Robbk

Maybe they just had the Jobete Music acetate (which had no artist name), and had heard that "Someone who had worked at Motown" had stated that it was sung by her. I find it extremely difficult to believe that my intended ironic statement (picking someone I KNEW couldn't be the artist) would actually BE the artist (out of scores of Motown artists I could have chosen). It is VERY, VERY difficult for me to believe such a coincidence is possible. THAT is just NOT LaBrenda Ben's voice.

Here's the scan of REM 106:

The Frank Kinsel is Caucasian "teen Rock & Roll". Here's a link to the label scan: https://collectorsfrenzy.com/details/120848526581/Rare_Rockin_TEEN_RR_FRANK_KINSEL_Frankie_She_Dont_Love_You_REM_106_Listen

Wow! That's very interesting! I'd LOVE to hear that! Never heard of it. Love to see a label scan, as well.

Great Van McCoy tune!

I have Arlene Bailey records all on East Coast labels, using East Coast producers and arrangers. I'd guess that she resided on The east coast (probably in The New York Area, and that most of her recording was done in New York.

AHA!!! I see the problem now. I am a collector or late 1930s through 1960's records. I know extremely little about records made after 1967. I rarely ever looked at, or paid attention to records made in the 1970s. I was referring to Conlo productions, released on Cameo and Parkway and Swan Records, and Conlo Records released in 1965-67. The Jamo Thomas and Shells cuts were most likely cut in Chicago. Jerry Butler was commuting between Chicago and Philadelphia during 1965-67. Apparantly, he produced Conlo productions in Chicago after that period (and maybe even also in both cities before '68).

Yes, but matching up the songs to the best-suited artists, and deciding upon the best arrangements or arrangers and musicians are all part of the highest-level production responsibilities. So, I think they did a very good job of producing, as well as songwriting.

We know for a fact that that vocal is NOT LaBrenda Ben. The latter has a much deeper voice, with a very different tonal quality. I, myself, may be the erroneous source of the rumour that that artist is LaBrenda Ben. We taped that off a Jobete Music acetate in the late 1970s, for potential use in the "From The Vaults" album series. It was never used. We never found out who it was. I had played that cut for several collectors I had known (including our own "Modern Soul Sucks"). I remember saying (in jest) to one of them, "Maybe it's LaBrenda Ben?", knowing, full well, that it couldn't possibly be her. I had no incling that anyone might take that comment seriously. Whoever it was probably forgot the context of that conversation, and connected that name with the cut. Rod, I guess you can vouch for my "sense of humour" being so deadpan, that no one could possibly tell when i'm kidding! The artist may have just been a demo singer, with The Andantes behind, or an unknown group trying out on a Jobete song, but who were never signed, or maybe an early Velvelettes' cut (but certainly not Cal on lead, or one of their more recognisable voices).

I had also forgotten that The Impacs were on the flip.

I know that Sam Motley was a producer on Raldo Records. He was often the one who financed records he produced. So, I am thinking that maybe Motley co-owned Raldo Records, with a Michigander businessman named Raldo. There were a few families in The Detroit area with the Italian surname, Raldo, from the 1920s through 1960s. I didn't see any connection between names on the two Raldo records I've seen and any of the Hi-lite related labels.

I've only seen the Gwen Owens release on 105. I've never heard of The Impacs on 105. Perhaps they were her uncredited back-up group on her 2 cuts. The Impacs certainly have a connection to Gwen owns, as they both worked for some of the same producers. I've never seen 102. The scientific use of the acronym R.E.M., stands for "Rapid Eye Movement", which is tested when people are asleep, related to dreaming. I suspect that this record label's REM stands for three people involved with the label. The "M" might stand for Meehan. But I haven't the foggiest idea what "R" and "E" might represent. I'm not with my records now, and so, cannot check Raldo's label credits and music publisher to see if there's any connection to Hi-Lite/Rem/Pillar. But, I believe that I remember NOT filing Raldo next to the Hi-Lite labels. So, I'd guess, in absence of any evidence, that they were not related. What is your reason for considering a possible relationship between those labels? Have you seen evidence of a possible connection?

As far as I can tell, there is absolutely NO difference between the two recordings. They just changed the title (for some unknown reason). Perhaps, they didn't want to lose any sales from the Correc-Tone issue (that they were still hoping would sell some)?

As far as I know, Jerry Butler and Eddie Thomas operated Conlo Records and Conlo Productions out of Philadelphia, when Butler was residing morew on The East Coast than in Chicago, during his time just before switching to Mercury Records, and then through much of his Mercury period. The Conlo artists were ALL from Philly (none from Chicago), and the recordings were all made in Philadelphia, from what I remember. The Conlo label even has a picture of a clock tower of a building located in Philadelphia. The Shells group on Conlo was an East-Coast group. I never heard of, nor saw evidence of any Shells group in Chicago.

With only these choices, I had to go with HDH. Had I my own choice, I'd have chosen Stevenson-Hunter. Curtis Mayfield was great, but he only got label credit as producer for his Curtom/Mayfield and later work. Most of what I like of his was his ABC work, where he was at least as important in his sessions as the listed "producer" Eddie Thomas (and arranger Johnny Pate). Van McCoy would be up near the top, as well.

Also Zodiac/Aquarius/Boo, and Jo Armstead labels, and Maxine Brown on Epic, and......

Ashford & Simpson and Bachrach-David had the best songs of the bunch. But Ashford & Simpson's artists were a little more soulful, on average.

I would have picked Stevenson and Hunter, rather than HDH. Where was Dean-Weatherspoon, Gordon-Wilson, Pipkin-Gordon-Pipkin, Holland-Bateman-Gorman, Cosby-Moy-Wonder, Bateman-Sanders-Wylie, Brown-Hunter, Goffin-King, Ashford-Simpson, Ashford-Simpson-Armstead, Ashford-Terry, Bachrach-David, Leiber-Stoller, Mann-Weil, Cleveland-Crier, Davis-gordon-Wilson, Whitfield-Strong, Strong-Davis, Strong-Carter, Gordy-Davis-Gordy. Caston-Webber,Davis-Taylor, Creed-Bell, Higgins-West, Fuqua-Bristol, etc.?

In general. I'd always choose Detroit. But the cuts on the podcast make it very close. I'd call it about even. But, I prefer Detroit for sheer number of great cuts. I'd always pick Chicago over L.A. or philly or NY. Chicago is only very slightly behind Detroit, and a lot closer to Detroit than those other 3 cities are to Chicago's level.

Sounds like about 1966. It might well be a pre-Motown Tom Baird production. There must be someone from Vancouver who knows about his pre-Motown career. I know he was producing records. I didn't know they were as typically Soul-style as this. Maybe it's known with which groups he worked.

Of Course! How could I have forgotten that Frank Brown, Joe Hunter and Mike Terry were involved in that recording, and that the red pressing had "Detroit michigan"written on the label? It's only that the yellow pressing DOESN'T have "Detroit"on the label, and also looks very similar in design to the Philly label's font and layout, and also the incredible coincidence that both labels (Philly label's 2nd run only) started from 500. But, anyone knowing the time periods of both labels would know that they couldn't have run concurrently. The Philly label's #503 was issued several years before The Celebrities' Detroit release. Another item of interest is that there appears to be only a thin connection of The Celebreties' Detroit Boss Records with the Pied Piper Detroit Boss, in that both labels used Joe Hunter and Mike Terry in their recordings. But, Frank Brown seems to be the money man/executive production man in The Celebrities', and The Pied Piper people were clearly the source of the later Boss issues. Perhaps Joe Hunter and Mike Terry are links from one label to another, but I'd like to know why these two, seemingly little-related labels had the same name only 1-2 years apart.

I wonder why several of them ended up with lousy sound quality. I would be very surprised to find out they had more than one press run. The record got NO airplay whatsoever locally on KGFJ, and no airplay on Bay Area's KGFJ, and also no airplay on WVON in Chicago. So, I doubt that it got aany airplay anywhere-(and therefore-no sales). I found it in a bargain bin at L.A. South Central's Pat's Records (probably only a couple months after it first reached record shops). With no sales, I doubt that they would have pressed it again. On the other hand, if there were a pressing accident first, I suppose they would have another run to produce saleable records. Could a cutting accident happen in the middle of a run (perhaps a miniscual change in the cutting angle?).

Isn't it interesting that Dennis Edwards was lead singer in a group that made a record on a Philadelphia label named Boss, and yet he was a Detroit artist, and there was later an unrelated Detroit label named Boss? Was he originally from Philadelphia?

I had the first one found. It was pristine mint and sounded fine on its first play.

Yes, George McGregor had an unique style. He and Melvin Davis were the OTHER main Detroit drummers on Soul sessions other than Pistol Allen, Benny Benjamin and Uriel Jones. They were independent session players who bounced around recording for almost all the non-Motown producers. He was quite a good songwriter as well.