Roburt

This isn't the greatest of tracks but I can't believe I never knew this was a duet cut by Steve along with Wilbert Jackson. As he was over here so often in the past & I spent time in his company @ both Prestatyn & Cleggy, I would have thought this would at least have gotten a quick mention .......... Are the facts around it's creation known (Harvey Fuqua was involved ) ... https://youtu.be/H7VSFHUHKOw?si=WgIcNgp5qqous013

Wally Roker passed about 10 years ago. But Swamp Dogg is still around & usually on the case. So he might know what happened to the old Canyon related master tapes.

Anyone from West Yorks remember the the Shalimar Club, Sparrow Park, Huddersfield. By all accounts it was set up by a Mr. Pinnock. to initially provide music and a social outlet for Caribbean immigrants. It's featured music was ska, soul & reggae. It booked live acts, with the likes of Joe E Young & the Tonicks + Jimmy Cliffe & the Shakedown Sound playing live there. Seems Mr Pinnock, who was a keen dancer, helped set up the Huddersfield West Indian Association which was responsible for also running the successful Cleopatra’s Club.

Tyrone was much less complimentary about his dealings with Wally Roker in another interview. I guess that as the above was his 1st big UK interview, he was being more diplomatic about things this time.

Seems Harboro Horace used to frequent this place ...

Jane Eugene is facing deportation from the US as her visa expired. She's being held by Trump's goons at a ICE Detention Centre in upstate New York. This lady isn’t just a random British tourist who lost track of passing time. She’s a black woman from the music world, an R&B pioneer and a member of hit UK soul group LOOSE ENDS ("Hanging On A String"). "Hangin' on a String" reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart making Loose Ends the first British soul group to top that chart (STRANGELY, even though the Foundations had 5 US Hot 100 singles placings, they only made Billboard's R&B chart once -- peaking @ #33 in 1967). But Jane's black & Trump hates all black & brown people. This singer has been rounded up in the current madness unfolding in America. She is currently facing removal proceedings & may be slapped with a 10-year US re-entry ban.

I'm sure they overstretched themselves financially -- distributing a load of other labels whilst still trying to establish themselves ... THINK their A&R shortcomings were coz they saw the Whispers (on Soul Clock) as their biggest act -- hence them taking some of Rudy Love's songs and cutting them on the group whilst shelving Rudy's original versions. The same team had some time earlier signed up Tyrone Davis and cut him on tracks that were leased to ABC. But he too wasn't impressed by the way they treated him, so he left LA and signed with Dakar back in Chicago. The rest of that story is now well known, with Tyrone going on to enjoy many hits. So the only output from his time in LA (with Wally Roker) was one ABC 45 and (later on) the original LA cut version of ""Can I Change my Mind"" getting a release.

On the radio charts ...

Long time member of the Whispers, Walter Scott, just passed ... R.I.P.

No problem, just pointing it out.

To show what a low opinion the mainstream music community had of black music ... they called it RACE MUSIC for many years ...

I already made mention of the Darius & Reggie Milner versions ...

Canyon exploded onto the LA scene in 69, burned brightly for some months & then imploded. Some of their business practices weren't too great (they certainly ripped off Rudy Love -- but at least we were able to EVENTUALLY get Rudy's Canyon album; though it was only released in the UK on Manhattan and badged up as being by Tyrone Davis). The Vinyl Word: Rudy Love and the Manhattan project https://thevinylword.blogspot.com/2019/03/rudy-love-and-manhattan-project.html

The Maze (UK mod group), Yvonne Ellerman (pop version), Carrie Lucas (80's soul disco version), She with Kim Waters (hip hop), Reggie Milner (Stax soul), Darius (soul), Alpha Zoe (soul), Fire & Rain (70's pop soul), Julia Holter (pop) + a few reggae versions (Jennifer Lara, Derick Lara, Frankie Young Brown Sugar, etc). A few more too I'd guess.

Berry dropped Gino Parks in 1962, so I don't think he'd be overly interested in this fund.

Most (music) clubs in London in the 1950's were jazz clubs -- the 100 Club for instance was one of many jazz clubs & it (the 100 Club) stuck mainly with jazz right through to the late 60's. Though it did host some R&B nights for a period, but usually only one a week, with the other nights featuring jazz still. As the 60's hit, blues was starting to take over but jazz clubs still held sway. To differentiate between a club's usual jazz content & their newer blues / R&B nights, they'd often rebadge themselves on R&B nights. During the 50's, a favourite jazz haunt was near Leicester Square; STUDIO 51 ( a basement dive). Lots of times a club would list it's address as say LEICESTER SQUARE as that was the closest tube station, whereas it would probably be located a few streets away. Studio 51 was actually in Gt Newport St. This club featured jazz from the start of the 50's but was also hosting blues nights by 1963/64. To 'flag up' to it's clientele what nights were what, it kept the Studio 51 badge for it's R&B nights and became the Ken Colyer Club on it's jazz nights (Colyer usually being the live attraction, the Rolling Stones were the resident group on R&B nights in 63). R&B clubs soon attracted mods and they'd start to take over as a venue's usual crowd. Another club that also gave it's address as Leicester Square was another jazz club, the Florida Club (just east of Chinatown). This had prospered in the 1950's when it's usual live act was led by Tony Kinsey (a famous British jazz drummer who'd been resident @ the Flamingo Club ahead of moving to the Florida Club). I'd guess like most London clubs from 62/63, it also started hosting blues / R&B nights and these must have attracted a mod crowd. Another club in the same area was the Ad Lib. This was located above a cinema in Leicester Place (on the edge of London's Chinatown). This was frequented by members of the Beatles after they'd moved to London. There were quite a few clubs actually in / or next to Carnaby St in the 60's (it being the top hip address during those times). The most famous of these clubs were housed @ 50 Carnaby St. Again, they'd started life as jazz clubs -- being (in the 50's) the Sunset Club. From 1961, it was known as the Roaring Twenties. As it featured black music, it attracted a black audience, including GI's who were based around the London area. After it's jazz period, it would host bands such as the Who, Beatles, Stones & Georgie Fame. Again, it was soon pulling in mods as it's audience. Between Carnaby St & Leicester Sq was the most famous of London's 'music streets' -- Wardour Street (home to the Marquee -- which had also started life as a jazz club). However, the most famous London mod club was the Scene Club. This was located in Ham Yard, not far from the south end of Wardour St (& just west of Chinatown). Charing Cross Stn (trains from there go through London Bridge stn & onto Brighton) is located not too far away from Leicester Square / the then Florida Club.

Bettye with Gino Parks in September 2023 ...

Posted up by Bettye Lavette on Facebook ... When I first met Johnnie Mae Matthews, before I had even recorded My Man, she took me around to some clubs. The first three people that I met were Timmy Shaw, Willie Jones and Gino Parks. I have been friends with and stayed in touch with both Willie and Gino ever since. I hope that he is well, and that all of you record collectors will give something, especially if you've ever listened to any of his records. Fundraiser for Gena Long by Mike Dutkewych : Support Gino Parks: Motown Legend in Need

The above must have been a different tour, as the group I posted her performing with in Korea were definitely black (or she had 2 different backing groups with her).

Seems that as well as being a great artist in her own right, Josie James has spent years doing backing vocal work (in the studio & live). Her web site shows just some of the albums she sang on (Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Osbourne, EW&F, Commodores, Brothers Johnson, George Duke, Crusaders, Al Jarreau, Patrice Rushen, etc, etc. ......... josiejamesmusic.com Official Discography

There's a great mod / soul exhibition on in Brighton till the end of the year (well worth a visit). A similar exhibition was staged in Leicester a while back & included stuff relevant to East Midland's soulies from Leicester, Nottingham, etc.

But do you know the name of the doo wop group that performed there with her ? (see pic in my post above).

A big show (BATTLE OF THE BANDS) @ DC's Howard Theatre in summer 67. The Howard was a chitlin circuit venue -- just about all black acts would appear there -- with the odd white soul artist being included on occasional revue bills that played the venue (the Magnificent Men being such a group on these shows). Blacks acts predominately played chitlin venues and got used to how they were treated by the owners. Bigger venues such as the big city theatres (Howard, Royal, Uptown, Fox, Regal, Apollo, etc) would usually have their own band backing up the acts, so the groups / singers had to do very little to set-up. In smaller venues & clubs, black acts had to use their own backing band. The band would be expected to tun up early, drag all their equipment (amps, instruments) into the place, set it up / sound balance it, etc and then come back to do the actual show later in the day. This was the sort of touring experience the likes of Lou Ragland's Hot Chocolate had to get used to. He'd earlier done the same when touring as a member of Kim Tolliver's band and in the band backing the O'Jays. BUT in 1967, Terry Knight split from his group, the Pack. He was in big demand for live shows as he'd had a hit with his cover of Ben E King's "I Who Have Nothing". He had always been popular in Cleveland & had lots of friends there. So he headed over to Ohio to hire a new backing band. Lou was just about the 1st guy he hired & the new ensemble were soon off on the road. Terry played mainly 'white circuit' clubs and Lou couldn't believe the difference in how they were treated in these. The band would turn up at the venue, to be met by guys hired by the club. They'd shift all their heavy gear into the club & set it up on stge. While this was going on, the musicians would be given food & drink. When all was ready, they'd do a quick sound check & then head off to a local hotel to rest till it was time for the show. Back to the club in the evening & do the show. Afterwards they'd spend time chatting with any fans who stayed back after the show finished, until the club's hired help had loaded all their gear back on their van / bus. Then it was either back to the local hotel to sleep or a start would be made on the journey to their next gig. Lou never really came to terms with the difference in how he was treated when backing a white singer & how he was normally treated as a black musician working behind a black act.

A view from the 'other side' ... Wayne Cochran's view on colour in music ... BUT THEN ... Wayne got a Vegas residency for some years (@ the International which became the Hilton). Ike & Tina played Vegas (back in the day), so did Little Anthony & Imperials, Jackie Wilson, Motown artists & many black acts ... but the only black group I can recall getting a long Vegas residency (at a top casino) was the Checkmates Ltd.

Anyone else here visit this Paris record shop OR buy from them. They were always a great place to get hold of those French EP's from Motown, Atlantic and more. I visited around 1989 / 90 when on a vacation in Paris. Got a few of my wants too -- the Stevie Wonder EP that contains "Love A Go Go" and an Atlantic one that featured "Stupidity" -- Solomon Burke + a few more (can't remember what the others were as it was 35 years ago). The guy that ran the store (Daniel Delorme) was a helpful fella. He brought out a book about the French 'soul' EP releases, featuring the picture covers of most of them. When I was at the shop, I spent all my money on vinyl, so didn't get a copy of the book. I've since rectified that situation. As he deemed me a good customer & obviously had gathered I was a Brit, he gave me a supply of the posters he'd had printed up to promote the book. I had 5 or 6 of these posters & added one copy in to the raffle prizes I put together for a CURTIS MAYFIELD FUND raffle I ran at one of the Cleggy Weekenders (with Ady's permission). BUT Ady saw what I had as raffle prizes & knew ROGER 'Co-operative' BANKs wanted the book, so he took the poster and gave it to Banksy. Anyway, I'll get to the point, I know I have the rest of these posters somewhere here (in the loft most probably) ... BUT as I used to work in a drawing office & could print off huge 'soul related' posters myself (I used to decorate the SOUL BARN private parties staged by the Ward's in Ravenfield, Rotherham). These events ran for many years & I printed up 'poster's for each new one. So the loft is full of them (some as big as 6 ft by 4ft), so finding the stash of USA Record posters amongst that lot ain't gonna be easy. Anyone else here got a copy of that poster & can post it up here ?