Michael V

Dear Gary,Thanks ! My paypal address is michael.viner@yahoo.co.uk. Thanks again,kind regards,Michael

Dear Gary,It's a very nice,clean VG ++ bordering Ex ,with very slight label wear in that there is a little minor rubbing to the letters 'O' and 'N' of Motion,otherwise fine.Sorry,I can't do scans at present. If you're interested- £ 12 post free. If you buy and are not happy,send it back and I'll gladly refund your money and postage.Pay through Paypal as friend. Let me know your address if you'd like it. Kind Regards,Michael

Do you want a UK Verve issue or a US Verve-I have a UK Verve,if you're interested Kind Regards,Michael

Thanks for that Robb-wow,I never knew the Opals recorded before their Okeh sides(which I love) .Had a listen on You Tube- very much in the Marvelettes/Orlons style so popular then (1961/2) and so different to the Okehs ,but nice !

Excellent,really interesting article,thank you..As a young man way back when I listened to and enjoyed the Relic Doo-Wop LP 'Golden Groups -Beltone Records' and the ballad 'Lovers Reunion' by the Dontells ,I never realised that there had been such a long journey before and after it for Willie and the group (little seems to have been known back then about them by the guys at Relic,going by the sleeve notes) Amazingly,I have had the 60's UK Fontana 45' of The Dontells 'In You Heart' all these years too, but never realised it was the same group until now ! (same spelling of the groups' name but such different musical styles-and as Beltone was a NYC label, I assumed they were 2 different groups) One small point-the Chicago Johnny Moore did'nt record as Johnny Darrow-that was Johnny Moore of The Drifters,who is pictured in the article

Sad news-a versatile artist indeed; as well as his own nice records, he produced and/or arranged quite a few gems for others- the two fine Sam & Bill 45's on Joda, 'Fly Me To The Moon/Treat Me Right and 'For Your Love',Gloria Gaynor's 60's debut 'She'll Be Sorry' and Howard Tate's 'Reaction' LP

Sad news-a very talented songwriter. Also in the last few days we've lost Tommy De Vito,baritone& lead guitarist of The Four Seasons aged 92 -although he left the group in 1971,just before 'The Night', he sang/ played on all of their other Northern classics-'Beggin'', I'm Gonna Change' , 'Can't Get Enough Of You Baby' etc,as well as their Pop gems and some great,underrated Doo-Wop in the late 50's in the pre-Four Seasons group, The Four Lovers. -and we've lost Roy Head,Texas blue-eyed Soul/R&B man of 'Treat Her Right' fame; don't recall any of his 45's being played on the scene,though they may have been in the Twisted Wheel era.He made some good records and had a great stage act,being an excellent,eccentric (he was double-jointed) dancer-check him out on You Tube! He also cut some great R n' R/Rockabilly with his band The Traits in the late 50's.

Yes,definitely Barbara backing herself with overdubbed vocal ad-libs in the last section of this fine 45'. Philly Doo-Woppers The Larks(with Weldon McDougal) backed her on an earlier 45' but Barbara is on her own here

' Tear Avenue' is another gem of Roy's (flip of 'Twistin' Pneumonia',released in 66' but cut a couple of years earlier) a really nice bit of Deep Soul/Blues

Very sad to hear this-yet another fine voice and artist of Soul and Doo-Wop gone ;from The Genies' uptempo Doo-Wop classic of 58', 'Who's That Knockin' (on which he sang lead) to his' Shotgun Wedding' hit and great Shout 45' 'Stop What You're Doing' in the 60's and his excellent production of the Mark IV's 'Honey I Still Love You' (lovely record) in the 70's-he left a legacy to be proud of

30- King Of The Horse-The Delights Orchestra 23-Right Track-Billy Butler 14-Back Up Train-Al Greene ? 12 Two Stupid Feet -The Tabs/Chuck Jackson or maybe Frankie Valli -Watch Where You Walk ?

Wonderful to hear your memories of the great Garnet Mimms and Alvin Robinson,Pip- made my morning, thank you for sharing them! Were the Sovereigns you were in the same ones who made the 1966 45' on King (UK) 'Bring Me Home Love' ,with a cover of Bobby Bland's That's The Way Love Is on the B side ? I used to have that single

Yes,it's on the UK Action Brenda & Tabs LP, too,but the original by Big Maybelle (Scepter,1964) is on 45,though.

That's great! Really interesting to hear that it was Jackie- I'm impressed with your contacts with singers-and with your tenacity,too.Thanks for letting me know!

The Demures were from Washington D.C. -sadly, that seems to be all that is known about them .The producer of their great and only 45' ,Clay Roberts, also produced at least one,if not all, of Ruby Johnson's early 45's on Neb's in DC in the early-mid 60's and was involved as a songwriter (and possibly singer too) in Lillian Claibornes' stable of Doo Wop artists on the 'DC ' label in Washington DC in the 50's

Thanks! It will be interesting to hear if it is her and will be reassuring to know my hearing is still OK,even if my eyesight is getting worse (by the week,it seems- roll on the re-opening of Soul events and live gigs so those of us of a certain age can enjoy ourselves of an evening and stick two fingers up at getting old!)

I know I was wrong about the P.P. Arnold one (that was'nt ) but I'm pretty sure this is Jackie De Shannon; sounds so like her,not only vocally ,but songwise it sounds like a blueprint for her 'Put A Little Love in Your Heart' hit of 1969- or perhaps a soundalike follow up that never was

Sorry to have got it wrong! Glad to hear Pat(P.P) is OK though. Seeing her live and meeting her after the show in Islington, London last year was such a great experience I suppose you have checked the song title with music publishing companies eg.BMI ? I hope you don't reach a dead end. It's very frustrating when you have an acetate with just the song title and a familiar -sounding singer performing it-I have a couple myself

Sounds very much like PP Arnold-I'd say it is,in fact (although I'm unaware of a track by her with this title)It sounds like a British recording,too ,which strengthens the case

More sad news.. RIP Bonnie. 'Send Him Back' will always remain a classic- the many times those pizzicato strings (that play that great catchy riff) on the intro have heralded a stampede onto the dance floor ! (with me amongst the dancers,and I'm sure many,many others on this site) Not sure if Bonnie knew of it's popularity but I hope the surviving Pointer Sisters are aware how much joy and pleasure 'Send Him Back' has given us in the UK.

Many a hidden gem on Motown LP's -just a couple of examples; The Isley Brothers' outstanding version of 'Whispers',which I like even better than Jackie Wilson's great original (on the 'Behind A Painted Smile' LP) Chuck Jacksons' version of B.B. Kings' The Thrill Is Gone' on 1970's VIP 'Teardrops Keep Fallin' On My Heart' LP-a rare straight Blues on Motown but a fine performance from Chuck and the band Incidentally,The Isley Brothers' Whispers sounds much better,I think, on the stereo version of the LP, than the mono,unusually -although there are others I can think of,most notably Garnet Mimms 'Cry Baby' LP, particularly the immortal title track;it sounds stunning enough in mono but the stereo version is quite magnificent

Yes,I was saddened and disgusted by the vandalism to the nose and mouth of the Megalosaurus on Dinosaur Island in CP Park .The great dinosaurs are Grade I listed and have stood there for almost 170 years and are childhood friends of mine and thousands of others.I hope the perpetrator(s) are caught and made to pay for the restoration. On a happier note the Guy the Gorilla statue is still there and popular-there were children and young families posing for photos with him the other day when I walked through the park. In 1966 cult Mod/Freakbeat band The Creation posed for a photo with the Gorilla statue in a photo shoot in the park -and in the dinosaur area too,as Cream did with the dinosaurs themselves not long after.

Have just heard the sad news of the passing,at age 83,of LA Doo-Wop legend Gaynel Hodge of The Hollywood Flames,The Turks and the 1st pre-fame line up of The Platters on Federal in 53'. In the early 60's Gaynel-a pianist as well as a singer (and writer)-played piano on The Rivingtons' Papa Oom- Mow -Mow hit and Johnny Guitar Watson's fine R&B dancer 'Sweet Lovin' Mama' a 1962 King 45 'which I'm sure could get some plays when the clubs and Soul venues re-open. In the 60's Gaynel also accompanied Aretha,Ted Taylor and others (live,not on record) Perhaps best known as the co-author -after a court case- of the Doo-Wop/50's anthem 'Earth Angel' (fiercely disputed by the family of the great Jesse Belvin ,who claim Jesse's sole authorship,it must be said) Gaynel was a fine singer-a good example being his lead on the beautiful 'I'm A Fool' with The Turks - a classic ballad which I'm privileged to say I saw Gaynel perform at London's 100 Club in 2018.Also privileged to say I met and chatted with Gaynel that evening- slightly eccentric,a character,for sure,but friendly and with a terrific memory for LA's Doo-Wop scene in the 50's-of which he was such a great part.

I live just over the road from there - Saw Curtis Mayfield , James Cotton and Wilko Johnson there in 1983-great gig.Sadly, too young to have seen Freddie King,Pink Floyd etc there in the 70's.I have'nt seen anything in the local press about a revival of the bowl (sadly,it's not a 'bowl' anymore,the attractive seashell structure was replaced by an ugly, rusting slab of metal in the 1990's) but then,the main local newspaper the South London Press seems to have become an early victim of the Coronavirus recession,sorry to say-have'nt seen a copy for weeks