Roburt

The Wand & SSI 45's are obviously New York efforts (Sammy Turner & Robert Banks being the guys behind the SSI track). "Big Mistake" was also cut in New York & then there are the shows a New York based Brenda Jones undertook with Ohio's Buckeye Politicians ... ... none of this makes sorting out which Brenda is which any easier .....

Seems that sorting out the 'Brenda Jones' from THE 'Brenda Jones' could well be a tricky task ... ...... there's the Brenda J, Brenda Lee & just plain Brenda .... confusing or what .......

Atlantic Records were obviously increasing record sales in 1974 by helping promote live shows their artists were undertaking in New York ... You could catch one of Philly's finest sweet soul groups and a jazzy guy in April ....

Don't quite know how having 2 sets of 'Rocketeers' bands (one 11 strong, the second 7 strong -- a see ad above) going at the same time would have worked. If it was just the Rocketeers that were advertised for a show, how would you know which outfit would turn up ? Guess one of them soon changed their name to avoid the confusion caused. Anyway, whatever happened back in 67, this show (from a few weeks later) featured one of the above outfits ....

There used to be a big mod / soul scene there. Lots of events including weekenders.Lost touch with the local soulies bout 6 to 8 years back, so no idea if there is a regular event on there now. Do a net search for mod events in the city ... they usually start quite late though (10 to 11 PM).

Cheating again as I've jumped back to Barbados again ... but it is an interesting 45; from Canadian based Bajan Aubrey Mann ... Cut up in Canada but (I believe) only available on this Bajan issue ... I was lucky enough to find 8 or so copies of this over a few visits to the island. (BTW, that's not a label fault, just the sun shining on parts of the 45's label)

If we're just talkin dancers ................. Artistics -- I'm Gonna Miss You Major Lance -- Um, Um, Um, Um, Fascinations -- Girls Are Out To Get You Impressions -- You've Been Cheatin Billy Stewart -- Love Me (are we allowed to pick tracks made outside of Chicago ?)

You'll know a lot more about this subject than I do Steve ..... BUT .... .... weren't a lot of Wand 45 tracks just 'licensed in' items in 1969 (cut elsewhere by outside production teams, some being released on local labels prior to Wand). However the Brenda J Jones seems to be an in-house session cut in Scepter / Wands NY studios. Were many other things released on Wand around the same time also in-house efforts ??

The guys involved on that Wand 45 were John Bennings, Frank Augustus, John Bowden & Michael Wright. John Bennings & Frank Augustus wrote the song & both have a good body of work registered with BMI (writing 10+ songs together). John Bennings has 59 songs listed in all (most solo efforts with no co-writers). Frank Augustus has 57 songs listed, some under the name of George Butcher. He wrote in conjunction with the likes of Clyde Otis, Freddy Briggs, Johnny Northern, Doris Troy, J J Jackson, Brook Benton, Don Covay, Wes Farrell, etc. He co-wrote "Come Tomorrow" that Manfred Mann had a hit with. John Bowden (producer on the session) also has numerous songs registered with BMI (182) including ones written with Mattie Moultrie & Clarence Fountain). Many are gospel songs.

September 67 -- I was 18 years old that week ..... ..... could have done with that car !!

An 'Oldies' show on this 'Old' thread ....

Ren Woods was a good singer who worked in conjunction with E,W & F's Al McKay ....

Don was still 'sharp' & was totally amazed when shown copies of his Cedric & Sack 45's ..... He genuinely hadn't realised they had ever been released (& if they had been they should have escaped on Tru-Glo-Town, Botanic or Mr. G in his opinion.) "my baby like to boogaloo" was popular in a lot of US cities, which I guess is why the Emperors cover was made.

I agree Bob. I had a couple of long chats with Don Gardner about his 'rare 45's' out of non-East Coast locations. He had no idea that they ever existed but did say that he had sent copies of those tracks to Jimmy to keep him 'up to date' on Don's work (with a view to Jimmy getting Don some live gigs in Chicago & the like) ....... part of the story ......... Don's existing profile in Chicago resulted in him sending copies of his new cuts to his friend, local booking agent, Jimmy Vanleer. Jimmy had just started his Sedgrick / Cedric Record label & so, without Don's knowledge or consent he put some of Don's tracks out on 45. Jimmy's record company was just finding its feet, so although Don's releases, "Cheating Kind" and "Is This Really Love" were top quality outings, they didn't enjoy any commercial success. It is believed Jimmy Vanleer was also the linkman in the process that resulted in Don having a release on Monk Higgin's Chicago based Sack label as Don didn't even know of Monk, never mind send / lease tracks to him. At Xmas 69, Don decided to give up touring. Her got into construction & was hired by Curtis Mayfield to build him a pool at his Atlanta house. The pair got on so well, Don was hired to be Curtis's road manager, a job he retained for much of the 70's.

Pure speculation .... but could she have cut an early demo of the song & then forgotten about the fact that a 'rudimentary master tape' might be 'floating about' out there when she re-recorded the song (with full backing & production effort) for the 45 that was released on Mercury. If that was what happened, someone could easily have shopped the original master tape to that little Chicago label without her even knowing. Maybe that's why the 'little label' effort has a different title .... that might have been the song's 'early' working title OR the guys shopping the tape to the people who put out that 45 could have used a different song title in an effort to ensure they weren't found out. These happenings bring to mind the situation surrounding the Tobi Lark / Tobi Legend tale.

Philly International even hit the island ......... but Dynamic Sound could still manage to fix the label off-centre.

One of Chicago's finest came south .... .... not all the way to Miami, but not too far away ....

A Philly group who went to Coventry .....

Ja Tyrone Davis .............

Donny lads are the most soulful guys on the planet, so you don't need to be sorry for owt. Mind you, in my day, Sheffield & Manc were 2nd homes for Donny soulboys.

"Big Mistake" got a mention (& play) in a post started about 6 weeks ago in 'All About The Soul'.

BUMP .... as we have a new thread (in 'Look At Your Box') about Brenda's "Big Mistake" 45.

A top gospel group played some Miami gigs in 1959....

No straight up soulers on this bill ........ but Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong) hadn't long quit Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers .... ... and Brian Auger had run UK mod soul group Steampacket in the mid 60's. Mind you, I bet Smashy & Nicey think "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" is soulful !!

A 45 from an old Motown fave; manufactured by CBS (Ja) Ltd ....