Kesalocasoul

With dread? Long Shot Kick De Bucket by the Pioneers was one of my earliest introductions to Reggae and was about the demise of a racehorse mid-race at Caymanas Park.

BB King - Gambler's Blues (Blues is King) Bobby Bland - If I Weren't A Gambler (Soul of a Man) Marvin Gaye - Life Is A Gamble (Trouble Man) Velvet - Bet If You Ask Around (Perception 543) Sam Dees - Roll Seven (Lovers Do)

I haven't found an alternative view of Otis' performance at the Manchester Odeon, but here is a review of the concert at Tiles, which took place the following night (16 September 1966, not 15). Altogether more enthusiastic, it was printed in Home of the Blues #6 (the forerunner of Blues and Soul). HoftB #5 showed the itinerary for the tour. t

Following the various Carstairs threads, here are the earliest references I can find in B&S: #128 p18 (February 1974) - Sale, Mecca; and then in #135 p17 (May 1974) - Radio Piccadilly, both by Frank Elson. Ian Levine made no mention in his column in Black Music, which began at the start of that year, but Tony Cummings did in his much-discussed NS article in BM June 1974, following a visit to Whitchurch. Wigan Casino began listing the Carstairs in its adverts in B&S #131 (March 1974), but made no mention of a particular track.

Here is the Corsairs discography promised at the end of the article above. It was included in Home of the Blues number 8 (March 1967), the first of the glossy issues.

And here is an interview with Lou, conducted by Steve Hobbs on Soul Bowl, Jazz FM (#11 May 1990). It is in two parts and the interview is interspersed with tracks Since You Said You'd Be Mine, What The Doctor Prescribed, What Should I Do, Didn't I Tell You, Making Love, Thank You Father, Just For You (Bobby Jonz) and Romancin' You. Soul-Bowl-11-Part-One.mp3 Soul-Bowl-11-Part-Two.mp3 Thanks to Mike for the technical advice. (I hope it works.)

A good article in Blues and Soul at the time of his May 1990 visit to the UK. Condolences to Lou's family. Kevin (in Chester)

I was only re-reading this article from Rolling Stone earlier in the week. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bill-withers-the-soul-man-who-walked-away-111535/ The beauty of his music was its simplicity. I recall seeing him live at the Rainbow, Finsbury Park, back in 1974(?). In an era when shows tended to be extravagant, e.g. James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, Ohio Players, Philly tour, Isaac Hayes (with no fewer than 62 people on and around the stage with him) etc, Bill just had a few musicians alongside, including Melvin Dunlap (bass) and James Gadson (drums). Bill provided a relaxed spoken intro to each song, back in the day when a rap was a rap. Evidence that less can be more, a great performance, one of the best concerts I attended. Too many favourites to list, but Who Is He And What Is He To You and Let Me Into Your Life (both covered by Creative Source) stand out. Here is Blues and Soul's first introduction to the great man, along with some of his Sussex labelmates (#64 - 1971).

Here's 15 of my top 10: Brother, Doctor, Sister, Nurse - Latimore Temperature Rising – General Johnson Fever – Darrow Fletcher Headache in My Heart – the Debonaires Life and Breath – the Moments Staying at Home Like a Woman – Lynn Varnado I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself – Chuck Jackson I’ll Go Crazy – Don Bryant Shop Around – the Miracles And I Panicked – the Dramatics Grits Ain’t Groceries – Little Milton Givin’ Up Food for Funk - JBs Roll Seven – Sam Dees Slow Roll It – Roy C/Lady Mary What Does the Future Hold? – 24 Karat Gold

And this two-stepper on Preacher Rose c.1990, which was championed by Steve Hobbs on his Soul Bowl show on Jazz FM at the time.

Here is an mp3 (if it works). My album is also Frankford/Wayne with distribution by Chess. Mastering by Frankford Wayne is etched into both sides In addition side 1 has NLPS 202 XCSV1422 142635 scratched into the run out (and 18299 scratched through with two lines) Side 2 has the same, but with #18532 [2] and a rather more professionally XCSV142636-1B etched into the plastic. Kevin in Chester Audio003.mp3

I am spending the New Year playing all of my vinyl albums some of which, I confess, haven't been out of their sleeves for years. One curiosity (to me) is that according to the track listing on the O'Jays In Philadelphia (Neptune NLPS 202), tracks 4 and 5 on Side One should be "I Should Be Your Lover" and "Looky Looky (Look At Me Girl)" respectively, whereas the record plays "Losing My Touch" at track 4 and then "I Should Be Your Lover" at track 5. "Looky Looky" is not there. Now I must have noticed this forty or fifty years ago, when I first acquired the album, but I can't recall the discrepancy or find a reference to it elsewhere. I do not suppose my album is unique, so I wonder how many were issued, before the mistake was rectified? Did later re-issues have the correct tracks and running order?

One of the most wonderful Motown tracks (forever)

Here are jpegs, but not transcriptions, of pages 2 and 3 of the article. Hopefully they are legible. B&S gave good coverage of Doris; she was also featured in issues 75, 93, 132, 204 and 322.

Floyd Smith?

In spite of enormous R'n'B chart success over a long period, Tyrone Davis was curiously overlooked, even by Blues and Soul (featured in #36 (1970) and then not to #298 (1980)), even though John E Abbey was a fan and later signed him to his Ichiban label. His Dakar material has been released over and over again, including all of his known Dakar material on the Ladies Choice triple CD, but even this did not include any previously unreleased material. Was nothing left "in the can" at Dakar? There are few really obscure Tyrone tracks. Perhaps the least well known are "How Can You Call That Love" and "Don't Fight The Feeling" which appear on the UK Manhattan 5033 LP "Doris Duke and Friends". These were recorded at the same time as the Sack 4359 single "I'm Running A Losing Race" and "I Tried It Over (And Over Again)", which are also included - with slightly different titles - on the album, along with tracks by Jean Bland and Mamie Galore (nothing by Doris Duke). And the earliest known version of Can I Change My Mind, with great guitar work, but no horns, and an abrupt ending, which was included on the UK compilation Soul Bible chapter one (Probe SPB1061). Here are three of my favourite, perhaps lesser-known, ballads from the Dakar era: "This Time"; "You Wouldn't Believe"; and "You Don't Have To Beg Me To Stay". Kevin in Chester

There were a couple of Taj Mahal UK released singles on Direction - 3547 Everybody's Got To Change Sometime/Statesboro Blues and 4044 (and again on 4586) Ee Zee Rider/You Don't Miss Your Water. And the aforementioned Dust My Broom, which was included in a compilation album, Soul Direction (PR 28), which was a real hotchpotch of musical styles. Kevin in Chester

Having unearthed an almost forgotten version by the Ballads, it got me wondering who has provided us with the second best performance of Baby I’m For Real. My favourite Motown song, the Originals version is unsurpassable. The simplicity of the group’s delivery and the accompaniment make it all seem so effortlessly soulful and still sends chills down my spine almost fifty years after first hearing it. As well as the Ballads, I have just listened to Esther Phillips, Bohannon (featuring Carolyn Crawford), Sherrick, After7, 21st Creation, Pat Lewis (featuring Duane Parham), Will Downing with Phil Perry, the Originals recut featuring Hank Dixon, and even Michael McDonald and one Rocky Padilla (offering a slight Latino twist), but my favourite is Matt Covington, followed closely by Bobby Taylor (medley with the Bells). Credit to them all as they all show great respect to the original and there is not a bad version amongst them (the quality of Marvin and Anna Gaye’s song?); just some which are less good than others. Staying within the soul genre, are there other versions and do others have a preference, although I realise that there is a strong argument for just playing the Originals over and over?

Although this thread may be drawing to its natural end, here are some views from the beginning of 1991, when Steve Hobbs discussed the 2-step scene on his Soul Bowl show on Jazz FM (London), with Bill Shannon, fellow DJ, record shop owner and sometime producer. The conclusion was – as mentioned in this thread – that it began as an offshoot of the reggae scene in the mid-1980s, with a small number of Sound Systems (Manhattan, Latest Edition (Addition?), Just Good Friends and Mystery) playing soul records with a similar tempo and with a funky, bass-y beat, mainly at house-parties in Shepherds Bush, Harlesden and East London. The music was also being played by pirate stations that proliferated in London at that time. There were no clubs specialising in the music and just a few record shops: Time Warp; Lee Sound and Lighting; Time Is Right; PPM and Footprints (all ??). The scene evolved in parallel to the similar “Dusty Steppers” or 2-step scene in Chicago. Records being played on either side of the Atlantic were not necessarily rare and included new releases, with the right beat/tempo. There were no compilation albums at that time focussing exclusively on 2-step. Apart from the Backbeats compilation – 2 Steps To Soul Heaven, have there been any since? The records Steve and Bill played that evening were: Chuck Jackson – Through All Times Real Thing – Love Takes Tears Everlife – I Love You Girl (slower tempo than most) Heaven and Earth – I Can’t Seem To Forget You Darlene Love (not the erstwhile Phil Spector associate) – What’s Inside Your Heart (produced by one Bill Shannon on DT Records of Detroit) Spain – You Are Ken Williams – Sweet Music, Soft Lights and You All are worth a listen. Other records mentioned that had been popular on the scene in earlier years were: Eighties Ladies – Turned On To You; Archie Bell and the Drells – Don’t Let Love Get You Down; Foster Sylvers – Misdemeanour; Jones Girls – This Feeling’s Killing Me; Jeffree – Love’s Gonna Last; Benny Johnson – Visions of Paradise; and Arnold Blair – Trying To Get Next To You, so plenty of overlap with modern soul. Then as now (according to some of the records included in this thread), pop records had also been played, such as Barbara Streisand – Guilty; Yvonne Elliman – Love Me; and Rupert Holmes – Pina Colada (ugh!)

The Cassius Clay track was Ben E King's "Stand By Me", backed with "I Am The Greatest" (Columbia 4 - 43007). Legend had it that it was the only song he knew when he got to the recording studio. Dave Godin once said it was his favourite version of the song. Not a view that I share.

Here are some articles from Blues and Soul on Bob and Earl and Fred Smith (who definitely isn't Barry White). The Bobby Byrd mentioned is not James Brown's long-time associate (and father of singer Carleen Anderson). The article on Fred Smith was written by Sharon Wood, wife of Randy Wood, who then had a connection with Blues and Soul/Contempo. Some topical references to Bill Cosby too. Jackie Lee later resurfaced in yet another guise as Jay Dee on the Barry White produced "Come On In Love" album, which included "Strange Funky Games and Things" (vocal and instrumental), which was released in about 1974. An almost twenty year association between the two.

I think Steve must be referring to Freddie Mack "Mr Superbad" who was promoting a K-Tel album, Superbad. He had quite an interesting story (see link) before passing away in Scotland. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mack

Perhaps this conversation has run its course, but here are a couple more points to add to my earlier post. Dave Godin's 444 label was to be launched (appropriately) in the Autumn of 1970. Here is an advert from B&S 43 (Sept 1970). Sadly it never came to pass. And a link between Dave Godin and records played at Cleethorpes was "exposed" by Tony Cummings in Black Music (Nov 1975). Ian Levine was also contributing to Black Music at this time. Read it and make your own judgements! TC subsequently gave "Your Autumn" a negative review in BM (Dec 1975). PS Apologies that the scans blur at the edges; the original magazines are bound.

Here are three extracts from Blues and Soul in the Summer of 1975, that add to the story. Firstly an advert for the new Right On Label, secondly unenthusiastic reviews from editor John E Abbey and finally comments from Dave on the origins of the group, the lyrics and sales success (or otherwise). Dave Godin had recently rejoined Blues and Soul and was given a real rag-bag of a column to write - complete with terrible photo-booth photograph of Dave - which included Soul on (cassette) tape, Five years ago (in B&S), interviews with those involved in the Soul scene, a reviews of "Significant sides" and a final section called Run Out Groove. As far as I can see Dave never directly reviewed his "Right On" label singles (conflict of interest?), but quoted others, including Mary Chapman from Cleethorpes in B&S 166 "...and of course The Crow has been enormous for months" and DJ Frank also from Cleethorpes - B&S 169 "...And of course there is the case of the Crow which is everything you (Dave Godin) said it was, and is undoubtedly the number 1 Northern sound at this time..." The record peaked at number 50 on B&S soul top 100 (B&S 169 - Sept 1975). I remember rushing to Contempo in Hanway Street to buy both the Crow and Jelly Beans singles and being very disappointed with both. Forty-five years on, I can just start to see the merits of "Your Autumn Of Tomorrow" - a slow burner.

There is no mention of the backing musicians in the programme (produced by Black Music magazine). Tony Cummings, in his very unsympathetic reviews of the two London concerts (Croydon and Hammersmith) in Black Music (February 1974), mentions three different rhythm sections. And John Abbey confirms that MFSB didn't come (as anticipated) and that there were three different rhythm sections augmented by a nine-piece horn section put together in London (Blues and Soul 125 - December 1973). So it was wishful thinking on my part that they were there! Sharon Paige certainly deserved greater recognition and an album of her own. She appeared with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes at Hammersmith in March 1974, although her contributions then were covers of two recent Diana Ross recordings Good Morning Heartache (from Lady Sings The Blues) and Touch Me In The Morning. Sharon Paige was managed by Harold Melvin, so her time with PIR presumably came to an end when the Bluenotes left the label.