line-up, so who the actual members were (apart from a James Mitchum / Mitcham) isn't known. Little is known about the group, their recordings or what became of them, though a concert they undertook on 1st July 1965 was advertised as being their first US appearance, so this does seem to back up the info about them being a foreign based GI based group as their 45 had already been issued by then. Anyone here know much about Gwenn Records, the African Beavers or Wayman Glasco ?? Did Waymon Glasco have a connection to mid 60's New York based Glasco Records (who Donald Height worked for). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAn5nsYNRRQ

A WEBB radio ad from summer 1965 that features Chuck Leonard .....

The New York radio DJ ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XnISJy0QD0

There was a famous radio DJ called Chuck Leonard who was a very popular presenter on New York stations for many years (he died about 9 years ago). This guy went to college in Illinois and then got a job at a Washington DC newspaper. Whilst working at the newspaper, he landed a DJing job at WEBB in Baltimore and was soon popular with listeners there. In 1965 he moved on to New York and started a long radio career in the area at WWRL. At the time this guy was working in DC & Baltimore, a 45 (on Crackerjack Records) hit the Baltimore radio stn charts (mid Feb 1964). The track was "Nobody But You Girl" by Chuck Leonard. The song had been written by Eddie Singleton and Eddie also produced the track. It seems highly likely then that the track had strong connections with DC even though it escaped on New York based Crackerjack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHyHvJu209M Anyone know if these two Chuck Leonard's were one & the same guy ??

A photo from the Leicester Mercury taken the morning after the fire at the building that housed the Nite Owl ...... If my memory is still holding up, I believe the club area was in the basement (skylights to which can be seen at footpath level).

Paul, I bought the 'New Religion' original LP when I was a kid (& yet I still look years younger than you !?!?).

Quite a few soul things were released on Canadian Epic. A number of these were US Okeh releases (seem to recall that I've got a Walter Jackson 45 on the label). Not too many of the 60's soul 45's show up here, but a few do ...... https://www.45cat.com/label/epic-ca

Hoboken is just across the River Hudson from Manhattan (5 minute ferry ride or take the PATH train or a bus). It's where Frank Sinista was born, where 'On The Waterfront' was filmed and where Greg Tormo lives. A great place with a village atmosphere, yet you can jump on a bus and be in the Port Authority (Manhattan) in 5 minutes.

Post up details on here please, I'll be in Nassau in 4 weeks time. Any record shops still exist there ??

You can read through a few early pages in the book here .............. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ends-Earth-Northern-Southern-Australia/dp/0761860789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387703764&sr=1-1&keywords=To+the+Ends+of+the+Earth%3A+Northern+Soul It was printed by a US University Press & the writers have / had links to an Aussie Uni. Guess it is a bit literary & educational in tone.

Not really straight soul related BUT Santana made some great soulful music back in the late 60's / early 70's. ... early member of band living on the streets ......... Marcus Malone (percussion) .......... SEE HERE ........ https://news.kron4.com/features/exclusive-bay-area-music-legend-reunites-with-homeless-ex-bandmate/

A piece from a Leicester newspaper about the fire that destroyed the 'Nite Owl' building .......... May 28, 1968: A passing motorist reported that the Nite Owl discotheque, on Newarke Street, was on fire. Within minutes, pumps attended. The unoccupied four-storey building was well alight and further pumps were requested, including eight units from Wigston, Syston and Kibworth. Jets were concentrated on the front and rear of the building to stop the fire spreading but the roof and gable end collapsed on to the neighbouring building. The brigade had the fire under control within an hour, using nine hand jets and two turntable ladders.

A New York newspaper article .................. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/arts/music/european-copyright-laws-lead-to-rare-music-releases.html?adxnnl=1&rref=arts&hpw=&adxnnlx=1386883116-Jf1J+ocS1bUkZoIcKU8iAQ&_r=0

There are a few bits about the 60's club scene in Sheffield here ............... ..... https://jackthatcatwasclean.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/sheffield A short extract from one of them ............. ....... After all I was Mod — which means modern, not a hippie freak, not a nasty greaser, a Mod, a sophistiCAT, at least in my mind that is but nobody seemed to appreciate it or understood it except my weekend mates. Then I had an epiphany ..........

Linked piece on the threatened studio here ............... https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/7422/you_can_pretend_you_are_berry_gordy_at_the_historic_united_sound_systems_open_house#.Uqyq-vRdWMF

Posted up on Facebook, a link to a piece on United Sound Studio in Detroit ............. https://deadlinedetroit.com/articles/7591/let_there_be_music_george_clinton_puts_the_sound_back_in_united_sound_systems#.Uqyie_RdWMF

If a track was over 50 yrs old and included as 'out-of copyright' on a release in recent times, then that release (CD) can still be sold OK. The extension of copyrights from 50 to 70 years will not apply for such tracks. But tracks originally released in 63 and onwards will no longer be 'out-of-copyright' in the near future.