Robbk

But his name WAS spelt "Kendricks" on one of his releases. That's a common error in ALL English-speaking countries, adding or dropping the "S" at the end of the name. There are lots of Kendrick and Kendricks, McDaniel and McDaniels, Daniel and Daniels. What did that suffix "-S" mean, added to the end of a name? Is it a Keltic usage?

There's also this variation of Willie Kendrick's Golden World #1:

I'll second that. Ron Murphy bought out the warehouse stock at the beginning of the 1970s, and there were no company sleeves. None of us old-timers who visited the company and were around throughout its existence ever saw or heard of any company sleeves.

You are missing #108 (Golden World) - Joyce Webb - "It's Easier Said Than Done"/"Laughing To Keep From Crying". The "A" side is a VERY nice mid tempo, written by Ron Miller. Arranged by Bert Keys. It's one of the best of the 1962-63 old series.

Absolutely! I'm sure that Soma didn't have any Black artists. The song's style is only marginally "Soul" in any case.

"Never Alone" as recorded by The Holidays. But a different take?

All this is semi-educated speculation, mind you. Finding out the truth from a reliable, and well-documented source is always preferable. But, sometimes, alas, that possibility is gone. In this case, that may or may not be true. I would like to hear the true answer from an authoritative source, just as you.

Upon reflecting again, it seems to me that I remember seeing the black Watts issues in the mid '60s, and not seeing the yellows until later. The font on the black issues looks like a font from the earlier mid-60s, while both the fonts on the yellows look later (one late '60s, one early '70s). Perhaps the blacks were original pre-Magnum, and the yellows were re-issues on Millsap's own label? Many times Small owner labels issued a record originally, before it's national lease. and then several times after the lease run, as did Fee Bee on The Dell-Vikings' "Come Go With Me", and again with "Whispering Bells". Both BLACK Watts 901 and 1080 look older than all the fonts on the yellow issues. I resided in LA late 1965 - early 1972. and then part-time after. To me, the small, block font on the yellow Watts releases is the same as used by Modern and Kent from 1967-69. while the larger, thinner font on the yellow BGs, is from the early to early mid '70s.

Magnum leased many masters, and was a much bigger label. with multi-regional distribution. Watts was a tiny L.A. label. I believe that Mercedes music was owned by Hunter Hancock, and that he was one of the owners of Magnum. Lo-Mill was likely a partnership of producer, Yancety Millsap. It looks more likely to me that Millsap was co-owner of Watts Records, and for Magnum to pick up The Uptones' "Wear My Ring" for national distribution, Millsap and his partner had to give up the publishing rights to Hancock. It seems, thus, that the Watts record was released first.

I know that Ellis Taylor lived in Kansas City, and that's where Marva Whitney came from, and returned to, after quitting James Brown's entourage. But, The Rayons, and The Four Darlings were clearly recorded in Chicago, and seem to be Chicago pressings. Did Ellis Taylor do all his recording in Chicago, or just some of the earliest releases? Should we consider Forté a Kansas City or a Chicago label? Or is it a hybrid like Success (Des Moines/Chicago) and Twirl (Detroit.New York)?

What labels were each on?

Prowlin'/Prowling, Progress, Moving and kick Off Records all seemed to share some relationship and also a connection with Zeke Strong. He had a band/Orchestra and was arranger on many of the sessions. perhaps he was the A&R man for most or all those labels?

Why not call it Chicago '60s Small label font? Why demo? It was used on store stock, too.

Yes, Washpan was owned by Gino Washington, and he was their major artist. Yes, Frank Sinatra was one of the owners of Reprise. Ludix was owned or co-owned by Luther Dixon. I've never heard that Lloyd Price was involved in that company.

I'm sure there is something to what you heard, as i remember that it was issued first on The West Coast. They had it for a few months before it was out in The Midwest (and probably The East, as well). The Kingsmen were located in Seattle. I'm sure that Flo Greenberg just bought the masters, as I'm sure it was recorded in Seattle, with no Scepter/Wand people involved (e.g. Luther Dixon).

Both Global Dog AND Soulful Kinda Music discographies contain a few errors of that type (in which records were assigned but not released, or in which a distributed label used the distributor label's catalogue numbers, but there was no corresponding release by the mother label.

Chess distributed Richard Pegue's Penny Records at that time. I NEVER saw Chess 2016 (Matta Baby). I lived in Chicago at that time, frequented most of the record shops that had large stocks of soul records, and several of the major Soul distributors, and the thrift stores where many of the DJ copies landed. I never saw it nor heard of anyone finding it. There were several other small Chicago labels distributed by Chess at that time, that also used Chess catalogue numbers.

Wow! Who writes that drivel? Brent and Time were located in New York, and Brenton Wood lived and worked in L.A. I don't remember him owning any record company. He bounced from one tiny L.A. label to another. But all were owned by someone else.

Ike turner owned a whole slew of tiny St, Louis and L.A. labels a few of which had Ike & Tina Turner and Ikettes releases. Innis is one that comes to mind.

Where's the smiley or the blue font? A little bird told me that you're just pulling our collective legs, and you know that Bob Shad owned Brent and Time Records.

Maybe Harrison and Collins produced the session in Toronto, and, thus, had to publish in Canada, so they sold it to a Canadian publisher. And, it seems that they didn't also release the record in USA. If there were an original Canadian backer and executive producer, he'd probably have wanted to have his name or production company name on the record. So, I think this is just a case of Griffin living and working in Toronto, having some success in local clubs, and wanting to have a record out to help market himself. Maybe he had connections with Chanson's Harrison and Collins, and invited them to come across the border to produce his record. They accepted, and got REO to release it. I doubt that REO signed Griffin as an artist, and then sought out a US production team to produce a record on him. They'd probably have fone to a Canadian producer in Toronto if they had initiated the project themselves.

Johnny Otis owned several of his own labels. Dig's subsidiary was Ultra Records. Otis also owned Eldo Records.

All those Detroit (Correc-Tone) artists that Robert Bateman brought to Double-L made good recordings. Batemen did well with New york artists, too.

So, Mel Harrison and Howard Collins were producers/arrangers with Chanson Records in Toledo, Ohio (part of The Greater Detroit Metropolitan Area, and inside Detroit's music production and music venue area). My theory above seems to be correct. THIS Paul Griffin was NOT the NY session musician (piano/keyboards player), but was a Detroit Area singer, who was probably appearing a lot (and living temporarily) in The Toronto Metro Area, and, so, had a master produced by Harrison and Collins, leased to a Canadian company for release there, as he was known there from gigs, and had a following. Maybe it was not released on Chanson or any US label, or maybe it was, and it has just not been found or identified yet for this context.

Here's the "Wonder" side: