Unreleased Jerry Butler

[Guest SoulManJan]

Hello Soul Fans,

I know I don't post much but most of the time I have nothing new to add, however, a few weeks ago recently a 10" studio acetate came my way of Jerry Butler. Its a 'real' acetate and the genuine thing, with a 7" 45 cut on both sides. Sadly the acetate is not in great shape and I'm going to have it restored, but I played both sides through once to capture the music onto the PC. I've been in touch with Jerry's manager and he says "Yep its Jerry's singing, alright!" but, no one can ever recall them being mastered and test pressed, or used in a compilation.Of course some knowledgeable ones out there will probably come back and tell me its off an album I missed or some 45 somewhere I've never seen.

The supposed "A-Side" was to be "When I Grow Up" written by Jerry and registered at The Library Of Congress and renewed in 1993 (I checked on that). The second side is a killer tune - "It's A Parade" and on the acetate someone scratched out the sub title which I think is "(When She Walks By)." There are various bits of info known about EMC - Universal and Radio Recorders who had the facility in California (Santa Monica, Hollywood) and were eventually bought out and split up in 1977 relocating the remainder of the parent company back to Minnesota. Studio 56 then took over the facility. Lots of people recorded at the facility but that would mean that Jerry would have had to be there as traditionally 10" acetates were cut "in studio" as opposed to 7" acetates cut at the Pressing Plant, weren't they? The acetate has what appears to be "Bill Futerro" hand signed to it! Also, in the same blue pen (looks like ink), is a date of October 1968. No one I've asked recalls whether its a Vee Jay or Mercury production, nor can anyone confirm whether Jerry Ross or Gamble and Huff had any hand in it. I can't figure out who wrote the "It's A Parade" side either, but it has the potential to be a cracker! I've added a picture of the acetate too, sorry about the sharpness my nice new Nikon (second camera this year) is now not working properly after it got dropped on a job site - I'll have to get a really cheap hardy digital to photograph work related issues instead of using my good gear! Hope someone can fill in the missing info, KTF, Jan

[Guest Dante]

Why not add clips to Refosoul?

[Goldsoul]

Jan- Get a sound clip over to Butch, Andy Dyson and the like and let them bid on it, if you are selling.

Had a great chat to Dave Daniels today. Miami looking great. Stay well my friend.

Kev

[Guest Polyvelts]

The iceman liveth!!!

[Guest SoulManJan]

Kev,

Thanks for the info. It cost me a bundle even for a whipped acetate but I'm not selling it as a few recent trades offset the cost. I will add a sound clip though. I didn't know if it was worth/or ethical to throw up a sound clip before any interest was expressed. I want someone to restore it here in town and then get a dun-plate made as its very selicate. In Refosoul you'll find the track in question if I can figure out how to post it :-)

Nice work with Dave, he was in high spirits when i spoke with him last. i even got a free tea from a punter at the bar for NOT smoking my stinky cigar LOL.

Take care and let me know if any more help is needed. Has anyone from Miami been in touch with you yet?

Cheers, Jan

Jan- Get a sound clip over to Butch, Andy Dyson and the like and let them bid on it, if you are selling.

Had a great chat to Dave Daniels today. Miami looking great. Stay well my friend.

Kev

[Guest SoulManJan]

Yes indeed, The Iceman liveth and he's also a Chicago politician now!

KTF, Jan

The iceman liveth!!!

[Guest SoulManJan]

I've added it matey ... go chek it out!

KTF, Jan

Why not add clips to Refosoul?

[Guest Dante]

I've added it matey ... go chek it out!

KTF, Jan

It's a shame it's so knackered. It's a great song, IMO. The chorus is magnificent. It'll be great to hear it again after it being restored, or, better yet, off the original master tapes...

I suppose you don't mind me adding it to this thread so folks can't hear it right here:

Jerry Butler - It's a Parade -

[Guest SoulManJan]

No problem matey, pass it on.

Later on (when I have a moment) I'll get the other side up too. That's in better condition (but not by much). It's also a great song and a real popcorn/stepper.

There must be a master tape somewhere, one would have thought, but there are instances of just one 'take' with a vocal, which may be missing on a master tape. Wonder who the background singers were too? Who knows? That's all part what I'm trying to find out.

If it is restored, or a master tape found, then I think its one of his best ever tunes, IMHO.

KTF, Jan

It's a shame it's so knackered. It's a great song, IMO. The chorus is magnificent. It'll be great to hear it again after it being restored, or, better yet, off the original master tapes...

I suppose you don't mind me adding it to this thread so folks can't hear it right here:

Jerry Butler - It's a Parade -

[Anoraks Corner]

Sadly the acetate is not in great shape and I'm going to have it restored,

Certainly possible to mess around with a recording to eliminate clicks, pops, background noise etc...but how does one restore an acetate?

[Mick Holdsworth]

Certainly possible to mess around with a recording to eliminate clicks, pops, background noise etc...but how does one restore an acetate?

I think he means restore the recording digitally. The problem (challenge?) would be the opening 12/15 seconds - Although Jerrys vocal is there, the music seems to have completely dissapeared.

Cheers

Mick

[Guest SoulManJan]

There are a couple of vinyl specialists locally that have various options about retsoring the acetate. One studio said they would play the acetate 'wet' with a distilled water/proprietary mixture and they also have some repair abilities to paint back in the laquer coating (like picture restoring), tedious and more expensive. But, that should clean it up much more than my DJing decks. As far as the missing music at the begining, I havn't gotten an opinion whether the missing music is actually missing from the recording or simply eroded with stylus burn till I take it in, and no time right now to do that. If it's there the idea is to grab the section as loudly as possible and then work on the actual sine wave in a file and re-join the front end at a suiotable point with the rset of the song. I have seen it done and heard examples of 78's they restored, plus I've seen how folks that can't sing be brought back into pitch with technology, LOL.

There is one more option that you may have read about and that is an optical laser restoration, wherby they enlarge the entire record and photo retouch the grooves. That gives back a clean file. But as most records also have some depth in the groove carrying information they will only be able to simulate that. That is also beyond my affordable budget, but it really does work. Oh, to add back the missing information they also use high and low pitch filters to copy upper and lower bands information and using a graphic equalizer of sorts (electronically) graft back the missing depth.

I'm waiting to hear from Jerry and his manager if there is a master tape around that anyone is aware of. Jerry must be aware of the soing he wrote otherwise why would he or someone on his behalf re-register the Artists Copyright at The Library Of Congress.

Not to put too much emphasis on it, as its only my humble opinion, but It's a Parade sounds like one of his finest works ever! Basically i just wanted to see if this was worth chasing up some more so was looking for input on the song and how realistic and affordable it would be to bring it back to the best quality, if people liked it.

Perhaps I should put the other side up?

Thanks for the replies,

Jan

I think he means restore the recording digitally. The problem (challenge?) would be the opening 12/15 seconds - Although Jerrys vocal is there, the music seems to have completely dissapeared.

Cheers

Mick

[Agentsmith]

There are a couple of vinyl specialists locally that have various options about retsoring the acetate. One studio said they would play the acetate 'wet' with a distilled water/proprietary mixture and they also have some repair abilities to paint back in the laquer coating (like picture restoring), tedious and more expensive. But, that should clean it up much more than my DJing decks. As far as the missing music at the begining, I havn't gotten an opinion whether the missing music is actually missing from the recording or simply eroded with stylus burn till I take it in, and no time right now to do that. If it's there the idea is to grab the section as loudly as possible and then work on the actual sine wave in a file and re-join the front end at a suiotable point with the rset of the song. I have seen it done and heard examples of 78's they restored, plus I've seen how folks that can't sing be brought back into pitch with technology, LOL.

There is one more option that you may have read about and that is an optical laser restoration, wherby they enlarge the entire record and photo retouch the grooves. That gives back a clean file. But as most records also have some depth in the groove carrying information they will only be able to simulate that. That is also beyond my affordable budget, but it really does work. Oh, to add back the missing information they also use high and low pitch filters to copy upper and lower bands information and using a graphic equalizer of sorts (electronically) graft back the missing depth.

I'm waiting to hear from Jerry and his manager if there is a master tape around that anyone is aware of. Jerry must be aware of the soing he wrote otherwise why would he or someone on his behalf re-register the Artists Copyright at The Library Of Congress.

Not to put too much emphasis on it, as its only my humble opinion, but It's a Parade sounds like one of his finest works ever! Basically i just wanted to see if this was worth chasing up some more so was looking for input on the song and how realistic and affordable it would be to bring it back to the best quality, if people liked it.

Perhaps I should put the other side up?

Thanks for the replies,

Jan

well mate,

i'd say a good many have the 1992 dbl comp thats long since deleted on cd, virtually all his mercury stuff and these tracks aren't there so its a better than even bet these are veejay recordings and, if ben e. king's "gettin to me" is anything to go by, its a case of morphing a beat ballad into a mid 60's stormer that unfortunately for jerry, as with ben, came too late as the sound was considered dated then. what an awesome tune lying in wait if the boffins can unravel all the muffled distortion...bit like how they did with little anne?.

i think that you must, by now, be thinking many people are saying the same thing...WOW!!! and deeply envious that you are the owner of something unique so, its got to be worth the time, money, effort and patience if not for the fact, its an unknown or missing masterpiece.

GO FOR IT.... GET A MAGNIFICENT LOAN, BUT GET IT DONE!!!

[Guest SoulManJan]

Thanks!

I'm encouraged by your comments. Ss soon as I've finished renovating the apartment, and working on my house, helping two other friends sell off 10,000 plus record collections (sStill getting them documented), get some sleep, I'll get it into professional hands. Think I'll have to sell off a few duplicates to raise some cash too.

This was cut in California, and I'm NOT sure who would have comissioned the studio time to put this together. Still looking for info on that as it could make a nice story.

Don't be jealous though, its sort of a mixed blessing. Yes, it's bloody brilliant, but, it's also trashed quality right now. Guess there's no easy solutions for this record collecting malarkey. Oh, BTW should I put up the other side? [thinks to self] Why NOT, IF I can get the Flash plug-in on one of the browsers to upload the file in Refosoul.

Thanks again,

Jan

well mate,

i'd say a good many have the 1992 dbl comp thats long since deleted on cd, virtually all his mercury stuff and these tracks aren't there so its a better than even bet these are veejay recordings and, if ben e. king's "gettin to me" is anything to go by, its a case of morphing a beat ballad into a mid 60's stormer that unfortunately for jerry, as with ben, came too late as the sound was considered dated then. what an awesome tune lying in wait if the boffins can unravel all the muffled distortion...bit like how they did with little anne?.

i think that you must, by now, be thinking many people are saying the same thing...WOW!!! and deeply envious that you are the owner of something unique so, its got to be worth the time, money, effort and patience if not for the fact, its an unknown or missing masterpiece.

GO FOR IT.... GET A MAGNIFICENT LOAN, BUT GET IT DONE!!!

[Mattbolton]

You lucky swine. I'm a huge Jerry Butler fan and it's a joy to hear unreleased stuff like this. Thanks for sharing it.

And I thought I was happy with my 'Make It Easy On Yourself' Bell Sound outtake!

Would love to hear this cleaned up. He's got the greatest voice! Apart from Jackie of course.

[Guest SoulManJan]

Matt,

Lucky comes at a price LOL - I'm saving up to have it professionally restored - will be stunning. Did you hear both sides?

I got another acetate on 'Bellsound' the other day too - its a bit 'poppy' and 'doowopper' oriented but a nice sound never the less. Produced by Jimmy (The Wizz) Wisner it's by Frankie Ray titled "Bye, Bye Baby." It was supposed to have been issued on Jimmy's Wizdom Records, but I can't find any reference to that anywhere or a copy of it.

Thanks, Jan

You lucky swine. I'm a huge Jerry Butler fan and it's a joy to hear unreleased stuff like this. Thanks for sharing it.

And I thought I was happy with my 'Make It Easy On Yourself' Bell Sound outtake!

Would love to hear this cleaned up. He's got the greatest voice! Apart from Jackie of course.

[Corbett80]

I wouldn't mind some info on acetate restoration.....I have one that could do with some help to put it mildly.

Edited September 30, 2010 by corbett80