Roburt
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Everything posted by Roburt
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Sad times ..... https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/exclusive-shutting-electronics-store-article-1.1751239
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As there is still lots of interest in record digging tales, 45 pricing via old sales lists and the like . . . thought I'd start this thread as there must be loads of great NY related stories (many UK soulies entering the US via one of the NY area airports). My son lived outside New York from 1998 for about 5/6 years but although I visited a few record label offices (existing + old & long gone), met with some old soul artists, went to a big record fair (thanx to neighbor Greg Tormo),went to J & R's a lot to buy new stuff & for their artist showcases plus was taken on rekkid shop visits to a few locations by Kim . . . I never really spent time visiting many old known record stores in the city (thinkin they'd long since been cleared out). Here's a piece from Billboard to get us started .... So, please, lets have your old stories . . . .
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B&S 45 prices -- early 70's ....
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One US report . . . Cuba Gooding Sr., a popular soul singer in the 1970s and father of Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., died Thursday, reports TMZ. He was 72. Gooding Sr. was found slumped over in his silver Jaguar, which was parked on a street in Woodland Hills, CA, according to the report. TMZ says the fire department responded to the scene and attempted CPR, but could not resuscitate him. Cuba & the group . . .
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Soul Tracks says he has died . . . . https://www.soultracks.com/story-cuba-gooding-sr-dies But not many other US news sources are reporting it yet. As his son is the famous actor as well, I would think all the celeb outlets would be straight on this story.
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A 2nd trailer for the movie shows more scenes with the Dramatics (screen version of group) ....
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Heading should read . . . Deals with the 1967 Detroit riots & how the Dramatics got caught out.
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New Movie DETROIT out this summer View full article
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This summer (August), the new movie DETROIT hits the screens. This has a part fictional story that deals with the 1967 Detroit riots. At the time the riot kicked off, a big soul show was being staged at the Fox Theatre in the city centre. 6 top soul acts had been booked to perform at the theatre for a week long stint, commencing on the 19th July. The acts involved were Martha & the Vandellas, J J Barnes, Deon Jackson, the Parliaments, Lil Soul Bros & the DRAMATICS. The Dramatics had booked themselves in for a weeks stay at the Algiers Motel while they were playing the gig. Little did they know that when the riot kicked off on Sunday July 23rd, their motel would become the location of one of the most notorious events of the whole riot. 3 young black men ended up dead at the hands of over zealous National guardsmen & local police. The group found themselves on the streets in the middle of the riot that night, and decided to head straight back to their motel for safety. Little did they realise that they were heading from the frying pan straight into the centre of the fire. -
OK
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I guess it was way before your time ... BUT ... do you or any of your old York mates recall a big mid 60's soul club, the Zarf Club in Stongate (next to the Punch Bowl pub) ??
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A still from the film & the gig the Dramatics were doing . . . the 'film version' of the Dramatics on stage, before heading back to the Algiers ...
The film features the events that occured @ the Algiers Motel, where 3 young blacks were rounded up & killed by over-zealous National Gaurdsmen / local police. ALSO at the motel that night were the Dramatics who had escaped back there after a big local gig ....
Kegsy, you got it right. You will be WRONG on all counts. You usually are !!
As far as I recall, YES, Jonathon was running things at Rock City back then. The place also staged some great live acts nights, remember the Frankie Beverly & Maze night in particular. His road crew guys were wandering round the venue ahead of the act going on. They were all wearing F B & M zip up jackets which none of them would part with.
Was living in Worksop back then & I certainly went to loads of MS nites @ Rock City in the mid 80's. Can't remember too many niters, just ordinary sessions (8pm to midnight or 1am do's). Soul Sam & Arthur were regular spinners.
Steve, I don't doubt what you're saying. I just think that the Don Gardner 45 must have been a 'bought in' cut rather than an in-house effort.
A pure guess here .... BUT ... radio play was always really important for a cut. Radio DJ's could be very funny animals. Some liked mainly playing tracks by known hit artists, others liked to spin obscure stuff or re-activate an old track that had failed on it's initial release. That way they could claim that they were responsible for making it a radio hit & then maybe a club / chart hit (sound familiar to NS club goers ??). Alvin had been known since the start of the 60's and had enjoyed hits around 1964. By 68 / 69, his labels had started calling him Al Robinson, maybe coz he was by then considered 'old hat' or 'dead in the water' with fans (don't forget, in the US, if you had gone 12 months or so without a hit, your live gigs would start drying up & labels would lose interest in putting out new cuts by you). So, JUST MAYBE, they put the SHINE artist name on the 45 to hide the fact that it was actually Alvin on the record. ALSO for this reason, I would guess that the Shine version came first.
It was of course the plug / A side of the US 45 and yet Soul City ignored it completley and put out two of his other tracks (including the US B Side, after it had been remixed).
The label must have bought in the Don Gardner 45 then, as I doubt many would describe Morris Bailey + Lawton & McCoy as delivering 'pop label' stuff.
Their local 45 and anuda 45 from Charlie & his group . . . General Norm Johnson wrote the songs on both B sides ..
There's a decent documentary online all about Charlie McClendon (& the Magnificents) who had the 45 out on L-Rev. L-Rev was owned / run by Richard Levin + Tom & Steve Herman. Charlie was also connected with Frank Guida who was the 1st guy to run labels / have a studio (408 W. Princess Anne Road) in Norfolk. Of course, Noah Biggs (Shiptown / How Big / NimBig Music) was the manager of the Showmen & helped get the group their deal with Minit back in 61. Norman Johnson (of the Showmen) wrote the original song cut by Charlie McClendon on L-Rev. Lenis Guess wrote a song that was cut for How Big. On the 'Funky Virginia' site it says Noah Biggs had a part in owning / running the Mr G (aka Gregory label). Seems all the guys down in Norfolk were tied up together in some way or other. https://virginiafolklife.org/2015/05/magnificent-the-charlie-mcclendon-story/
There were at least 4 different US rekkid labels who titled emsens Mr G Records (though one had the alternate name of Grerory Records - thereby clashing with the Ohio based Gregory / Airtown / Juke & Terry set-up) ... Anyway, are the details on these labels known; owners, producers, staff, studios used, etc ?? I know the Norfolk based Mr G (Gregory) was linked to Noah Biggs and his Shiptown set-up. This label also had links with the Luray label (that Ida Sands also had a 45 out on). Luray was owned by Jonas Walker. L-Rev Records also had links. Mr.G's main act (Al Glover) used to tour as back-up to Ida Sands. At Prestatyn, I asked Don Gardner if he had anything to do with the ownership / running of the NY based label and he said NO, the label name was just a coincidence. He did tell me who ran it but I forget the details.
I have no idea when this was BUT Soul City record shop shut in late 69 (same time the label collapsed). The exact date was detailed in B&S at the time the shop closed.
