Roburt

Just checked Billboard mag & in the edition dated 26th February 1977 its reported that Bloodstone had left London Records to sign with Epic on a contract supposedly worth $2.7 million. Guess, sumat went wrong with that deal as Epic certainly didn't get their money's worth from the group (who had resigned to Motown by 1979). UPDATE: Billboard in early March 77 re-report group's signing with Epic but state deal was NOT worth $2.7 million. HOWEVER, the 2 year gap in releases after they signed with Epic (for a group that had enjoyed 8 US hit soul chart 45's / 6 US pop chart hits in the previous 3 years) does seem to suggest that they were 'tied in' at Epic and were unable to escape that contract to sign with another label.

Record biz folklore has it that when 'reggae involved' record companies such as Island & loads of the London West Indian related indies needed to clear out storeroom space, lots of 'unsold / unwanted' 45's were taken up to a municipal waste tip just outside St Albans and dumped there. Reggae /soul specialist related London based distributors also followed the same practice (or so I'm told). Guess there wasn't a record collector on the 'staff' at the tip back then !!!

I love me some Bloodstone; not least because when they had just changed from the Sinceres to become Bloodstone, they relocated to the UK. They worked a lot (with Mike Vincent) just up the road from where I now live, in Chipping Norton. Unfortunately, the studio was pulled down a few years back (a workmate was around at the time & pulled loads of acetates out of the skips set up by the studio when it was being stripped down) -- such a 'den' wouldn't be allowed up there now, Chippy's where our Prime Minister, the News International skels & loads of actors / TV presenters live. Anyway back to Bloodstone, I have tons of their stuff (London, Motown, T Neck recorded tracks) and my task of helping you is complicated by the fact that some of their T Neck stuff was released in the UK on CBS / Epic ...... ALSO ...my collection is in such a state of disarray (filing wise) that it takes me days to unearth a specific 45 if I'm looking for it (the time taken being much extended as I find other 'forgotten gems' along the way). But I will look & will post again if I have any luck with regard to this 1977 single. BTW, I was in touch with ex group member Charles McCormick in the 1980's and have a cassette full of his unreleased solo efforts here somewhere (don't ask me to find it though !!).

There was a new guy in town back in 1957 .... well, in Detroit, St Louis & Cleveland at least .....

I for one never ever check out the sales, events or magazines section. Also never look at articles or gallery (which is just too much like hard work with 1000's of things to wade through to find owt interesting). I am however a regular visitor to 'All About The Soul', 'Look At Your Box' and sometimes dip into 'All Our Yesterdays'. Guess it's 'horses 4 courses' for everyone here, but I find some sections very interesting & others a total bore.

I'm sure re-issue labels put out tracks on vinyl coz they SELL, simple as that !!!

Was Johnny Dunn Paul Dunn's uncle ??

1963 ........ It was a very good year for ........

The bar in the refurbed theatre ............

Back to the Howard Theater in DC ......... it has been refurbished & reopened .......... READ a Washington Post article about it here (click on 'musicians recall past times at theater' section) ......https://www.washingto...5VxS_story.html Amongst the people remembering the old days at the Howard, is a member of the Fawns ..... Ayana "Ann" Harrell, 61, and her sisters Mia and Avis were singers in theFawns. They performed at the Howard Theatre in 1970. ........ The Marvelettes had the best stage show. They had more dance music, like "Please, Mr. Postman" and "Don't Mess With Bill." They had the best choreography. They were sassy " sassy in their movement and sassy in their delivery. [For] "Don't Mess With Bill," [it was] hands on your hip, shaking your finger at the female audience that might think about messing with their boyfriend. We were typical teenagers, you know, screaming and going crazy. We'd be singing along and dancing and clapping and just totally excited, because you probably had worn the grooves off of that 45 and played it so many times. It was just like having that record come alive. It became real to you, and it was magical. You hung on to that memory when you went home and put that 45 on again. We only performed there once. We had a local hit called "Bless You" at that time. We had these black pantsuits that had fringe on the arm. Joe Simon was the headliner. It was amazing. We felt like we were living our dream. We just got very lucky. The Howard was going downhill. There weren't many acts coming through there like it had been. We were just very grateful that we could say we got the opportunity to perform at the Howard, because it's an iconic place. That was an indelible moment for us. We had no idea that that would be the last show there. I don't think anybody really knew. Our name and that particular show stayed on the marquee for years, I understand. It was closed down and boarded up, but they just hadn't taken the marquee down.

And "Smokey Joe's La La" is on this chart as well ..........

"Smokey Joe's La La" was on the Philly & Pittsburgh Pop charts in March 1966 ........... (but then Deon Jackson, Z Z Hill, Sam & Bill, Mitty Collier, Mary Wells, Mad Lads, Isley Bros, Darrow Fletcher, Eddie Holman, Bob Kuban, Kim Weston & Lee Dorsey were also on some of these charts) ............

Class Records was Googie's Rene's own record label; he started it after his discharge from the army in 1950. A native of Los Angeles, he followed closely in the footsteps of his father, Leon Rene. Leon Rene was responsible for Exclusive Records with his brother Otis being indentified with Excelsior Records. In 1945, Otis Ren was elected president of the newly-established Pacific Coast Record Manufactures Assoc. To support their record labels, Otis and Leon purchased their own record plant. However when the format changed from 78's to 45's they didn't have presses for the new format. Leon Rene's Exclusive Records existed from 1944 to 1949. His brother Otis's Excelsior label lasted from 1944 to 1951. In 1952, Otis Ren launched the short-lived Spin Records. Googie's son was Leon Rene & he also got involved in the record biz. Leon, whilst organising sessions for Class Records, he hired a 'struggling' Barry White to provide 'hand claps' back in 1966. ............ back to Googie .......... this one has a slow start but give it a chance; the initial 1min 30secs are like a movie theme but then the vibes (Jack Costanzo) kick in and it gets good. ....... and moving on a few years (early 1966) , he cut this true UK mod / soul club classic ........ ....

Bob, RE: "my girl is made of candy" is the only one that charted but that track is pretty hard to find. "Candy" was the 1st release on the then new Roc-ker label (out of Baltimore). I'd think (anyone confirm) that it got a local pressing first but was quickly picked up nationally by Amy -Mala-Bell. It was on the US Soul Charts in July 68 & stayed on the (Billboard) chart for 3 weeks. I have no idea if it was a regional breakout (I'd think it was) that sold well (Top 10) down the east coast cities but didn't really register in mid & west coast states. Maybe A-M-B ran out of copies (i.e. they hadn't pressed enough up) & so it dropped straight off the chart (It went No.40 to 39 to ? & then vanished). It may not have garnered radio plays in many regions & so the US record buying public in many areas never got to hear it. It's little mysteries like why a 45 sold heaps in one area but none at all in others that have always intrigued me.

The group were represented by A & D Booking of Baltimore (A & D being the initials of the 2 guys that owned / ran the agency). But it was a bit of a strange agency. They put out ads specifically targeted at High Schools ??? I know the US school system is a lot different to that in the UK, but if Don Valley High had booked a soul group for a school dance, I'd have had a fit !!! ...... I guess it was their agency that booked the group onto that oldies show.

The group certainly made records for some 'unconventional ' record labels, one being Canyon. Wally Roker's Canyon rose like a rocket, ran out of cash & instantly crashed to the ground. Some of the artists / groups signed to the main label (or it's subsidiary's of Soul Clock, Pride, Dispo, Maple) were very badly served between mid 1970 & the end of 1971. The label also licensed stuff out for UK release under false artist names (Rudy Love stuff as Tyrone Davis, various femme stuff as Doris Duke). They (Frankie & the Spindles) also had further name troubles as a 45 was released as by Frankie & the Spindels + Gamble put out a publicity photo badged up as Franky & the Spindles. They (the group) also took on some strange live gigs. In 1972, when they had really just established themselves as a up & coming recording group, they were booked onto a big Batimore Oldies show ????????

RE: WHISPERIN BOB .......... That guy came on the 1998 US Soul Trip to Vegas .......... he was a real pain in the arse; made me think his name should have been WHISPERIN KNOB !!! ........ BTW, does Pontins Prestatyn still count as a 'current venue' ??? If so, I nominate the mainroom dance floor there.

Sebastian, it is a good dancer; not very typical of their usual output though.

The group live, a few years back .......

This one is good deep soul ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TisKYyDK9q0 "Count To Ten" ain't too shabby either.

"Makin Up Time" .......

I really like some of the tracks cut by this Baltimore group in the late 60's / 70's. They had started out on the Baltimore soul scene as two separate groups -- one was known as Frankie and the Spinners and the other, Little Ray and the Playboys. The groups eventually got together because one member had quit and another went to join the Marines. In 1968 the group started to record and had to change their name because of Motown group, the Spinners. Thus Frankie and the Spindles came to be. The were still playing gigs as Frankie & the Spinners in late April 1968 but had their Roc-ker 45 on the US national soul chart by July, so I guess they had only changed their name when the 45 had escaped into the shops. They cut tracks for Roc-ker, Funny, Canyon, Gamble , etc. I guess just about my fave from them is their Gamble outing "Makin Up Time" ....

A live gig for Top & Bottoms top act; Brenda & Tabs ...

Anyone got one of these Billboard Directories ?? They were published yearly with updated info listed in an edition of the mag about 6 months after each years directory had been published. For Record Labels it detailed the labels address, phone number, the names of the guys running each label, artists signed to label, best selling record releases (US + abroad), etc. Music publishers details again had contact address + writers signed to publishing house. No doubt the early thru mid to late 60's editions would contain many fascinating bits of info !!!

Thanx for that Dave.