Roburt

Any idea where Baritone Records were based; New York, Detroit ??

Well I have a bit of personal experience with regard to this matter. Merchant seamen & Dockers were always on the look -out for extra ways to make money. The wife's dad was a (Hull) docker and (as stated earlier) was always coming home with bits that had escaped from 'broken boxes'. BUT, he also dealt with the seamen he came across. Lots (most) were from foreign countries and so were on the look out for UK £'s when they docked here. They would fetch stuff that was cheap back in their countries to sell, thereby getting hold of the local currency and allowing them to go out on the booze / pull. 'Urrindors' dad was always coming home with cheap watches (from far eastern / eastern European boats) or good quality working shirts (from Polish crews I think) but at times he would get all sorts of stuff. I used to go around the Hull 2nd hand shops back in the 60's looking for 45's. I was always coming across German / Dutch / French released stuff and assumed it had been sold be seamen off boats that had docked in Hull. Also in the mid 60's, my older brother was a ship's engineer sailing on boats out of Mancaster. His ships had 2 routes; Argentina or the US / Canadian seaways. The ships went to Argentina for the cheap & plentiful beef there and he would buy leather skins there really cheap and sell them when back in the UK. When he was on the 'Great Lakes' route, he would dock in places such as Detroit and Chicago (plus other places). I was collecting records already and always asked him to drop into record shop's near the docks to buy 45's / LP's out of their cheap boxes. He had no idea about soul stuff as he was a folk music man. Because of this I couldn't convince him to take a punt at any likely looking 45's in the shop's 10 cent boxes (much to my annoyance). He did however feel more safe buying albums for me & would get any that were cheap and had a black guy/ girl / group on the cover. To say, he went up and down the Great Lakes about 6 times a year for 3/4 years, I got precious little via him. I did get a fw nice things though, Spyder Turner's MGM LP + Freddie Scott's Shout LP and a couple of other items. What he didn't tell me though (I was still at school & so had little money) was that his ship had 'family' cabins for a couple of passengers. I could have gone on a trip to the US i the school summer holidays for nowt and then gone looking for my own 45's ...... guess he didn't want his annoying younger brother hanging around for weeks on end while he went about his day job. So I have no doubt's that (say) Liverpool seamen came back from the States with R&B / soul 45's but (in the main) they wouldn't have known too much about what they were buying apart from being given a few blues guys names to look out for by their Merseyside based customers. Whilst in dock in the US, most seamen got days off to go floating about the city they were in & the opportunity to make a bit of money on the side would not have been passed up.

Denny Picasso, after he had left Soul Machine and Denny & the Hitchhikers, went on to join another local B'more group Hinge around 1970. He only stayed with the outfit for a short while but they did have a 45 out ("Share A Little Love") though I don't know if they were still into R&B by that time.

John, after the Reading show, signing bits for those who attended the event .....

Two of Henry's tracks .......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNuLCu2FWTg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy5dyZZlEOU

I've never heard his take on Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart" (guess copies of that 45 ain't too plentiful). Anyone here got it & if so, is it a worthy version (back in 1969 he was being compared to Tom Jones, so his take on the song may be less than soulful).

Since the likes of Kent & Expansion came on the scene, compilation album's have made a big comeback. Their output tends to be 'themed' and the quality of most of the releases they have released harks back to 60's series from the likes of Motown, Sue & Bell (Cellarful of Soul, etc). Some other older comps though seemed more contrived but many still contained decent tracks. One I have always likes was put out by US Buddah Records over 40 years back. Titled 'Classmates' this brought together mainly unconnected artists / producers to end up with a 12 track ensemble. The daft thing is, with the artists / producers being unconnected, Buddah compounded things by also miss-labeling a few of the tracks. 4 cuts off the Five Stairsteps Buddah album were included on the comp but 2 were badged up as being by Mama & Papa Stairstep (Mr & Mrs Burke). In addition, a track cut by Bongi & Judy was listed as being by Judy White (the Judy in the femme pairing who actually cut the track). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMK62ifiBao To further add to Buddah's mistakes, female singer Toni Lamarr is called Tony Lamarr on the album. .......... MOST STRANGE .......... the quality of many of the tracks on offer can't be questioned though. Anyone else care to add any other tenuous couplings on similar albums.

He seemed to disappear off the radar after his 2nd Hit Record's 45 escaped in 1973. I guess he gave up on fame and settled down to an existence of a 9 to 5 job and family life. I wonder if he's still up in the New York area or if he's gone back home to Carolina. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOr5HYRfRjo

Anyone here know anything about New York based singer Rich Ward. He was a NY cop till he decided (around early 1969) to try to make it in show biz. Born in North Carolina , after moving up to New York he settled in Brooklyn and got a day job while setting about to try to establish a singing career for himself. He played gigs in small NY & Philly clubs and then via his manager (Brooklyn based Wilbur Smith, a local dry cleaning magnate) he landed a booking at Pegleg Bates Country Club in Kerhonkson. This place had him performing in front of audiences of around 5000 folks and by all accounts, he took off with the ladies. He was wowing the crowds at the club through summer 1969 and on the strength of his performances got to cut a record ("He Will Break Your Heart") with Peg Leg Bates House Band. This escaped on the Hit label (out of 1115 Union St, Brooklyn) and Rich was still with the label in 1973 when he cut "My Baby, She's Gone". He also played guitar and it seems likely then that he played on some of his tracks.

I know this guy worked with Smokey at Motown in the early 60's and had a few good tracks released. I guess he cut a lot more stuff at Motown than actually escaped at the time. Then he turns up 3/4 years later on Buddah, working with ex Motown guy Bob Bateman (+ Lou Courtney). His later stuff was most likely cut in New York but his Motown stuff was cut in Detroit (I believe). I know he went out on lots of Motown artist shows in his 'Detroit years' and even went on a Hitsville tour. He got lost in the shuffle at Motown though, as many artists did. APART FROM THE ABOVE .... and liking some of his records ... I know very little about him. Where was he from and what became of him ?? Was he a young guy during his Motown spell as I suspect and if so, how come he never sustained his singing career into the 70's ?

John's also big in food circles up in Canada and US northern border areas these days as these pieces illustrate ........... .... his company has a fantastic name; the SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL Food Company. https://www.buffalonews.com/business/will-poultry-co-offers-a-food-show-with-a-dash-of-fame-20130917 https://www.hamiltonnews.com/community/rev-john-c-holland/

A few of John's record releases from down the years (& from different countries) .....

By the time the song had been cut by Jackie Wilson, it had acquired an extra writer; oh the pleasures of the record industry back in those times!?!?

Anyone know the history behind the much recorded song "Am I The Man" that was written by Al Kent. It first appeared on record (a 78) back in 1957 when Al's first version of the song escaped on Checker (B/W "Dat's Why (I Love You So)" as Checker 881. Al cut at least one further version of the song (maybe two) over the following few years. A version escaped on a a Wizard Record's 45 out on New York ............ .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqiXFWSrylQ and also on the Baritone label (I believe this later version got some NS spins) ..... .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIL7VMZCHFc But back in the 50's, a 2nd version of the song had been cut for Chess Records, this being Bobby Lester's take that escaped as Checker #921 ... .. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZkK20UHdEs Then Jackie Wilson cut the song and his take came out on a Brunswick 45 in the US & Canada (it escaped on Coral in the UK). It seemed to be a popular number back in the late 50's / early 60's BUT only Jackie's version achieved hit status as far as I now (his take making the US R&B Top 10 and Pop Top 40 charts towards the end of 1960). Did anyone ever chat to Al (Hamilton) about this song and find out more details on it ??

A page on the Upsetters on the net ............ It features tracks cut by the band and they certainly show the Stax / Memphis influence ........... https://www.baltimorejam.org/Upsetters/upsetters.html

A listing on Mr.Manship's site ............. Rita & The Upsetters DONE GOT OVER (UPSETTIN') 7" -- £216.00 Condition: M- / wol / [vinyl / label / sleeve] Label: acetate HENRY O. BER Genre: ACETATES Totally obscure Baltimore 60s girl-group Northern Soul that we can find no evidence of a release. Only copy we have ever seen, strong Northern Soul potential. 1 copy in stock. Seems that John should have checked the facts on the track out a bit harder. It was actually released on (WSID) DJ 'Sparky' Mullen's Zenette Record label in 1964. Half a dozen or so 45's escaped on Zenette which around 1964 was run out of Sparky's record shop at 2131 West North Avenue, Baltimore. Rita only featured on one side of the 45 (& the acetate) as an instrumental by the band ("Upsett In") formed the B side. Rita was actually Rita Dorsye who also had a couple of 45's out on Ru-Jac ........ Wait Till Then / When I’m Alone AND Please Let Me Love You / Goodie Goodie Her cut with the Upsetters (who she fronted on live shows for a while) was released in 1964 after she had been lead singer with the group for a while. I have some ads for club gigs they did around Baltimore somewhere here. The teaming was soon split up though as the Upsetters were recruited by Otis Redding to go on the road supporting him (backing him up). Otis also took Arthur Conley off with him from Baltimore about the same time. The Upsetters toured all over with Otis and after his death (they weren't with his tour package when he was killed) they were signed by ABC and did a tribute album to Otis ('We Remember Otis') which was produced with John Madara. The group also had an LP out back in Baltimore on their management company's record label (Rhapsody). Other 45's on Zenette were by Kenny Hamber, Sonny V & the Velvets, El Ray (really Sonnye Daye who cut for Ru-Jac with the Shyndels) and the Christian All Stars (no doubt a top Baltimore gospel outfit). Rita & the Upsetters on their cut together ....... Zenette 45 .............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1hUaB16JU

John arrived late in Reading tonight after a long time consuming journey from Derby .... BUT ... that didn't stop him delivering of his best and putting on a great show for the disappointingly smallish audience. If you could have attended his Reading show & decided to stay home instead, you made the WRONG decision.

I was a regular at the Nite Owl niters in Leicester in the summer of 67 ..............

Coz the guys putting the LP together were dumb (or trying to mislead the buyers).

A 1958 show at the Apollo in Harlem. Presented by radio DJ Dr. Jive (Tommy Smalls) .... Tommy (Dr. Jive) also hosted another show at the Apollo around the same time on which Ray Charles also topped the bill. In 1960 he got pulled into the payola scandal court cases and so lost his radio job. He moved on with his life though, working for Polydor & Jubilee Records. However his life was cut short by cancer & he passed away in 1972 ..........

I'm sure Roger Moore never looked like that when I used to watch 'The Saint' ............

Info on Beau Dollar & "Who Knows" here .......... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Dollar Your 12" seems to be a US boot (but I'm guessing about it's legality). Each different artist's track on the 12" (4 in all) originated on different US labels. https://www.discogs.com/Various-Guerrilla-Reissue-V2/release/609080 "Who Knows" originally released over 40 years back but reissued at least a couple of times. Once in France in back 92 ........ https://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1464193

Yet another of his worthy efforts .............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1F1e8GhswA

More of his work with fine soul singers ................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6y4L2XA6-s

Seems that Drew is a music teacher (& drummer) ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVh5BoSmXA0