Matt Brown

[Dave Thorley]

Matt Brown ...................................
Macon, Georgia is a little city about 1 hour south of Atlanta. Driving down Main Street you get a real feeling of being in the old Deep South. As you look down any of the city’s main street and squint a little it is easy to imagine this as it would have looked back in the 50’s and 60’s, apart from the odd new building and the cars, it’s still the same. But this little sleepy corner of the Deep South was a hot bed for music, home to Otis Redding, Bobby Smith, Arthur Lee (Pep) Brown, Jimmy Braswell, Thomas Bailey, Nancy Butts, Jimmy Lee Bryant and one Matthew Brown. Like many Matt got his break through lifelong friend to Otis Redding and pall bearer at his funeral Hampton Swain. Hampton owned a very successful car dealership in town and was able to use this to fund Jar-Val records. He used the third string to his bow, local radio DJ and his talent shows, called ‘The Teenage parties’ which he held at the Roxey & Douglas theatres, to scout for talent. It is also said that these talent shows were the showcase that help Otis get a break, with him winning them for fifteen weeks on the trot, at one stage. Over a number of years Hampton (Hamp) was able to record many of the city’s young hopeful artists for his record label. In later years he would receive some competition from Otis and his business partners Phil & Alan Walden when they opened Capricorn studios.
Matt hooked up with Atlanta producer Tee Fletcher for his two 45’s on Jar-Val. The first release having a Tee composed track ‘Everyday’ on the A side and a cover version of David Gates ‘Baby I’m a want you’ on the flip. His second 45 was ‘Thank you baby’ and  ‘Sweet thing’ a record that 20 years later would become very popular in Europe for both sides, initially through a influential club called Top Of The World, Stafford. Both 45’s have that sophisticated Tee Fletcher production found on many of his numerous productions for many labels around the south. These records gave a small boost to Matt’s career and he was able to do limited touring around the south. Whilst on tour he met up with Major Bill Smith from Fort Worth and recorded a record for him, ‘Soul of a man / A man without a woman’ on Bill’s Le Cam label, this would also appear again on the Soft record label. By the mid 70’s Matt had stopped touring and settled back in Macon, working as a painter and decorator around the city, but in a short career he laid down some great sides.

 

 

[Louise]

Hi Dave

Isn't he the Matt  along with Robert (Robert Thomas of  My Salvation fame)) who also recorded on Jar-Val, Uni, Soft & Le Cam too.

I seem to remember hearing they were related, cousins I think ?

Dave

[Dave Thorley]

1 hour ago, Louise said:

Hi Dave

Isn't he the Matt  along with Robert (Robert Thomas of  My Salvation fame)) who also recorded on Jar-Val, Uni, Soft & Le Cam too.

I seem to remember hearing they were related, cousins I think ?

Dave

Yes that's the one, did know he was related to Robert Thomas though, thanks for that

 

[Fuzzj]

great reading dave..

[Corbett80]

I've got a late 60's thing  on Sew City by Mathew Brown called 'Love Me Just A Little Bit'. Is this the same guy Dave?

 

Great info btw 

Edited April 5, 2016 by corbett80

[Northernguy]

On 03/04/2016 at 12:22, Dave Thorley said:

Matt Brown ...................................
Macon, Georgia is a little city about 1 hour south of Atlanta. Driving down Main Street you get a real feeling of being in the old Deep South. As you look down any of the city’s main street and squint a little it is easy to imagine this as it would have looked back in the 50’s and 60’s, apart from the odd new building and the cars, it’s still the same. But this little sleepy corner of the Deep South was a hot bed for music, home to Otis Redding, Bobby Smith, Arthur Lee (Pep) Brown, Jimmy Braswell, Thomas Bailey, Nancy Butts, Jimmy Lee Bryant and one Matthew Brown. Like many Matt got his break through lifelong friend to Otis Redding and pall bearer at his funeral Hampton Swain. Hampton owned a very successful car dealership in town and was able to use this to fund Jar-Val records. He used the third string to his bow, local radio DJ and his talent shows, called ‘The Teenage parties’ which he held at the Roxey & Douglas theatres, to scout for talent. It is also said that these talent shows were the showcase that help Otis get a break, with him winning them for fifteen weeks on the trot, at one stage. Over a number of years Hampton (Hamp) was able to record many of the city’s young hopeful artists for his record label. In later years he would receive some competition from Otis and his business partners Phil & Alan Walden when they opened Capricorn studios.
Matt hooked up with Atlanta producer Tee Fletcher for his two 45’s on Jar-Val. The first release having a Tee composed track ‘Everyday’ on the A side and a cover version of David Gates ‘Baby I’m a want you’ on the flip. His second 45 was ‘Thank you baby’ and  ‘Sweet thing’ a record that 20 years later would become very popular in Europe for both sides, initially through a influential club called Top Of The World, Stafford. Both 45’s have that sophisticated Tee Fletcher production found on many of his numerous productions for many labels around the south. These records gave a small boost to Matt’s career and he was able to do limited touring around the south. Whilst on tour he met up with Major Bill Smith from Fort Worth and recorded a record for him, ‘Soul of a man / A man without a woman’ on Bill’s Le Cam label, this would also appear again on the Soft record label. By the mid 70’s Matt had stopped touring and settled back in Macon, working as a painter and decorator around the city, but in a short career he laid down some great sides.

 

 

LIKE

 

On 03/04/2016 at 13:36, Louise said:

Hi Dave

Isn't he the Matt  along with Robert (Robert Thomas of  My Salvation fame)) who also recorded on Jar-Val, Uni, Soft & Le Cam too.

I seem to remember hearing they were related, cousins I think ?

Dave

LIKE

 

[Chalky]

Came across this from Georgia Soul, Brian Poust I think from some time back.  Seems Matt Brown and Matthew Brown despite earlier doubts are one and the same.

As a child in Macon, Matt Brown’s father was in a gospel quartet called The Morningstars. Matt’s father soon put together The Morningstar Juniors, made up of Matt, his cousins Robert and Calvin Thomas, and another cousin named Eddie Smith. The Morningstar Juniors kicked around for a while until Matt joined the Air Force in 1964. While in the Air Force, Matt was stationed at Homestead Air Force Base until 1968. Matt kept close contacts with the music scene in Macon and waited for his chance to record. Matt left the Air Force in 1968, and got together in March of that year with Macon producer Bobby Smith in Jacksonville, FL. The result of that meeting was his first solo recording, “Love Me Just A Little Bit” b/w “Funky Soul Train”. Bobby Smith worked out a deal with the New Jersey based Sew City label, and this would Matt’s only release by his full name, Mathew Brown.

Matt headed back home to Macon and met two people who would shape the next few years of his life. Ted Clark was a DJ at Macon’s WNEX-AM radio station and was something of a talent agent/manager on the side. Hamp Swain, a DJ at WIBB-AM was about as big a deal as there could be for black radio in Macon, having helped to break open the careers of Little Richard, James Brown and Otis Redding. Hamp also had a record shop, and was setting himself up to start his own record label called Jar-Val, named after his children Jarvis and Val. Ted Clark had recently signed Matt’s cousin and fellow Morningstar Junior, Robert Thomas, to a management contract and worked with Hamp Swain and Major Bill Smith of Fort Worth Texas on Robert’s first and only solo 45 “Salvation” b/w “Soul of A Man” (Charay C-87). Matt brought on Ted Clark as his own manager shortly after his cousin was signed, and got his shot at the microphone alongside Robert with The Men From Macon on their 45 “Fire Lighter” b/w “Soul of A Man” (Charay C-89).

During the same session as the Men From Macon recording, a number of other songs were cut by Matt & Robert, including solo efforts. In the discography below, everything with the date 1969 was recorded during one session in Atlanta at Master Sound Studio. While speaking with Matt, the song “Run For Cover” (Jar-Val 001) caused a little bit of confusion since he didn’t remember the song title. After some discussion, he remembered that the song was written on the spot in the studio. It is not clear if “Run For Cover” and “Pride and Joy” were always meant for release on Hamp Swain’s Jar-Val label, or if Major Bill Smith simply didn’t want to use them for his own use. Either way, these are the songs that kicked off Swain’s new label. In 1971, Robert Thomas died in the swimming accident which we had previously (and erroneously) written was Matt.

Hamp Swain teamed up with Matt Brown again a couple of years later for two more 45s. The first of which was “Everyday” (Jar-Val 004), recorded at LeFevre Studios in Atlanta, with horns overdubbed later at Capricorn in Macon. The “LeFevre Strings” were members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For the “Thank You Baby” 45 (Jar-Val 006), Tom Wright’s studio on Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta was used, and the backing musicians were coordinated by Tee Fletcher in Atlanta, as Tee was working as a producer at Wright’s studio at the time. “Thank You Baby” is a Tee Fletcher song, which Tee had recorded with Wendell Parker a few years earlier (Josie 970), but the arrangement for Matt was slowed down a little bit, and to my ears is the superior version.

In 1974, Matt moved up to Philadelphia to attend Combs College of Music, which he was able to attend due to his Air Force service, which qualified him to take advantage of the GI Bill. By 1978, Matt had completed his studies and returned to Macon. However, there would be no more recording for Matt. He did, however, wind up gigging somewhat informally around Macon singing and playing bass guitar with Robert Lee Coleman (formerly with James Brown’s band) on guitar and Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers on drums. Matt eventually left music, but after having the opportunity to speak with him, it’s clear that the music hasn’t left him.

Bio thanks to Georgia Soul 

[Chalky]

[Guest Polyvelts]

Great reading the stories behind the records ! Thanks

[Agent45]

I'm only just finding this post from Dave, would loved to have contributed when it was still a current topic. Alas.... Matt Brown was also in the Men From Macon (with Robert Thomas already discussed as Matt's Cousin). In 2010 I published an article on Matt in my now defunct Georgia Soul blog. He was to attend a music school in the early 1970s but enlisted in the Air Force instead. Following his service, he did go to college in Philadelphia and returned to Macon in 1978 but did no further recordings. 

Matt Brown Discography:

Love Me Just A Little Bit / Funky Soul Train (Sew City 108) - as Mathew Brown 1968

Fire Lighter / The Soul of A Man (Charay C-89) - as The Men From Macon 1969

These Arms of Mine / Spirit of '76 (Le Cam 204) - as Matt & Robert 1969

These Arms of Mine / Soul of A Man instrumental (UNI 55151) - as Matt & Robert 1969

Run For Cover / Pride and Joy (Jar-Val 001) - as Matt & Robert "The Soul Cousins" 1969

A Man Without A Woman / Soul of A Man instrumental (Soft S-1035) 1969

A Man Without A Woman / Soho (Le Cam 357) 1969

Everyday / Baby I'm A Want You (Jar-Val 004) 1972

Thank You Baby / Sweet Thing (Jar-Val 006) 1972

Mr. Pitiful / All I Want Is You (Christi LC-005) by Berry Street Station; Matt Brown appears only on Mr. Pitiful; year unknown

[Chalky]

6 hours ago, Agent45 said:

I'm only just finding this post from Dave, would loved to have contributed when it was still a current topic. Alas.... Matt Brown was also in the Men From Macon (with Robert Thomas already discussed as Matt's Cousin). In 2010 I published an article on Matt in my now defunct Georgia Soul blog. He was to attend a music school in the early 1970s but enlisted in the Air Force instead. Following his service, he did go to college in Philadelphia and returned to Macon in 1978 but did no further recordings. 

Matt Brown Discography:

Love Me Just A Little Bit / Funky Soul Train (Sew City 108) - as Mathew Brown 1968

Fire Lighter / The Soul of A Man (Charay C-89) - as The Men From Macon 1969

These Arms of Mine / Spirit of '76 (Le Cam 204) - as Matt & Robert 1969

These Arms of Mine / Soul of A Man instrumental (UNI 55151) - as Matt & Robert 1969

Run For Cover / Pride and Joy (Jar-Val 001) - as Matt & Robert "The Soul Cousins" 1969

A Man Without A Woman / Soul of A Man instrumental (Soft S-1035) 1969

A Man Without A Woman / Soho (Le Cam 357) 1969

Everyday / Baby I'm A Want You (Jar-Val 004) 1972

Thank You Baby / Sweet Thing (Jar-Val 006) 1972

Mr. Pitiful / All I Want Is You (Christi LC-005) by Berry Street Station; Matt Brown appears only on Mr. Pitiful; year unknown

Is the article the one I posted above Brian?

Edited June 7, 2019 by Chalky

[Agent45]

9 hours ago, Chalky said:

Is the article the one I posted above Brian?

Yes it is, in fact.