Roburt

Can one of the US based S.Sourcers pull up this Chicago Tribune story please ... it won't open for punters in the UK ...

It has been posted on Facebook that Lowrell (Simon) has passed. Can't find anything about this fact on-line. Anyone confirm this sad info ?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowrell_Simon

Great story Pottsy. Hope you get more from the stash. I've made contact with some ex workers at the Oriole / CBS plants and they have told me what their work life was like there … I'll pull together the info & post it up here.

I remember going to nighters at a Halifax club, mid 80's it would have been (85/86-ish). Think they only held a few & then they were ended. Was the place run by some local old Caribbean immigrants ? Seem to recall it was the same time as great soul nights were being staged on a regular basis at Rock City in Notts.

Go for a UK version; 12 to 16GBP ... much better value.

Two off their chart ..

Over to Detroit and WCHB .....

A compilation of Schaefer Beer TV ads from the old days ... none of the many soul versions though (think they were mainly the radio ads) ...

The soul club scene in the UK in say 1967 was starting to diverge between what was played in the north & elsewhere. Most clubs in Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Notts (Donny, Leeds, Barnsley, Selby, York, Hull, Goole, Lincoln, Grimsby, Newark, Nottingham, Derby, Chesterfield, etc) took their lead from the Mojo in Sheffield. BUT, I'd still say that they weren't yet NS clubs. Come 68 / 69, the playlists at clubs like the Wheel and Pete Stringfellow's 'on-tour' promotions in Sheffield, Castelford, Nottingham, Leeds were beginning to develop a playlist that was (IMO) the emergence of NS .... probably other clubs in the region of Manchester (taking their lead from the Wheel) were doing the same ... We'll never be able to point to one club / one month when the 1st real event we could term as a NS niter took place ... it all just evolved that way. Certainly the Wheel was very influential. I went there a lot from late 67 thru to 69 (& on a more infrequent basis into 70) ... I never bothered to find out who the DJ's were at the club but would regularily ask what the last record they played was ... LOTS OF TIMES YOU'D BE TOLD ... (say) .. oh, that's the O'Jays "I Dig Your Act" but it's just been deleted on British Stateside. So some sounds were already being 'held back' till the 45 was more difficult to get (imports were still quite rare & expensive) .... was that the true start of the UK rare soul scene, well maybe. In the print media, B&S / Contempo were just about the 1st (probably taking a lead from DG & the Soul City shop) to reflect the new trend in their 'records for sale' ads .... still recall that in each edition of the mag around the late 60's (& in 70), the most expensive import 45's they'd be selling in the Contempo ad would all be current NS club in-demand sounds.

Not heading off to Chicago area stns just yet ... staying in the New York thru to Baltimore area for this post .... Schaefer Beers ran a radio jingle contest in the 60's / early 70's and lots of soul acts made & submitted their efforts for consideration. The beer company turned it into an annual contest and announced the top entries each year. Lots of these were then aired on radio stns and a winner chosen. Would love to get to hear at least 8 of them (if they still exist that is) ...

The Gospel Pick of the Week cuts from above (Jan & Feb 64) ... the O'Neal Twins is a later version though ..

Various Baltimore radio stn bits ... radio show ads, radio stn DJ promoted live concerts, etc .....

This ones a bit different ... an article about an outfit who made radio jingles to go out on air to black audiences in the US ... The guy, Walter Grady, ran a number of labels; Witches Brew, Cobra, Linco & more .... https://www.45cat.com/label/witchs-brew https://www.45cat.com/label/cobra-north-carolina

A doo-wop sounding track ... a new release bu seemed old even back in 62 .. (off to get some dinner now, back later) ...

Some WSID chart tunes .........

WSID in Baltimore ....

Not sure if this side of the Fidels 45 was also spun by the stn's jocks back then ... would guess it was, as it had that 'current sound' ...

KATZ chart sounds .... BTW, I need a KATZ safety antenna ball, anyone got a spare one ??

Still in St Louis ... with KATZ this time ....

Some stuff on their charts ....

Onwards & upwards then ... over to St Louis ... from when Jimmy Bishop was on the city's airways till Bernie Hayes was on & simply a radio jock .... Back in 1962, look who was No.1 on their chart ... don't think the lady lasted long in the biz !!!

Can post up loads & loads more (old radio stn charts & related stuff) if there's much interest.

A pic of the Oriole Plant in the village, it had originally been Baker's Garage before the Levy's bought the building in the 50's & converted it into a record pressing plant ... also a pic of two young workers at the place in the early to mid 60's ... I've been told it was a bit of a ramshackle place even back then ... ... NOTHING AT ALL LIKE ... EMI's massive high tech facility in Hayes or the new CBS facility up the road in Aylesbury ... .... The street scene in Aston Clinton looks very different today (see modern London Road pic) .. the Rising Sun Pub is now a Chinese restaurant.

AGAIN ... a couple of the above charts ... wanted to pick George & the Highlanders ‎– The Hawk ... but it ain't on Youtube ..

Up to Cleveland now .... WJMO ....