Jimmy Mack

[grantdyche]

Just looking through some label scans and came upon Alexander Patton "A lil lovin sometimes" On a Capitol demo,

The single was produced by Jimmy Mack,

Is this the same person who sang "My world is on fire",

And is there any connection with this Jimmy Mack and the one mentioned in the Martha and The Vandellas record of JM

Thanks in advance

Grant

[The Yank]

The Jimmy Mack that produced Alexander Patten was also known as James McKeachin and is not related to the other two Jimmys.

[Shinehead]

The Jimmy Mack that produced Alexander Patten was also known as James McKeachin and is not related to the other two Jimmys.

So will this be the same Jimmy Mack who also produced The Furys amongs others, who later became the TV and movie actor James Mceachin of Tenafly fame, who was also a decorated soldier.

[grantdyche]

So will this be the same Jimmy Mack who also produced The Furys amongs others, who later became the TV and movie actor James Mceachin of Tenafly fame, who was also a decorated soldier.

Was the Jimmy Mack from the Martha track based on a real person ?

Was Jimmy Mack of "MYIOF" known by another name ?

[Shinehead]

Was the Jimmy Mack from the Martha track based on a real person ?

Was Jimmy Mack of "MYIOF" known by another name ?

The song Jimmy Mack was written as a tribute to a deceased song writer named Ronnie Mack .

Edited February 24, 2011 by shinehead

[Weingarden]

Then there's this guy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_McMillan

(see "Personal info")

Same dude.

[Guest]

And this fella

And this geezer

[Ian Dewhirst]

Well, who's this guy then...........?

Recorded on Big Tree with Gwen Owens and the Invitations!

Jimmie Mack

Ian D

Edited February 23, 2011 by Ian Dewhirst

[Tony Smith]

Nice one Ian, you had for for a mo', back to the...... wasnt 't he Martha boyfriend that Berry had stiffed coz he he was too good looking. ya-da-da-ya-da

[Guest Paul]

Then there's this guy:

https://en.wikipedia..../Jimmy_McMillan

(see "Personal info")

Same dude.

I loved that track when it was new but I didn't know who he was.

And I'm still a bit confused.

Maybe it's an age thing?

Edited February 27, 2011 by Paul

[Guest Dave Turner]

Sussed it, mystery solved

[Sunnysoul]

So who is the Jimmy Mack who released a rather nifty version of The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game as Jimmy Mack & The Music Factory on Atlantic Records 45 45-2552.

[Blackpoolsoul]

On 28/02/2011 at 03:59, Sunnysoul said:

So who is the Jimmy Mack who released a rather nifty version of The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game as Jimmy Mack & The Music Factory on Atlantic Records 45 45-2552.

 

This group began life in the Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, in the 1960s where they performed in the Pittsburgh area as the popular local band known as The Igniters.

The Igniters, made up on musicians that included Ronnie “Byrd” Foster, Jeff Bobula, Bob McKeg, Joe Santavicca and Jackie Keir along with the singer Frank Czuri, were often seen at The Varsity House in Pittsburgh as its house band and gaining a large fan base with their renditions of the R&B and British Invasion popular songs of the day.

In 1968 The Igniters managed to gain themselves a recording contract from Atlantic Records which gave them the accolade of being only the second white act taken on by them.  However, the company decided they wanted them to change their name and after the possibility of Mack’s Factory was shelved, Jimmy Mack & The Music Factory came to be.

The released their single “Baby, I Love You”, which was originally a hit for The Ronettes, backed by “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game” in the latter half of 1968 and managed to reach No. 41 on New Haven, Connecticut’s WAVZ.

This name for the group only survived for a brief time, however, when their name was changed yet again.  This time they became Friends and even though recording a single on the Atlantic Records label in 1970 it was not enough to keep them together and they went their own separate ways before much time had passed.

Many years later in 2003 the band, returning to their original name The Igniters, staged a reunion concert  in Harmarville, Pennsylvania.

https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/pittsburgh-music-story/rock/the-igniters

[Mal C]

Just checking out the blurb on Tim Brown's auction this month, and at the Jimmy Mack he has up. Says still a great 'unknown'.

I'm fully aware this question doesnt have an answer, we don't know who this was, Tim Brown would have stated if his id was known, Im just interested in the most upto date ideas on who he was.

The above thread, to be honest just confuses me a bit, other than he isnt the guy that recorded on Hamster, and he's not likely the Jimmy Mack & The music Factory?

Any other credible notes on this one, does anybody know who had been asked about this session, Mike Terry, Mickey valvano, and Mike Coleman on the label, have all those guys been asked about this 45?

Was Mike Valvano lead of Mike and The Modifiers on Gordy? and Mike  Coleman was Mickey Coleman formerly of the Valadiers.

scan from Tim Browns

[Chalky]

As far as I am aware all who can or could be traced and asked have been asked.  No one seems to know anything about him.  Tis a proper mystery.

[Peter99]

sorted.

Edited Thursday at 13:56 by Peter99

[Simon T]

1 hour ago, Peter99 said:

sorted.

Talking of Jimmy Mack's "Go On", can someone remind me of who the other version is by, some bloke on 'Sound' out of Nashville ?

Edited Thursday at 15:07 by Simon T

[Tagtag]

Dave Hall - Look at Me

[Tagtag]

 

[Mal C]

Ohh thats good, havent hear that in yonks... good though it is, not quite as good as Jimmy Mack.

[Mal C]

So an open and closed case, we still don't who Jimmy Mack is!!! laughing

My fault for asking a bloody obvious question, but at least its thrown light on that other version of 'Go On'.

[Theothertosspot]

On 28/11/2024 at 10:16, Mal C said:

Just checking out the blurb on Tim Brown's auction this month, and at the Jimmy Mack he has up. Says still a great 'unknown'.

I'm fully aware this question doesnt have an answer, we don't know who this was, Tim Brown would have stated if his id was known, Im just interested in the most upto date ideas on who he was.

The above thread, to be honest just confuses me a bit, other than he isnt the guy that recorded on Hamster, and he's not likely the Jimmy Mack & The music Factory?

Any other credible notes on this one, does anybody know who had been asked about this session, Mike Terry, Mickey valvano, and Mike Coleman on the label, have all those guys been asked about this 45?

Was Mike Valvano lead of Mike and The Modifiers on Gordy? and Mike  Coleman was Mickey Coleman formerly of the Valadiers.

scan from Tim Browns

Probably been mentioned/asked before but the Jimmy Mack and Precisions on Drew (If This Is Love) have pretty much all the same credits. 

May there be a connection between the two

Edited yesterday at 12:34 by Theothertosspot

[Northernjordan12]

A few years ago, while working with MD Records and conducting Pioneer Studio research, I made a serious effort to delve into "Jimmy Mack" and "In The Pocket Music." The "In The Pocket" team, comprising Mike Valvano, Marty Coleman, and Cholly Bassoline, who frequently used Pioneer Studio for their demos, and Mike Valvano would use their piano. Of this songwriting trio, only Cholly Bassoline is still alive. He later became the manager of Parliament-Funkadelic, though he maintains a low profile and is only occasionally active on Facebook.

I managed to get in touch with a female friend of his who worked with him in 2021 at a furniture store in Phillipsburg, NJ. (Yes, he’s still working!) She kindly passed along some messages to Cholly, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to shed any light on Jimmy Mack’s real identity.

Cholly did share some insights about his late colleagues. He said how Marty Coleman tragically died after being hit by a car on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, and how Mike Valvano passed away from a heart attack. He also mentioned that the Palmer Label was owned by Arc-Jay Kay Record Distributors, which was run by John Kaplan.

According to his friend, Cholly now lives "under the radar" and doesn’t have much more to share on the subject, nor does he remember the real identity of "Jimmy Mack"... 

[Solidsoul]

I'm pleased no one knows his true identity. It's good to have some mystery and unknown's in these times when the internet let's everyone know just about everything at their fingertips! 

[Northernjordan12]

I just spoke with Cholly's friend again. She's planning to give him a call about this thread to see if he can do any further asking around. Wasn't it previously suggested that it might possibly be 'Jimmy Soul Clark'?

[Chalky]

1 hour ago, Northernjordan12 said:

I just spoke with Cholly's friend again. She's planning to give him a call about this thread to see if he can do any further asking around. Wasn't it previously suggested that it might possibly be 'Jimmy Soul Clark'?

I think that is Richard Searling’s belief?

[Tlscapital]

Jimmy Mack would date May (or about) 1967. With a quote of its release in the BillBoard of May 13th 1967.

And the Precisions 'If This Is Love' appears in the issue of the BilBoard of August 12th 1967. 4 months later !

The Jimmy 'Soul' Clark theory holds water on datas and matching singing (with the Teek's gear) but until...

[Chalky]

Jimmy Soul Clark theory, not sure there is any fact behind it, more a belief rather than evidence based. I think if it was him someone would have known?

[Simon T]

31 minutes ago, Chalky said:

Jimmy Soul Clark theory, not sure there is any fact behind it, more a belief rather than evidence based. I think if it was him someone would have known?

yes, no, maybe?

 

 

[Tlscapital]

4 hours ago, Chalky said:

Jimmy Soul Clark theory, not sure there is any fact behind it, more a belief rather than evidence based. I think if it was him someone would have known?

Yes more of a 'belief' indeed but dates, places, peoples and similarity in voice and singing and first name make it a theory. Only that but it 'holds water' IMHO too.

[Robbk]

11 hours ago, Chalky said:

Jimmy Soul Clark theory, not sure there is any fact behind it, more a belief rather than evidence based. I think if it was him someone would have known?

My memory tells me that Jimmy "Soul" Clark's and Jimmy Mack's voices are different enough to be confident that they are not the same person.  I'll listen to all those cuts again to make sure.  I think any connection between them is just from collectors' guesses that became rumours.

[Robbk]

Just as I remembered, Jimmy Soul Clark's singing voice has a heavy nasal quality, and he sings in a slightly higher register than Jimmy Mack, who has a deeper quality, sort if in the background.  I think the latter could do well in baritone parts, whereas Jimmy Clark would have strained to get down there.  I really don't think they are the same person.

Edited 8 hours ago by Robbk

[Chalky]

3 hours ago, Robbk said:

My memory tells me that Jimmy "Soul" Clark's and Jimmy Mack's voices are different enough to be confident that they are not the same person.  I'll listen to all those cuts again to make sure.  I think any connection between them is just from collectors' guesses that became rumours.

When it was first mooted Jimmy Mack was JSC I listened to both and felt they weren’t the same singer.  As far as I am aware there was no evidence to say they were the same, just a hunch.