Ascots/ Talmadge Armstrong

[KevH]

Hi,following on from a post by Cunnie re: Ascots,here's some info regarding Ascots/ Talmdage Armstrong - "Color me soul".

Makes interesting reading ,as the point of royalties/payment to artists,as been brought up again on here.

Wonder if the Ascots etc,got paid for the tax scam releases.? Or was it one last try,by Huey Meaux ,to pay the guys.?

https://bayoucitysoul...-yard-creeping/

Edited January 3, 2013 by KevH

[Roburt]

Extract from the above article ...........

In the late seventies, Meaux facing a slew of tax related issues, sought to defray his bills by releasing a then unprecedented amount of unreleased material he had recorded through the years. The tax scam album as it is today known was the shady art of recording and then releasing a record for the sole purpose of claiming it at an inflated cost of production and loss come April 15th. A method for making gargantuan tax write-offs without having actually spent said costs by a long shot. It was incredibly illegal but not the easiest manner in which to be caught for tax evasion.

The LA based Emkay label 45's (Hypnotics, Charles Drain, Love Set, Otis Williams) were put out for this self same reason.

[Robbk]

Extract from the above article ...........

In the late seventies, Meaux facing a slew of tax related issues, sought to defray his bills by releasing a then unprecedented amount of unreleased material he had recorded through the years. The tax scam album as it is today known was the shady art of recording and then releasing a record for the sole purpose of claiming it at an inflated cost of production and loss come April 15th. A method for making gargantuan tax write-offs without having actually spent said costs by a long shot. It was incredibly illegal but not the easiest manner in which to be caught for tax evasion.

I wouldn't be surprised if that is why so many "garbage records" were produced, pressed and "released" on the various Motown labels. I don't believe that Berry Gordy ever thought Ray Oddis', Joel Sebastian's or The Chuck-A-Lucks' records would sell more than a handful of copies (If that).

[Platters 81]

didnt Craig Moerer have loads of this LP.......and me and my mates all bought one ........and some still there............wasnt $50 then tho......

Edited January 3, 2013 by platters 81

[boba]

nobody got paid on tax scam LPs except the label, that was the scam.

almost nobody got paid on non-tax scam LPs.

now those tiger lily and other tax scam LPs are worth a ton of money, I bet the original people wish they kept some

[Roburt]

SOME INFO on the happenings behind the Emkay Records releases in 1979 ........

Tony Hart was the man behind the Hartsong Corporation that ran Spirit Records (a contemporary Christian rock label). He hooked up with Kent Washburn (who took the post of Vice President / General Manager of Spirit Records) after Kent left Motown Records. Kent was tasked with the job of developing a new sound (an R&B / rock fusion) for gospel artists signed to the label (Randy Matthews, etc.). The Hartsong Corporation had been set up in part to exploit a tax loophole. The Corporation produced and acquired masters that were then sold to investors to allow them to take advantage of tax credit rules. As long as records were pressed up and distributed, the product could be ‘sold on’ to investors who could then claim back more than they had paid as a tax write-off. Kent had some unused masters cut in St Louis in the mid 70's that were available and so these were utilized by Hartsong in this manner. As Hartsong’s own Spirit label only handled Christian product, Kent’s tracks were released on his reactivated Emkay label and a small number of each release were pressed up. These were ‘distributed’ as required under the tax laws but all that really happened was a few copies were sent to local DJ’s and industry people, some copies were passed along to the investors with the remaining (small amount of stock) going straight into a warehouse. So the public remained totally oblivious to the existence of these records.

In all there were 12 releases on the Emkay label in 1979;

10 No. 45’s + 2 No. LPs. Six of the 45’s were soul outings with four being rock ..............

EM1001 - LP - A LIFE IN A DAY by JUSTIN THYME -- JAZZ/FUSION

EM1002 - 45 - MIDNIGHT FERRY / TAKE A BREAK FOR THE FEELING by COMMONGROUND -- COUNTRY ROCK

EM1003 - LP - FREE LOVE by FREE LOVE (MARCUS KELLY & WESTMORELAND CO.) -- SOUL

EM1004 - 45 - ONE WAY TICKET / DON'T BURN NO BRIDGES by THE HYPNOTICS -- SOUL

EM1005 - 45 - THE LONE RANGER / NEVER MAKE YOU STAY by THE HYPNOTICS -- SOUL

EM1006 - 45 - TURN ME ON / GOT TO GET AWAY by ACT III -- SOUL

EM1007 - 45 - JUST KEEP ON LOVIN ME / I WANNA BE FULLY LOVED by THE LOVE SET — SOUL

EM1008 - 45 - I COULD STAY ALL NIGHT / DON'T SURPRISE YOURSELF by CHARLES DRAIN - SOUL

EM1009 — Kent has no idea what this was & it’s likely that no release under this number occurred.

EM1010 - 45 - TAKE ME BACK / I GOT TO HAVE YOU by OTIS WILLIAMS -- SOUL

EM1011 - 45 - LORD WON'T LEAVE IT ALONE / COUNT ON WINNING by COMMONGROUND -- COUNTRY ROCK

EM1012 - 45 - UNDERHANDED MAN / GRAVE DIGGERS by THE STAR SPANGLED BAND -- ROCK

EM1013 - 45 - NONCHALANT FIASCO / THE WAR SONG by THE STAR SPANGLED BAND -- ROCK

[KevH]

nobody got paid on tax scam LPs except the label, that was the scam.

almost nobody got paid on non-tax scam LPs.

now those tiger lily and other tax scam LPs are worth a ton of money, I bet the original people wish they kept some

This was what i was hoping for Bob.To start a debate around payment of artists at the time,or near the time,of recording.Lots of opinion on here about how the artists who are alive didn't get paid,and the soul fraternity should put their hands in their pockets now to show appreciation.Nothing wrong with the sentiment.

But there's more to it than "the artist should be paid NOW".I'm guessing alot of them were shafted by the very people who had their best interests at heart.Hence the tax scam,no money going to the artist.

[Roburt]

RE: start a debate around payment of artists at the time,or near the time,of recording.

A few posts on the IRONY thread in ALL ABOUT THE SOUL section deal with issues close to this.

[KevH]

RE: start a debate around payment of artists at the time,or near the time,of recording.

A few posts on the IRONY thread in ALL ABOUT THE SOUL section deal with issues close to this.

That what prompted this thread.Any mileage in merging threads? Not caught up with IRONY posts.

[KevH]

Locking this off.Continues on the Tax Scam thread.In LAYB section.

Edited January 7, 2013 by KevH