Thelma - (Label Of The Week)

[Robbk]

On 10/11/2011 at 07:17, sostenuto said:

 

 

Re. Pat Smith; butch had a United acetate by pat smith that he used to spin at the 100 club in the early 9ts. I think it was called "time to think it over", and uptempo dancer with female backing. He said he bought it off tim ashibende, who found it at either billy kennedy or emanuel laskey's home. According to tim, it was supposed to have been considered for a Thelma release.

I think "Time To Think It Over" was slated as  the "B" Side of "Whirlpool".

[Robbk]

Is this Marvelous Ray "Whirlpool" the exact same original Thelma Records early 1965 recording of Pat Smith singing that song? The instrumental is the exact same. The voice sounds exactly the same to me, as well. I wonder if the Abner label was owned by Ronnie Abner, who was, at that time, still a member of The Fabulous Peps, who also recorded for Thelma on their GeGe subsidiary label. Abner was also a songwriter and assistant producer with the company. This record list "James" Abner as the writer. I wonder how "James Abner" got ahold of the masters for this record, which should have been owned by Hazel and Robert Coleman or Don Davis, depending upon the agreement with Don Davis upon his leaving The Thelma Records partnership.  And He took credit for writing the song, and somehow got the publishing rights, too.

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Robbk

[Jodie]

On 09/11/2011 at 10:42, Robbk said:

 

 

I have the full label run, as well. "Lucky To Be Loved By You" was never released nor even slated for 103 (or any other number by Thelma. Number 103 and the two missing matrix numbers were slated for two songs by a female artist named Pat Smith. I surely would have liked to hear those. I suppose people have asked Don Davis' son what happened to those master tapes. I can't figure out why Davis thought that tiny Wild Deuce could get that release any kind of decent national distribution. I think it was the very best (and most "Motownish" Thelma recording.

 

Here's an excerpt from Soulful Detroit's "Webisode" on Thelma Records:

 

"There are many vinyl collectors living in hope of finding a copy of Thelma #103, but they don't exist. That catalogue number was allocated to Pat Smith's unreleased recording, "Going Through A Whirlpool" - Ron Murphy found the documentation in United Sound's archives." I remember Ron, himself, telling me that he found that. He had remembered Pat as a local Detroit singer. Clearly Smith's record was cancelled, without even demos pressed, as Golden World used one of the missing ZTSC numbers.

This may be of some interest.

[Jodie]

6 minutes ago, Jodie said:

This may be of some interest.

 

[Robbk]

5 hours ago, Jodie said:

This may be of some interest.

I have since, heard both Pat Smith cuts (taken off the tapes, or acetates, later found).  But, I've never heard "Shake it Baby" by The Distants.  Was that ever found among Don Davis' tapes (by his son)? I'd really love to hear that cut.  Does anyone have access to it?  I never saw it in The Motown vaults, unlike a few of The Distants'/Majestics Thelma demos ("Hello Love", "Cry", etc.) that Richard Street brought with him when he joined Norman Whitfield, leaving Thelma for Motown.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Robbk

[Jodie]

On 20/05/2023 at 19:03, Robbk said:

I have since, heard both Pat Smith cuts (taken off the tapes, or acetates, later found).  But, I've never heard "Shake it Baby" by The Distants.  Was that ever found among Don Davis' tapes (by his son)? I'd really love to hear that cut.  Does anyone have access to it?  I never saw it in The Motown vaults, unlike a few of The Distants'/Majestics Thelma demos ("Hello Love", "Cry", etc.) that Richard Street brought with him when he joined Norman Whitfield, leaving Thelma for Motown.

I'll post a clip up as soon as I have one.

I don't really have any history on it unfortunately.  Bought it ages ago (ebay), but never had it recorded.

[G F]

You may be interested in this interview with Emanuel - I've just uploaded it to YouTube...