Sirshambling Web Site - Linkage

[Roburt]

As the Sir Shambling web site is currently being mentioned in another topic, thought I'd post this up to see if it solicited any extra info on some New York based guys.

John (Sir Shambling) has posted up pages on Little David ....  https://www.sirshambling.com/artists_2012/D/little_david_1/index.php

        ......... AND ALSO ..............   ....... on Kenny Ballard ......  https://www.sirshambling.com/artists_2012/B/kenny_ballard/index.php

 

The Little David page has some info on the 521 Club & label (as does the Paul Walters page) and it also features a photo of Little David (Smith) and George Williams. From this, I'd guess that both Little David and George Williams (who would go on to be a mainstay in the Fatback Band) were both in the 521 Club Band (otherwise known as the Jimmy Oliver Band or Orchestra).

 

Jimmy Oliver was a major player on the New York club & recording scene through from the mid 50's to the late 60's and worked with the likes of the Drifters, Bobby Hendricks, Eddie & Ernie, Sandra Philliips, Beverly McKay (& a bit later the Village Soul Choir).

George Williams had also been on the NY music scene through much of the 60's, being in Kenny Ballard's backing band, the Fabulous Soul Brothers for a time.

 

So it seems that all these guys must have known each other & others who they came into contact with during those times (J J Jackson, Sidney Barnes, etc.).

 

Anyone here know of any more musical connections between this group of singers, musicians ?? 

Edited January 7, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Kenny Ballard turned out a number of fine tracks during his recording career but not too much seems to be known about his performing career.

As he was New York based this seems a bit strange to me BUT I guess he operated a bit below the radar back then playing mainly chitlin club venues.

[Roburt]

Jimmy Oliver worked on numerous recording projects in the 60's, usually as an arranger (though I guess his band provided the backing track for the vocalists on a number of sessions). 

Edited January 7, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Another guy who performed with Jimmy Oliver's Band at the 521 Club in Brooklyn was Kenny Hamber .... a bit of info on this .....

 

Kenny Hamber's dad lived just around the corner from the 521 Club which was located on the corner of Fulton Street and Franklin Ave (1134 Fulton in Brooklyn). By 1962, the club was one of the hottest venues to feature live acts in the borough and so Kenny made sure he dropped in at the place. The club featured live acts on such a regular basis that it had its own house band; Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters. It had opened in the late 1950's, had a maximum capacity of 250 to 300 and would be in existence for around 20 years. The place was owned / run by a number's runner; Eugene Goldston. Recording artists who hung out / performed at the club down the years included the likes of Jerry Lawson (of the Persuasions), the Shufflers, Paul Osher, Little Johhny Taylor, Otis Redding, Lew Kirton, the Invitations, Millie Jackson and Sterling Harrison (today the building that housed the club is still standing and is a Popeyes Chicken fast food restaurant). In all, Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters were the club's house band from 1961 to 1967. Their residency at the venue helped them land a recording deal with Sue Records ('Hits Au-Go-Go' LP; 1965). When they moved on, Eb Davis & the Soul Groovers took over their roll as house band for about the next ten years. Soon after Kenny started visiting the 521 Club, he entered and won one of their talent shows. After this, he hooked up with Jimmy Oliver and they became friends.

 

A local subway station platform (above ground in that area) overlooked the 521 Club and I'm told that kids (too young to get into the club) would stand on the platform to look into the venue to try to see the artists on stage.  

Edited January 7, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

A Beverly McKay track that Jimmy Oliver worked on .........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pybHelV1vqk

[Mal C]

Love that Paul Walters 45, when I got it quite a few years back I went off searching for as many on the 521 Label as I could find, found ten or so 45's, nothing else in the Paul Walters mold, they were all R&B records, maybe a novelty 45 thrown in, I've got some scans somewhere, I'll find and post up...

 

Mal.C

Edited January 7, 2014 by Mal C

[Mal C]

Here's the Paul Walters 45, the deep flip is pretty collectable also I think, really good 45..

 

[Roburt]

What are all the other releases on 521 ??  Can you list them please.

.... AND .... who are the guys involved on those tracks (producer, arranger, writers, etc.)

[Mike]

happy new year John

 

just a quick reminder that  "box" is always the best place for this sort of thread

as it says on the description on the index

aats forum is best for more general talk

while box is more suited to do with vinyl,info,labels etc

 

no big thing just helps people find what they want

 

 

 

cheers

mike

[Robbk]

Was that Jimmy Norman the same one who worked out of L.A. during the 1960s with H.B. Barnum?  The time periods would have coincided.

[Roburt]

Was that Jimmy Norman the same one who worked out of L.A. during the 1960s with H.B. Barnum?  The time periods would have coincided.

Old age is getting the better of me Robb. Where I meant to type Jimmy Oliver, I put the more familiar name of Jimmy Norman instead.

Guess it's all downhill (gray matter wise) for me from here.

BTW, Jimmy Oliver has 56 songs registered with BMI and his only regular writing buddy seems to have been Clyde McPhatter.

I guess those joint compositions would have been cut by the Drifters or Clyde himself but that still leaves a lot of other songs that Jimmy wrote (and someone recorded) out there somewhere.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Roburt

[boba]

I think there were two independent (or at least chronologically separated) 521 labels from new york. It was a club (the 521 club). One of the labels was early '60s, the other was late '60s.

[Roburt]

I think there were two independent (or at least chronologically separated) 521 labels from new york. It was a club (the 521 club). One of the labels was early '60s, the other was late '60s.

Bob, any idea what some of the late 60's releases on 521 Records were ??

The club itself operated from the late 50's through to the late 70's, I'd imagine that the R&B 45's on the label would date from the early 60's. 

The building that housed the club still exists and is now a fast food restaurant ......... see below ..........

........ MORE INFO ...........

 Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters were the club's resident band from 1961 to around 1967. They are most likely the group referred to as the 521 Club Band on Paul Walters 45 but he was still hanging out at the club after they left around 1967. Eb Davis & the Soul Groovers were the house band from 1967 through 1978/79. Their main members were Johhny Barnett (bass and vocals) Glenn Quick (drums. went off to play with Isaac Hayes) Little Max Thomas (tenor sax. went off with Wilson Pickett). Charles Williams (trumpet). Stanley Burrell (guitar). Jimmy Hayward (tenor sax). Kim Paluna (guitar, went with Isaac Hayes) and Hayman Kent (piano and organ). The artists in those days were often booked into a venue without a band because most of the venues had house bands that supported all the acts appearing there. Eb & the Soul Groovers were well thought of and were booked to back up some artists on tour (Wilson Picket, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, etc.). When they went off to tour, a replacement band would hold down their duties at the club until they returned. The club was a venue where music biz guys would hang out & network.  It was 'standing room only' in the place if 300 people were in.

Lots of this info came direct from Eb Davis (who's now a European based blues singer). He tells me that Paul Walters was the MC at the club for quite a few years when they were the house band (so 1967 onwards). Eb & the Soul Groovers did not do anything with the 521 label themselves because very small labels like 521 had a very hard time trying to compete and usually could not do anything for the artists 45's after they had released them. A guy by the name of Bobby "Madhouse" Smith was a regular performer from time to time at the 521 Club and other local venues.

When I chatted with Eb, he certainly still had many fond memories of his time as leader of the 521 Club's house band.

 

 I have also been told ... "You have to remember that area of Brooklyn was a hub of activity. Not only did you have the 521 club, but you had a bar/lounge that sat right in the middle of Fulton St, between Franklin and Bedford. You had another bar and lounge that sat on the corner of Spencer and Fulton, between Franklin and Bedford. Then you had a big bar on the corner of Bedford and Fulton. Not to mention the Riverland Lounge on the corner of Brevoort Place and Bedford, right across the street from the Brevoort Theatre".

Edited January 8, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

A bit more about that area of Brooklyn back in the 60's ........

[Roburt]

How the building that housed the 521 Club looks today.

It's now a Popeyes Chicken Restaurant, the Franklin St Subway Stn is across the road from the building. 

[Roburt]

The songs included on the Sue LP by Jimmy Oliver & his Soul Twisters were no doubt the tracks that the group played at the 521 Club at that time (summer / fall 1965).

Apart from a couple of original numbers & the Righteous Bros hit, it seems that Motown songs were the big faves in Brooklyn at that time ..........

Edited January 8, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

I'm certain Jimmy Oliver never had any actual involvement with this UK recording of his 1958 hit song ..........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwHpIo-3rQ

[Picky]

I had this before. This has also same record #1001 as Little David above but clearly stated 521 Club on the label.

[Roburt]

Valentine Adams "I Found A Love"

Yep, I have that track on an old bootleg CD ('Lost Deep Soul Treasures Vol.1')

Seems from the details on the label that it may even have been cut at the club .............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_uQJn1M5gQ

 

What's her other track ("I Need Someone") like ?

Edited January 9, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Two more on the label.

Guess the Little David one just about confirms that he was the guitar player in Jimmy Oliver's Soul Twisters ..........

Seems that the releases that state 'Brooklyn 16' in the label address must have been a 2nd series of releases that came after the 1962/63 singles. 

Edited January 9, 2014 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Very little information seems to have survived concerning 521 Records and the artists who cut for the label.

HOWEVER if you search the net, you can find the odd bit ......... THIS FOR INSTANCE .........

............... Latin Soul guy ANDY GONZALEZ said this in a long interview ..........

Andy Gonzalez:   .... But I have a 45 of a Rhythm & Blues thing; it was the very first recording I ever did –me, Jerry, Lewellen… Lewellen was the one that wrote the arrangements. It was “Freddy Tartt and the Emanons,” like “no names” but backwards.  Freddy was a guitarist from the projects where I used to live. (LAUGHTER BY ANDY AND ERIC)

EEG:  So that was your first “official” recording, before Monguito. Do you remember the date?

Andy Gonzalez:   Yeah, I have a copy of it. That was before Monguito. [it was] 1964. The playing wasn’t that bad, but the singing was horrible. It’s still funny to listen to. (LAUGHTER BY ANDY)

........ he's obviously talking about Freddy Tartt on "I Can't Go On" ..... and I guess that means that Freddy came from the North Bronx area too.

Andy Gonzalez would have been around 13 years old when he played on the Freddy Tartt cuts, I wonder if Freddy was that young also ??

 

LINK TO FULL INTERVIEW ....... https://www.herencialatina.com/Andy_Gonzalez/Andy_Gonzalez.htm

Edited January 9, 2014 by Roburt

[Mal C]

Here's the flip of the Freddy Tart 45... " All About Now" 521 - 1002B

[Freddie]

Hi,

this is Freddie. I'm a musician from Berlin, and I played with Eb Davis in the 80's and 90's. Over the past years I played with Guitar Crusher, a Soul and Blues Singer from Brooklyn.

I'm working on a documentary on Guitar Crusher, we also did some shooting in New York last year. Also trying to find some of the old places on Fulton Avenue. Gone ...

 

It also seems impossible to find pictures / footage of:

- Brooklyn in the 50's and 60's

- Fulton Street and the club-scene back then

 

Does anybody have some material? Any pictures would help!

 

Freddie

 

promo trailer:

[Roburt]

Good to hear from you Freddie (Freddy) and to learn that you are still going strong.

Can you recall where your 521 cuts were cut ("I Can't Go On" / "All About Now"), at the club or in a local studio ?

What age were you when you cut those tracks ?

What can you recall about the 521 Club, I guess you must have played a number of gigs there.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Roburt

[Pete S]

John I don't know where you are hanging out these days but I would love it if you would come back and post up more stuff like this as you used to, always fascinating and interesting and it's really missed I think.

[Johndelve]

As a close friend of John's I brought Pete's comment above to his attention :

 

His response : " I appreciate the kind comment. I'm still running my website, and adding new artist pages again now after a bit of a holiday. I hope to continue now but at a slightly slower rate than before due to other pressures."

 

I don't think he has any plans to post directly to Soul Source.

 

Cheers

[Pete S]

As a close friend of John's I brought Pete's comment above to his attention :

 

His response : " I appreciate the kind comment. I'm still running my website, and adding new artist pages again now after a bit of a holiday. I hope to continue now but at a slightly slower rate than before due to other pressures."

 

I don't think he has any plans to post directly to Soul Source.

 

Cheers

 

Thanks for passing that on, that's a real shame.  That archive stuff was fascinating and the more knowledgeable people we have, the better.

[Pomonkey]

We'll be talking to Paul Sindab about this over the weekend for sure, he has a # of connections to these people and places - it wasn't the only club on that block - from his NY days 

[Picky]

Hi All,

 

Last night, I listened to the Freeman Williams song which is a great Deep Soul ballad but All I remember is that the 45 was blue colored 521 label.  I do not know the song title.

 

Does anybody here know about this 45?  What is the song title of that Deep Soul ballad and what is the record number?  And this is very important to me, that is...where can I get/purchase from?

 

Appreciate any info of this 45.

Edited November 30, 2014 by picky

[Roburt]

Would the 45 you're interested in be "Wonderful Love" by Freeman Williams" ??

[Roburt]

Here's some info on 'Guitar Crusher' ... a US guy now on the Euro blues scene ........... see post above ........

........ Sidney Selby is a true blues man. He also goes by 'Bone Crusher' and 'Guitar Crusher', names he earned throughout his career.

Born in rural Hyde County N.C. in 1931 during the height of the Depression, he toiled in the cotton fields during his youth but set aside Sundays for exercising his rich baritone in the choir of Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, continuing a tradition which gave rise to a whole generation of blues singers of his era.
He moved to New York in the 50s, found a job and started singing in Church again. However. encouraged by his friends, he soon formed his own band, the Midnight Rockers and began attracting a large following.
The year 1960 marked the beginning of a decade of performances with The Drifters, The Isley Brothers, Ben E. King and other major R&B talents which flourished during the 1960's musical renaissance.
Selby was signed by Columbia Records and remained under contract until 1970, when the musical tastes in America began to shift away from blues and soul sounds. So, in the early 80s GUITAR CRUSHER headed for Europe and a more hospitals blues climate. Here his performance on major festivals marked the start of his comeback. The now internationally-known singer and writer has since accorded 4 albums singing his own compositions with force and assurance in his gospel-inflected voice. His transfixing vocal power won him a reputation as 'The Big Voice From New York', a headliner on the European blues-circuit. 

 

Seems he also played the 521 Club in the 60's and maybe played on some of the tracks released on 521 Records. He must have been UK based around 1969 as he had a Mike Vernon produced 45 out on Blue Horizon (here & in France) ....

...... see here for more info .....   https://www.45cat.com/record/573149fr

Edited November 30, 2014 by Roburt

[Picky]

Would the 45 you're interested in be "Wonderful Love" by Freeman Williams" ??

Thank you for your info.  Do you know of the record number and of any person can sell it to me?

[Roburt]

Thank you for your info.  Do you know of the record number and of any person can sell it to me?

I'd guess it is quite a rare 45, I don't actually have a copy myself.

I believe it is 521  #1004 (& it probably features Part 1 and Part 2 of the same song  -- "Wonderful Love"). 

[Picky]

I'd guess it is quite a rare 45, I don't actually have a copy myself.

I believe it is 521  #1004 (& it probably features Part 1 and Part 2 of the same song  -- "Wonderful Love"). 

Thank you again for your info.  I try to find the one.

[Elipaperboyreed]

If you're still looking for the Freeman Williams 45, I have one to sell