Gracie Darnell On Ruth

[Premium Stuff]

Hi everyone

Looking for some information about Gracie Darnell - So Long Lover/The Bad Guys on Ruth 101 please.

Seems to be another disc with unclear Detroit and/or Chicago origins.

As I understand it the label was owned by Ollie McLaughlin and was named after his wife.

McLaughlin is credited on the label, as is songwriter Sharon McMahan.

Wasn't Gracie a Chicago artist though?

One side is featured on the following Chicago compilation on Goldmine:

I would tend to classify this as Detroit - but perhaps it's a bit of both cities?

Are the other releases on Ruth also thought of as either Detroit or Chicago? At least one of them credits McLaughlin.

Grateful for any information please.

Cheers

Richard

Edited April 6, 2012 by Premium Stuff

[Gilly]

Do you know mate its the only release ive seen on that lable but there is proberly about 6 others,yes Ruth is/was his wifes name the other lables he owned where named after his 3 daughters (Karen.Carla and his youngest Moira)Olies son Ira gave name to his publishing co

[Robbk]

I've never seen a reference to Gracie Darnell being from Chicago. I don't remember her appearing there in the early/mid '60s in local shows.

But, Ollie McLaughlin certainly had ties to Chicago. He was a DJ there in the mid '50s (WGES). He had a lot of ties to the music industry there. That is why he recorded most of Barbara Lewis sessions in Chicago (as well as those of many of his other artists). However, I don't remember hearing specifically, that he recorded any Chicago artists.

Of course, we know that Mike Hanks went to Chicago and recorded in projects with Bob Catron (Geraldine Hunt) and others. There was a LOT of back-and-forth between the two cities' music industries. The Four Hollidays, Andre Williams, Don Juan Mancha, Jo Armstead/Mike Terry Giant, Fred Bridges (Brothers of Soul/Bridges-Knight-Eaton), Ric Williams(Zodiac/Aquarius) Ruby Andrews/Mike Terry, Motown recording with Riley Hampton at RCA/Andantes and Funk Bros. recording for Carl Davis, Pied Piper/Metros and others recorded at RCA, McKinley Jackson, Detroit tracks used by Gene Chandler's Maurci, Fascinators recording for Al Benson's Blue Lake Records, John Lee Hooker (and loads of other Blues Singers), Al Perkins, etc. The list is a mile long.

He may well have recorded Gracie in Chicago (as he did many if not most of his artists at that time). But, I'd guess that she was a Detroit artist, and I'd consider Ruth a Detroit label, as Ollie, Sharon and his staff were located in Detroit. Ric Williams later recorded Ruby Andrews and Chuck Bernard in Memphis. Would you consider Zodiac as a Memphis label? Was it a Detroit label because they went there to record "Casanova"? Were both Aladdin and Imperial New Orleans labels in the early '50s because they recorded a lot of New Orleans acts in New Orleans?

I have no idea why the Gracie Darnell cuts appear on Chicago compilations, other than that there is a reasonable chance that they were recorded in Chicago.

Edited April 6, 2012 by RobbK

[Premium Stuff]

Thanks Gilly and Robb - great stuff

Here's a link to some more info on Ruth releases:

https://www.seabear.se/Ruth.html

Cheers

Richard

Edited April 6, 2012 by Premium Stuff

[Robbk]

There were only 3 Ruth releases (that we know exist)-. The 6 entries on SeaBear's list are both sides each of 3 Records: One The Vanguards (1958?), one by Kenny Owens(1962?) and this by Gracie Darnell(1963).

Edited April 6, 2012 by RobbK

[Premium Stuff]

Anyone got sound files of the Vanguards and Kenny Owens 45s please?

Are they more doo-wop or R&B in style?

Cheers

Richard

[Robbk]

Anyone got sound files of the Vanguards and Kenny Owens 45s please?

Are they more doo-wop or R&B in style?

Cheers

Richard

The Vanguards is R&B style, rather than Soul. I heard the Kenny Owens once. I don't remember it clearly. But I remember that it was on the "poppish" side, and not very memorable. It is not Northern-sounding, and probably not even marginal Popcorn.

[Premium Stuff]

The Vanguards is R&B style, rather than Soul. I heard the Kenny Owens once. I don't remember it clearly. But I remember that it was on the "poppish" side, and not very memorable. It is not Northern-sounding, and probably not even marginal Popcorn.

Thanks Robb - much appreciated

Cheers

Richard

[Robbk]

I forgot that the Kenny Owens is country Blues with a great guitar break. Here's a link to it on You-Tube:

[Premium Stuff]

Thanks very much for that Robb

Quite like that actually

Cheers

Richard

[Dave Pinch]

Thanks very much for that Robb

Quite like that actually

Cheers

Richard

ooh thats a terrible record richard.... i like the gracie darnell 45, tho i did try and and sell a copy on here a couple of years ago with no interest is it worth owt

[Premium Stuff]

ooh thats a terrible record richard.... i like the gracie darnell 45, tho i did try and and sell a copy on here a couple of years ago with no interest is it worth owt

Hey Dave - didn't say it was a nice soul record.

Completely different genre but I still quite enjoyed it - and nice guitar break as Robb said.

Don't worry mate I won't be trying to buy a copy.

Cheers

Richard

[boba]

I don't think the gracie darnell is chicago, I think it was just pressed there like many other early detroit soul records.

Isn't Sharon McMahon on here or some other board? Someone could ask her as she wrote the song.

[Speedlimit]

gracie darnell was covered up as Sharon Mc Mahon when it was first played back in the mid 80's

[Robbk]

I'm guessing that Gracie was living in Detroit. But, at that time McLaughlin was recording more in Chicago than in Detroit. So her cuts may well have been recorded in Chicago. But, I consider Ruth Records as a Detroit label.

[Premium Stuff]

I'm guessing that Gracie was living in Detroit. But, at that time McLaughlin was recording more in Chicago than in Detroit. So her cuts may well have been recorded in Chicago. But, I consider Ruth Records as a Detroit label.

I'm with you on that Robb - thanks very much for the info

Cheers

Richard

Edited April 7, 2012 by Premium Stuff

[boba]

I'm guessing that Gracie was living in Detroit. But, at that time McLaughlin was recording more in Chicago than in Detroit. So her cuts may well have been recorded in Chicago. But, I consider Ruth Records as a Detroit label.

sure. but detroit label + detroit artist = detroit record for me

[Robbk]

sure. but detroit label + detroit artist = detroit record for me

Same for me, as I've stated above. There have been a LOT of errors on commercial CDs.I've seen New York productions released on Mercury Records or releases on one of their subsidiary labels, considered a "Chicago Record", just because that company's original headquarters was located in Chicago. Some of the people in charge of putting out "oldies" label anthology CDs working for labels that now own the rights to former major labels know almost nothing about the history . They are not all diligent like the people at Ace/Kent or Universal/Motown.

[boba]

Same for me, as I've stated above. There have been a LOT of errors on commercial CDs.I've seen New York productions released on Mercury Records or releases on one of their subsidiary labels, considered a "Chicago Record", just because that company's original headquarters was located in Chicago. Some of the people in charge of putting out "oldies" label anthology CDs working for labels that now own the rights to former major labels know almost nothing about the history . They are not all diligent like the people at Ace/Kent or Universal/Motown.

a lot of those CDs have nothing to do with rights, many are bootlegs

I've also seen people refer to every okeh record as chicago

[Gracemary Bandoian]

On 06/04/2012 at 11:35, Premium Stuff said:

Hi everyone

 

Looking for some information about Gracie Darnell - So Long Lover/The Bad Guys on Ruth 101 please.

 

Seems to be another disc with unclear Detroit and/or Chicago origins.

 

As I understand it the label was owned by Ollie McLaughlin and was named after his wife.

 

McLaughlin is credited on the label, as is songwriter Sharon McMahan.

 

Wasn't Gracie a Chicago artist though?

 

One side is featured on the following Chicago compilation on Goldmine:

 

 

 

I would tend to classify this as Detroit - but perhaps it's a bit of both cities?

 

Are the other releases on Ruth also thought of as either Detroit or Chicago? At least one of them credits McLaughlin.

 

Grateful for any information please.

 

Cheers hi this IS gracie darnell!  Please contact me  

 

 

Richard

 

[Gracemary Bandoian]

Hi this is Gracie Darnell.  I’d like to answer some of your questions about my record and Ollie Mc.  I’m Detroit, not Chicago. 

[Kenb]

Thanks for getting in touch Gracemary, and welcome.

How old were you when you recorded on Ruth label? Where was it recorded? How did you Ollie first meet? etc.

BTW-later on (in the late 70's) in your career did you have something to do with films/scores/Ed Morelli.

feel free to wander through your career, i'm sure @Premium Stuff the Original Poster would like to know.

best

kenb