Verma Lewis And The Mustangs Five On Red Vinyl Anco 45 From Compton

[Spinologist]

Hello,

Recently I located a red vinyl copy of Verma Lewis and the Mustangs Five on the Anco Records label entitled You Do / It Was So Good Love.

The label shows a Compton, Los Angeles address. (Please see the attached scans.)

Verma Lewis also released a 45 record on Gold Token 103 entitled You Do / Somebody Help Me, a northern soul favorite.

Does anyone know anything about this red vinyl Anco release by Verma Lewis and the Mustangs Five?

Any information would be appreciated. Thanks !

This is especially interesting since the record offers a different side by this artist.

the Spinologist

Edited March 7, 2012 by spinologist

[boba]

Hi Phil, I don't know this record, is it R&B-ish or more soulish? Is there a good harmony ballad side? Thanks.

[Spinologist]

Hey Boba,'

It is moe R&B-ish, guitar, bass, drums, and sax, Only Verma sings (no backup).

Guitar does a brief solo ... two chords, very simple. I am guessing this was her first release of You Do,

before Gold Token released it. I found the record in Compton, where it was pressed.

[purist]

Sorry I'm confused which side you are talking about, so can I ask - Would you say the version of "You Do" on this 45 you've found is identical to the Gold Token one?

The reason I ask is that you say there's no backup singers, whereas on the Gold Token 45 that I have, the backing singers constantly echo "You Do" back to Verma throughout the song?

(do you need a sound file for the Gold Token version to answer this? p.m. me if so)

[Spinologist]

Neither side has any backup vocals. So, this is definitely an alternate take of You Do.

This is probably her first version, pressed on a small Compton label in red vinyl to commemorate her first release.

Edited March 8, 2012 by spinologist

[Ady Croasdell]

That's a great find, L A soul continues to amaze. I'd love to hear both sides of this and know more about her.

Ady

[Ady Croasdell]

Wow, Phil kindly sent me sound files of the record and it sounds like it was from about 2 years earlier than the Gold Token, totally different, and is given a much more R&B treatment. Sparser but very catchy and gets a good mood going. The Gold Token's pretty rare so I'd be interested to know what RB fans in particular might think of this if they ain't heard the later version. I think it's gonna get Ebayed soonish.

Ady

[Denbo]

Having heard it via Ady last night, sounds good to me.

Edited March 9, 2012 by denbo