Robbk

Wow! I'd like to know which Detroit R&B and Gospel groups Dennis sang with before 1961. He was called up to The Army as soon as he reached age 18 (Born Feb. 2nd 1943). So, he'd have been 16 and 17 in 1959 and 1960.

My memory must have deserted me on that post. I DO remember a Detroit collector telling me that Dennis Edwards was once a member of The Celebrities, but not that he was their lead singer, and not that he was definitely a group member when they recorded the Boss Records cuts. He didn't say that THAT Dennis Edwards was Motown's guy, but I think he meant that, otherwise he'd have mentioned that this was a different Dennis Edwards.

I always wondered how that New York C.J. Records chose their name without knowing about Carl Jones' Chicago-based C.J. Records, which was still going strong in 1967 and into the 1970s. I guess it was because The New York C.J. operation was a Pop rather than R&B/Soul-oriented label, and wouldn't know about Jones' Midwest operation, which only distributed to The East Coast (NY/Phil) when they had a major regional hit, like they did with Betty Everett, and a couple others. As neither CJ labels had a major National hit while they were operating simultaneously, no problem came up.

That's the spelling of the historical Indian religious figure's name. But the record company was spelled: "Buddah Records" (despite having a logo with a statue representing The Buddha). Record companies often have strange names.🤪

Thanks.

Was this an unreleased cut from their ABC or Curtom periods, or just a fairly obscure ABC LP cut? Or was it unreleased from the time gap between the lapse of their VJ contract, and their signing with ABC, and it's a Curtis Mayfieldless Impressions recording, like those that were picked up by tiny New York labels in 1960-61?

I have since learned that Val Brown was Frank's son. The 4 Hollidays/ Four Hollidays (Jimmy Holland's group), were from Detroit, and resided in Detroit, but also recorded for some Chicago labels. The Celebrities were a Detroit group, which had Dennis Edwards as their lead singer, for some of their existence. I don't know if Frank Brown was an owner, or full owner of Detroit's Boss Records (which had no connection to Ric Williams' Chicago-based Boss Records (of 1962-63).

Thanks! I listened to the Johnny Earl cut. He is DEFINITELY NOT Tommy Good. I can't imagine why a poster would think this singer was Tommy. The 2 voices sound NOTHING like each other. I'd like to listen to the "Other" Motown cut by a Johnny Earl, who a poster has heard is NOT the same Motown "Johnny Earl" as sang on this CD. Why would they have 2 different Johnny Earls recording for them within only a few years of each other, and not insist that they differentiate their names in some way??? That doesn't make sense. That occurring with songwriting credits (2 different Frank Wilsons at the same time) is bad enough (should have made one or both use a middle name initial); but for a singer, they should have insisted on having the 2nd (later - signed) singer, use a middle initial. I didn't like most of the songs on the snippets. To my taste, the unreleased material is getting into the dregs now. No spectacular find on this one. It was interesting to hear Marv Johnson sing in his normal (non-falsetto) voice. I have now heard a Serenaders' song I don't like (first one out of 20+ from 1957 to now). The version of "Baby Hit and Run" sounds like Billy Gordon's put on (not natural) gravelly voice. I assume it must have been an unused first take, as the other take I've heard with him on lead was much better, although I like William Weatherspoon's version best (even better than Dennis Edwards' (although all 3 are good, and much better than this one). I was also verey disappointed in Jimmy Ruffin's version of "I Feel Like I'm Falling In Love Again", which I had hoped would be much better, like The Fantastic Four's version, which is my favourite song by them.

Can someone tell me where I can hear at least a snippet of The Johnny Earl song? Maybe I'll be able to identify the voice. And yes, there were tapes and acetates of "tryout sessions". That's likely what the Skip Cunningham recordingis. I doubt that he had ever been given a Motown Records singing artist contract. I'd love to hear "We Call It Fun" by The Hit Pack, as well. I WILL get a copy of the entire CD, but, until I get it, i'd like to hear snippets of all its songs

I should have stated: "before moving to 'The North'.

The information above is confusing. It makes it appear that Armstead was born in Washington State. But later, it states clearly that he was born in Mulga, Alabama. He lived there until joining The US Armed Services (Army?). After he returned, he moved north with his family, to Detroit. He spent his only his later years in Washington State, and died there. Joshie was born in The South, and lived there before moving to The North (New York and Chicago).

The recording sounds like the singer could be Norma. But it is difficult to be sure. The voice doesn't give telltale clues that it is another person.

Thanks! I figured "Shy" wasn't her real surname. I bought her Brunswick and Dakar records. I also remember "Spring Fever" but didn't buy it.

Is that the same woman as Chicago Soul singer, Jean Shy? I've always thought that that surname couldn't be her born family name. Maybe if it was spelled "C-H-I it stood for "Chicago"- hence "Jean Chi" . Maybe that was her nickname, later used as a stage name. But after becoming her official stage name, she spelled it "S-H-Y" instead of "C-H-I" to avoid people thinking it should be pronounced like "Chee"?

That can't be a Maltese cut. Is it known to be a Carnival production, or a later recording?

That looks like an original to me. I have several Lauries with the record/credit information sides reversed. That isn't a "sign" that such a label indicates a bootleg.

He was a French Citizen of Moroccan extraction. Had he ever become a British citizen? Does The UK allow new citizens to keep their existing citizenship as a dual citizen?

Morocco, although legally, a protectorate, was treated by France for most of their hegemony, like a colony. There were many French citizens living there, and, as in Algeria, Moroccans could become French Citizens. That process is how Soussan's family (or he, himself) became French citizens, and were able to move to France. And, of course, Simone (Simón) resided in France for quite a few years before moving to England. He grew up there.

There was also a Surf guitar instrumental group named The Andantes, who recorded for a tiny local label, and picked up by Dot records in 1963. I think I seem to remember that there was yet another Andantes group.

My impression was that ASCAP was the older association, and started with the New York Tin Pan Alley trade of mostly standards, and BMI was the newer of the 2, and started out grabbing a lot of the WWII and post WWII trade from the glut of new independent record labels signing new singing artists, which included "Race Music, C&W music, Gospel, and other genre niches. That included R&B. Of my 40,000 singles and couple thousand LPs, the great bulk of my r&B group and single artist songs that were written by the newer, non mainstream, non major label, songs that were NOT old standards were registered with BMI, rather than ASCAP. Probably 95% of my R&B and ;60s Soul songs were BMI. It was only when groups and single artists sang remakes of old standards, that the songs were registered by ASCAP.

Sorry to read this sad news of another great singer from my generation. They're ALL passing on and however more years until they are all gone, and I am too, along with them, is going fast and will come before I'd want it to. That's a fact of life, and we have to accept it. But it is sad, nonetheless.

Thanks for pointing that out. Do you know how Ralonzo got the name "Phelectron"? Does it have something to do with atoms or electricity? Did he have a tremendous amount of energy? Overactive (hyper)thyroid? On Speed?

Thanks. I thought the articles said Jean was Johnny's wife. I just assumed that. I didn't think Johnny was old enough to have a 20+ year old child. And was thinking about Ed Wingate's starting up Golden World for his future wife. The articles DIDN'T say what her relationship to Johnny was. So, Johnny set up the label for his daughter to start a career in music. Nice to have rich parents.

(1) There were a couple news articles about the formation (foundation) of Phelectron Records, and its in-house music publishing company (Trevenia Music) in 1965, in the music industry trade papers (magazines). They covered the basic structure of the new companies, and a little bit about their 2 singing artists, Terri Goodnight and Jackie Day. Apparently, The Cochrans had their own connections to people who knew about the budding young talented choir singer (Terri) (perhaps a member of their sponsoring church?), and probably someone who was a friend of Jackie's. Cyril Roberts was a songwriter for the label, as well as Jackie Day's producer. I would have guessed that he would have been made their A&R man, and manage the company until Jean could get up to speed (sort of how Bob Hamilton ran things at Golden World's start, until JoAnne Bratton could get up to speed in experience in the business). (2) I was wrong about Jean Cochran just using a song Cyril Roberts wrote. Roberts WAS involved with Phelectron, in a major way. He was the producer of Jackie Day's record, and writer of "Naughty Boy". So, one would think that Jean would have made Roberts her A&R man, and picked his brain for advice, and possibly asked for a demo tape of how Terri Goodnight's song should be sung, and also had him make recommendations on experienced producers and arrangers to use, recording studios and engineers, distributors to approach, and use him as a marketing man to deal with DJs and distributors and getting gigs for her artists. And so, with Roberts leaning on his past experience in the business, Jean might have made less mistakes in operating her label, and had at least some small modicum of success. With Roberts involved, I'm not sure why she chose Easton to produce Terri's 2 records (unless he had previously produced records sung by her choir). Still, being as they decided for Terri to sing some Soul-style songs, why not have Roberts produce them, and have her practise copying the style the demo singer used on the songs until she got the style down, before recording? If she was uncomfortable recording that kind of music, why have her record it? I guess Jean as a very young woman, new to The Business World, with no one to guide her but a songwriter and ad-hoc producer, who hadn't owned a record label up ton that time, as far as I know, and her father, very busy most of the time, was apparently, based on the results, overwhelmed with the challenges that most tiny, independent labels faced, even when run by people experienced in that business. They seemed to not have a well-thought-out, logical plan of operation, and were just making decisions on-the-fly.