Soul Legend Bunny Sigler En Route to Manchester Allnighter 30th Nov 2013

Philadelphian Legend En Route to Manchester Allnighter 30th Nov 2013

In a few weeks, on the 30th November to be precise, New Century Soul will celebrate its 10th Anniversary Allnighter at Radcliffe Civic Suite in Manchester, UK. As part of the celebration, soulfans Chris, Marcelle, the founders of the New Century Soul events alongside fellow promoter, respected DJ Andy Dyson, decided that the occasion required marking in a fitting manner and, as I’m sure you’ll agree, the result of that decision turned out to be a blinder! When Chris first mentioned the event to me and relayed he was looking for a performer with the status and back catalogue to carry off such a prestigious event I knew straight away who he should try and book. It will come as no surprise to people that know me that, in my opinion, he should look no further than the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia and I had just the artist in mind. This man was a legend in soul music and a performer who had striven throughout his career to master all aspects of his musical trade. A musician, a singer, a songwriter, a producer, a mentor to others and a man who had rubbed professional shoulders on an equal status with such legendary Philadelphia icons as Bobby Caldwell, Bobby Martin, David White, John Madara, Len Barry, Linda Creed, Cindy Scott and of course The Mighty Three triumvirate of Gamble, Huff and Bell. Step forward: Mr Bunny Sigler.

I had met Mr Sigler a few years earlier in Philadelphia when my fellow soul detective Dave Ferguson and I spent time in the City visiting and photographing important locations and interviewing many of the participants, in what became known worldwide as ‘The Sound Of Philadelphia’, the results of which will shortly be available in a new book entitled Philadelphia Soul — It’s Roots and History. Bunny had proved to be a genial host who was more than happy to spend time with us and recounted anecdotes from his musical past that were littered with other legendary names. When I asked him, whilst we were having dinner in a Chili’s Restaurant in his local West Philly neighbourhood, if he still had the pipes, his answer was delivered as only a true showman can. He sang to Dave F and I there and then, in the booth, over dessert! For guys like me and Dave, who constantly pinch ourselves when on our soulful adventures to ensure that our meetings with artists aren’t some weird dream, it ranks up with singing “I’ll Always Need You” with Dean Courtney whilst I sat on his weekly vegetable shopping in his car on the Las Vegas strip! I can now confirm 100% that Bunny’s ability on the vocal department is as good as it ever was and then some!

Bunny Sigler was born as Walter Sigler to Mr Henry and Susie May Sigler on 27th March 1941, was one of eight siblings and, due to his birthday being close to Easter, was afforded the nickname of Bunny. Even as a youngster Bunny was musically attuned and it wasn’t long before the local churches were applauding the precocious pre teen as he belted out his version of Gospel standards of the time. Regular performances at The Rome Emmanuel Baptist Church at 1100 West LeHigh Avenue in North Philly in the mid fifties, soon led to him joining a series of Doo Wop singing groups including a group named The Opals who also included his brother James and future Philly recording icons Richie Rome and Jack Faith, who would both go on to huge success with MFSB, Philly International and The Salsoul Orchestra. (Richie Rome would arrange/produce some great 70s titles including records by The Tymes and was the leader/founder of The Richie Family).

Before leaving school Bunny had aspirations to be a sports star and was an accomplished basketball player but a serious leg injury put paid to that particular ambition and the young High School graduate decided to put his eggs into a musical basket instead. Learning piano and guitar he developed his act playing the supper clubs in the area. As well as practicing and performing with The Opals Bunny would strike out alone as a singer and such was his ambition to make it in the business that he would regularly be booked under a number of pseudonyms to gain as much work and exposure as possible. On Friday you could catch Bunny performing at a Bar Mitzvah as Bunny Sligowitz, whilst 24 hours later he would transform himself into Bundino Sigolucci, whilst plying his craft at an Italian wedding!

A long and prolific recording career that saw Bunny record with most of the Philly notables began when he was signed by local Tri State Radio DJ Jimmy ‘Cannonball’ Parsons who secured a couple of initial releases, one on the local Hi-Low imprint and the much sought after Bunny Sigler - “Laddy Daddy b/w Square From Nowhere” — Bee 114. (1) The 45 gained some local plays and whilst not managing to make any impact on the National chart of the day it did garner enough interest to ensure a further release that Parsons placed with for Bunny on the New York based Craig label. This 45, Bunny Sigler — “Come On Home b/w I Don’t Want To Cry” — Craig 501, is a tough one to find nowadays and is one of Bunny’s rarest outings on vinyl, delivering a couple of back to back plaintive ballads. Bunny of course was also still honing his craft in the supper clubs of Philadelphia and had gained a reputation as such an emotional performer, often falling to his knees and reputedly almost bringing even himself to tears that he was tagged as “Mr Emotion”. In 1961, Bunny recorded another 45 that over the years has become a sought after item, when he was signed by Bobby Caldwell’s V-Tone set up based on 2034 Ridge Avenue in 1959 resulting in his inaugural 45, Bunny Sigler — “Happy Dance b/w Hold On” — V Tone 500. (2) (Venton ‘Buddy’ Caldwell was a local businessman who owned an upholstery company and would give a number of Philly’s future stars a leg up early in their careers including, Billy Harner, Herb Johnson, Bobby Parker and Bobby Bennett). The 45 is a great uptempo rocker penned by Bunny, on which he more than tips his hat at the then en vogue Little Richard and his successful “Tutti Frutti” that had delivered him an international smash hit a few years earlier.

In the mid sixties, with a number of releases under his belt and a thriving live act, Bunny found himself appearing at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City and it was whilst rehearsing for this show that a piano playing songwriter from New Jersey first heard Bunny and recommended to his employers that they catch his next show at the Red Hill Inn. They took the piano players advice, did so and it was during this show that a couple of hot independent record producers would catch his act, resulting in them putting forward a proposal that they produce some sessions on the now seasoned, but as yet relatively unknown nationally, singer. It was at this stage that Mr David White and Mr John Madara entered into Bunny’s story. (3) The pair were currently riding high with the ex lead singer of the late 50s Philadelphia singing group The Dovells, a certain white, blue eyed soul singer named Leonard Boriskoff who had changed his name to Len Barry. Madara-White and Boriskoff had launched Len Barry into the charts in July 1965 with a song called ‘123’ and were about to follow up that initial success with a similar one in ‘Like A Baby’. Both were leased to the Decca label and delivered tracks based on a pounding, crashing drum beat forming the platform for a tight horn section to float above it supporting Len Barry’s impeccable vocals. The productions of Madara/White also benefitted from having a young, aggressive piano player/song writer on their books, (he was signed to John Madara’s Double Diamond publishing company), that young pianist was none other than Leon Huff, the very same piano player that had caught Bunny’s act in Atlantic City.

It was this heady mix of talent that Bunny found himself becoming the focus of and with Len Barry’s 45s producing worthwhile chart positions and guaranteeing them a Decca release, the team, from their offices in the famous Shubert Building opposite Cameo’s recording studio at 309 S Broad St, set about recording Bunny on a number of compositions. (4) Four songs were released on two Decca 45s in late 1965 and the spring of 1966 respectively. Both would become sought after by record collectors on the other side of the Atlantic. Employing a similar style to the Len Barry 45s, the flip side of the first one, Bunny Sigler — “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright b/w For Crying Out Loud” — Decca 31880 delivers a crashing drum and horn combo over which Bunny relays the dark tale of how, as a circus clown, he lost his woman to a trapeze artist! The second one is, for your author at least, one of the team’s pinnacle musical moments as Bunny’s vocal really gets a workout over a driving beat, especially on the B side to the Goffin and King classic. This time, although the top side is Jimmy Wisner, it’s arranged by Leroy Glover. The drums and horns are still omnipresent but this time flattered by vibes and a great sax break. Bunny Sigler — “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow b/w Comparatively Speaking” — Decca 31947 is just an all round — great record!

When Northern Soul lists of favourite 45s are compiled it’s not often that people can agree with all the choices so to claim iconic status takes balls of steel. Well, my nether regions must be made of titanium ‘cos I’m gonna make that claim right now. When the first bars of the hypnotic Leon Huff piano pounding intro to Bunny Sigler — “Girl, Don’t Make Me Wait b/w Always In The Wrong Place” — Parkway 123 came blasting out of a venues speakers, the rush to get to the dance floor was by all accounts like the proverbial herds of John Cleeses’ migrating Wildebeests! Its right up there with anything that Beethoven put on a stave and is completely instantaneous, once heard it’s never forgotten. (5) Over the years the 45 has perhaps gained that dubious title of overplayed oldie on the Northern Soul scene and I think that accusation could well be justified, but there’s a reason that records like these are demanded by dancers as they are...they’re bleedin’ fantastic records!

Bunny would release a number of great records on the Parkway arm of the Cameo company and the next one, Bunny Sigler — “Let The Good Times Roll And Fee l So Good b/w There’s No Love Left (In This Heart Of Mine” - Parkway 153 would once again be embraced by fans half a world away a few years later whilst languishing in the cut out bins of local record stores. Bunny’s effervescent interpretation of the Shirley and Lee, New Orleans recorded classic delivers an up to date exciting dancer that once again has maybe suffered due to its availability to fully satisfy the recent Northern scene, but when dropped in amongst fresher 45s can still enthral long time collectors/dancers. Someone at Cameo must have thought it had hit potential as it gained a release in UK, Canada, Australia and on the European continent and as far as I know, this is the only Parkway outing of Bunny’s to achieve that, whilst in the US it gave Bunny a Top 30 bona fide hit peaking at #22 in August 1967. His penultimate Parkway outing is unusual in that it’s the only one that came with a picture sleeve, (which was a version of the cover pictured on his only LP, Parkway #500, for the company) and also had two tracks on the flip. Bunny Sigler — “Sunny Sunday b/w A - Lovey Dovey, B — You’re So Fine” — Parkway 6000, saw yet another legendary Philly music maker join the fray and the A side which is another fantastic collaboration that produced a great dancer that enjoyed the benefit of an equally great arrangement by Joe Renzetti (6)

Bunny’s final release for the Parkway label was released in the final weeks of 1967 and was a joint effort from John Madara and Leon Huff with Joe Renzetti’s arrangement at the core. Revived by some DJs over the past few years, Bunny Sigler — “Follow Your Heart b/w Can You Dig It” — Parkway 6001was penned by Leon Huff and it will come as no surprise to people I’d wager, that Huff was already collaborating on many projects with Kenny Gamble by now and would shortly leave the Double Diamond set up in order to solidify and eventually realise their dreams of The Mighty Three.

So, if the records are of such quality, especially the “Girl, Don’t Make Me Wait” outing, then why didn’t it/they sweep the international charts? Well the answer isn’t really one of a lack of a distribution network, or lack of radio outlets available to promote it/them, or even a small initial run that led to it/them not being available. The answer is simply really... the Beatles! As the Fab Four came to dominate the US music market and the subsequent Brit Invasion, the resultant panic by the majors to find the next Mop Tops came into being and Cameo found its position as the leading major independent under stress. In fact, it was more than stress. As the sixties progressed and the Beatles led the way many US record companies almost shelved their existing A& R rosters in a way and were determined not to get caught out again. With Bernie Lowe the original owner no longer at the helm, the matinee idol roster that the company was founded on now way past it’s sell by date and the formulaic dance craze led releases that had provided the company’s meteoric rise to its zenith no longer en vogue, the writing was on the wall and it was in amongst this resulting turmoil that Bunny’s iconic 45 was left sinking. Despite a great showing on the Eastern seaboards radio stations, the company was concentrating on other artists that it felt would deliver the necessary chart positions that would return its revenue to its previous record highs. They were of course wrong in that respect and the company went to the wall shortly after, its back catalogue littered with embarrassing failed outings like “The Boy With The Beatle Hair” “Let’s Do The Freddie” etc that highlight the importance that the company placed on their search for the next pop phenomenon. Although some fantastic RnB/Soul records were produced towards the end of the company’s life, by then the game was up I reckon and the wind down was already underway by at least the new owners, if not the creative people.

As Cameo’s grip on Philly music faded, there was a new company appearing on the horizon that would return the city’s musical reputation to its former glory and it was with the young black entrepreneurs Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff that Bunny now chose to hitch his musical wagon. Their Neptune label was a natural addition to their original Gamble logo and, in 1968, they were garnering the likes of Bunny Sigler, The O Jay’s, Linda Jones and The Vibrations as vehicles for their new kind of music based upon their vision of a new urban sound which the studio band of MFSB were so adept at delivering. With a recent distribution deal signed that put them alongside Chess Records all would seem in place for real success for “Mr Emotion” (7)

Bunny’s tenure at Neptune delivered four singles, two of which were duets with yet another Philly songbird with a special place in fan’s hearts: Ms Cindy Scott. Cindy was born Sondray Tucker and was the daughter of Ira Tucker, a member of the legendary doo wop singing group The Dixie Hummingbirds and was an initial member of The Blue Belles (Patti Labelle and The Bluebelles), albeit prior to their recording career. Her journey to Neptune had seen her record for the Peacock label and of course she is revered for her Northern outing I Love You Baby on Veep Records. The two duets with Bunny Sigler are worth tracking down especially Bunny and Cindy — “We’re Only Human b/w It Sure Didn’t Take Too Long” — Neptune 15 on which the pair deliver a great dancer on the flip side. I can’t recall ever hearing this track out anywhere so it’s ripe for some discerning DJ to give it an opportunity. Bunny’s solo performances are equally impressive, especially his version of a song written by Dee Irwin and made big on the circuit by Chuck Jackson as “I Only Get This Feeling”. (Although the Rd Coach original by Dee Irwin actually reduces even the mighty Chucj Jackson to a silver medal position. Bunny Sigler — “Don’t Stop What You’re Doing b/w Where Do The Lonely Go” — Neptune 25 delivers the classic — MFSB style! Bunny’s vocal is tip top! The whole production is slightly tempered in pace compared with Dee and Chuck’s versions and is a quality outing from the guys who were about to launch The Sound Of Philadelphia on an eager world.

Once plugged into the emerging Gamble and Huff operation, Bunny would remain at the heart of the creative core of the company, establishing himself as a premier singer/songwriter. Not only would he record his own songs but, during the hey days of Philly International would also pen songs for The OJays, Patti Labelle, Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, The Whispers, Ecstacy, Passion and Pain, Lolleata Holloway, Carl Carlton amongst a long list of others and would mentor and develop another group with Northern soul connections from across the Delaware River: The TNJs, and would, when Norman Harris et al set up their own production company, furnish hits for Instant Funk, a group of musicians that often backed him at live shows. (8) When the legendary rhythm section of MFSB Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker and Earl Young established their own musical production operation Sigler would play a part in song writing and producing for them on an independent basis and when Lebaron Taylor, the former Detroit DJ and owner of Revilot Records moved to Philadelphia and was setting up his new venture for CBS The Young Professionals, it was to Bunny and fellow Philly song writing icon Phil Hurtt to whom he turned. Bunny’s collaborating song writing partners over the years reads like a who’s who of seventies soul and include the likes of Ron Tyson, Maurice Bailey as well as Gamble and Huff. Bunny would also hook up with Phil Hurtt years later when the pair was at the heart of the Soulful Tale Of Two Cities, an amalgamation of Detroit and Philadelphian music makers. (9)

Bunny’s singing career has never faded. He regularly releases CD material often including his favourite Gospel songs alongside his own material, Christmas songs and just about everything in between. He is also still in demand as a performer and a noteworthy live performance was when he sang the 23rd Psalm at the ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to The Tuskegee Airmen on March 29th 2007 at the White House, a performance that Bunny, quite rightly, feels immensely honoured to have been selected for.

So... on 30th November, Manchester will play host to Bunny and his wife Martha when ‘Mr Emotion’ plays the New Century Soul 10th Anniversary Allnighter at the Radcliffe Civic Suite. The song list has been thrashed out, the band is booked, the backing tracks have been furnished and the anticipation is now building. When Bunny Sigler hits the stage, I think you’ll agree that, as I said at the beginning Chris, Marcelle, and Andy, who have played a blinder for the past decade, will be proud to present a living legend, live on stage to entertain their loyal crowd. With three rooms on offer and a DJ line up to rival anything in the country, it’ll be a great night I’m sure. See yah there!

Dave Moore

Oct 2013

NOTES:

(1) Bee Records was a local enterprise based at 664, Schuykyll Ave, Reading PA. It was an offshoot of and operated out of Barbour’s Society Cleaners, a dry cleaning business and the Laddy Daddy track was co-written by a certain Mr Barbour. Grover Barbour, who co-owned the logo alongside Russ Golding, a local song writing talent, also owned a local gym and a stable of boxers but had always wanted to be in the music business. The site at Schuykill Ave became, reception, rehearsal room and part time recording studio for the label which, although like many others, operated on a somewhat cottage industry basis, stayed in business from 1957 until 1964.

(2) The backing singers on Bunny’s V-Tone 45 were The Cruisers who would also release their inaugural 45 on Bobby Caldwell’s imprint and can be found in a supporting role on many of the labels outings including Herb Johnson amongst others. They would of course later sign with Gamble and Huff’s Gamble logo and enjoy a reasonable albeit sporadic career under the mentorship of the two maestros.

(3) David White was a member of Danny and The Juniors who had enjoyed such a smash hit with the song he and John Madara had written whilst at Temple University in Philly, ‘At The Hop’. The pair of singer/songwriters then set up their musical production and publishing company and based it at The Shubert Building on Broad St. The building is almost opposite 309 S Broad St which was back then the Cameo Parkway main recording facility and would later be overhauled by legendary sound technician Joe Tarsia and become Sigma II or, as it was better known, Philadelphia International Records. John Madara would be the catalyst that put together Daryl Hall of The Temptones, (Arctic Records), with John Oates of The Masters (Crimson Records) whilst the team of Madara — White-Boriskoff-Billy Jackson and Jimmy Wisner would go on to produce a huge catalogue of many sought after Northern Soul 45s including the classics by Johnny Caswell, Joey Heatherton, The Sweet Three, Bunny Sigler and whole slew of others.

(4) The Shubert Building played a pivotal role in the emergence of Philadelphia as a soul producing city. Many of the city’s musical ‘movers and shakers’ would spend time working there including Jerry Ross, Billy Jackson, Madara/White, Gamble and Huff amongst others. Such was the importance of the former theatre that it was dubbed: Philadelphia’s Brill Building after the New York location that was at the heart of Tin Pan Alley.

(5) I got into the upstairs studio at 309 South Broad St a few years ago and was ecstatic to find an old upright piano still in there. Whether or not this was the actual piano that Huff battered about the place with complete aplomb I’ll never know but for this fan I convinced myself it was! Sitting at the piano and imagining Madara/White/Huff and Bunny belting out this legendary song on that old upright, was a thrill and a bit, I can tell you.

(6) Joe Renzetti was/is a guitar virtuoso who, through the years gained a reputation for his arranging skills. He was the man behind such fantastic arrangements on records like The Sapphires, The Yum Yums, (Which he co wrote) and a whole host of Philly Northern Soul 45s.

(7) Although Gamble and Huff signed a deal with the Chess company, the company was, soon after the deal was struck, purchased by US conglomerate GRT. To cut a long story short, some great music was still being produced but GRT had bought into Chess studio and its back catalogue. It wasn’t really interested in promoting independently produced product and consequently Neptune’s output was kind of lost in the shuffle.

(8) The TNJs were a vocal quintet that Bunny discovered being backed by The Music Machine (the first incarnation of Instant Funk) that used the initials of their home time Trenton New Jersey as their group name. They initially recoded and released 45s on Lucky Lou and Newark Records, where they released the popular The TNJs — “She’s Not Ready b/w I Didn’t Know” — Newark 228 before landing a deal with GRT owned Chess Records and releasing the equally popular, The TNJs — “Don’t Forget About Me b/w Falling In Love” — Chess 2155, in 1974.

(9) The full story including some fantastic studio photos of the Soulful Tale Of Two Cities project was told in There’s That Beat! Issue #1 Dated September 2006.