Roburt

Just when did the Broken Wheel start booking US soul acts ? I was a regular at the Twisted Wheel, Gondola / Skyline (Hull) & Tin Chicken (Cass) back in 68, so it wasn't on my radar back then ... but ads I have for gigs at the club show they weren't booking top soul acts till late summer 68 at the earliest (they did book the Alan Bown that summer but the group were already well into their 'Toy Land' phase by then) ....

The above chart & the one below illustrate that by summer 69, reggae & reissues were taking over ...

Another guy who performed soul in prison (& cut while there) was Baltimore's Jasper 'Syng' McGowan ......... Syng was first jailed in 1948/49. Eventually, he joined a singing 'convict' group in jail & they were dubbed the 'Wayward Sons'. This quartet started to perform, in & out of prison and became known nationally. McGowan, in conjunction with cellmate (& fellow group member) Russell Quarles also started to write songs (by the mid 60's, they had penned 450 together). Jasper got out of jail after serving much of the full term on his 1st conviction but was found guilty of an armed robbery offence & sent back 'inside' in 1958. His case was was taken up in 1962 by Mrs Betty Feldman who worked for 2 charitable Foundations that helped prisoners. She took up Jasper's case & eventually managed to win him a re-trail (on the 2nd offence) in 1964. In November 64, the group (Jasper -- 39 years old & serving 15 + 5 + 5 yrs for armed robbery; Russell Quarles -- 35 years old & serving 20 years for robbery; John Madison -- 23 yrs old & serving 30 yrs for murder/ robbery; Archie Shaw -- 35 yrs old & serving 20 yrs for larceny) performed at a big concert staged at Maryland Penitentiary. The group had already cut 2 songs, When his re-trail came up, Jasper was described as a model prisoner who was leader of the singing quartet, the Wayward Sons. He won that appeal but was not released from Maryland Penitentiary as he still had some time to serve on his first offence (also a robbery for which he had received a 10 year sentence). A re-trail on the 1st robbery conviction was asked for, also granted & when the Maryland State Attorney decided not to press on with the case, Jasper was released on 21st September 1965. Betty started a record label (Hope) & cut him on quite a few numbers. Associated subject ... soul singers who spent time in prison (though they didn't record while inside; Wilson Pickett, Barry White, Chuck Berry, Billie Holiday, Ike Turner, Gary US Bonds, James Brown, Ronald Isley, Rick James, Bobby Brown, Billy Preston & more AND MORE RECENT ARTISTS >> Lauren Hill, Lil Kim, Tupac (think he might be classed as a singer of sorts) + 2/3 other rappers.

The 1st R&B chart in Record Mirror was published in July 65 (it's the top chart in my 2nd post above -- with "I Can't Help Myself" @ no.1). An August 69 chart ....

AND a couple more ... lots of the top UK soul 45's (the ones that have stood the test of time) failed to register at all coz they were slipped out without any promotion or info on the artists back then ...

More of those old charts I do have ...

Anyone out there got copies of 1966 UK R&B charts ? I have some 1960's B&S mags that featured UK 45 charts but these are mainly 68 onwards. Ahead of the start up of Home Of The Blues / B&S, the only mag I know of that featured a UK R&B chart was Record Mirror. I have quite a few of those but not many from 66.

More old BBC radio show live recordings that I'd love to get to hear .........

The Raelettes @ the BBC .... (other stills from the show can be viewed on the Ray Charles Video Museum blogspot site) ...

Another BBC TV show 'missing in action' is the one recorded by Ray Charles on Friday Sept 20th 1968 ... quite a few decent still photos exist of Ray & the Raelettes in the BBC TV studio but the show itself seems lost forever. This is a great shame as I believe it was the 1st live recording made of his then new set of Raelettes (Susaye Greene, Barbara Ann Lesure (Beverly LeShure ?), Barbara Nell Terrault & Verlyn Flenaugh). This line -up had evolved since early August when the original group had quit over pay / treatment (Merry Clayton, Alex Brown, Gwen Berry and Clydie King). Before the make-up of the new group had settled as the 4 listed above, the likes of Rita Graham (of Rita & Tiaras) had been co-opted in at short notice. The line-up of the Raelettes that came to the UK soon changed again & by early 69 the members were Susaye Greene, Mable John. Vernita Moss & Estella Yarbrough. So the footage of the group that did the BBC show would have been quite historic. The whole Ray Charles package (including Billy Preston) went to do concerts across Europe straight from the UK and some footage (only B&W though, not colour) of shows from that period still exists ...

Their initial 2 UK 45 releases (Nov 66 & March 67) mainly only sold to soul & mod club fans as they didn't get too much radio exposure here. "Help Me" created a bit of a stir in the press / on the pirate stns but I don't think that transferred into big sales for the single. It managed to scrape into the bottom end of the Big L (Radio London) Top 40 chart in early December 66 but had gone by the 18th Dec (to be replaced by the likes of the Olympics - Baby Do The Philly Dog). Of course, the pirate stns charts weren't based on sales figures at all. Their re-released 45 (the A side off their 1st 2 singles) sold much better as their stuff was highly desired by collectors by then (Feb 69).

Sam on the dance floor (in Morecambe) ...

Really old news these days as he's no longer in the game ... but the gradings given to none NM records by Wolverhampton's biggest soul dealer were usually (shall we say) a tad on the optimistic side.

Red, I would have thought that Ady Crosadell and the guys at Ace Kent Records (London) would have some info that could be useful to you (they have the tapes of the James Carr sessions & info on them I believe). Ady is on here and may see your post.

Lots of posts about other TV shows BUT it's really the BBC radio show live tapes that featured soul stars that I'd like to get to hear the most. RE: the Spellbinders -- they played quite a few UK clubs including the Mojo and the Wheel ...

Back in the day (60's / 70's) many soul stars visiting the UK would be invited to be on BBC TV & radio shows (+ ITV TV shows). Down the years a great many of these old audio tapes / videos have been pulled out and the stuff on them has been released. The most famous video's from UK TV shows are of course the RSG tapes but soul acts appeared on many more shows too. With regard to live BBC radio sessions, again many soul stars got to do these. Lots of old 'At The BBC' or 'BBC Sessions' tapes have been released on vinyl & CD -- the lists of acts who have benefited from such releases include the Beatles, Kinks, Bobbie Gentry, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Deep Purple and many more. However I don't know of any real attempt to pull out the sessions made for the BBC by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Miracles, Rufus Thomas, Howlin Wolf, Lou Johnson, James & Bobby Purify, Four Tops, Spellbinders, O C Smith, Joe Tex and the like. Surely, all the old tapes of soul stars sessions can't just have been binned.

The best way (these days) to check out if a soul release was doing well after it's UK release is to check out old charts in Blues & Soul mag ... ahead of that (say in 66) it's Record Mirror's R&B chart that gives the best indication ..

Helena seemed to split from her Dakar Productions / Compass Recs mastermind (Lincoln Kilpatrick) after her 2nd Compass 45 release. She moved on to a deal with Congress Records, where she worked with Freddie Scott / Lou Toby (69). Compass itself ceased business in summer 68. Lincoln also severed ties with Compass & leased a 45 by the Da-Kars (no doubt his in-house backing band) to Josie early in 68.

I guess they are the same person, with a 3 year gap between the releases ... but even though you'd think confirmation would be found on the net, I can't find any interview info on Helena ... her 45 was a Top 30 soul hit & top 100 pop hit in late 67 (it was a sleeper as it had been released that August). The Ohio Players are supposed to be the musicians on her hit track (they had a Compass 45 release not long after her 45 was issued). Looking at her Compass promo pic, she does seem old enough to have cut other stuff 3 years earlier. Her Compass stuff was bought in by the label but they eventually got behind it (& her) ... they organised a US tour for her (to promote her follow-up 45) in early 68. Sir Shambling likes her stuff but he didn't make any connection with the 20th Century Fox lady ... https://www.sirshambling.com/artists_2012/F/helena_ferguson/index.php

UPDATE on the film screenings ... message from John A ... All the gang really enjoyed 'This is Love's' premiere in London and Rudy's show at the 100 Club. . . . . . I am pleased that after a great time in Hamburg and the US Premiere at the Tallgrass Film Festival (which sold out Wichita's 1,200 seat Orpheum theater to a full standing ovation!), the film is continuing to gain traction. I meant to remind you about this earlier, as I know you have Florida connections, but This is Love will be in St. Petersburg Florida two weeks from tomorrow, on November 12. The poster for the St Pete's showing + a pic of Rudy Love & the Love Family performing @ the 100 Club ...

Singer & songwriter TJW has passed ... yet another loss. I liked him more as a songwriter .... He also wrote this ... Creative Source "I Never Thought It Would Come To This" ... a soft soul ballad (not what the group were known for at all) ... the song kicks in about 8 mins into this video ..

INFO lifted from his web site ... Let’s take it back to Detroit Michigan, 1968, Wah Wah Watson a/k/a Melvin Ragin is the musical director for Bobby Taylor and the Vancouver’s who did a tour of 75 one-nighters, opening for the Temptations. When he wasn’t on tour with Bobby Taylor, Melvin was sitting in at The Twenty Grand Club on 14th Street and Warren Avenue in Detroit, as the guitar player with the house band headed up by Hamilton Bohannon. The house band was comprised of musicians who also became music icons to be reckoned with from Bohannon and Michael Henderson to James Jamerson. The horn players that went on to became jazz greats included; Eli Fontane, Marcus Belgraves, Tim Conway, Hooks, Maurice White, Beans Bowes and Danny. Knowing talent when he saw it, Bohannon spotted a then 15 year-old guitar player, Ray Parker Jr. playing in another band at the historic Latin Quarter (on East Grand Blvd. between Woodward Ave. and John R.) and asked him to join his house band at The Twenty Grand club. Both Wah Wah and Ray agree that back in the day, Hamilton Bohannon played his part in giving both of them their start in the music business. Bohannon’s band was backing up all the Motown acts performing at the club. The Spinners with GC Cameron, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Philippé Wynne and many other R&B grets. Even though Bohannon invited Ray Parker Jr. into the band, it was no walk in the park. Ray recalled, “I was youngest, I was the Johnny come lately, so every wrong note that was played I got hit with a giant drumstick, if Gladys Knight sang the wrong note or a horn player played the wrong part it was my fault and everyone looked at me, and I got hit with a drumstick, that’s why I play perfectly now, that’s why I don’t make mistakes!” Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield would see Ray onstage at The Twenty Grand and say “what-chall got this young boy up in here?”, no matter how hard Ray would try to blend in with the carpet. Whitfield simply felt Ray was just too young to be in the band. Norman Whitfield and Ray Parker Jr. wound up becoming good buddies and as Ray also says “I love Norman Whitfield!” After playing at The Twenty Grand they would hit Esquires delicatessen on the corner of Fullerton and Dexter in Detroit. Even though they were not part of the original funk brothers, the company they kept was certainly A-list far as musicians went in Detroit. The young musical genius was no novice before joining Bohannon’s band. The first professional band Ray toured with were The Spinners with GC Cameron. As Ray remembers “the band would come over to my house because they had to ask my mom for permission to go on tour, and Rays mom would reply, ” ‘as long as he’s at school Monday morning!” Then the Detroit recording sessions commenced. Wah Wah did most of the Motown sessions because he was working with Norman Whitfield (Holland Dozier Holland, Marvin Gaye, etc) and of course Norman still thought Ray was too young. Although Ray missed recording on Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Cloud Nine because he was too young, he expresses that “Wah Wah was my hero” and in fact, Ray later had the opportunity to do some Motown sessions with Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Holland Dozier Holland.

Another goodie he made ...

Brenda Joyce Evans (of the Undisputed Truth) has stated that Wah Wah (Melvin Ragin) has passed away. Wah Wah made his name playing on Motown sessions & then went on to be one of the top & most sought after session guitarists on LA recording sessions in the 70's. He also made a few recordings in his own right (including some tracks in the mid 90's as part of Spirit Traveler) ... another sad loss for soul music. His web site .... https://wahwahwatson.com/

It was an October 1955 release ... in general, the red Atlantic labels appeared in 1956 ... BUT ... as later Drifters 45's became hits, no doubt the label re-pressed this single a couple of times in the 'red era' to cash in on additional demand.