The Soul Stoppers

[Guest lennytone]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. This is a record I did back in 1966 (I'm the high tenor) with a couple of friends.

It's on my friend Stevie's label. I also do a soul radio show on Wednesday nights from 7 to 9 pm (Pacific

Time), probably the middle of the night in the UK! It's at www.KSKQ.org

https://youtu.be/cV3Vq3pVJBk

Edited October 8, 2012 by lennytone

[boba]

Hi Lenny. I think I talked to you on the phone a long time ago, you told me that johnny matthews of johnny and the expressions was in this group. I think you were sick and I hope you are doing better now. Did you remember the 3rd member? Thanks.

[Guest lennytone]

Hi. Yes that's what he claimed, and Josie is a NYC label. But I've since heard that Johnny & Expressions was a west-coast group, so who knows? Not much is known about them. Our group had 5 members, but Johnny & Stevie only wanted three voices on the record. So, I sang first tenor, Johnny second, and Bay (Bey?) baritone & bass. I never knew his last name, or really his first name! My cancer is much worse these days. I'll be starting chemo soon, but I may have waited too long, unfortunately.

[boba]

Hi. Yes that's what he claimed, and Josie is a NYC label. But I've since heard that Johnny & Expressions was a west-coast group, so who knows? Not much is known about them. Our group had 5 members, but Johnny & Stevie only wanted three voices on the record. So, I sang first tenor, Johnny second, and Bay (Bey?) baritone & bass. I never knew his last name, or really his first name! My cancer is much worse these days. I'll be starting chemo soon, but I may have waited too long, unfortunately.

I'm pretty sure Johnny and the Expressions were from New York. There are uninformed people who say that Johnny Wyatt (who actually was from LA and lead singer of Rochelle and the Candles) was "Johnny" in the group but that is total BS. You are more of a primary source as you sang with him!

Also sorry about your health, I hope it improves with the treatment.

[boba]

also, that's clearly the same voice from johnny and the expressions on your record.

how did you end up meeting the guys and forming the group?

[Roburt]

Your track has sort of an 'Impressions' feel to it ..........

...... was that your intention when you went into the studio ?

If not, who's sound were you aiming at (who were the groups you admired) ??

[boba]

Your track has sort of an 'Impressions' feel to it ..........

...... was that your intention when you went into the studio ?

If not, who's sound were you aiming at (who were the groups you admired) ??

It doesn't really sound impressions-ish to me. I think the similarity might just be Johnny Matthews voice:

[Guest lennytone]

We were all guys that hung out at Stevie's record shop on Fulton St. in Brooklyn which was near the "projects". I worked across the street in the record department at Mays department store. During my half-hour lunch, I would typically have a slice of pizza, knock down a couple of boiler-makers and save a few minutes for Stevie's. I don't remember the name of the store anymore, although his previous store was Rendevous Records on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. When that store closed he opened the other one. It was partially (mostly?) owned by Apex-Rendezvous record distributors, who gave me my next job. I mostly hung out there because I was in lust with his female employee. Both of us wound up working at the distrib eventually. But I met Johnny Matthews first time when he came into Mays and introduced himself, saying his group had split up and he was looking for a new group. Stevie (he's the Capra in the song writing credit - shortened from a longer Italian name) probably sent him in, knowing I had years of singing with street-corner doo-wop groups. We formed a group and practiced at Stevie's, who shortly said he wanted to record us. Unbeknownst to me at the time (I found out about 15 years ago), we were to sing lyrics to an instrumental recorded just weeks earlier by a band from The Bronx called the Soul Choppers, without their permission! We all had a hand in putting the lyrics together, then recorded it in two takes at Bell Studios. I had laryngitis that day, really straining to sing at all. The record bombed, and a few months later at my new job I saw them inserting the unsold copies into 5 for a dollar packs headed for retail stores.

[Pete S]

It doesn't really sound impressions-ish to me. I think the similarity might just be Johnny Matthews voice:

The first couple lines make you instantly think of The Impressions but the drummer spoils the record by overdoing it with the cymbals.

[Swifty]

We were all guys that hung out at Stevie's record shop on Fulton St. in Brooklyn which was near the "projects". I worked across the street in the record department at Mays department store. During my half-hour lunch, I would typically have a slice of pizza, knock down a couple of boiler-makers and save a few minutes for Stevie's. I don't remember the name of the store anymore, although his previous store was Rendevous Records on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. When that store closed he opened the other one. It was partially (mostly?) owned by Apex-Rendezvous record distributors, who gave me my next job. I mostly hung out there because I was in lust with his female employee. Both of us wound up working at the distrib eventually. But I met Johnny Matthews first time when he came into Mays and introduced himself, saying his group had split up and he was looking for a new group. Stevie (he's the Capra in the song writing credit - shortened from a longer Italian name) probably sent him in, knowing I had years of singing with street-corner doo-wop groups. We formed a group and practiced at Stevie's, who shortly said he wanted to record us. Unbeknownst to me at the time (I found out about 15 years ago), we were to sing lyrics to an instrumental recorded just weeks earlier by a band from The Bronx called the Soul Choppers, without their permission! We all had a hand in putting the lyrics together, then recorded it in two takes at Bell Studios. I had laryngitis that day, really straining to sing at all. The record bombed, and a few months later at my new job I saw them inserting the unsold copies into 5 for a dollar packs headed for retail stores.

Fascinating stuff mate , this is what it's all about , just love to hear stories like this.

Cheers

Swifty

p.s. don't let it beat you my friend

[Andreas B]

Interesting record here mate, vocal harmonies remind me of the Esquires. Best of luck with your health.

Edited October 9, 2012 by AndreasB

[Guest lennytone]

Harmony wise, I think we had "The Jerk" by The Larks in mind, nothing as lofty as The Impressions!

[Guest Matt Male]

We were all guys that hung out at Stevie's record shop on Fulton St. in Brooklyn which was near the "projects". I worked across the street in the record department at Mays department store. During my half-hour lunch, I would typically have a slice of pizza, knock down a couple of boiler-makers and save a few minutes for Stevie's. I don't remember the name of the store anymore, although his previous store was Rendevous Records on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. When that store closed he opened the other one. It was partially (mostly?) owned by Apex-Rendezvous record distributors, who gave me my next job. I mostly hung out there because I was in lust with his female employee. Both of us wound up working at the distrib eventually. But I met Johnny Matthews first time when he came into Mays and introduced himself, saying his group had split up and he was looking for a new group. Stevie (he's the Capra in the song writing credit - shortened from a longer Italian name) probably sent him in, knowing I had years of singing with street-corner doo-wop groups. We formed a group and practiced at Stevie's, who shortly said he wanted to record us. Unbeknownst to me at the time (I found out about 15 years ago), we were to sing lyrics to an instrumental recorded just weeks earlier by a band from The Bronx called the Soul Choppers, without their permission! We all had a hand in putting the lyrics together, then recorded it in two takes at Bell Studios. I had laryngitis that day, really straining to sing at all. The record bombed, and a few months later at my new job I saw them inserting the unsold copies into 5 for a dollar packs headed for retail stores.

Great story. Brilliant to hear about the way these things happened in those days. Sorry to hear about your illness, I know everyone on here into soul music will wish you all the best.

[boba]

Here is johnny and the expressions btw. Was he the only guy in this photo in your group?

ressions smaller.jpg]

[Guest lennytone]

Yeah, the guy in the dark suit looks just like him. The other guys I sang with were not Expressions. One of the guys was short and rotund with a nice voice. I was surprised they didn't want him on the record. Bay was tall; that's about all I remember.

[boba]

Thanks for the info! I hope your treatment goes well.

[Andreas B]

would love to hear the flip of this too

[boba]

would love to hear the flip of this too

the flip is an unrelated funk instrumental, there is a whole separate story behind the actual funk group the soul stoppers