Weingarden

Thanks, guys. Roburt, doesn't sound like Bobby Rush to me. Eli, this may be right...voices are in the same ballpark, at least. Does anyone have the Tramp Jimmie Preacher Ellis compilation? I'm curious about what the liner notes say. I've been able to find parts of the notes online, but not the pertinent section.

The Jimmy Ellis record on Salem, "Heaven Has Blessed You"/"Puttin It on Your Mind," is in my opinion a great two-sider, with a tuff uptempo dancer and a nice ballad. It's also in my opinion NOT Jimmie Preacher Ellis, even though it's listed that way on discogs, 45cat, and Wikipedia (AND appears on the Tramp Records Jimmie Preacher Ellis compilation!). Jimmie Preacher Ellis has a distinctive voice that's consistent across all of his records that I know of. The voice on the Salem record does not resemble that voice. Also, why would the L.A.-based Ellis have one record smack dab in the middle of his L.A. recording career come out on a Chicago label with Chicago folks in the credits whom he never had anything to do with before or after? Any thoughts or, even better, actual knowledge appreciated!

Whoa, way better than I remembered! Multiple releases/versions of this as I recall?

Excellent info! Thanks, Roburt. One point of clarification on your original post: The single you refer to, Marr's Groove/Stitt's Groove, has the same backing track on both sides (performed by, I assume, some of the Funk Brothers) with lead keyboards overdubbed on Marr's side and lead saxophone overdubbed on Stitt's side.

Yes, the Gene Redd connection to two "Johnny Starr" 45s makes it highly likely that the Mala and Eastern Johnnys are the same person; I was looking at it simply that way, but you've provided much richer detail. And despite the Detroit coincidence, the Stag Johnny has to be a different person. His voice is just not in the same ballpark as that of the guy singing on the Mala record.

Anyone have a clean original for sale? (Not interested in the Tramp reissue.) Thanks.

I would have assumed the Stag and Mala Johnny Starrs were the same guy, but their voices are completely different to my ears. Label credits strongly suggest Eastern and Mala Johnnys are the same.

Been onto and into him for a while now...Love both Sue releases, the Kay-O, the Port and, not mentioned, the Fantasy side "Dance of the Land."

The "Won't You Let Me Know" side is a cover of J.J. Barnes on Rich/Kable, oddly. The flip is a widely recorded blues standard whose best-known version is probably by Willie Cobbs. Yet both sides of the Gene Thompson single credit the Counts as writers! I don't know anything about the identities of Gene or the Counts.

Chalky beat me to the Marvin Gaye "It's a Bitter Pill to Swallow" track from MPG...but side 2 of that album is basically ALL great mid- to uptempo tracks unreleased on 45. "It Don't Take Much to Keep Me" and "Try My True Love" are other standouts.

Incredible stuff, Roburt!

Certainly the same Ernie Fields as the one credited for Twinkle.

Sounds to me like the two groups share a lead singer at the very least. i prefer the blunt force of the Parisians recording. Don't need the added bongos or backing vocals.

That's Dante Carfagna, a very, very knowledgeable American collector and historian.

Wow, that RPM Records spot has been completely dry for years....Last hit I had there was maybe 4 years ago...found a nice mint Latin boogaloo thing and some oddball instrumentals and popcorn. Somebody should tell this poor guy he's wasting his time looking for big known northern there. Surprised even a beat-up $20 Carl Carlton record was still there....