Robbk

Yes, Robert Nesberry of The Orchids. The Orchids were one of my favourite early '50s groups. What a beautiful voice their lead singer, Gilbert Warren, had! I forgot about him. That's about the 10th different way of spelling Nesbery I've seen (Nessbery, Nesberry, Nesbary, Nessbarry, Nasbery. What's with people and that name? I have many more songs written by Sherman, sung by Chicago artists. I wonder why he didn't start his own publishing company?

I forgot to comment on your theory of the Vows' "Buttered Popcorn" being the Contours. I listened to their version several times. The lead singer sounds suspiciously like Billy Gordon's gravelly-style voice (e.g. the voice he used on most of his mid to fast tempo cuts (basically ALL but his couple of ballads like "That Day When She Needed Me", when he used his smooth, probably normal voice). Not only that, but I don't hear any of The Vows recognisable voices, and the group, as a whole, sounds very, very much like the 1961 Contours. Furthermore, the sound of the instrumentation, acoustics, and recording all sound like an early '60s ('61 fits best) recording, rather than a 1965 recording. I wouldn't be shocked to find out that this was a previously unissued, vaulted, Contours' 1961 cut, like so many of their others that were left in the can, which only were finally released on digital files. Motown wasn't ever going to put any marketing push on ANY L.A. Motown artist, except Brenda Holloway at that time. That release was probably just a favour to Hal Davis and Marc Gordon, to keep them happy. So, it didn't matter what was on the flip. Your theory could well be spot on. I wouldn't bet a bunch of money on it either way. But, I certainly can't say it has no teeth.

Thanks Yank. That Funky Jazz version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things" is great! I think I saw this at United Record Distributors when it was out, but didn't think it would be any good. The flip has terrible acoustics and overall sound quality. Very unprofessional. I assume that Orr Records was co-owned by Richard Orr and Tel-Fi (James Porter). They released a weird mix of music styles, raucus Southern Soul, Chicago-style Soul, Blues, and Jazz. Sherman Nesbery wrote The Deboniers' song for Richard Pegue's Nicolet Music. Micheal Nesbery, who went to my high school, I believe was his cousin. Sherman was a songwriter who wrote for several small indie Chicago labels related to Renee and other Leo Austell and Bob Lee-related labels. Later, he became one of DJ Richard Pegue's stable of songwriters for his Penny and Nickel Records. He was also a singer, both in groups and as a solo act. He recorded for a couple labels (including Toi) as a solo act as Verbel Domino, and with a stage last name starting with "N" (but I can't remember it). And I can't remember the Southside groups he was in other than The Mod Swingers, (Little Sherman and The Mod Swingers) ("The Price of Love" on James Porter's (Tel-Fi owner's) Sagport Records). Do you remember him, and his other stage name, or any of the earlier Southside groups that he was a member? Sherman also wrote "We Don't Have To Be Over 21" for The Jackson Five.

I have The Deboniers' record. I'd really like to hear that Candy (Candace) Love record's cuts. I loved her singing and songwriting on Ric Williams labels.

The shaking joke aside, as far as I remember, Fairshake Music represented the partnership of Jack Daniels(Bright Star/4Brothers) and Larry Dandridge (Dan-Dy Records), which puts Sam & Kitty squarely in Chicago. There was lots of crossover in the music business between Chicago and Cleveland during the 1950s and '60s. Maybe in the exotic dancer field, too?

Absolutely! The odds of them being the same person are nil. Where is a connection? There was probably a "Kitty" within a mile of every nightclub venue in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Northern and Southern New Jersey, and Metro L.A.

I seem to remember that Sam and Kitty lived and worked out of Chicago during the mid '60s.

I don't think our ears are hearing different things. I never cared much about The Rotations' songs. I never even recorded one of them. I bought a few at 5 or 10 ¢, and never played them again. I bought one Rotations on Law-Ton because I got it for almost nothing. I don't have any others of their '70s records. So, I never compared them to the Frantic record and Mala songs. I have few '70s records, and recorded less. I don't like many songs from The '70s (the few I like are mostly Motown from 1970-early '72, with an older sound). So, I never played Rotations' songs from different labels back-to-back comparing them. I just always assumed that they were all the same East Coast group. My buying and collecting records was already taking too much time away from my personal life and other pursuits. I couldn't get anywhere as deep into finding out about non-Detroit and Chicago record labels, or I would have had to try to create a career in researching Soul music (which I clearly didn't want to do - or I'd have tried it). I lost quite a bit of money owning a record company as it was, and didn't get much satisfaction from it because nobody wanted to make or buy the old-fashioned music I liked; and I found out that I couldn't write music, and also wasn't willing to put in the practise time to learn to play the piano or guitar well enough to write better. Anyway, there are Anoraks on this website that know a lot more about the late '60s and '70s East Coast Soul music, and looking up information online and websites and other sources online, and have a lot more friends into NS to ask, who can answer this question better. I use mainly just my own collection, plus a few websites I know, plus some old paper discographies I put together over the years. I DID find the later Jamie-Guyden Inspirations' release. It was Jamie 1212 (rather than Guyden). It has, I think, a re-recording or alternate take of "Dry Your Eyes". I think it's an updated version with Strings added, if I recall. And that's why I bought it. I think "Goodbye" on the flip is a more modern '60s recording.

Yes, that's the Inspirations record I said I bought in 1958. Maybe Jamie-Guyden Records re-issued it on Guyden in 1962 or 1963. But, I also have a couple New Jersey or Philadelphia small indie labels with cuts by The Inspirations from the early '60s, plus one on a tiny New York label. I always thought they were the same Philly group or Philadelphia suburbs of South NJ. I'm not with my 45s now so can't check. Anyway, that doesn't preclude some members of The Inspirations starting up a new group called The Rotations. I just mentioned that I had never seen or heard evidence of that. There are big holes in my knowledge of US East Coast Soul productions. I never talked with any East Coast production people, artists, musicians or even big-time East Coast Soul & R&B record collectors like I did with Chicago and Detroit and L.A. people. I always thought The Rotations who recorded for some Cleveland labels Cleveland (Law-Ton, etc. ) were the same group from New Jersey that recorded for Frantic, and New York's Mala. As Cleveland didn't have as large a recording industry as Philadelphia and New York, and credits and labels showed they also recorded in Philadelphia (Law-Ton and Frantic) I assumed they were the same group. Bill Justis and Miles Grayson certainly were West Coasters. I wonder if The Mala group really was a West Coast group containing some of The Attractions' members? I never really paid much attention to The Rotations as I never cared that much about any of their recordings. But IF they were a west coast group that signed to New York's Amy-Mala-Bell Records, why wouldn't some of their people know about the Philadelphia/Cleveland group and suggest re-naming the group? It seems to me the Cleveland labels are the newest. And, I'm guessing Mala is right before Frantic. But I don't remember. Can someone here tell me the chronological releases of the Rotations' groups' records?

I can't remember on which early '60s Philadelphia labels The Philadelphia/NJ inspirations had releases, other than Grand Records, which ran all the way from 1953 to the early mid '60s. But, I seem to remember that they were on one or two others (and also, I think they had an early '60s release on Guyden). One of those I can't remember may have been on a New York label. I'm not so knowledgeable on East Coast labels as Midwest or California. And my memory of what I DID know is naturally weaker for areas where I never resided. I'm not saying that The NJ/Phil Inspirations couldn't have morphed into The Rotations in the mid or later mid '60s. I just mentioned that I'd never heard anything about them being connected in any way. That means only literally what was stated. My knowledge of East Coast groups' line-ups through the years is not all that good.

Yes. As I recall, Ralph Chestnut sang lead on Tell me. If it had been Morris, I'd have liked it better. Although, I just don't like the music writing or arrangement on that song. And weren't The Inspirations on all those Philadelphia labels the same group that sang the regional hit song, "Dry your Eyes" on Guyden Records? And, I never heard of them also being The Rotations on Mala. And, of course they had nothing to do with the Wisconsin Inspirations who recorded for several Chicago labels.

Yers, Tim, That's the same label design ZTSP copy i have. So., I'd guess that mine is styrene, too.

I have it on ZTSP Columbia, which is East Coast (New York), not Terre Haute. There was an L.A. Monarch pressing, on styrene. I have that one too. It is, of course styrene. I've never heard of any ZTSC Columbia Terre Haute (styrene or otherwise). I'm not with my 45s now so can't check. But, I think my ZTSP East coaster is styrene, but not completely sure. Seems to me that I've seen quite a few mid '60s UA ZTSP white DJs that are vinyl.

Mine is the Gold one (which was released first). I didn't see that one till some months later. The yellow issue got to Chicago. I don't remember seeing the gold one there.

My copy has 501-A and 501-B sides, both having also Nashville Matrix 95 etched into the dead wax. It lists 11825 Hamilton in Highland Park, as the address. It's older than the Ed Crook record, as the copyright for B&B music was still pending non this one, earlier in 1966 than Crook's release. No indication that it was pressed at Archer, and no Archer number code.