Roburt

Bobby (sax player in light jacket) & the group playing live … Searching For My Baby was by far their biggest hit (they had 2 later 45's that charted nationally but only "Searchin" made it into pop Top 50 charts). The singer on their live shows was usually Marion Sledge (he also played guitar in the band), Bobby being the band leader & sax player. Chico Jenkins also sang sometimes & it may well have been him on lead on "Searchin" (He usually wrote the lyrics to Moore's tunes & was also credited as lead singer on lots of the group's follow-up songs to their hit). By 1968 they also included Marion's sister (wife ?) in the ensemble and she performed vocal duties too. As "Searchin" was their BIGGIE, no doubt when they played it live (& this would have been on every show), they would have extended the song somewhat. I'd bet the instrumental sections would have been given more prominence to highlight the contribution of the musicians over that of the singer/s.

A mag article about the group & their hit … January 68 …

His stuff with his brothers is also good ..

If you wanna know more about this release (or his other stuff with Togetherness or his brothers -- the Capers Brothers), why not ask him ... He's on Facebook & the studio he set up in Virginia Beach also has a Facebook page. He's a famous band leader / trumpet player who has toured Europe in the past (backing up jazz musicians) ...

Seems we'll be getting to see this documentary later in the year. It's said to contain lots of rare old footage about the company & it's artists ... https://variety.com/2019/music/news/hitsville-the-making-of-motown-acquired-by-showtime-for-u-s-1203220309/

Promoters, get em booked now ….. OHH, SORRY … they were taking those bookings here back in 69 …

We are losing way too many of our hero's at the moment … so it was great to learn that Lou Ragland (now in his 80's) is still going strong. He just participated in a big Cleveland soul show and helped assemble a whole bunch of heavyweight Ohio soulsters …

We're losing way too many of our hero's these days ….

The Steinways in Ilford & Islington … cor blimey guv …

In 1969, you could have seen Mary Wells live @ the Flamingo ... a youtube piece about the club ..

This place was a mod haunt that played ska & soul in the 60's. It moved on to feature just about 100% reggae by the end of the decade …

Not too much on this web page of direct interest to us, but it does feature some great photos of London clubs ... https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9171000/9171130.stm

How the London music scene was evolving by mid 69 … a live concert with a mix of psychedelia, prog rock & soul acts …

Early summer 69 … obviously not into it's 'soul era' yet … Retford, Nottingham & Hinckley … gigs from back in the day … Soul @ the footie stadium, @ the Working Mens Club and @ the equestrian centre … it was everywhere back then … anyone know who ran Rivonia Promotions in Whatton, Notts (which was & is in the middle of nowhere) ? A soul festival alldayer staged back in 69 …. wonder how many turned up solely to enter the Coke Drinking & Crisp Eating contests ?

They just kept on & on making great music … one from the 90's …

Didn't the Ricky-Tick operate out of a few different premises in Windsor down the years, the Star & Garter Pub, the Thames Hotel and a building on Barry Avenue ? …. their posters just about always featured the face of an anguished black singer …. When Roy C was on there, he saw the poster & took it that the face was meant to be his … he wasn't at all pleased until told it was just a generic picture.

The Dells live in DC back in the day … end of December 1967 ... I was one of the lucky fans who got to see them perform @ Trentham Gardens a few years back; a magical night.

Chuck Barksdale (Dells) R.I.P. View full article

As a bunch of Peterboro lads were regulars @ the Mojo in 66/67, I always assumed that the town had little going for it back then (soul wise) BUT it seems it did have one venue worthy of mention back in the late 60's (& into the 70's) -- CLOUD NINE. There's an article on the venue here … https://theyplayedpeterborough.com/?p=7114 Poster for a gig staged there in early 1970 ...

It seems that Malvern Winter Gardens was a big music venue in the 60's & 70's … in the 70's, it was mainlyrock bands that were booked but in the 60's it was R&B / soul bands that were often on there …. one London based 'lesser known' outfit who headlined there were Jeff Curtis & the Flames. This outfit had a number of different managers but by 1965 they were signed with Roy Tempest (the guy who brought all the US soul groups over here in the mid to late 60's but got them to perform as outfits such as the Temptations & Marvelettes). Members of the group quit to join other outfits such as Beau Brummell & The Noblemen & Manchester’s Playboys. Many of Roy Tempests UK groups were used on tours and backed up visiting US soul acts. Anyone know if Jeff Curtis & the Flames got to tour behind a US act ?

The Ricky-Tick organisation ran nights at a number of locations/ towns, but Windsor was their top venue ….

I have been to Botanica in the past (when my son lived in NY). Apart from being conveniently situated, having good folk in charge & featuring great soul music, the night has nothing going for it.

Yes, I included that in my initial post. I attended that nite, getting to see the group who had been the Velours & became the Fantastics. Here's another for a nite I didn't actually attend at the club but my mate Tom did (I was @ the Mojo niter at the time but saw Garnett at the Mojo dayer on that Sunday -- the next day). I posted other Owl bits on an old Nite Owl related thread on here.

Back to Nottingham … it had the reputation back then for being the city with the most fine women going out clubbing on a regular basis … that & decent soul tunes (live & from record) in a number of venues … not a bad place at all … Bits & pieces about three of its top mod / soul haunts; the Beachcomber, Dungeon & Brit Rowing Club … BTW, if you think having Amen Corner on at a soul club was strange, don't forget the mainstays of their live show back then were songs such as OUR LOVE IS IN THE POCKET, EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL / FEEL: SO GOOD, I DON'T WANNA DISCUSS IT / AMEN and more ….