General Johnson Rip

A lot of people are refered to as legends when they die , in this case it is well deserved ,unquestionably a legend R.I.P. Norman Johnson

Folks

Some photos relating to The CoB at the following.

https://www.chairmeno....com/Photos.htm

Some other very recognisable faces there too.

Mick

For those who have not been on the COTB website, they are playing a track called CHANCES ARE off the Chairmen's recent album Soul Tapestry. The song is very moving and the words appropriate of a truly great singer.

I can remember buying GMJALMT on day of release as I did with many Invictus and Hot Wax records, and continued my interest in the group and The General buying some of their Arista and Surfside releases, then 7 and 12" copies of Loverboy (mentioned by Simon White in last months Manifesto )

The first time I heard Bless Your Heart was on Kev Roberts radio show ( VIP I think ? ) when Kev was promoting this truly fantastic record and COTB's Timeless album.

Thanks for some wonderful music and memories and rest in peace.

Steve

The heartfelt reactions on here in the response to this awful news say it all, We,ve seen a lot of great artists pass away in the last few years but this has absolutely, genuinely levelled me. Just listen to his voice on "Give me just a little more time", the intensity and honesty just blows you away, then listen to "Our Love will grow" and better still "You are my everything" The man means it big time and leaves you drained after. "Don,t Walk Away" is just unbelievable for me, everything about it is the reason I am hooked for life to this incredible music, but especially at this moment, I defy anybody to be able to keep it together while listening to "Patches"

Norman "General" Johnson R.I.P.

I bet messr,s Taylor, Hampsey, Briscoe and Bully have something in line foe November 13th, The General and his likes epitomise the place.

Kev

Its been a bad week. Having suffered the loss of Solomon Burke and now this, words fail me.

What a distinctive voice and unique talent, sadly missed

Thank you

Dave

Well, it's been a pretty heavy week one way and another.

The Chairmen Of The Board and General Johnson were very much the soundtrack to my youth in the early 70's and I'm blessed to still be working with their music some 40 years later.

As per usual, when something like this happens, I go into 're-listen' mode and re-discover all the quality and nuances of the music that inspired me as I was growing up.

Norman 'General' Johnson is 100% absolutely up their with the greats - certainly one of the most distinctive vocalists in Soul music history. Plus he spanned a career that lasted 50 years which is incredible. To think he's been knocking 'em dead on the Beach Music scene for the last 20 years is just brilliant and underlines his durability and appeal to all ages.

So obviously I'm gonna do a General Johnson tribute on this Sunday's LIVE Original Mastercuts show, Sunday afternoon 2.00-4.00pm on www.starpointradio.com. I'll be slipping in all stages of his career from the mid 60's to the mid 00's and unleashing an exclusive killer re-edit on one of his late 70's underheard killers. This one's for Norman.

And yes. Ignore any sceptics. "Bless Your Heart" is one of the greatest Soul records ever made.

Ian D

OK, a Normal 'General' Johnson Original Mastercuts mini-tribute coming up LIVE @ 2.00pm today.........

This week, another one of our heroes, Norman 'General' Johnson from the Showmen and Chairmen Of The Board passed away so naturally I'll be doing my level best to do a 'lil Original Mastercuts tribute to one of the most distinctive and enduring voices in Soul Music history. If you have a dry eye by the end of the show you won't be the only one 'cos this guy was one of the soundtracks to my youth. R.I.P. Norman. We love ya.

The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst LIVE this Sunday 17th October 2010 between 2.00-4.00pm on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com.

Featuring......

Sam Jackson & Bridget Fonda * Chairmen Of The Board * The Temptations * Soularis * Mr Fingers * Westcoast Soulstars feat Eli & Janne * Brian Cuthbertson feat Kenny Lattimore * Dee Dee Sharp Gamble * Ullanda McCullough * Change * Eugene Wilde * The Showmen * Chairmen Of The Board * Ruby Andrews * Tearra * Charles Drain * Sam Dees * Otis Williams * Voices Of East Harlem * Otis Williams * Maria Lawson * Sharifa * Patti LaBelle * Ricky Bohannon * General Johnson & The Chairmen * Chairmen Of The Board

LIVE @ 2.00pm today folks! Don't miss. But if you do the download will up 24 hours later. How's that for service?

Laters...........

Ian D

Yesterday I played 'Our love will grow' at a collectors night much to the delight of my fellow anoraks over here. I imagine there were a lot of General's discs on the decks this weekend, and many, many feet hitting the dancefloor to them all over the world...what an amazing thought!?

A strong candidate for 'Artist of the Week' on here

An interview with General at

https://www.soulexpress.net/generaljohnson_interview.htm

Very sad news - Give me just a little more time still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck after all these years.

Manus

Yesterday I played 'Our love will grow' at a collectors night much to the delight of my fellow anoraks over here. I imagine there were a lot of General's discs on the decks this weekend, and many, many feet hitting the dancefloor to them all over the world...what an amazing thought!?

A strong candidate for 'Artist of the Week' on here

Yep, playing that @ 3.00pm Dave. Also I was going through stuff and got to Harrison Kennedy's "I'm In Love Darling" which sounds like it's actually Norman on lead! Decided to save it for a week or two to prevent any confusion but I'd swear that it's actually the General.......

I seem to be doing these mini-tribute shows all the bloody time these days - Luther, Levi, Michael and now the general. Sad times.....

And I'll second the 'Artist of the Week' nomination.

Ian D

What a voice !

RIP

absolutely wonderful voice - up there with the best! RIP

Although as time passes it is to be expected that we lose many of the voices that have been so important in our lives. On hearing the news last Saturday about the General I was deeply saddened and like that of Otis Redding and Edwin Starr the death was unexpected and came as a bolt out of the blue. We have lost many other giants of the music but so many in circumstances that cannot fully surprise us: drug or alcohol related (Marvin, David Ruffin etc); as a result of a long illness Levi or Jackie etc);or from health related issues (Barry White, Solomon Burke etc). Both Edwin and The General were still working hard in the business and exciting so many audiences. In the U.K. of course, Edwin's loss was particularly painful because of his residency in this country. We saw very little on these shores of General Johnson because of the success he continued to enjoy in his homeland. Although his repertoire could have satisfied any weekender audience he simply didn't need to resurrect a career as have so many of the artists that have been brought over in the past thirty years.

As with so many others on here it was the release of GMJALMT that blew me away and led to an appreciation of General Johnson's voice. Despite owning the Action copy of 'You're Everything' and 'Our Love Will Grow' I hadn't linked Norman Johnson with Chairmen Of The Board. As a student in Bangor I leapt at the opportunity of booking The Chairmen Of The Board when their 1971 tour was announced and the Melody Maker of May 1^st that year states quite clearly that the Bangor date would be their first in the U.K. Sadly the tour never took place but I remember the interest in tickets from as far afield as the Liverpool and Manchester areas. I did get to see the Chairmen in the mid seventies but sadly never had the opportunity to meet the great man himself.

RIP Norman and thanks for the music that will live forever.

another sad loss..........the "general"

unique voice.............will live on

orfansfromdetroit

And here a 'lil tribute we did on yesterday's Original Mastercuts show with the General played throughout...........

OK, we indulged in a mini Norman "General" Johnson tribute on this week's show as a testament to one of the GREAT voices of Soul Music for the last 50 years, plus played the OTHER side of the BRILLIANT Otis Williams double-sider from '79, a Charles Drain alternative vocal and mix on "Lifetime Guarantee Of Love", a couple of fresh Neil Thompson remixes, a killer re-edit on Ullanda McCullough's Original Mastercuts fave "Bad Company", a couple of interesting Mellow items and the usual bunch of Soulful gems from across the eras.

Enjoy! Link below......

Featuring...

1^st Hour

Sam Jackson & Bridget Fonda - Intro

Chairmen Of The Board Bless Your Heart

The Temptations I'm Here - Remix

Soularis Change The World

Mr Fingers What About This Love Kenlou Remix

Westcoast Soulstars feat Eli & Janne Show Me Love

Brian Cuthbertson feat Kenny Lattimore Another Love Neil Thompson Remix

Dee Dee Sharp Gamble Easy Money Greymatter Re-Edit

Ullanda McCullough Bad Company Bogstad Diskoensemble Re-Edit

Change The Glow Of Love Neil Thompson Remix

Eugene Wilde Let Her Feel It - Album Mix

2^nd Hour

The Showmen Our Love Will Grow

Chairmen Of The Board Everything's Tuesday

Ruby Andrews I Got A Bone To Pick With You

Tearra Just Loving You

Charles Drain Lifetime Guarantee Of Love Unreleased Version

Sam Dees Save The Love At Any Cost

Otis Williams Take Me Back

Otis Williams I Got To Have You

Maria Lawson - Sleepwalking

Sharifa - Assumptions

Patti LaBelle It's A New Day Neil Thompson Re- Work

Ricky Bohannon Time Out

General Johnson & The Chairmen Don't Walk Away

Chairmen Of The Board I'm On My Way To A Better Place

https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2010-10-17-Starpoint.mp3

Ian D

Absolutely unique voice and very underrated songwriter as well.

"It Will Stand" from 1960(?) was The General's response to rock n roll

being finished as E Cochran & B Holly died and Elvis was drafted - how right he was and thankfully so!

RIP General NJ

Some singers you think will be here forever....Norman Johnson was, for me, one of THE voices of the early 70's. Probably never really accepted as a 'legend'...but a truly unique voice. Still very active on the Beach scene in the U.S.

Solomon Burke I expected...due to his size and health,...but this has hit me for six!

Such a loss.....

Hi Barry xx

Graham and I shed a tear when we heard the news... he definitely was one of THE voices of the early 70s, as you wrote, a truly unique voice. Were you in the chat with Mr Johnson on Filetopia all those years ago? I wasn't on FT then sadly so missed it.

Love to you and Eva...

Really sad news. What a truly great and distinctive voice.

Personal favourites- "Everything's Tuesday" Reminds me of my sister Dee who died a few years ago.

"Don't Walk Away" Really tears at my heartstrings.

RIP G.J.

Not been here in a while and have to say when i heard the news it was sad. He has been one of my fav singers in any soul band for a long time and he will be missed. love the song they did in the 80's called Loverboy.

Our Love Will Grow is classic Northern

RIP General