There was a Soul Set label ...... AND ....  lots of groups who used the Soul Set name.

There was one outfit down in North Carolina, one (?) based in Pittsburgh and one or more in the Philly / New Jersey area.

I presume that Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets were related in some way to Gary Glenn & the Soul Set (both were from Pittsburgh I believe).

Were the B B Records and Sock & Soul groups one and the same ?

.......... BUT ..... just how many different groups did use the name ??

 

 

There was also a French (?) based group who went by the name of The Earl Lett International Soul Set.

They had a 45 out that featured a track titled "Soul Serenade" ... though I think this was a different song to the King Curtis / Willie Mitchell one.

Norman Seldin and the Soul Set were from New Jersey. Seldin was heavily involved with local music. He ran (co-ran?) the Selsom record label. Clarence Clemons, of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, was a member but I'm not sure for how long or which recordings. They were together in a later band called the Joyful Noyze. Springsteen and his band the Castiles played shows with the Soul Set. Probably the only? time Bruce Springsteen gets talked about in this forum. Regarding the PA bands, I know a old friend of mine from there knows those bands, but I lost touch with him.

 

I remember some UK soul guy asking me about the Soul Set years ago. I guess he had not heard the Norman Seldin group's records previously and assumed they were the same group as on Bi Me and thought he might be on to an unknown NS biggie. Not after hearing the Seldin record, though!

Edited May 10, 201312 yr by George G

I did have some notes from my friend about Gary Glenn. They were from Ambridge, PA which is near Pittsburgh but not part of it. GG had three 45s. I don't know who Cleveland Martin and the Soul Sets were but Gary Glenn's bands only released three 45s, one on Co&Ce, one on Cove, and one on Jeree. More greaser than soul. The Soul Set on BB were from Reading, PA.

Thought I may as well post up a scan of the Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets 45 as well ........

.... their single came out on the Single B label which Odell Bailey was involved with (and so this label obviously has connections with the Millage label).

Cleveland Martin went on to become a member (singing lead) with the Del-Vikings in the 70's.

Edited May 10, 201312 yr by Roburt

For completeness, Flynny has done an admirable bio (on his website) on the Carolina lot....

I see.....this is from 1974. No connection to the Gary Glenn record from 8 years earlier. Gary made a record or two in the 1970s but was not using the Soul Set name. Mr. Martin may have remembered the name from years ago and decided to recycle it for this effort. I have some Millage label records from the 1960s.

 

  On 10/05/2013 at 07:27, Roburt said:

Thought I may as well post up a scan of the Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets 45 as well ........

.... their single came out on the Single B label which Odell Bailey was involved with (and so this label obviously has connections with the Millage label).

Cleveland Martin went on to become a member (singing lead) with the Del-Vikings in the 70's.

Anyone know when the Single B / Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets 45 dates from ??

I'd guess that as Odell Bailey & Telldell Music were involved ... AND .... that Cleveland Martin was playing loads of gigs around Pittsburgh then ...that it was 1967-ish.

Cleveland Martin had started out in groups at the end of the 50's. He was blind but that didn't stop him carving out a long music biz career. He helped form the Diadems in Pittsburgh who cut for La Vere in 1961. Odell Bailey was involved with the group at that time. They had a 45 out on Goldie in 1964 ("I'll Do Anything") ............ 

The group changed their name to the Rhythm Rascals in 1966 for a 45 on Sonic that was picked up by Roulette.

By 1974, Cleveland Martin was going by the name of Butch Martin and was performing on blues shows around Pittsburgh (see below).

Then he (& other members of the Diadems) ended up as members of the Del Vikings in 1976. 

 

Also, this is very very speculative, but ........

. could there be a link in label name's between former Swan label head Bernie Binnick's B B Records (i.e. Two B's) and the Single B Record label? 

Guess not as the B in Single B probably stood for Bailey.

Edited May 10, 201312 yr by Roburt

Cleveland Martin (probably without the Soul Sets) was also on the bill of a big NAACP Charity show staged in Pittsburgh at the end of October 1967 .......... This came just over a year after he (& his group) had their 45 (under the name of the Rhythm Rascals) out on Sonic.

AS WITH SOME OTHER PITTSBURGH RECORDINGS ....... the Sonic label is not badged as being Pittsburgh based (its LA).

The Sonic 45 has connections to Fee Bee, a label that Cleveland would cut for in the 70's as lead of the Del Vikings.

The tracks on the Sonic 45 escaped on Roulette in summer 1966.

Edited May 10, 201312 yr by Roburt

Gary Glenn (of Gary Glenn & the Soul Set) was playing live solo gigs around the Pittsburgh area by late summer 1969 ......

Edited May 10, 201312 yr by Roburt

  On 10/05/2013 at 07:38, Windlesoul said:

For completeness, Flynny has done an admirable bio (on his website) on the Carolina lot....

 

Why thank ya, kind sir

 

Here's the direct link to the page about the Soul Set ("Will You Ever Learn" on Bi-Me), including original photos and memorabilia scans and interviews with three members of the band:

https://www.anorakscorner.com/SoulSet.html

 

  On 10/05/2013 at 13:25, Roburt said:

Cleveland Martin (probably without the Soul Sets) was also on the bill of a big NAACP Charity show staged in Pittsburgh at the end of October 1967 .......... This came just over a year after he (& his group) had their 45 (under the name of the Rhythm Rascals) out on Sonic.

AS WITH SOME OTHER PITTSBURGH RECORDINGS ....... the Sonic label is not badged as being Pittsburgh based (its LA).

The Sonic 45 has connections to Fee Bee, a label that Cleveland would cut for in the 70's as lead of the Del Vikings.

The tracks on the Sonic 45 escaped on Roulette in summer 1966.

yes.......Chuck Corby had releases on both Sonic and Fee Bee....