TAMLA MOTOWN 1965 TOUR

[Guest thierry]

Hello to all,

yesterday i visited one of our record fairs in Belgium . I picked up the french "Introduction au Tamla motown  sound" . The Lp contains a booklet , photos and one LP . The record was probably a promotion tool and was probably aimed to journalists . Do not know if it hit the shelves in those days . It was released around the first Tamla Motown tour .

i know we have discussed the tour in the past somewhere else on this forum .

My question comes now , does anybody know the names of every artist and band member who was on tour ?

The record that i acquired , came from the archives of a journalist and editor of the 1960s Belgian music magazine Juke Box  and is signed by various artists . Florence (Supremes), Betty  (The Vandellas), Rosalind  (The Vandellas), Martha Reeves, Bobby (with a drawing of glasses next to his name)  (Miracles) ,...  not being a graphologist tehy are a few i can not recognise , but maybe if i had a list of the touring artists it could help .

 

thanx in advance

Thierry

Edited May 2, 2016 by thierry

[Guest]

Google " Tampa Motown tour 1965"

Several links to info plus BBC radio special on the tour

[Philippe]

Here is a great documentary on this tour, called "the ghost tour" by Mary Wilson :

 

Edited May 2, 2016 by Philippe

[Roburt]

A photo taken during the tour .........

 

[Roburt]

... and another ...... 

[Guest thierry]

thanx for the help so far , still need to find some nams ;) . The video is AMAZING .

[Guest]

Is it names of the groups?

Miracles...Smokey, bobby rogers, warren Pete Moore, Ronnie white

Vandellas..Martha, Betty Kelly, Rosalind Ashford

Supremes..Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson

Earl van dyke, jack Ashford, tony newton, eli fontaine, Robert white, bob cousar

Temptations..TV show only..not on 1965 tour

extras..Clarence paul, don foster, beans bowles, van Gordon sauter,  gordy family

 

Edited May 3, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

Claudette Robinson with miracles

Stevie wonder

UK star Georgie fame was brought in to help sales of tickets

Edited May 3, 2016 by Guest

[jam66]

Four Tops, picture here with Epstein but no Levi in this one.

 

Ooops! Could be the wrong tour.

[Roburt]

RE:  Ooops! Could be the wrong tour.   I think that photo dates from 69.

Tour poster ........

[Guest]

5 hours ago, jam66 said:

Four Tops, picture here with Epstein but no Levi in this one.

 

Ooops! Could be the wrong tour.

MORE LIKE 66...I think Mr Epstein died in 1967

[Roburt]

I'm getting a bit off topic here ... BUT ... lots of US soul stars toured the UK in 64/65/66 .... most went on theatre tours as part of a package that was always headed by a big UK act (Beatles  -- Mary Wells, Stones  -- Inez & Charlie Foxx, Gerry & Pacemakers  -- Ben E King, Soul Sisters as well though I can't recall who topped that bill in 64).

Anyway, Kim Weston was due to tour on a bill topped by P J Proby but PJ fell out with the promoter (over a minor issue) and this led to the tour being cancelled about 1 day before the 1st show was due to take place. They had tried to get Chuck Berry to be the replacement top act & that seemed as though it would salvage the tour. But he couldn't get out of some US gigs he'd been booked for, so the tour was cancelled at the 11th hour.

Now Kim was due to tour the UK for just about all of November 64, with back up provided by the Early Van Dyke Quartet (the Funk Brothers). I guess that they actually arrived in the UK but went home almost immediately. Anyone know what tracks were cut back in Detroit that November as the plan must have been to lay down tracks without the Funks that month. 

[Guest]

Some funks did tour with Kim Weston and Gene Pitney, Kinks Bobby Shafto,,Georgie fame were on the bill.

It is covered in Jack Ashford's book "Motown the view from the bottom"...as is the 65 tour

Kim also appeared on RSG..."A little more love"

Edited May 3, 2016 by Guest

[Roburt]

In 1966 a lot of soul acts appeared on RSG ....

MARCH: Tempts + Stevie Wonder, Supremes, Martha & Vs, Miracles (all these off the tour). 

APR: Dionne Warwick, Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford

MAY: 4 Tops

JUNE: Marvelettes

JULY: Nina Simone, Ad Libs, Inez & Charlie Foxx

AUG:  NIL

SEPT: Dee Irwin, Lou Johnson

OCT: Supremes, Ben E King 

NOV: Wilson Pickett

DEC: Fontella Bass, Toys, Dee Dee Warwick

No doubt Kim was on RSG in 65.

[Guest MBarrett]

1 hour ago, Roburt said:

 

In 1966 a lot of soul acts appeared on RSG ....

 

Dates getting a bit confusing here.

Rob I think you mean 1965.

 

[bobkayli]

Thierry

the record is a promo only LP. The reference number includes the letters HC which indicates it is hors commerce.

it was issued to coincide with the launch of the Tamla Motown label in France and was presented at a press launch in Paris on the day of the Motortown review concert at Olympic in April 1965. 

My copy came from the collection of Jean jacques timmel who was international manager for Pathe Marconi at the time who distributed the label in France.

the musician listing mentioned above for the tour sounds right.

[jam66]

6 hours ago, MBarrett said:

Dates getting a bit confusing here.

Rob I think you mean 1965.

 

I threw the thread off track a little by having an image in the wrong folder. Here's a playlist of the Ready Steady Go special to compliment the '65 tour that Dusty Springfield presented.

 

[Philippe]

8 hours ago, bobkayli said:

Thierry

the record is a promo only LP. The reference number includes the letters HC which indicates it is hors commerce.

it was issued to coincide with the launch of the Tamla Motown label in France and was presented at a press launch in Paris on the day of the Motortown review concert at Olympic in April 1965. 

My copy came from the collection of Jean jacques timmel who was international manager for Pathe Marconi at the time who distributed the label in France.

the musician listing mentioned above for the tour sounds right.

 

There it is : https://www.popsike.com/TAMLA-MOTOWNHYPER-RARESUPREMESLP33TMINTNEUF/320696347900.html

 

Tu as de la chance Thierry, I'd love to get this LP !

[Roburt]

A couple of us are guilty of veering this thread a bit off topic ... BUT ... it is all related info ... 

[jam66]

[jam66]

I've pinched the UK tour dates from Ralph's site if they're of any use..

 

20 March – Astoria, Finsbury Park (6.40 & 9.10)
21 March – Odeon, Hammersmith (6.00 & 8.00)
22 March – Day off
23 March – Colston Hall, Bristol (6.30 & 8.45)
24 March – Capital, Cardiff (6.00 & 8.30)
25 March – Odeon, Birmingham (6.45 & 9.00)
26 March – ABC, Kingston (6.45 & 9.00)
27 March – Winter Gardens, Bournemouth (6.00 & 8.30)
28 March – Odeon, Leicester (5.40 & 8.00)
29 March – Day off
30 March – Odeon, Manchester (6.15 & 8.45)
31 March – Odeon, Leeds (6.20 & 8.40)
1 April – Odeon, Glasgow (6.40 & 9.00)
2 April – ABC, Stockton (6.15 & 8.30)
3 April – City Hall, Newcastle (6.30 & 8.45)
4 April – Empire, Liverpool (5.40 & 8.00)
5 April – Day off
6 April – ABC, Luton (6.30 & 8.45)
7 April – ABC, Chester (6.15 & 8.30)
8 April – City Hall, Sheffield (6.20 & 8.50)
9 April – ABC, Wigan (6.20 & 8.35)
10 April – Gaumont, Wolverhampton (6.30 & 8.40)
11 April – Gaumont, Ipswich (5.30 & 8.00)
12 April – Guildhall, Portsmouth (6.30 & 8.30)

[Hooker1951]

It cost 37.5 pence to watch the Tamla Motown revue at the Wigan Ritz in 1965

we were already into the music because we had what were termed at the time

soul  and R n B clubs not NS  although Much of the music would reappear 10 years later and be named NS

Keep On Remembering

ML

 

 

 

 

[Stuart Russell]

Veering slightly off again, I'm designing Keith Rylatt's latest book which is all about Dave Godin's Tamla Motown Appreciation Society and the UK Tour in 1965. Should be of interest to anybody reading this topic.

 

[Philippe]

Stuart, do you have a link for this book ? Thanks.

[Funky 4 Corners]

On 5/3/2016 at 18:46, Roburt said:

I'm getting a bit off topic here ... BUT ... lots of US soul stars toured the UK in 64/65/66 .... most went on theatre tours as part of a package that was always headed by a big UK act (Beatles  -- Mary Wells, Stones  -- Inez & Charlie Foxx, Gerry & Pacemakers  -- Ben E King, Soul Sisters as well though I can't recall who topped that bill in 64).

Anyway, Kim Weston was due to tour on a bill topped by P J Proby but PJ fell out with the promoter (over a minor issue) and this led to the tour being cancelled about 1 day before the 1st show was due to take place. They had tried to get Chuck Berry to be the replacement top act & that seemed as though it would salvage the tour. But he couldn't get out of some US gigs he'd been booked for, so the tour was cancelled at the 11th hour.

Now Kim was due to tour the UK for just about all of November 64, with back up provided by the Early Van Dyke Quartet (the Funk Brothers). I guess that they actually arrived in the UK but went home almost immediately. Anyone know what tracks were cut back in Detroit that November as the plan must have been to lay down tracks without the Funks that month. 

In the 30th October issue of NME it stated that Kim and EVD were arriving in time to go on the tour, (6th Nov) but as you say it was abandoned. They seemed to have been billed to appear at the New Theatre, Oxford on the 7th for a week but I can't find much proof of that but they did commence a short tour at Shrewsbury Granada on the 20th finishing at Colston Hall, Bristol on the 29th. She also did various radio and TV appearances, Open House, Saturday Club and RSG! I have several previously unseen shots of her with EVD, his band, Dave Godin, fan club members etc in London that will appear in my forthcoming book; `Hitsville! The birth of Tamla Motown`, due out this summer.

[Roburt]

I now live in Oxford, so can visit the local library and check the papers for that week. I''ll do that & report back.

[Funky 4 Corners]

Roburt, that would be amazing if you could, I phoned the theatre and they said because it had changed hands a few times since 1964, the only records they held were old programmes but they didn't offer to check 'em out I'm afraid. My doubts are rooted in that KIM and EVD were supposed to be there for the whole week commencing 7th Nov '64 but they surely would only do one night? Can't wait for your findings!

[Jumpinjoan]

Posted this on here a while ago, here's the local paper write up for the Wigan show

 

 

[Guest thierry]

this is the link for the upcoming book

https://groovesvilleusa.com/hitsville.html

 

[Guest thierry]

Dutch ans Belgian press reports on the Parisian show .

De Telegraaf (Netherlands) April 17, 1965 : full page

Juke Box magazine (Belgium) May 1965; full page

 

Edited May 8, 2016 by thierry

[nrc]

On ‎03‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 17:53, Roburt said:

RE:  Ooops! Could be the wrong tour.   I think that photo dates from 69.

Tour poster ........

not wrong Roburt says 65 on the poster

[Guest Swissbeatle]

Hi Thierry

Could you send me a better scan / photo of the signatures? I should be able to help. I do have a similar signed copy of the same LP.  My mail address:    samuel.mumenthaler@swissonline.ch

All the best, Samuel