Soul Town The Sweets

[Prophonics 2029]

Suppose this goes out to the knowledgeable US members if they have any info on the group or band members on the Something About My Baby song they did. TIAV

[Prophonics 2029]

That bass guitar sounds like it was recorded in a cardboard box, it reminds me of another artist? See if anyone else thinks the same.

[Guest]

Sounds absolutly brilliant to me, one of the best records ever made. What do you people want!!!

[Pete S]

Sounds absolutly brilliant to me, one of the best records ever made. What do you people want!!!

I've lost track of which one we're talking about now

[Prophonics 2029]

Sounds absolutly brilliant to me, one of the best records ever made. What do you people want!!!

Never said I didnt like it, want to know if the bands names the known. You have Ray Agee and The Exits/ whoevers on the label so wondered if more details are known.

Edited February 5, 2013 by Prophonics 2029

[Agentsmith]

I've lost track of which one we're talking about now

think we ARE talking about the b-side of course pete, agree the bassline intro is goosebumps and the understated horns give it that classy, jazzy influence, the lead vocal almost flatlines but it all adds up to a tremendous flip to an out and out stormer inherant to the first decade of northern soul...couldnt wish to buy a more desireable disc and i think that says it for many....very rarely turns up though and i have to admit, i turned away the chance at tim's last year, basically because i just didnt have the funds.

[Prophonics 2029]

Didn't Pete s get one for £30 or miss it a few years ago ? boot or real un issue.

So its an LA band - group thing.

[Steve G]

Suppose this goes out to the knowledgeable US members if they have any info on the group or band members on the Something About My Baby song they did. TIAV

What's wrong with knowledgeable members from anywhere else matey?

They are supposed to be Felice Taylor and two of her sisters who had previously recorded a 45 on Valiant. Also worth noting that the producer of Soul Town 45 = producer of Masterpiece 45.....but of course if any US members know more they'll jump in and correct us I am sure....

Edited February 5, 2013 by Steve G

[Chalky]

What's wrong with knowledgeable members from anywhere else matey?

They are supposed to be Felice Taylor and two of her sisters who had previously recorded a 45 on Valiant. Also worth noting that the producer of Soul Town 45 = producer of Masterpiece 45.....but of course if any US members know more they'll jump in and correct us I am sure....

Which one is Sandy Golden?

[Steve G]

Which one is Sandy Golden?

Dunno for sure if Sandy Golden is a made up name, a different singer or one of the Sweets with a new name.

[Rich B]

Anecdotaly as a very young man I went to buy "Satisfy me baby" from Selecta back in early '74 and whoever it was behind the counter (I think it was Nick K) popped up with a very un bootleg looking copy and tells me "Looks like it's your lucky day, it's a real one" and sold it me for the bootleg price of 75p - talk about things not being valued once the bootlegger had done his work!

Didn't play the flipside for about 25 years....

[boba]

SWEETS, THE (fg) (Richmond, CA)

Sisters Felice, Darlene and Norma Taylor.

Valiant 711 Mama Saw Me / The Richest Girl (3/65)

Soultown 105 Satisfy Me Baby / Something About My Baby (66)

[Roburt]

................. AMENDED ............

Felice must have gone solo straight after that Soultown 45 was released. She was signed to Groovy Records as Florian Taylor & cut some sides that supposedly escaped on just about the last Groovy 45 (though I have never seen a copy of said single -- "Think About Me"). Her stay with the label was very short lived and later in 1966 she got a deal with Mustang Records. They put out "It May Be Winter Outside" around late December 66 and it hit home immediately in northern US cities (where the cold weather made it quite topical).

By the first week in January 67, the track went big on Philly radio stations and from there it didn't look back. The 45 had entered the US national soul charts by the end of January and it also escaped in the UK that January (on President). Here it quickly became a big pirate radio & soul club play. With a hit on her hands, Mustang didn't waste any time & her follow up ("I'm Under The Influence of Love") hit US shops in March (67). Her 45 was also released in the UK and Europe, unfortunately pirate radio in the UK was shutting down due to Government legislation and so her new single got less radio play here. But club goers picked up on it and it became a dance floor hit. Radio 1 got going in the UK at the end of September and just about all the DJ's who got shows on the station came from the pirates. But Felice's outing was seen as an old release, so it got little radio airplay. The clubs were still behind it though but its popularity soon tailed off. She now had a high profile over this side of the pond and so "I Feel Love Coming On" was rushed out here in September and work on promoting the 45 got under way immediately.

But her early US chart success had gone to her head and she was getting very difficult to work with. No one at Mustang was happy working with her anymore and, to further complicate matters, the company (Del-Fi) was also struggling to stay in business. In November, while she was over in Europe doing promotional work to push the release of "I Feel Love Coming On" (she was in the UK and also appeared on a TV show shot in Amsterdam, Holland), she was signed to Kent Records (US). Her new UK release was getting a big push from Brit label President and it soon became a club hit. It entered the charts here in November and after Radio 1 had to start playing it (coz it was on the pop charts) it climbed to almost make the pop top 10. In the end, it stayed on the UK pop charts for 3 months and made Felice a big star here. So they had a hit artist on their hands but President now had a problem. They had no more cuts by Felice that they could put out. After some months, a deal was done with Kent Records and the top side of her 2 Kent 45's were coupled to form a new UK release ("Captured By Your Love / I Can Feel Your Love" -- President # PT193) in April 68. By then (I believe) she had lost her US record deal and so European based labels were struggling to find cuts to release on this popular singer here. She was fetched across from the States and a new track was recorded in conjunction with President's Eddie Grant & the Equals; "Suree-Surrender". This initially escaped in Spain (c/w "All I Want To Do Is Love You") in early April (though I'm sure the tracks involved were licensed in from President in the UK). This coupling was also put out in Germany on the President label and it eventually escaped in the UK in November that year.

But Felice now had no recording contract at home and with her later releases in Europe doing less well, she soon stopped making trips over here. She never did manage to get another US deal and by 1970 had seemed to slip out of the business altogether.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Guest gordon russell]

so who's sandy golden?

[Ian Dewhirst]

Felice must have gone solo straight after that Soultown 45 was released. She was signed to Groovy Records as Florian Taylor & cut some sides that supposedly escaped on just about the last Groovy 45 (though I have never seen a copy of said single -- "Think About Me"). Her stay with the label was very short lived and later in 1966 she got a deal with Mustang Records. They put out "It May Be Winter Outside" around late December 66 and it hit home immediately in northern US cities (where the cold weather made it quite topical).

By the first week in January 67, the track went big on Philly radio stations and from there it didn't look back. The 45 had entered the US national soul charts by the end of January and it also escaped in the UK that January (on President). Here it quickly became a big pirate radio & soul club play. With a hit on her hands, Mustang didn't waste any time & her follow up ("I'm Under The Influence of Love") hit US shops in March (67). Her 45 was also released in the UK and Europe, unfortunately pirate radio in the UK was shutting down due to Government legislation and so her new single got less radio play here. But club goers picked up on it and it became a dance floor hit. Radio 1 got going in the UK at the end of September and just about all the DJ's who got shows on the station came from the pirates. But Felice's outing was seen as an old release, so it got little radio airplay. The clubs were still behind it though and the popularity it was enjoying there eventually led to it entering the UK pop charts in mid November.

But her early US chart success had gone to her head and she was getting very difficult to work with. No one at Mustang was happy working with her anymore and, to further complicate matters, the company (Del-Fi) was also struggling to stay in business. In November, while she was over in Europe doing promotional work to push "Influence of Love" (she was in the UK and also appeared on a TV show shot in Amsterdam, Holland), she was signed to Kent Records (US). Her last Mustang release was still getting a push from Brit label President and it soon climbed the charts here after Radio 1 had to start playing it (coz it was on the pop charts). In the end, it stayed on the UK pop charts for 3 months and made Felice a big star here. Even though her earlier 45 was still on the UK charts, President licensed another track from Mustang and put it out here in December ("I Feel Love Coming On"). Again the 45 sold well but President now had a problem, they had no more cuts by Felice that they could put out. After some months, a deal was done with Kent Records and the top side of her 2 Kent 45's were coupled to form a new UK release ("Captured By Your Love / I Can Feel Your Love" -- President # PT193) around April 68. By then (I believe) she had lost her US record deal and so European based labels were struggling to find cuts to release on this popular singer here. She was fetched across from the States and a new track was recorded in conjunction with President's Eddie Grant & the Equals; "Suree-Surrender". This initially escaped in Spain (c/w "All I Want To Do Is Love You") in early April (though I'm sure the tracks involved were licensed in from President in the UK). This coupling was also put out in Germany on the President label and it eventually escaped in the UK around November that year.

But Felice now had no recording contract at home and with her later releases in Europe doing less well, she soon stopped making trips over here. She never did manage to get another US deal and by 1970 had seemed to slip out of the business altogether.

Well that's nothing like I remember at all to be honest. I seem to remember "It May Be Winter Outside", "I'm Under The Influence Of Love" and "Surree Surrender" coming out AFTER "I Feel Love Comin' On" which was her ONLY UK hit - none of the others charted.

It's obviously possible that the others did come out before her hit and then got reissued to capitalize on the hit. "I Feel Love Comin' On" was the first record I ever bought with my own pocket money and was 12 at the time so maybe I missed the earlier action?

Ian D

[Roburt]

Ian, you're right in part I got a bit mixed up with regard to her UK hit.

But as you will remember, President never deleted 45's. I don't even think they ever took returns (overstock from record shops returned as unsold to swop with newer releases from the label).

So, you could buy President 45's for some years after they were initially put out. I remember buying singles on the label by the likes of Viola Wills, Alvin Cash, Johnny Wyatt, Willie Parker & Betty Everett well after their initial release dates.

Mind you I toally missed their releases on Barry White (67) & Roger Hatcher (68) at the time.

When she had her UK hit, her older records were pushed again & of course, they were played by DJ's in Top Rank / Locarno type venues after "I Feel Love Coming On" was a popular track.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Prophonics 2029]

The Bass line sounds so like the Betty Wilson I'm Yours , even from the start - clean and crisp then into a cardboard box sound on both recordings ?

DC to LA who knows.

[Steve G]

The Sweets were LA both their 45s. The producer was LA too.

The other Sandy Golden that Pete posted was I think a Vegas number - I did check it at the time as I suspected a Rosen Rat. (but then again LV is only a 4h drive from LA and a well beaten path for acts). Everything from ashtrays to tin plate used in making percussion sounds. Forget DC I'd say....

Edited February 6, 2013 by Steve G

[Tony Smith]

................. AMENDED ............

Felice must have gone solo straight after that Soultown 45 was released. She was signed to Groovy Records as Florian Taylor & cut some sides that supposedly escaped on just about the last Groovy 45 (though I have never seen a copy of said single -- "Think About Me").

It was released on Cadet 5546 in 1966

[Tony Smith]

The Sweets were LA both their 45s. The producer was LA too.

The other Sandy Golden that Pete posted was I think a Vegas number - I did check it at the time as I suspected a Rosen Rat. (but then again LV is only a 4h drive from LA and a well beaten path for acts). Everything from ashtrays to tin plate used in making percussion sounds. Forget DC I'd say....

Producer was Nate Fortier

[Steve G]

Producer was Nate Fortier

Yes exactly Tony, same as The Sweets. actually the other Sandy Golden that Pete posted has Nate's number on, but having checked it looks like an LA release and not Las Vegas as I previously thought.

[Tony Smith]

Yes exactly Tony, same as The Sweets. actually the other Sandy Golden that Pete posted has Nate's number on, but having checked it looks like an LA release and not Las Vegas as I previously thought.

I'm sure I've seen his name on something else, can't remember now, don't think it was the "other" Sandy Golden either.

[Steve G]

Courtesy of Pete Smith

[Tony Smith]

Courtesy of Pete Smith

There you go, wrong! I remember Ion, got this one off Butch at Stafford to make a pair.

[Pete S]

There you go, wrong! I remember Ion, got this one off Butch at Stafford to make a pair.

The same actual copy as in the photo? I did actually photograph that myself.

[Tony Smith]

The same actual copy as in the photo? I did actually photograph that myself.

No I doubt it's the same copy.

[Cobbles]

it's a really nice record.....only my opinion of course

[Roburt]

It was released on Cadet 5546 in 1966

Cadet 5546 -- that would make it a mid October 1966 release (on Cadet), whereas "It May Be Winter Outside" (Mustang) came out in time for Xmas 66 (the 45 was listed among the new releases in Billboard mag dated 24th Dec 66). So I'd say she was signed to / recording for Mustang in November.

Guess "Think About Me" must have been cut in the summer, with its 'local release' in LA (pre-Cadet) dating from that time also.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Roburt

[Ljblanken]

SWEETS, THE (fg) (Richmond, CA)

Sisters Felice, Darlene and Norma Taylor.

Valiant 711 Mama Saw Me / The Richest Girl (3/65)

Soultown 105 Satisfy Me Baby / Something About My Baby (66)

ha ha. they were from Richmond?? surprised they lived long enough to record anything.