Roburt

Back in 1975, NS was the big thing, in part due to the profile Wigan Casino had at the time. Re-released NS scene UK 45's had been making the Pop charts here for some time (The Tams in 70 & 71; Fascinations in 71, Bobby Hebb in 72, Robert Knight in 73, R Dean Taylor in 74, Al Wilson and Dobie Gray in 75) and many more were released to try to catch good sales. The likes of Simon Soussan was also in business back then and making 'taylor mades'. Some of the tracks he had a hand in did sell quite well and, of course, one eventually made it onto the charts when Shalimar's "Uptown Festival" achieved that position. But in 1975, with Selectadisc's help, he put out "Love You Baby" on Black Magic, the track being badged up as being by Lorraine Chandler. This 45 cut certainly had it's fans and with a bit more of a push could have actually made the UK Pop Charts. What would have happened though if the track had attained this status and UK booking agents and the likes of the BBC had gone looking for Lorraine with a view to fetching her over here to 'cash in' on the record's success. In later years we had the likes of Milli Vanilli and Black Box, who had hits without ever being the vocalists on the tracks involved BUT at least they knew what situation they were getting themselves into. I'm sure, poor old Lorraine would have been at a loss to know what to do if the 'chart hit record' situation had actually come about. She obviously had been involved with the 'backing track' and the original version of "Love You Baby" but would have been stumped if approached and told she had a UK hit on her hands with a song she had never recorded.

As Mike Vernon & the Olympic Runners were involved with his tracks, I'd guess it's almost certain that they were cut in rural North Oxfordshire (CameronCuntry) at Chipping Norton Studios. Mike Vernon was also working with the likes of Bloodstone at that time & some of their tracks were also laid down in Chipping Norton (as were numerous Olympic Runners things). Info on the studios ........... https://www.chippingnortontown.info/CHIPPINGNORTON/RecordingStudios/tabid/1149/Default.aspx When the studio closed they just put skips in the road out front & threw everything that couldn't be sold into the skips until the old building was totally cleared and ready for the site to be turned over to housing. A guy I worked with at the time (In Oxford) went skip diving and had a productive weekend up there in 1999. He told me that he pulled numerous acetates and similar items out of the studio skips but I never did find out if there was any tasty soul stuff amongst the bits he came away with.

Seems that Mercury made up those LP taster EP's for most of Jerry B's albums ........... .... plus other related items that would be considered great memorabilia today.

It seems that "Blurred Lines" rips off "Got To Give It Up". So much so that law suits are in preparation. Jack Ashford (who played on Marvin's track) has his say on the subject ............... https://wreg.com/2013/10/21/legendary-memphis-musician-puts-blurred-lines-debate-into-focus/

More on the film & Muscle Shoals here .............. https://www.timeout.com/london/film/muscle-shoals

Her Mercury & Warner Bros tracks are much more country in style than her earlier recordings. This makes them popular with Southern Soul fans but lots of em are just too country for me. However, both sides of her Mercury 45 put out in August 1972 - "I Want To (Do Everything For You) / Nobody But You" - are well worth chasing IMHO. I believe her Mercury sides (which were also done with Buddy Killen) were laid down in Muscle Shoals.

Has "Stop Stepping .." ever escaped on CD ? I would have thought it had been included on the 2fer Mercury CD release 'IceMan: the Mercury Years'. But even though that features 44 of his tracks, "Stop Stepping .." ain't one of em.

Probably a question than only the likes of Robb K can answer ........... how come the Morris Bailey song that formed the B side to her take on Jerry Butler's "Can't Forget About You Baby" (a October 69 Capitol 45) was published by Jobete. I don't recall Morris Bailey being signed to Jobete (unless he was for a short time when Motown had it's NY office).

Forgot to mention that one of her Mercury outings, "I Want To (Do Everything For You)", was included on the UK comp LP 'Mercury Mobile Disco' back in 1972.

Never heard her version of "Go Now". She cut this early in 1971 for A&R, presumably in the New York area. Her A&R tracks were produced by Tony May who was related to (& at times worked with) Larry & Bessie Banks. Is her take on "Go Now" a decent version ??

Her first recordings were made on the west coast but in the 70's she 'went darnsowf' to cut more tracks (which is probably why they were a lot more country in style to her 60's & 71 stuff). She was a bit of a 'looker' back in the day and that must have helped her progress as a singer. However, she'd had enough of that world by the mid 70's and followed her other sisters into the education field.

As a track by this lady has just got a mention on another thread, thought I'd post up some info on her & her recordings. Born in St Louis in 1946, she started out singing in a group (the Love Sisters) with three of her sisters. When they dropped out of the entertainment world, she continued on as a solo singer, initially performing jazz numbers. She cut for Capitol in the mid to late 60's and then for A&R around 1971. She then seemed to go all country and recorded for Mercury and then Warner Brothers (where she cut in Memphis with Chips Moman & Buddy Killen).

The group cutting another track off the EP in a Toronto studio ............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYOzPPlr1g

Some decent tracks on that EP, on first hearing my fave has to be "A Day In SanFran" ...... .... an extract from the track was put up on YouTube a good while back ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRL9SvGllas

'Smoke' Howard (vocalist on the Vince Montana Jr & Philly Sound Orch track) and Mark Evans (vocalist on the Ron Hall & Muthafunkaz track) -- posts #79 & 80 -- are both big mates with Kenny Hamber. ... thought a bit of NS related info was appropriate on this thread.

Can't say I was ever really taken by much of anything that Janet Jackson cut ..... .... but LVD even spiced up the track he was on with her ............... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaNNdQVQB9k

You can never ignore LVD ............ ....... the man had such a great voice & he lent it to many recording projects ......... ... here's just one of em; Greg Diamond on Polydor ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi3UaMtOMiE

AND anuva one that was popular a while back ............ ... Stephanie Mills ............... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjRjYXno0UU

One I recall being a hit from the recently deceased Cecil Womack + Linda (Womack & Womack) ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8AOAap6_k4

Another nice femme outing from the disco end of soul ............... ... Patryce Chocolate Banks .............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBxk2VL3Nuw

Think this un got a few MS room plays back in the days when it was a new release ........ ........ Carol Shinnette .......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb6Vp4Ar1nE

As a great Kim Tolliver 12" has been posted up on the uda thread .......... ...... thought I'd put this one of hers up .............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX5my10yAuQ

Quite a few goodly Womagic tracks on 12"ers ............. "So Many Sides of You" made it out on a UK Motown 12" as well as on a UK Motown 7". "If You Think You're Lonely Now" escaped as a Motown 12" B side track with "Suprise, Suprise" taking the top side honours AND the same cut ("Lonely") also escaped on a UK promo only Motown 12" (MPR13) which featured "Where Do We Go From Here" on the A side. .... then there was "Lay Your Lovin On Me" which made it onto a German Motown 12" (again as the B side). Going further back, there's the UA 12" that has "I Feel A Groove Coming On" as one of its tracks ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzDiC7WCk7M ........ So Many Sides of You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK32ZAB0yts .... If You Think You're ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHTmtqlRRG0 .... Lay Your Loving ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh215bAGlro

Check out this old thread & the CD it deals with ............ There are other old threads that deal with good gospel dancers.

Betty's version is from 1976 (B side of "Life") ............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbfwLbwo20