Roburt

This ................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEAJj7O3B8M Never attended the club though I was attending the Wheel in 67 (after the Mojo shut). Strange thing about the West Yorkshire crowd back then .... just as many went to the Wheel on a regular basis as attended the Mojo (even before the Mojo closed). The area was well served with soul clubs back then. The Bin Lid in Dewsbury, the Tin Chicken in Castleford, the Bee Gee in Leeds, Normanton Baths, String o' Beads, Lord Jims, Spinning Disc and more.

Saginaw is some distance (NW) from Detroit. I know the Campbell family had moved there from the south before Choker headed off to follow his long music biz career. No doubt he returned there coz of those family ties ............ BUT ........ Did Saginaw have recording studios that he cut his label/s tracks in ..... OR ... was that the company's business address only with the tracks being cut in Detroit studios ? I know there are studios in Saginaw now, but were there any there in 1969/70 ? ......... ANYONE KNOW ??

The old GM Studio now houses the Recording Institute of Detroit. This is what it looked like inside a few years back (which it seems is not too dissimilar to how it looked back in the GM days) ........... Dennis Coffey cut "Scorpio" here ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMFlXKGCxuw

Choker worked with Albert Jones from around 1970 through to the mid 70's ........... BUT ...... was he working with Albert when he cut for the BUMPSHOP label ("Up To The Sun") ?? The label was an offshoot of GM Recording Studio on Nine Mile Rd, Detroit and was operating around 1969/70/71-ish. The studio (+ the GM & Bumpshop labels) were owned by Guido Marasco who ran a car repair business located next door to the studio. By all accounts, Guido wasn't the type of guy to owe money to (for car or recording work). Back in 1969, it cost around $90 to S100 / hour to record at GM. The picture below shows the building that housed the GM studios (as it looks these days).

This Baltimore based guy has now gone solo (he used to be frontman for Marcell & the Truth who played the Prestatyn Weekender Modern Room). He's a real old skool soul singer and his stuff deserves to be more widely heard ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oN3z5rRnew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtPdntx2l-U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNpMLN2dJjI Marcell & the Truth .......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wJW52ST80M https://www.marcellrussell.com/ Check out his new album !!

Seems that the documentary is now getting US screenings ......... here's a few that are currently planned ........... Aug 22 Atascadero, CA - Galaxy Atascadero TICKETS Aug 22 North Hollywood, CA - Laemmls Noho 7 TICKETS Aug 15 Chicago, IL - Landmark Century Centre Cinema TICKETS Aug 15 Pasadena, CA - Laemmle's Playhouse 7 TICKETS Aug 22 Bellingham, WA - Pickford Film Center TICKETS Aug 28 Portland, OR - Hollywood Theatre INFO Sep 25 San Francisco, CA - Roxie Sep 27 Brooklyn, NY - BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uegzZWp6Y4w

A great Choker Campbell production ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An2TOcWlDgc

Can you name a few of the people involved Robb ? (BTW that's not coz I doubt you, I'm just wanting to know who they were). I know guys like Wally Roker (ex Heartbeats), Dee Ervin (Pastels) and the like started out in NY and ended up running labels in LA, but which guys stayed in their home city and moved up the label management chain there. Lots of guys involved in doo-wop groups were ripped off by the record execs when they started out and some of them returned the favour when they were 'in charge'. It always was a ruthless biz.

It struck me just how many 'obscure' 1950's doo-wop groups gave a start to guys who became big hitters in the music / recording biz in the 60's / 70's. As an example there was a NY based outfit who went by the name of the Fi-Tones (they had started life as the Cavaliers). Although the group never really enjoyed a big national hit, the likes of Gene Redd Jr and Cecil Holmes made their music biz start in the group. Van McCoy sang with the Embracers, the Starlighters & then the Marylanders before forming a duo with his love interest Kendra Spotswood (Sandi Sheldon). Also in the Embracers were George Kerr & Sidney Barnes. Both guys were also in the Serenaders and Timothy Wilson was also a member of that group. Teddy Randazzo was in the Three Chuckles (what a useless name for a serious group). Lots of other guys who would go on to enjoy long music biz careers were inspired in the 50's by the likes of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers to form / join groups. Many seemed to be New York based though. Were similar outfits being formed in (say) Chicago, LA and the like, with guys involved back then going on to enjoy similar musical success ??

Choker was kept busy 'on the road' in 1956 ............

Think I have that Ardent 45 somewhere here (along with a couple of others on the label).

Not too far from Detroit; across the border in Windsor in 1966 ............

Two Choker Campbell recordings ........ a few years apart ....... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1B07jMhDfE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSM0kuFa6As

It seems that Choker must have known Harvey Fuqua as far back as 1957 ..........

Another top 'black' venue that Choker played on a number of occasions back in the day ............. ... the show detailed in the picture took place in February 1959 ..... ........ the venue was refurbished a few years back ..... https://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/historic-manhattan-casino-to-reopen-in-st-petersburg/1198509 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qET6QGwn_p4

The Platters live in Mexico ............... ......... DELETED ........... as although Tommy's set of Platters recorded an album in Mexico and did loads of live shows there, this video showed a different set of Platters performing there.

More from Tommy ............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXR8SLq1I3o He mentions Sonny Turner here ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN6I7uP2rPU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3njJa7334

Tommy talking about his career ................ ... seems that he passed away a short time ago ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzsGdPYdODo Here he talks about his singing in the 60's ......& he sings "My Girl" here .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M8WnEHq9tU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO_GBesk_Pc

Tommy singing with the Platters .......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LroFB9jqUdM

Another picture of Tommy .......... and one of his later tracks ........... "All the way this time" (RCA Records) 1977 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRPsPwShbs

Some pictures of Tommy are shown below. Also in his set of 'Platters' is / was ex Velours / Fantastics member John Cheatdom. Some info on John Cheatdom -- Born in Brooklyn, he started out singing in the Choir of his local Baptist Church through the encouragement of his mother (a concert pianist). In 1956 he co-founded the Velours, a group that instantly shot to fame with the single "Can I come over tonight". The Velours enjoyed some success right through to the end of the 1950's. But by 1961, the group were struggling to make headway. So Jerome Ramos, Donald Haywoode, and John Cheatdom dropped out to continue their interrupted education. When that was out of the way, they got back together again around 1966, adding tenor Richard Pitts (to make it an all-tenor quartet).In 1967, they got a chance to do an English tour. While it sounded like a great opportunity, they found (once they got there) that they hadn't gone as the Velours but as the 'Fabulous Temptations'. There was a second U.K. tour in early 1968, and this time they changed their nameto the Fantastics. A May 1968 release on M-G-M (in England) was "Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music" (this was re-released on Polydor in August of 1971). Other releases followed, from the late 60s to the mid-70s, on Deram, Bell, and Bus Stop. Some were issued in the U.S., but most of them were only released in the U.K. It's probably true to say that the Fantastics enjoyed more success in England than the Velours had in the U.S. In 1972, The Fantastics biggest UK hit was "Something Old, Something New" which made the Pop 45 Top 10 in 1971. Richard Pitts left the group, to be replaced by A.D. Beal. However, by the end of 1976, only Donald Haywoode was left. (Jerome Ramos had throat problems and was replaced by Jimmy Hamilton. That only lasted a few months, after which both Hamilton and John Cheatdom left). In 1976, John Cheatdom formed the Realistics. As he says, "We didn't have much success record wise, but worked around the world until 1983." And after that, "I left the Realistics in 1983 to team up with my old pals from Brooklyn, Ernest Wright and Kenny Seymour (from Little Anthony and the Imperials) who were working with Tony Williams' Platters. We formed the Magic Platters and, in 1986, recorded a CD 'The Comeback,' which sold 3 million in Europe. We also recorded the CD 'Full Circle' for release in South Africa, to coincide with the Yes Vote and our tour there. Ernest and Kenny went back to New York in 1992 to re-form Little Anthony and the Imperials and I teamed up with two members of the 'Paul Robi Platters' to form the Platters. In 1998 the original members of the Velours were inducted into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2002, we recorded the CD, 'The Platters Sing Mariachi' in Mexico." This Platters group has toured all over South America and Spain. His voice, with his unique falsetto range, plays a major part in the sound of the Platters.

Seems Choker was badly 'under-reported' through much of his career. He (& his band) spent many nights backing up Joe Turner and Ruth Brown on live gigs in the 50's. I checked through Ruth Brown's book 'Miss Rhythm' and she doesn't mention Choker once in it !!!

Seems that Choker & his band were still Toronto based in 1981. I'm putting up a picture of him from that year when he was playing extended dates around the Vancouver area. At the time (in his shows) he was playing the soprano, alto & tenor sax plus handling lead vocal duties (not all at the same time I would add). In mid April he was doing shows at the Show Lounge, Plaza Int Hotel, North Vancouver. He then moved onto a venue on Vancouver Island before heading off for more work in Vegas.

... OFF THE NET ............ In January of 1955, Hollywood records purchases additional masters from the Swing Time catalog and plans to release Fulson's "Everyday I Have The Blues" and "Guitar Shuffle" on a single record. In February the Top Ten Show embarks on a national seven week tour of one nighters. Lowell's "Reconsider Baby" is a huge national top ten R & B hit and helps draw on the road. In March Checker Records releases #812 : "Loving You" and "Check Yourself". After the end of the Top Ten Show tour, Lowell joins up with Choker Campbell and his band for a tour of Texas. In July Fulson is in southern California and his new Checker release is "Lonely Hours" and "Do Me Right", even as "Reconsider" is still selling seven months after its initial release. In November Hollywood records again re-releases Fulson's "Lonesome Christmas" (parts one and two) with Lloyd Glenn on #1022. The newest Checker record is out in December - #829 : "Trouble Trouble" / "I Still Love You Baby". Reconsider Baby — Lowell Fulson -- Recorded Dallas, Texas, September 27, 1954 Lowell Fulson (vocal-guitar); Fathead Newman, Phillip Gibeaux, Julian Beasley, Choker Campbell (saxes); Fats Morris (trombone); Paul Drake (piano); Leroy Cooper (bass); Chick Booth (drums) .............. Checker single # 804 ............ Lowell Fulson (born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March, 1921) cut “Reconsider Baby” in Dallas with what was then his touring band. His first Chess release, it was enormously successful, going to #3 on the R&B charts, and was partially responsible for his nearly decade-long stay at the label. “I wrote a song, finished it, and I happened to be touring with a band down in Texas — Fathead Newman, Leroy Cooper, and the boys. I told them, ‘Man, I got a tune I’d sure like to cut, but I can’t go back to Chicago with all you guys…’ The boys said, ‘We’ll do it with you,’ and there was a recording studio there. I called the Chess brothers, and they told me, you want to cut it there, no, come to Chicago with us, I told them, ‘No, I’m not coming to Chicago. I’ll cut here, or I’ll just keep the song.’ They said, ‘All right.’ So I produced my own, ‘Reconsider Baby’ and ‘Check Yourself.’ I went down to Studio Seven in Dallas and cut it, and then Chess had Stan Lewis from Shreveport come along and pay the musicians. The masters were sent right back to Chess, and, oh, I’ll say in a couple of months, I had a record out.” — Lowell Fulson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4g_CQ9uC4E

Another early single (put out by Atlantic on 78 & then on 45) ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvvEtMFCQLw