Roburt

Henry Brooks - Mini Skirts / Greatest Debt To My Mother PP 333 ... the P & P 45 that's the reason I kicked off this thread. IMO there's no way those 2 tracks (or his others released by P & P) were cut in 1977; must date back to 69 / 70 I guess.

Cheers guys, I got a lot of the above info off Discogs (such a good place to go to access old vinyl info easily - the catalogue numbers are needed & Discogs details those). It's Lester's wife Lola that is doing the royalty chasing on his behalf, but Sony just keep telling her nothing by the group was released outside of the US & Canada. At present she is only chasing Sony as the vast majority of the group's sellers were put out by CBS (Columbia). I've still got a load more digging to do, especially with regard to Japanese, Australian & South American releases from the group. BTW, Lester's preparing info on the group's exploits to put in a book about them BUT his memory of what went down back then seems a bit fogged up (wonder why !!)

Its hard to better Bobby ........ but this is a really good track (thank God they didn't rap it up).

I know that most of the Chambers Brothers output from the late 60's through to the mid 70's was 'too rocky' for soulies on here (their take on CM's "People Get Ready" is sublime though) ........... BUT ............. I'm currently helping Lester Chambers & his wife chase CBS / Sony for old (& current) royalties. The company has told them that very few of the group's records were released outside of the US & Canada !! This is a blatant lie ......... With just a little checking I have established that these were released in Europe ......... ........ CBS / Direction label 45's in Europe .......... I Can't Stand It / Uptown (7", Single) CBS 3098 released in France in 1967 Time Has Come Today / Dinah (7") Direction 58-3760 released in UK in 1968 Time Has Come Today (7" Single) CBS 3356 released in France in 1968 I Can't Turn You Loose / Do Your Thing (7") Direction 58-3865 released in UK in 1968 I Can't Turn You Loose / Do Your Thing (7") CBS 3865 in France in 1968 I Can't Turn You Loose / Do Your Thing (7") CBS 3865 in Netherlands in 1968 Are You Ready / You Got The Power To Turn Me On (7") CBS 4098 in France in 1969 Wake Up (7") Direction 58-4367 released in UK in 1968 Funky / Love, Peace And Happiness (7") CBS 5389 in France in 1970 Love, Peace And Happiness / If You Want Me To (7") Direction 58-4846 in UK in 1970 Boogie Children (7") CBS S1550 in Germany in 1973 Have A Little Faith / To Love Somebody (7") CBS 66228 in Netherlands in 1973 ........ ALBUMS : Early LP released in UK (licensed from Vault in US) ..... Shout ! (LP) on Liberty LBS 83272 .... issued here in UK in 1969 ....... CBS / Direction label LP's in Europe .......... The Time Has Come (LP) Direction 8 / 63407 in UK in 1967 The Time Has Come (LP) CBS S63 407 in Germany in 1967 (also in Canada) A New Time - A New Day (LP) Direction 8-63451 in UK in 1968 A New Time - A New Day (LP) Columbia S63 451 in Germany in 1968 New Generation (LP) CBS S64156 in UK in 1971 The Time Has Come (LP) Music On Vinyl MOVLP210 across Europe in 2011 ........ OTHER none CBS LP's; Unbonded (LP) Avco Records 87 843 IT in Germany in 1973 Live In Concert On Mars (LP) Chelsea Records CHL 548 in UK in 1977 ......... CD's ......... People Get Ready & Now (CD) Repertoire Records REP 4734-WY in Germany in 1999 Lots more were released in places such as Spain, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, etc. and I am trying to get some details of these other releases. ALSO their stuff had to be released in places such as Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, JAPAN, etc. Any help that listies can provide on establishing the details of the group's other non US releases will be much appreciated. Lester has a Facebook petition going at present, think about supporting it please if you are a Facebooker.

The song titles that Henry L Brooks name is attached to on BMI are as follows ....... EVERYBODY LOVES ME; MAIN STEM BLUES; RASPERRY POLKA; SOUR TIMES; SPIN IT JIG; STRAIGHT FROM THE LIP; SWEET LUCY; THINGS ARE CHANGING. He wasn't actually registered with BMI under that name but his name crops up as being co-composer on each song with someone who was BMI registered. Some of the songs have titles (MAIN STEM BLUES; RASPERRY POLKA) that would suggest they date back to the 50's or early 60's. That assumption is backed up by the fact that another name on some of the songs (as part composer) is Lalo Shifrin. Shifrin was only based in New York from 1960 to 1963.

HENRY BROOKS GREATEST DEBT TO MY MOTHER (7") P&P 1977 333 If the above indicates that this 7" was released in 1977 then I'd have to say that neither side of the 45 sound like they were actually recorded anywhere near 1977. More like 1967, 68 or 69. Who in their right mind would be releasing cuts of 2min 11sec duration in 1977 ??

So another track that P & P got their hands on was Smokey Brooks "I Want To Be True". I wonder where that track originated from & if it managed to escape on 45 back in the day. Seems Peter Brown may have issued tracks on P & P that he just managed to get hold of the master tapes for (perhaps from earlier projects he had been associated with).

About 2 minutes into the clip of the film you see a street billboard for radio stn WVNJ. When the film was shot (mid 60's) this was an AM stn operating out of Newark, New Jersey that playlisted soul tracks.

Patrick's group (The Sparks) appeared in the 1967 Warner Bros. Movie "Up the Down Staircase". Most (if not all of this has been posted up on Youtube (in 9 parts) .... PART 1 &--#62;&--#62; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7LixWEk1eo So I guess if anyone can be bothered to wade through all the 9 parts, they can id just when & in which part the group appears.

RE: I actually did a P&P label listing about 5 years ago ................. I'd love to see that. So is it documented anywhere which 45's came out back in the day (mid 70's) and which others appeared at much later dates ?? Ian, do you know when the Henry 'Smokey' Brooks cuts actually date from (recording wise) ?

RE: 'Long time ago' came out on a P&P 45 (Pink Label) I'd love to know what the other side of the 45 is !!

Just noticed another track by Smokey Brooks -- "Long Time Ago" on some P&P related CD's. This is another funk cut & again its short (1 min 58 secs), so I'd take a stab at it being a mid to late 60's recording as well. Did this come out originally on a P & P 45 or was it one found in the 'vaults' in the last 10 years ? Believe that Smokey had teamed up with Leonard Lewis by 1971, so again that would guide me towards thinking his P & P stuff was late 60's (done for Peter Brown before P & P was set up).

Anyone know where I can get to hear his Rampage track "Nobody Loves You Like I Love You", can't seem to find a sound file ont'net. Strange as it seems to me -- although the writers credit on the 45 label for "Greatest Debt To My Mother" goes to H. Brooks, the song is actually registered with BMI under the name of Henry A Copeland. The person who uses this 2nd name wrote songs in conjunction with Zelda Sanders & seems to have had connections in Florida. Anyone able to explain this situation ??

Unless you mean 'as well, they were ' then can't agree Steve. Patrick Adams was deffo in THE SPARKS on Cub. He quit the group in 1970.

Now I'm sure Ian Dewhirst will know lots about this subject ......... Patrick Adams got his start in the music biz in the mid 60's with soul group the Sparks. The group hit lucky from day one and landed a slot in a movie. Before long they were signed to Cub Records and had the 45 "Cool It" issued in 1967. By 1970 Patrick was working for Perception Records and when he left that organisation in 1974, he started up Harlem based P & P Records with Peter Brown. P & P soon hit it big with disco tunes & the label helped establish Patrick as a major player on the NY disco scene ...... BUT ..... my question is a bit more specialised. One of the 45's put out by P & P was by locally based singer Henry 'Smokey' Brooks. One side of this featured a late 60's sounding soul dancer; "Greatest Debt To My Mother". The other side of the 45 was pure JB style funk; "Mini Skirt". So both sides of the 45 were 'throw-back' sounding tracks by the mid 70's. ALSO, the "Greatest Debt" track is very short in duration for the mid 70's (2 mins 11 secs). This leads me to assume that this was an old cut that had languished in the tape vaults for a number of years before it escaped on that P & P 45. Henry Brooks more usually recorded under the name Smokey Brooks and as such he had a number of other impressive 45's released. His full real name was Henry L Brooks & he penned songs with the likes of Otis Turner and was signed to Leonard Lewis publishing (operated out of Leonard's apt at 345 W 58th St New York). Smokey also worked with Bobby Robinson and Earle Robinson. He had 45's out on Now (Leonard Lewis' label) .... "Eternal" being a good deep soul ballad. the above was coupled with another JB style funk item "Spin-It Jig" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D-6lM7Zxp0 He also had 45's on Rampage (Bobby Robinson's label) -- "Nobody Loves You Like I Love You" ( 60's soul dancer) which was coupled with "Everyday Is A Good Day (When You're In Love)" .... And a 45 on Rochelle (out of NJ) "7 Moves For 7 Grooves" that was licensed for national distribution by Veep. This last track (also a funky dancer) got national distribution (on Veep) in the summer of 1967. So I'd guess that most of Henry's tracks were cut in the mid to late 1960's. Can anyone confirm this ???

His 1st New York show back in November 1971 ....

A Way Out Records gathering (footballer Jim Brown, who funded the Big Jim label, is in centre holding the LP) ... ...

Lou Ragland's big MS / 2 Step tune "Making Love" ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbseqjMSJTk Peter Spence's new reggae version of the song. An earlier reggae (Lovers Rock) version of the song ....... by Barry Boom ....

Both groups were on BBC TV this morning & came over really well (both talking & singing) .... https://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-17364661 The Tops have a new lead singer -- Harold 'Spike' Bonhart (though Ronnie McNeir is still there). Spike sounds as close to Levi as its possible to get !!!! The UK tour should be good (Tavares are also on it & they were GREEEAAAATTTTT at Prestatyn).

A feature story on Cleveland soul ......... https://rockhall.com/...d-music-history Lou Ragland in London .............

Cheers, Ian. Pity you weren't around in NY during the time period I'm interested in. I have done some more research & it turns out that Lloyd Price bought 'the Birdland' , refurbished the club & opened it as the Turntable Club in March 1967. In the early months (through to early 68) the club didn't book name artists. When it did start to book top singers on a regular basis, Lloyd obviously used his contacts from down the years (he had been gigging up & down the east coast circuit since the early 50's) to secure acts to perform in the club. So acts such as the Coasters, Chubby Checker & Chuck Jackson played the venue (Chuck Jackson followed on from Chubby Checker in May 70).

Tyrone Perry (later a member of Westmoreland & Co. on Emkay) started out in the Young Disciples who were the backing band on all the Yodi stuff. The Yodi organisation was set up by Alan Merry as a local youth project to keep East St. Louis kids off the street corners & out of trouble. Phillip Westmoreland (a guitar player who worked in the studio for Oliver Sain in late 60's / early 70's) put together a new band around 1972 in conjunction with Marcus Kelley (who had earlier cut for Bob Eagle's White Eagle label), calling it Westmoreland Company featuring Marcus Kelley. They were signed to CMC in St Louis and soon began working there with Kent Washburn ( the Hypnotic's, Charles Drain's producer) Kent completed a couple of tracks that Oliver Sain had started cutting on the group plus he laid down additional songs with a view to landing them a record deal. Another outfit that contributed to the tracks the group cut (providing backing vocals) was the Georgettes. These tracks all got lost in the mix at the time but eventually escaped on the only soul album released by Kent Washburn on his Emkay label (1979).

The musical director at the Turntable Club was Charles Davis, a famed jazz sax player. This probably explains why the club still put on jazz nights each week, even in 1969 & 1970. Monday & Tuesday were jazz nights, with a live act. Wednesday was talent show night with acts just turning up & performing. No doubt, if a really impressive act turned up one week, they would be considered for a record deal with Lloyd's Turntable Records. Thursday through Sunday was when the headline act (Howard Tate, Jean Wells, Jean DuShon, Brenda 'Lee' Jones, the Buckeye Politicians, the Coasters or Lloyd himself) would perform. If you had made it along to the club in April 70, you would have been given a free copy of Howard Tate's 'Reaction' LP.

This is probably a question that only the likes of Ian Dewhirst or similar (guys who were regular visitors to NY in the 70's) can answer ... I'm after info on Lloyd Price's club that was located at 1674 Broadway (Between 52nd Street and 53rd Street). The place has a long history of being a night club. From 1949 to 1965 it was the famous jazz club, Birdland (owned by Morris & Irving Levy & named after Charlie Parker). As a jazz venue it struggled from late 63 and by 64 had started booking soul singers (the Lloyd Price Revue doing very good business there in April 64). After a while in limbo, the club was refurbished & opened as Lloyd Price's Turntable Club, live acts being the main draw (though Lloyd advertised the club as 'the Home of WWRL DJ's'). During this period, Lloyd's business partner, Harold Logan, was shot dead in the office above the club (May 69) in mysterious circumstances. The Ed Sullivan Band (leader Ray Block) used the club to rehearse for their slot on the TV show most Saturday & Sundays, so the place was kept busy. As the 60's drew to a close and into the early 70's, the club still managed reasonable business. But by mid 71 it was struggling, so Lloyd renamed it the Crawdaddy Club and undertook a week long engagement himself to try to boost business. Live acts still appeared at the club and in 1974, Rudy Gay (a 22 year old from Farmville, NC) was spotted performing at the club and recommended to the other members of Ace Spectrum. He auditioned for the group & was taken on as a member. The place was still going as the Crawdaddy Club in 1975 but by then, records were mainly keeping the punters entertained (Lloyd afterwards claimed it was one of the 1st disco's in NY). In the summer of 75, Lloyd (who by then was running a big youth development project) was using it as a recording studio to teach some kids about the biz. In the early 70's, Lloyd had become friends with Don King (about to become a big boxing promoter) and the pair promoted some big fights together. By the mid 70's, Don King was also trying to establish his own record label and he would get the groups he'd signed to play gigs at the club to help learn their trade, gauge their popularity with the NY crowd. But by 1976, Lloyd had sold the place & it had been re-badged as the disco, Boombamakaoo. It quickly became one of the top discos in Manhattan, with current DJ Bobby Morales being a punter there in its early days. By November 1976 it was one of the places to be seen, mainly due to the work of DJ Jorge Wheeler. A typical playlist at the club was documented at that time .................. ..... DJ Jorge Wheeler's Picks ANOTHER STAR - StevieWonder (Tamla) DON'T WALK AWAY - General Johnson (Arista) DOWN TO LOVE TOWN - Originals (Motown) GOIN' UP IN SMOKE / THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES / MUSIC MAN - Eddie Kendricks (Tamla) I BELIEVE IN LOVE - Rock Gazers (Sixth Avenue) LIKE HER! - Gentlemen & Their Lady (Roulette) MESSAGE IN OUR MUSIC - O'Jays (Phila. Intl.) SPRING AFFAIR / SUMMER FEVER - Donna Summer (Casablanca) WHEN LOVE IS NEW - Arthur Prysock (OldTown) YOU'RE MY DRIVING WHEEL - Supremes (Motown) An earlier one of his top spins had been Crown Heights Affair's "Dreamin A Dream" (back in 1975). I have no idea when Boombamakaoo went under, but for one night in 1979, it was turned back into the Birdland Club. The place is still a night club, now its Flashdancers Gentlemen's Club (a strip joint). Did anyone here visit the club in any of its Turntable / Crawdaddy / Boobamakaoo periods. If so, can you pass along anything you can recall about the place. CHEERS.

Will day tickets be available (want to see the Impressions again) ?