Sandra Wright original 70s LP does exist

[Jason S]

4 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

Sorry I didnt mean to infer the photo was taken from the Demon release cover, I meant that the photos on both covers seem to be from the same photo session. The make-up she is wearing and the lighting seem very similar.

Yeah, I guess if David licensed it for the Demon release he'd have supplied them with the photos from any original photo session for the album (on Truth) and subsequently Soul Brother got one of the pics. 

[Stateside]

51 minutes ago, sjclement said:

Colin is well and truly off the scene now pursuing a career as a biographer,(Malcolm Lowry a local writer) I like Eddie traded tapes and later cds with him visiting him on many occasions along with Kev Horsewood (stateside), never heard the Sandra Wright tracks, ( the up tempo ones which he knew I'd prefer) so I'd say he never had it, even if he had and passed it on he would have kept it on one of the hi-quality chrome cassettes that he always used.

Colin was not adverse to letting things go if the price was right.

BTW there are two different album covers the new one with a single image and the one that Kev posted earlier (for the cd but I guess the vinyl Denon release is the same)

Kev the new release has the I'll be your shelter titled correctly.

I think you're right John, I probably got confused with the Lou Ragland album. I don't think we even touched on Sandra Wright in our get togethers, as I didn't know he had interviewed her and that would have certainly come up if we'd played anything by her.

I can't recall where I got the cd from, but the soulbrother cd has the single image on it. Couldn't find any for sale that are the same as mine.

Kev

[Kegsy]

1 hour ago, sjclement said:

Colin is well and truly off the scene now pursuing a career as a biographer,(Malcolm Lowry a local writer)

A quick google came up with dozens of hits for Colin Dilnot, inc blogs with an e-mail address, since I didn't really know the guy well I don't feel I should contact him. Perhaps some of you that did could do it and clear this mystery up once and for all.

[Steve G]

Just now, Kegsy said:

A quick google came up with dozens of hits for Colin Dilnot, inc blogs with an e-mail address, since I didn't really know the guy well I don't feel I should contact him. Perhaps some of you that did could do it and clear this mystery up once and for all.

I do know him well enough to e-mail, but with no disrespect to Ian (gulp), feel this whole story is just a load of BS. The dates don't work out, the ITB interview, Colin would have surely asked about this album if it existed in any form other than acetate. Sorry Ian. 

[John Reed]

2 hours ago, mshoals said:

The Truth LP discography (4201-4207, see here) is missing number 4205. Could that have been reserved for the Sandra Wright LP?

Also mentioned in this discography is the Jo Armstead LP and from my previous investigations, it progressed quite a way down the to-be released path compared to the Sandra Wright LP.  She had a higher profile than Wright so I would have thought more effort would have made to press/release her product, but that too was unreleased.

Edited January 24, 2016 by John Reed

[Sjclement]

59 minutes ago, stateside said:

I think you're right John, I probably got confused with the Lou Ragland album. I don't think we even touched on Sandra Wright in our get togethers, as I didn't know he had interviewed her and that would have certainly come up if we'd played anything by her.

I can't recall where I got the cd from, but the soulbrother cd has the single image on it. Couldn't find any for sale that are the same as mine.

Kev

Take a look on e bay,two distinct cover art 3 images on the cd cover and the new one (available from German sellers @ 18 odd quid) with a single photo.

 

[Kegsy]

20 minutes ago, John Reed said:

Also mentioned in this discography is the Jo Armstead LP and from my previous investigations, it progressed quite a way down the to-be released path compared to the Sandra Wright LP.  She had a higher profile than Wright so I would have thought more effort would have made to press/release her product, but that too was unreleased.

Its also likely that the 4204 darktown strutters was unreleased, as far as I can remember it was from a "blaxploitation" movie.

[Steve Plumb]

54 minutes ago, Steve G said:

I do know him well enough to e-mail, but with no disrespect to Ian (gulp), feel this whole story is just a load of BS. The dates don't work out, the ITB interview, Colin would have surely asked about this album if it existed in any form other than acetate. Sorry Ian. 

Poor Ian's getting a friendly pounding but remember, we also had Dean Johnson telling us he sold an original Truth copy at Expansion Records in Manchester on the earlier  'wants thread'

I posted his comments early on in the thread but as yet he hasn't visited us on here yet.

Dean and Ian both have completely different stories but both allude to the existence of the album

We need to get Dean back on here so he can take a friendly pounding too LOL

I'm sure everyone on here wants this to be true but it would be great to see some proof i.e. a scan of the label etc

Here's hoping

Steve

[Guest Ivor Jones]

56 minutes ago, Steve Plumb said:

Poor Ian's getting a friendly pounding but remember, we also had Dean Johnson telling us he sold an original Truth copy at Expansion Records in Manchester on the earlier  'wants thread'

I posted his comments early on in the thread but as yet he hasn't visited us on here yet.

Dean and Ian both have completely different stories but both allude to the existence of the album

We need to get Dean back on here so he can take a friendly pounding too LOL

I'm sure everyone on here wants this to be true but it would be great to see some proof i.e. a scan of the label etc

Here's hoping

Steve

Personally speaking, I don't want it to be true because I would no longer be able to say I bought the original when it came out.

Is that selfish of me ?   Seriously great LP

[Ian Dewhirst]

My my my. You guys do make me smile. 

My very sanity is being questioned here. "The mind plays tricks" etc, etc.

Hey I'm 61 years old in 6 weeks and have been collecting records since 1967, almost 50 years. I've probably had 100,000 records through my collection in that time and I have a pretty good idea where I got most of 'em from. Most collectors know that there is generally a 'mental snapshot' of key records one has bought and sold over the years and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with my recall, as anyone who's ever read my multiple sleeve-notes since 1974 will already know. You could even try my sleeve notes to "Stax Northern Soul" - coincidentally, the first album I ever compiled and wrote the sleeve-notes for and which came out on UK Stax in 1974 - 2 years before I went to L.A. and found the Sandra Wright album.  So Sandra Wright was certainly on my radar back then and I KNEW there was an album knocking around OK? It was no big secret to me. 

Since then I've probably produced more compilations then most - Upfront, Best Of House, Mastercuts, Deep Beats, Rewind Selector, MVPs, Vintage Grooves, The Northern Soul Story, Funked, The Masters, Harmless, Backbeats as well as hundreds of artist releases and other compilations. I've probably steered over 1000 releases and that's being conservative. You know, it's my JOB! Been doing it for 42 years now and there's no end in sight. My whole career is steered by my musical memories and recall.

I guess when one starts reaching old age, then these kind of comments will start rolling out automatically because it's the first thing someone would say isn't it?

We could have had this self-same discussion about whether Darrell Banks was ever issued for 49 years before someone found an issue last year. I avoided such speculation because I work in this business and I know what happens. I don't recall ever seeing a Darrell Banks issue on the internet or anywhere else in those 49 years does anyone else? Nothing is written in stone in my view. Right now I have a legitimate UK release (with provenance) that no one knows even exists and if I told the story no one would believe me. A simple mistake that someone made but the record got pressed and then quickly withdrawn, so on paper it doesn't technically exist. But it does because I'm holding it in my hand right now. 

Whatever anyone believes is fine but please don't make assertions about my mental abilities.

Just to be on the safe side, I'm booking myself in with the doctor on Monday morning to let him know about people's concerns about my mental abilities and we'll see if he can throw any light on it ay?

Ian D

 

   

[mshoals]

4 hours ago, Jason S said:

Kegsy, Ralph at Expansion/Passion does all the licensing work for Soul Brother - both Soul Brother and Ralph have and do work quite a bit with David.

 I don't think the image we used on the RSD/Soul Brother release was scanned or taken from the Demon sleeve - the quality of the pic  we got (via email) was much stronger. It could actually have been the original shot of the picture in the centre of the triptych on the Demon release that we were sent. I'll need to dig out the jpeg Paul sent us to check properly. 

The same image  as on the RSD release was also used in the booklet of the 2007 Soulscape CD reissuing these Sandra Wright (and the James Govan) Broadway Sound recordings. 

[Swifty]

1 hour ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

My my my. You guys do make me smile. 

My very sanity is being questioned here. "The mind plays tricks" etc, etc.

Hey I'm 61 years old in 6 weeks and have been collecting records since 1967, almost 50 years. I've probably had 100,000 records through my collection in that time and I have a pretty good idea where I got most of 'em from. Most collectors know that there is generally a 'mental snapshot' of key records one has bought and sold over the years and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with my recall, as anyone who's ever read my multiple sleeve-notes since 1974 will already know. You could even try my sleeve notes to "Stax Northern Soul" - coincidentally, the first album I ever compiled and wrote the sleeve-notes for and which came out on UK Stax in 1974 - 2 years before I went to L.A. and found the Sandra Wright album.  So Sandra Wright was certainly on my radar back then and I KNEW there was an album knocking around OK? It was no big secret to me. 

Since then I've probably produced more compilations then most - Upfront, Best Of House, Mastercuts, Deep Beats, Rewind Selector, MVPs, Vintage Grooves, The Northern Soul Story, Funked, The Masters, Harmless, Backbeats as well as hundreds of artist releases and other compilations. I've probably steered over 1000 releases and that's being conservative. You know, it's my JOB! Been doing it for 42 years now and there's no end in sight. My whole career is steered by my musical memories and recall.

I guess when one starts reaching old age, then these kind of comments will start rolling out automatically because it's the first thing someone would say isn't it?

We could have had this self-same discussion about whether Darrell Banks was ever issued for 49 years before someone found an issue last year. I avoided such speculation because I work in this business and I know what happens. I don't recall ever seeing a Darrell Banks issue on the internet or anywhere else in those 49 years does anyone else? Nothing is written in stone in my view. Right now I have a legitimate UK release (with provenance) that no one knows even exists and if I told the story no one would believe me. A simple mistake that someone made but the record got pressed and then quickly withdrawn, so on paper it doesn't technically exist. But it does because I'm holding it in my hand right now. 

Whatever anyone believes is fine but please don't make assertions about my mental abilities.

Just to be on the safe side, I'm booking myself in with the doctor on Monday morning to let him know about people's concerns about my mental abilities and we'll see if he can throw any light on it ay?

Ian D

 

   

Ian , I'm sorry but that thought of you holding it in your hand has put me off my Lamb Shank !!! 

[Harrogatesoul]

Next thing we know THAT Volumes on Pama will be turning up ... I'm actually intrigued Swifty as to what Ian is actually holding in his hands.. You can't mention it and not tell Ian! (Well you can obviously!) 

It is amazing to think certain things do turn up and how they can lay undiscovered for so long despite the sheer tenacity of soul collectors. We know there are plenty of collectors 'off grid' out there who are happy with their lot and away from most. 

[Sean Hampsey]

2 hours ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

coincidentally, the first album I ever compiled and wrote the sleeve-notes for and which came out on UK Stax in 1974 - 2 years before I went to L.A. and found the Sandra Wright album.  So Sandra Wright was certainly on my radar back then and I KNEW there was an album knocking around OK? It was no big secret to me. 

That is a hell of a coincidence mate. You were the only person in the UK in the 70's that knew of the album's existence and then happened to have been in L.A. a few years later and found it!

Well, since your recall is so good, I hope you can remember where it went, or who it was that you sold it to, because I've got a wad of notes here to shake at the owner when you do! 

Cheers,

Sean

Edited January 24, 2016 by Sean Hampsey

[Ian Dewhirst]

2 minutes ago, Sean Hampsey said:

That is a hell of a coincidence mate. You were the only person in the UK in the 70's that knew of the album's existence and then happened to have been in L.A. a few years later and found it!

Well, since your recall is so good, I hope you can remember where it went, or who it was you sold it to, because I've got a wad of notes here to shake at the owner when you do! 

Cheers,

Sean

I wasn't mate. I'm sure people like Gary Cape knew about it too. I wasn't into Deep Soul anyway but I did keep my ears open. I sold it or traded it with someone who was into Deep Soul in a big way. I think it went when I was in Leeds, so sometime between '77-'79 at a guess. And it WASN'T A SECRET at the time I keep stressing. We knew about Sandra Wright, or at least I did. Of course I'm gonna pick up an album by her. I had no idea at all that the original wasn't meant to exist. I thought it was just a rather nice obscure Deep Soul collectors thing and never thought about it again until I found the reissue in a cupboard at Demon in 2009. My first thought was 'why didn't they use the original artwork'.

But, hey, I may have 'lost it' and be spouting shite. Doctors tomorrow so we'll soon find out. I may have the kind of brain which conjures up releases out of nowhere ay?

Whatever the outcome, I'm pretty sure that £3K would ease it out of any private collection.

Ian D

[dean jj]

18 hours ago, Steve Plumb said:

Poor Ian's getting a friendly pounding but remember, we also had Dean Johnson telling us he sold an original Truth copy at Expansion Records in Manchester on the earlier  'wants thread'

I posted his comments early on in the thread but as yet he hasn't visited us on here yet.

Dean and Ian both have completely different stories but both allude to the existence of the album

We need to get Dean back on here so he can take a friendly pounding too LOL

I'm sure everyone on here wants this to be true but it would be great to see some proof i.e. a scan of the label etc

Here's hoping

Steve

Steve my old chapati,

I can take a pounding: though I'm not sure how friendly it is. There is no point in me providing further input as I've already stated what I remember. Like a bad crime witness, additions may not be true: I don't think it was raining and I think John priced it at £25 but does that help? The color of my socks that day remains a deeper mystery. I wish, as previously stated, I'd never said anything but the ONLY reason I remember the LP is because I missed a trick not selling it to myself. So what other album would have caused that? It was in my sight for half an hour so sorry I can't really help 

Edited January 25, 2016 by dean jj
spelling

[Ian Dewhirst]

7 minutes ago, dean jj said:

Steve my old chapati,

I can take a pounding: though I'm not sure how friendly it is. There is no point in me providing further input as I've already stated what I remember. Like a bad crime witness, additions may not be true: I don't think it was raining and I think John priced it at £25 but does that help? The color of my socks that day remains a deeper mystery. I wish, as previously stated, I'd never said anything but the ONLY reason I remember the LP is because I missed a trick not selling it to myself. So what other album would have caused that? It was in my site for half an hour so sorry I can't really help 

What shop was it Dean? And what year if possible?

And thanks for deflecting the heat from me mate. Can you remember the sleeve? Or are you losing your marbles too?

Ian D

[Ian Dewhirst]

Quick question: Did Monarch in L.A. press any Stax stuff in this period? 

Ian D 

[Steve Plumb]

55 minutes ago, dean jj said:

Steve my old chapati,

I can take a pounding: though I'm not sure how friendly it is. There is no point in me providing further input as I've already stated what I remember. Like a bad crime witness, additions may not be true: I don't think it was raining and I think John priced it at £25 but does that help? The color of my socks that day remains a deeper mystery. I wish, as previously stated, I'd never said anything but the ONLY reason I remember the LP is because I missed a trick not selling it to myself. So what other album would have caused that? It was in my site for half an hour so sorry I can't really help 

Thanks for replying Dean, much appreciated.

Ian D is glad you did too, so you can both share the pain :-)

I so want this thread to have a happy ending and it'll also be great seeing Sean Hampsey parting with his months wage ;-)

Cheers

Steve

[Kris Holmes]

Well, as the recent Darrell Banks thing showed us, it is entirely possible that a record can exist & not be sighted in the scene for a very long time, so who knows.  

[dean jj]

1 hour ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

What shop was it Dean? And what year if possible?

And thanks for deflecting the heat from me mate. Can you remember the sleeve? Or are you losing your marbles too?

Ian D

Ian,

It had a sleeve, Expansion Manchester so John would have sent it up from the Bowl, about 88/89 ish, and I never had marbles only conkers.

dean

Edited January 24, 2016 by dean jj
addition

[Ian Dewhirst]

18 minutes ago, dean jj said:

Ian,

It had a sleeve, Expansion Manchester so John would have sent it up from the Bowl, about 88/89 ish, and I never had marbles only conkers.

dean

OK, well my copy certainly didn't get to John, or, if it did then it was via someone else. Which means that 2 copies are residing somewhere in the UK unless John Anderson's lost his conkers/marbles as well.

Ian D

[Ncfc]

6 hours ago, Ivor Jones said:

Personally speaking, I don't want it to be true because I would no longer be able to say I bought the original when it came out.

Is that selfish of me ?   Seriously great LP

Think that's the case with most of the doubters.

[Guest Ivor Jones]

1 hour ago, NCFC said:

Think that's the case with most of the doubters.

Yep….Thing is though,you can't blame people for being sceptical either. Fact is, until one shows up Darrell Banks "London issue" style, all we can prove are the Demon and later pressings. Top LP whichever release you have  

[Derek Pearson]

11 hours ago, Jason S said:

Yeah, I guess if David licensed it for the Demon release he'd have supplied them with the photos from any original photo session for the album (on Truth) and subsequently Soul Brother got one of the pics. 

I've got a couple of original transparency's taken at the September 1974 photo session which never made it onto either the Demon album sleeve or the CD reissue. Size wise they're only just over an inch or so square and I've quickly scanned them and attempted to enlarge them. 

If I spend a bit more time and knew what I was doing I'm sure I could make the end result a damn sight easier to look at.

Derek

[Jim Ohara]

Ian Dewhirst - you mention a Sy Hightower LP earlier in this thread - can you give more info on this please ? 

[Jim Ohara]

Having read this threat through now, there are some reputable people here starting to back pedal - first they remember it being green, then maybe it was heavy so could be a test press - I will believe it when I see it - I smell a load of BS - and that's not short for blues & soul !!!!

[Ian Dewhirst]

40 minutes ago, Jim Ohara said:

Ian Dewhirst - you mention a Sy Hightower LP earlier in this thread - can you give more info on this please ? 

A Si Hightower 10" Test-Pressing mini LP found at Monarch distributors in L.A. in 1976. Sold to Colin Dilnot in 1978/9 and which now resides with Steve G.

Ian D

[Ian Dewhirst]

30 minutes ago, Jim Ohara said:

Having read this threat through now, there are some reputable people here starting to back pedal - first they remember it being green, then maybe it was heavy so could be a test press - I will believe it when I see it - I smell a load of BS - and that's not short for blues & soul !!!!

I haven't back-pedaled. I don't know know anything about it being green either. I guess you can believe what you want but I don't need to make anything up. You can join the long line of disbelievers........

Ian D 

[Jim Ohara]

12 minutes ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

A Si Hightower 10" Test-Pressing mini LP found at Monarch distributors in L.A. in 1976. Sold to Colin Dilnot in 1978/9 and which now resides with Steve G.

Ian D

The Si Hightower sounds great Ian - first I've heard of it to be honest ??

[Jim Ohara]

8 minutes ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

I haven't back-pedaled. I don't know know anything about it being green either. I guess you can believe what you want but I don't need to make anything up. You can join the long line of disbelievers........

Ian D 

Ian I just don't believe it exists - happy to be proved wrong though - no malice intended ??

i am just very sceptical these days 

jim 

[Ian Dewhirst]

1 hour ago, Jim Ohara said:

The Si Hightower sounds great Ian - first I've heard of it to be honest ??

It was a one-off for the best part of 30 years I believe. Now there's two known copies since Butch picked one up.

Ian D

[Ian Dewhirst]

1 hour ago, Jim Ohara said:

Ian I just don't believe it exists - happy to be proved wrong though - no malice intended ??

i am just very sceptical these days 

jim 

Don't blame you Jim. Especially over the last week or so......

I fully expect Sandra Wright albums on Truth to start pouring out of Scorpio shortly........

Ian D

On 1/24/2016 at 18:16, Ian Dewhirst said:

Quick question: Did Monarch in L.A. press any Stax stuff in this period? 

Ian D 

Any Stax experts on here that can answer the above? It may explain something if they did......

Ian D

[mshoals]

" Did Monarch in L.A. press any Stax stuff in this period?"

I don't know of any Monarch pressed Stax product after the very early 70s.

[Ncfc]

Re Si Hightower 

Sure I once spoke to Mike Charlton and he had a copy which was stolen when he had a break in.

Could be me losing my marbles though.Was over 20 odd years ago.

Edited January 25, 2016 by NCFC

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

4 hours ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

It was a one-off for the best part of 30 years I believe. Now there's two known copies since Butch picked one up.

Ian D

I'm pretty sure that Butch said that he has had his for years now, not a recent acquisition.........

[Mike Lofthouse]

 

On 1/24/2016 at 19:00, Steve Plumb said:

 

On 1/24/2016 at 19:00, Steve Plumb said:

 

don't know why but this happens from time to time - previous replies/quotes seem to held in the editor and you can't clear it!! just edit it! 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Mike Lofthouse

[Mike Lofthouse]

16 hours ago, NCFC said:

Re Si Hightower 

Sure I once spoke to Mike Charlton and he had a copy which was stolen when he had a break in.

Could be me losing my marbles though.Was over 20 odd years ago.

Only one or two of your marbles NCFC !. Mike's house in Thornaby Teesside was burgled many many years ago and had lots of 45's stolen including the Sy Hightower 45 on Carmen.  He has never had the album.

[Jason S]

On 1/24/2016 at 11:58, Steve G said:

35 minutes ago, Mike Lofthouse said:

Only one or two of your marbles NCFC !. Mike's house in Thornaby Teesside was burgled many many years ago and had lots of 45's stolen including the Sy Hightower 45 on Carmen.  He has never had the album.

Has someone stolen Colin Dilnot? Colin you hold the key (the record) to all of this. Come on, fix this! 

[Dean Rudland]

Just adding my two penny worth here.

None of my colleagues who worked on the Stax material have seen any proof of its existence within the company's paperwork and neither has it ever been mentioned to have existed by any of the southern soul or Stax experts that we have ever talked to. (Also I see no evidence that it was known about in the 70s by anyone other than Ian)

The idea that it was pressed on a green label seems unlikely as Truth was an orange label for all the releases that I have seen on LP - although cheap red labels exist of some of the 45s, and possibly a yellow for one Shirley Brown single.

Also the label was virtually bankrupt at the time, scraping together just enough money to make 45s with the hope that they would become hits. So the idea that they would divert funds to make an album is unlikely.

That said....the label was totally messed up at the end, so it is only extremely unlikely that it didn't make release, not entirely impossible. 

But as Sean has done the only thing likely to shake a mythical copy out of the trees, I will assume it doesn't exist unless it suddenly appears in picture.

 

[Ian Dewhirst]

13 minutes ago, Dean Rudland said:

Just adding my two penny worth here.

None of my colleagues who worked on the Stax material have seen any proof of its existence within the company's paperwork and neither has it ever been mentioned to have existed by any of the southern soul or Stax experts that we have ever talked to. (Also I see no evidence that it was known about in the 70s by anyone other than Ian)

The idea that it was pressed on a green label seems unlikely as Truth was an orange label for all the releases that I have seen on LP - although cheap red labels exist of some of the 45s, and possibly a yellow for one Shirley Brown single.

Also the label was virtually bankrupt at the time, scraping together just enough money to make 45s with the hope that they would become hits. So the idea that they would divert funds to make an album is unlikely.

That said....the label was totally messed up at the end, so it is only extremely unlikely that it didn't make release, not entirely impossible. 

But as Sean has done the only thing likely to shake a mythical copy out of the trees, I will assume it doesn't exist unless it suddenly appears in picture.

 

I dig what you're saying Dean but there's still all sorts of things which don't completely add-up. Two separate people who are not connected with each other both claim they've either had it (me) or seen it and held it in their hands (the other Dean). The one that Dean had through his hands came from John Anderson so there's another avenue to check out if anyone speaks to John.

When you say, "so the idea that they would divert funds to make an album is unlikely" I would question that. I thought that they had bought the album in the first place and it's the album repertoire which produced the material for the two singles or 4 songs. So I thought it was a finished album deal right from the off? 

Also weird, is that the completed album was subsequently sold to Demon in 1989 from when the reissue came out (note I say reissue :)). So one would assume that Stax lost ownership of the album right? And then the 2 Sandra Wright singles turn up on the Complete Stax/Volt Singles 5 years later in 1994. So it's pretty confusing as to who actually owns the repertoire in my view. Also weird that this is pretty much the ONLY 'lost' album from such a vast catalogue. It's not like we've been inundated with bundles of other 'lost' albums by any of the other Stax acts is it? Also weird that Demon would release something like that rather than Ace don't you think? They would have either had to license the 4 Stax controlled tracks from Ace or, 5 years later, Universal would have had to licence the 2 tracks for the box set from whoever controlled the licensing of the album to Demon surely? The tracks can't be owned by two different parties can they? 

Questions, questions. However I'm realistic enough to know that this will never be accepted until the definitive proof is provided so, like the other Dean, until then I don't think there's any point saying anything else. 

Killer album period. Wish I'd kept it!

Ian D

 

[Mike Lofthouse]

On 1/25/2016 at 19:19, Jim Ohara said:

The Si Hightower sounds great Ian - first I've heard of it to be honest ??

Jim here is a track listing for album - might be an additional second take for one of the tracks ( I can't be sure I'm just looking at a listing in my itunes) .  I believe the two sides Hayley put out on 45 were 'pitched up' a little.......

Go Back    2:23        
I've Been Thinkin'    3:37    
I Know You're Leaving Me    3:41    
I Wonder Why    3:01        
Wild Love    4:20    

Mike

[Ncfc]

5 hours ago, Mike Lofthouse said:

Only one or two of your marbles NCFC !. Mike's house in Thornaby Teesside was burgled many many years ago and had lots of 45's stolen including the Sy Hightower 45 on Carmen.  He has never had the album.

Can remember speaking over phone to him about the Hightower record that Dearlove was playing,that's when he told me about the break in.

He obviously did not know of the lp at time and thought i meant the carmen 45.

Wires crossed more than marbles lost

[John Benson]

As we're not really any further to a definitive answer to our original question, I thought I'd go back to one of the comments made on page 3 about how popular or well promoted it was in the Soul magazines when the Demon LP was released.

Well, over the weekend I went through every issue of Blues & Soul from late Jan 1989 through to the Xmas issue (December / January)

I only turned up these few mentions of the LP, no proper reviews or anything.

Just three playlists (one was repeated in the next issue) plus a couple from Record Corner.

No mention even from the likes of Richard Searling or Simon Dunmore who's pages you might have expected to see a mention.

It's not surprising then that it went almost unseen!

 

 

Record Corner ad - B&S 542 & also 544  - Aug / Sept 89

 

 

Rick Scott - B&S 543 - Sept 89

 

 

Steve Hobbs - B&S 544 & also in 545 - Sept & Oct 89

 

 

 

Of course there were a few mentions in Voices From The Shadows, but again only fairly low key.

 

Jan Barker's brief comment in issue 10

 

 

 

Jan's second mention in issue 12

 

 

A little 'dig' from Tony Rounce, also in issue 12

 

 

I don't doubt there may have been other mags that reviewed the LP, but I was just mainly looking at Blues & Soul as being one of the major ones.

Other than the review in Echoes posted earlier. I can't say, as I've not plucked up enough courage to go through those... Yet!

 

Anyone fancy going back to 1974 / '75 and see if any of the mags have a mention of it there? - somehow I'd be surprised if there was anything.... but you never know do you? 

[Mike Lofthouse]

6 minutes ago, John Benson said:

 

 

 

 

Jan's second mention in issue 12

 

 

 

Well done John!  

I think Jan's comments re Shirley Brown are very pertinent - Stax were hot with Shirley and 'Woman To Woman ' with all their troubles would they really want to be promoting an outside production to rival Shirley?

[Sunnysoul]

3 hours ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

I dig what you're saying Dean but there's still all sorts of things which don't completely add-up. Two separate people who are not connected with each other both claim they've either had it (me) or seen it and held it in their hands (the other Dean). The one that Dean had through his hands came from John Anderson so there's another avenue to check out if anyone speaks to John.

When you say, "so the idea that they would divert funds to make an album is unlikely" I would question that. I thought that they had bought the album in the first place and it's the album repertoire which produced the material for the two singles or 4 songs. So I thought it was a finished album deal right from the off? 

Also weird, is that the completed album was subsequently sold to Demon in 1989 from when the reissue came out (note I say reissue :)). So one would assume that Stax lost ownership of the album right? And then the 2 Sandra Wright singles turn up on the Complete Stax/Volt Singles 5 years later in 1994. So it's pretty confusing as to who actually owns the repertoire in my view. Also weird that this is pretty much the ONLY 'lost' album from such a vast catalogue. It's not like we've been inundated with bundles of other 'lost' albums by any of the other Stax acts is it? Also weird that Demon would release something like that rather than Ace don't you think? They would have either had to license the 4 Stax controlled tracks from Ace or, 5 years later, Universal would have had to licence the 2 tracks for the box set from whoever controlled the licensing of the album to Demon surely? The tracks can't be owned by two different parties can they? 

Questions, questions. However I'm realistic enough to know that this will never be accepted until the definitive proof is provided so, like the other Dean, until then I don't think there's any point saying anything else. 

Killer album period. Wish I'd kept it!

Ian D

 

As regards the lack of general awareness of the LP's release in the late 80s ,  one should  also keep in mind that Demon's output of soul music / black music was very limited compared to their  pop / rock  releases.  They licensed and re-issued Al Green's Call Me LP around that time together with the Lamont Dozier LP a few years earlier but really not much else. Obviously Sandra Wright got lost in the shuffle.

For soul fans one could say that there were more immediately interesting releases on the related Edsel label at the time from Don Covay, Major Lance , Rufus Thomas, Sam and Dave.

Are the people who were behind Demon / Edsel still around ? If so perhaps you can use your industry contacts to get in touch with them to see if they can provide any more information on the Sandra Wright release? 

 

[Ian Dewhirst]

1 hour ago, sunnysoul said:

As regards the lack of general awareness of the LP's release in the late 80s ,  one should  also keep in mind that Demon's output of soul music / black music was very limited compared to their  pop / rock  releases.  They licensed and re-issued Al Green's Call Me LP around that time together with the Lamont Dozier LP a few years earlier but really not much else. Obviously Sandra Wright got lost in the shuffle.

For soul fans one could say that there were more immediately interesting releases on the related Edsel label at the time from Don Covay, Major Lance , Rufus Thomas, Sam and Dave.

Are the people who were behind Demon / Edsel still around ? If so perhaps you can use your industry contacts to get in touch with them to see if they can provide any more information on the Sandra Wright release? 

 

I just worked there for the last 6 years lol. I found a CD copy in the cupboard there just after I joined and asked Val Jennings how come they didn't use the original sleeve but he couldn't remember.......

Ian D

[Kris Holmes]

Anyone email John Anderson to ask if he recollects it at all?

[Sunnysoul]

7 hours ago, Ian Dewhirst said:

I dig what you're saying Dean but there's still all sorts of things which don't completely add-up. Two separate people who are not connected with each other both claim they've either had it (me) or seen it and held it in their hands (the other Dean). The one that Dean had through his hands came from John Anderson so there's another avenue to check out if anyone speaks to John.

When you say, "so the idea that they would divert funds to make an album is unlikely" I would question that. I thought that they had bought the album in the first place and it's the album repertoire which produced the material for the two singles or 4 songs. So I thought it was a finished album deal right from the off? 

Also weird, is that the completed album was subsequently sold to Demon in 1989 from when the reissue came out (note I say reissue :)). So one would assume that Stax lost ownership of the album right? And then the 2 Sandra Wright singles turn up on the Complete Stax/Volt Singles 5 years later in 1994. So it's pretty confusing as to who actually owns the repertoire in my view. Also weird that this is pretty much the ONLY 'lost' album from such a vast catalogue. It's not like we've been inundated with bundles of other 'lost' albums by any of the other Stax acts is it? Also weird that Demon would release something like that rather than Ace don't you think? They would have either had to license the 4 Stax controlled tracks from Ace or, 5 years later, Universal would have had to licence the 2 tracks for the box set from whoever controlled the licensing of the album to Demon surely? The tracks can't be owned by two different parties can they? 

Questions, questions. However I'm realistic enough to know that this will never be accepted until the definitive proof is provided so, like the other Dean, until then I don't think there's any point saying anything else. 

Killer album period. Wish I'd kept it!

Ian D

 

That comment you make about the Sandra Wright LP being possibly the only lost LP in the Stax catalogue .... let's not  underplay the significance of the earlier post on here with the link to the Truth discography . Look at this:

TRUTH (TRS serie) :

4201 - ALPHA - THE ROUND ROBIN MONOPOLY

4202 - JOHN GARY WILLIAMS - JOHN GARY WILLIAMS (Reissue of Stax 5503)

4203 - STEPPIN' STONES (WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG) - JOSHIE JO ARMSTEAD

4204 - DARKTOWN STRUTTERS - DARKTOWN STRUTTERS

4205 - UNISSUED

4206 - WOMAN TO WOMAN - SHIRLEY BROWN  

4207 - A SOULFUL EXPERIENCE - THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP

Two other  unreleased   (at the time)  LPs  from Jo Armstead and the Darktown Strutters blaxploitation soundtrack LP !

Both are allocated numbers in the discography while the catalogue number 4205 remains unaccounted for.  

Perhaps that vacant release number was in fact the number for the Sandra Wright LP ?

And perhaps both the Jo Armstead and the Darktown Strutters LP were also released in some limited form at the time ?!!!!  

If so , you can bet that funk and blaxploitation collectors will also be falling off their chairs.

Edited January 27, 2016 by sunnysoul

[Mike Lofthouse]

18 hours ago, sunnysoul said:

That comment you make about the Sandra Wright LP being possibly the only lost LP in the Stax catalogue .... let's not  underplay the significance of the earlier post on here with the link to the Truth discography . Look at this:

TRUTH (TRS serie) :

4201 - ALPHA - THE ROUND ROBIN MONOPOLY

4202 - JOHN GARY WILLIAMS - JOHN GARY WILLIAMS (Reissue of Stax 5503)

4203 - STEPPIN' STONES (WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG) - JOSHIE JO ARMSTEAD

4204 - DARKTOWN STRUTTERS - DARKTOWN STRUTTERS

4205 - UNISSUED

4206 - WOMAN TO WOMAN - SHIRLEY BROWN  

4207 - A SOULFUL EXPERIENCE - THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP

Two other  unreleased   (at the time)  LPs  from Jo Armstead and the Darktown Strutters blaxploitation soundtrack LP !

Both are allocated numbers in the discography while the catalogue number 4205 remains unaccounted for.  

Perhaps that vacant release number was in fact the number for the Sandra Wright LP ?

And perhaps both the Jo Armstead and the Darktown Strutters LP were also released in some limited form at the time ?!!!!  

If so , you can bet that funk and blaxploitation collectors will also be falling off their chairs.

I'm not doubting Dean/Ian here,  I'm  just musing why the album was not promoted and got a 'proper' release.......................

Interesting that Sandra Wright's 'Wounded Woman' 45 pre-dates Shirley Brown's 'Woman to Woman' 45.  Shirley Brown was number 1 soul and 22 Billboard Oct/Nov 74, 'Wounded Woman' was released prior to that in June '74.  

The Demon sleeve notes say that David Johnson recorded the Sandra Wright in Oct '74 then immediately set off to pitch it in NY.    But surely she was already signed to Stax?  Furthermore the sleeve notes say (David Johnson) that 'Wounded Woman' 45 was scheduled for release in Jan '75 and it was then that it was discussed that it be on Truth rather than Stax - but it had already been out six months!!!   It all doesn't add up to me.

My theory is that Sandra's album was 'binned' after Shirley Brown hit big with 'Woman to Woman' - it was Stax's last big hit (and keeping the wolves from the door) - there is no way that they would not push an album on her, they were desperate at that stage to generate income.  Jim Stewart had returned and re-mortgaged his house to help save it - I can't see them putting resources and effort into a similar offering from Sandra.  

Maybe it did get as far as being pressed...then destroyed.......?