Sunnysoul

Yes please , especially for those of us living on the other side of the bloody world !!!

Anyone please ?

Here's something to think about. Virtually all the histories of disco have stated that disco was born out of the predominantly white New York gay scene. Perhaps it's time that this perspective was challenged. One could argue that the real driving force - in a cultural sense - which ultimately led to what came to be known the world over as "disco' was straight black teens ... those black kids in the the larger US urban cities like New York, Chicago, Philly, Detroit and LA . The whole dancing in "discotheques" and "go go" craze that had hit the US in the mid 60s via Motown and the golden era of soul may have been fading fast by 1967 with psychedelia - at least as far as mainstream white US society was concerned - but the black kids in urban cities never stopped going to clubs (and school gymnasiums !) and dancing to their favourite soul and funk tunes and creating new dances all the time (the Tighten Up , Funky Chicken , Robot etc ). Just read the chapter on dancing in Robert Pruter's brilliant book "Chicago Soul" to see exactly what was going on in a major city like Chicago in the late 60's in terms of how influential young straight black kids were in the development of music culture in the US at the time . What the conventional histories of the disco scene never state - such as the books which Mark Res refers to in an earlier post - is that for every one of those legendary small gay haunts in New York with DJs like Francis Grasso which were considered to be the well spring for disco , there were a whole host of little black clubs with their own DJs , not only New York but the other major cities , and which played popular soul and RnB tunes of the day and catered to a primarily straight young black clientele, and that's not to mention the plethora of night clubs for older blacks , as well as the usual chitlin circuit for live soul acts ( the Howard Theatre , Apollo etc) ... Furthermore, the TV show "Soul Train" went into national syndication in 1971, and was based in LA by the way, not New York , having started life as a local show for black teens in Chicago in 1969 . Have a look at some of those early episodes of Soul Train; the template for disco was already there by 1971 for all Americans to see every week , while the gay club scene in New York at that time was still in its infancy and still very underground. What I'm getting at is that it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that the whole disco era may well have happened even if there had been no gay New York club scene / culture at all ... This is not to dismiss the influence that the New York gay scene actually did have on disco but to give a more balanced perspective on what really led to the cultural phenomenon of disco.

To put it simply for you, "Chocolate Buttermilk" was released 3 times on the De Lite label. Firstly, it appeared on Kool and the Gang's self titled first LP from 1969. Then, secondly, the version that was on the first LP was released on a 45 as the flip of "Let the Music Take Your Mind". Thirdly, it appeared on the live LP from 1971, "Live At The Sex Machine", but this was a different version to the one previously released above. The version on this LP is ... well ... recorded live - as it says on the tin - but it has some faint crowd noises briefly at the begining, and it is taken at a slightly quicker tempo and is a bit punchier than the previous first version. Never saw release on 45. This is probably the alternate album version that you have heard. All you have to do is play the 45 at plus one or two on the turntable and you get close to the feel of the live LP version. Great track either way and would be great to see it become big on the northern scene, obviously inspired by Archie Bell and the Drells "Tighten Up".

Connie Haines was at Motown very early on too, possibly '62/3 , was she not ?

I agree Dave, and in my opinion this is the superior side to the also very nice flip "What Gives You The Right " which got all the plays back then ...

Also waiting on gradings please!

What's the going rate for this these days and does it exist as both demo and issue? And any variation in the Kama Sutra label design? Thanks.

Can you post a scan of it please ?

Yes, very sad indeed. One could also say that, in purely artistic terms, her great vocal talent ultimately went to waste. Although Whiitney and her commercial masters would obviously disagree with that proposition in light of her massive commercial success. Instead of the calalogue of pop standards that she will be remembered for, imagine if she had attained all that commercial success tackling the song books of a Sam Dees or Philip Mitchell and with a producer like Rick Hall ?

I agree, It's not an LP that turns up that regularly. And there are several other quality tracks on it too..

Am still looking folks Anyone ?

Steve I have the Belles NZ 45 and it is credited only to "the Belles" ... no mention of Sherlie Matthews as the artist. Sadly not for sale though. Cheers.

Anyone have an original they'd like to sell?

Still after this please !

Yes mate ... extremely difficult but rewarding !

Surely the rarest form of this record is the 7" issue on New Zealand Tamla-Motown - the bright pink label series - from '71. Only had it twice in the last 25 years - kept one in my collection, sold the other 5 years ago for 250 quid. No Aussie issue of this either. Kris have you got one ?

Has this been booted / counterfeited ?

The Aussie Phillips 45 plays fine Kris !

The Japanese and US LPs and the Harmless 12" take the track to another level of sound quality - so clear and clean. Quite amazing really. Even the non-defective 45s don't come anywhere close.

What's the current going rate for Image ? And was it intially played back on the scene in the late 70's ? Or discovered much later ?

Don't forget this great Geno dancer ... Gotta Hold On To My Love

Several great Drifters dancers on Atlantic .... "The Outside World" "Chains of Love" (1965 written by Jimmy Bishop & Kenny Gamble - Harthon sounding magic !) "If You Don't Come Back"

Still looking for this ! Anyone out there ?