Sandy Phillips - Unchain My Heart (Soul Discovery Vol 1 CD)

[Gold Band]

Marginal Records released the above CD in 1997 I Can't find anything about the Sandy Phillips Track "Unchain My Heart" as the CD's origin is Belgium is it one of those popcorn tracks that have been slowed down or sped up or has it got a label?

 Kirsty

[Stevie Frear]

Absolute mystery Ive had the discovery cd for around 10 year & searched for this track but my search only leads me back to the cd I've got which as no info at all !? Just Artist- Title -(jones-james) that's it ? Apart from Sandy appearing on a handful of compilation albums (but not said track) there's nothing else ? 

Kind regards Stevie

 

 

[Mal C]

Just adding label scans to tracks in my iTunes library, and I have drawn a blank on this track also, anybody know?

[Robbk]

On 15/09/2018 at 10:11, Gold Band said:

Marginal Records released the above CD in 1997 I Can't find anything about the Sandy Phillips Track "Unchain My Heart" as the CD's origin is Belgium is it one of those popcorn tracks that have been slowed down or sped up or has it got a label?

 Kirsty

Very nice!  I've never heard of him nor the record, nor have i heard the song before this.  Never seen that name.  Very interesting.  Must be from 1965 or '66. i would guess.  Was it taken of a studio demo?

[Geeselad]

41 minutes ago, Robbk said:

Very nice!  I've never heard of him nor the record, nor have i heard the song before this.  Never seen that name.  Very interesting.  Must be from 1965 or '66. i would guess.  Was it taken of a studio demo?

You've not heard the song before Rob? You're putting me on! Ray Charles? 64

Edited May 10, 2022 by Geeselad

[The Yank]

There are at least 30 Cover versions on you tube - from Ray Charles' original Hit version  to remakes by  the Rivingtons, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, the Undertakers, all the way to Joe Cocker, Paul Mauriat and even Hugh Laurie getting in on the action.

     I couldn't find the "Sandy Phillips" version though.

 

[Geeselad]

1 minute ago, The Yank said:

There are at least 30 Cover versions on you tube - from Ray Charles' original Hit version  to remakes by  the Rivingtons, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, the Undertakers, all the way to Joe Cocker, Paul Mauriat and even Hugh Laurie getting in on the action.

     I couldn't find the "Sandy Phillips" version though.

 

I was about to say the must be loads of versions, but Ray still kills it for me. 

2 minutes ago, The Yank said:

There are at least 30 Cover versions on you tube - from Ray Charles' original Hit version  to remakes by  the Rivingtons, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, the Undertakers, all the way to Joe Cocker, Paul Mauriat and even Hugh Laurie getting in on the action.

     I couldn't find the "Sandy Phillips" version though.

 

Hugh Laurie is quite a credible jazz act apparently 

[The Yank]

2 hours ago, Geeselad said:

I was about to say the must be loads of versions, but Ray still kills it for me. 

    The best version for me.

 

[Sunnysoul]

Hard to beat Ray Charles original , but if want you want 100% gritty soulful female vocals and rarity as well ... this is the one ... 

 

[Amsterdam Russ]

Intriguing! Having had a bit of a search, it appears Sandy Phillips was a vocalist with Don Raleigh & his Orchestra - a band that recorded low budget cover versions of pop hits for the Canadian Masterseal label - much the same as you'd get on the Top of the Pops LPs from the early 70s, etc.

Discogs shows Sandy Phillips and Don Raleigh together on multiple albums, and Unchain my Heart features on Masterseal's MTH-13 and titled "12 Top Hits".

Pic source: Discogs

Link to Discogs listing here: 

https://www.discogs.com/release/11736960-Don-Raleigh-And-His-Orchestra-12-Top-Hits

 

[Robbk]

5 hours ago, Geeselad said:

You've not heard the song before Rob? You're putting me on! Ray Charles? 64

I bought Ray Charles' version new, when it first came out.  It's just about my favourite Ray Charles song.  Sorry, my English is not so good anymore.  What I should have said was "I haven't heard THIS VERSION before."

[Amsterdam Russ]

2 minutes ago, Robbk said:

What I should have said was "I haven't heard THIS VERSION before."

What you said seemed obvious to me, so you ain't too far gone just yet. 

[Robbk]

5 hours ago, The Yank said:

There are at least 30 Cover versions on you tube - from Ray Charles' original Hit version  to remakes by  the Rivingtons, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, the Undertakers, all the way to Joe Cocker, Paul Mauriat and even Hugh Laurie getting in on the action.

     I couldn't find the "Sandy Phillips" version though.

 

Hugh Bloody Laurie!!!!  Sang THAT song!    Next, you'll tell me that Eric Idle sang it in "The Spanish Inquisition Sketch"!   Did he record a Soul LP! "Hugh Laurie sings R&B Favourites"!

[Amsterdam Russ]

1 minute ago, Robbk said:

Hugh Bloody Laurie!!!!  Sang THAT song!    Next, you'll tell me that Eric Idle sang it in "The Spanish Inquisition Sketch"!   Did he record a Soul LP! "Hugh Laurie sings R&B Favourites"!

Pretty much exactly that...

https://www.discogs.com/release/12474807-Hugh-Laurie-Didnt-It-Rain

And...

http://www.hughlaurieblues.com

[Blackpoolsoul]

3 minutes ago, Robbk said:

Hugh Bloody Laurie!!!!  Sang THAT song!    Next, you'll tell me that Eric Idle sang it in "The Spanish Inquisition Sketch"!   Did he record a Soul LP! "Hugh Laurie sings R&B Favourites"!

 

[Robbk]

3 minutes ago, Blackpoolsoul said:

 

Thanks for uploading this.  It's pretty disappointing, considering how well he's done at mimicking the American accent in his acting career, and what a great actor he is (both serious and comedic).  The instrumentation is very good (but way too modern for me).  But his vocal is weak.  Not very good to my taste.  And he's recorded one of my all-time favourite Blues songs, "Junkers' Blues", by Champion Jack Dupree (who I saw appear in a club in Oldenburg in 1990 (where he resided for many years) (when I lived in Bremen).  I'd be afraid to listen to THAT.

[Blackpoolsoul]

1 minute ago, Robbk said:

Thanks for uploading this.  It's pretty disappointing, considering how well he's done at mimicking the American accent in his acting career, and what a great actor he is (both serious and comedic).  The instrumentation is very good (but way too modern for me).  But his vocal is weak.  Not very good to my taste.  And he's recorded one of my all-time favourite Blues songs, "Junkers' Blues", by Champion Jack Dupree (who I saw appear in a club in Oldenburg in 1990 (where he resided for many years) (when I lived in Bremen).  I'd be afraid to listen to THAT.

I won't ruin our breakfasts Rob

Found this interesting link on the CD label

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/smithy57/belgiums_marginal_records___bootlegging_the_60s_forgotten_pop_and_soul/

This a forum mention

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/marginal-records-ketty-lester-compilation-anything-ring-a-bell-here.51813/

 

[Robbk]

I listened to "Junkers' Blues". It's awful. He slowed it down from a raucous 1940 Boogie Woogie tune, to a 1920's Big City Blues tune, with a vocal that sounds like a White hick from Idaho trying to sing The Blues.  I know there is a long tradition of remaking songs in very different music genres, but this is very disappointing, because he's one of my favourite comedic actors.

[Robbk]

1 hour ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Intriguing! Having had a bit of a search, it appears Sandy Phillips was a vocalist with Don Raleigh & his Orchestra - a band that recorded low budget cover versions of pop hits for the Canadian Masterseal label - much the same as you'd get on the Top of the Pops LPs from the early 70s, etc.

Discogs shows Sandy Phillips and Don Raleigh together on multiple albums, and Unchain my Heart features on Masterseal's MTH-13 and titled "12 Top Hits".

Pic source: Discogs

Link to Discogs listing here: 

https://www.discogs.com/release/11736960-Don-Raleigh-And-His-Orchestra-12-Top-Hits

 

So Sandy Phillips was a fellow Canuck, singing for one of Canada's top budget labels (The equivalent of USA's Tops Records).  And he was the male band singer for Don Raleigh's orchestra.  I didn't know that Old "Bones" moonlighted as a band leader.  Don Raleigh was the centre for our Winnipeg Jr. A ice hockey team the year before I was born.  He played for The New York Rangers for 9 years.  He retired from professional hockey in 1958, so I guess he could have been a bandleader in 1964.    Actually, Sandy did a pretty good job on "Unchain My Heart" - a LOT better than Hugh Laurie, anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Robbk

[Amsterdam Russ]

10 minutes ago, Robbk said:

...Don Raleigh's orchestra.  I didn't know that Old "Bones" moonlighted as a band leader.  Don Raleigh was the centre for our Winnipeg Jr. A ice hockey team the year before I was born.  He played for The New York Rangers for 9 years.  He retired from professional hockey in 1958, so I guess he could have been a bandleader in 1964.    Actually, Sandy did a pretty good job on "Unchain My Heart" - a LOT better than Hugh Laurie, anyway.

A different Don Raleigh, I think. There's no mention on the Wikipedia entry (or elsewhere that I've seen) of the ice hockey star having had a musical career.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Raleigh

 

[Robbk]

4 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

A different Don Raleigh, I think. There's no mention on the Wikipedia entry (or elsewhere that I've seen) of the ice hockey star having had a musical career.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Raleigh

 

I was making a joke.  But you now see why although I write comedy stories (voor nederlandse Donald Duck Weekblad), I am not a World-Famous comedy writer! 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Robbk

[Amsterdam Russ]

40 minutes ago, Robbk said:

I was making a joke.  But you now see why although I write comedy stories (voor nederlandse Donald Duck Weekblad), I am not a World-Famous comedy writer! 

Never having heard of Don Raleigh (band leader) nor Don Raleigh (ice hockey player) until my online searches a little while earlier, the humour was lost on me. Maar, ik snap het... nu (trans for those not speaking Dutch: "But, I get it... now").

World famous comedy writer? Misschien in Nederland je bent een bekende "buitenlander" (trans for those not speaking or understanding my atrocious and unique form of Dutch: Maybe in the Netherlands you're a well-known "foreigner").

Normal English-language services will resume shortly.

Just noticed, by the way, that the original post asking for any info on Sandy Phillips and "Unchain my Heart" is from Sept 2018!

 

 

[Robbk]

8 hours ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Never having heard of Don Raleigh (band leader) nor Don Raleigh (ice hockey player) until my online searches a little while earlier, the humour was lost on me. Maar, ik snap het... nu (trans for those not speaking Dutch: "But, I get it... now").

World famous comedy writer? Misschien in Nederland je bent een bekende "buitenlander" (trans for those not speaking or understanding my atrocious and unique form of Dutch: Maybe in the Netherlands you're a well-known "foreigner").

Normal English-language services will resume shortly.

Just noticed, by the way, that the original post asking for any info on Sandy Phillips and "Unchain my Heart" is from Sept 2018!

 

 

I am well known in Nederland (at least by Disney Comics fans) as a Disney artist and writer, and I draw drawings and sign autographs there.  I've placed a pencil drawing of mine and mijne Keerstkaartje below for your viewing pleasure.  Also, I'm not quite a foreigner, because my family comes from Den Haag.  In fact, my great aunt was the model who posed for the famous "De Visservrouw" (statue of the fisherman's wife) op de strand in Scheveningen.

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Robbk

[Amsterdam Russ]

45 minutes ago, Robbk said:

I'm not quite a foreigner

Hence why I put the word foreigner in quote marks.

Anyway, on with the show and back to the subject of unchaining our hearts... 

[Mot]

Think I may have found it?  The video above for 'Sandy Philips' sounds slowed down to me................it looks like it could actually be a contemporary rockin' group called 'The Green Apples'.  Not much information about them that I can find so may be unknown or a studio group or could even be older and not issued?  Looks like it's on an album called Rock'n Roll Attitude, released in 2010 which has covers of classic songs.  Have a listen to the sound clip here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/rockn-roll-attitude/412453590

Sounds the same to my ears but not slowed down, like the Sandy Philips video.  I've never heard of any of the groups on the album, any rockabilly's out there that may know?

Of course.......I may be completely wrong

[Robbk]

4 hours ago, Mot said:

Think I may have found it?  The video above for 'Sandy Philips' sounds slowed down to me................it looks like it could actually be a contemporary rockin' group called 'The Green Apples'.  Not much information about them that I can find so may be unknown or a studio group or could even be older and not issued?  Looks like it's on an album called Rock'n Roll Attitude, released in 2010 which has covers of classic songs.  Have a listen to the sound clip here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/rockn-roll-attitude/412453590

Sounds the same to my ears but not slowed down, like the Sandy Philips video.  I've never heard of any of the groups on the album, any rockabilly's out there that may know?

Of course.......I may be completely wrong

So, you think it is NOT Sandy Phillips and The Topovers with Don Raleigh's Orchestra, recorded at the end of the 1950s, or in the early 1960s in a Canadian studio for Masterseal/Buckingham Records, but, rather, a 2010 retro-nostalgic recording?  To me, the video above, said to be Sandy Phillips(purported to have been slowed down), sounds EXACTLY the same as the sample of The Green Apples' version, supposed NOT to have been slowed down.  This makes no sense to me.  I wish Discogs had an audio file of The Sandy Phillips version.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Robbk

[Mal C]

I think we got a winner... thats the one isnt it...

Robb, this is not NOT Sandy Phillips and The Topovers with Don Raleigh's Orchestra, recorded at the end of the 1950s, or in the early 1960s in a Canadian studio for Masterseal/Buckingham Records, but, rather, a 2010 retro-nostalgic recording now uncovered for the first time on soul source...  ish...

Edited May 11, 2022 by Mal C

[Robbk]

22 minutes ago, Mal C said:

I think we got a winner... thats the one isnt it...

Robb, this is not NOT Sandy Phillips and The Topovers with Don Raleigh's Orchestra, recorded at the end of the 1950s, or in the early 1960s in a Canadian studio for Masterseal/Buckingham Records, but, rather, a 2010 retro-nostalgic recording now uncovered for the first time on soul source...  ish...

If this is true that it's a 2010 recording, they did a hell of a job making the instrumentation sound "old".  It sounds like it was recorded in 1965 or 1966.  I can't remember ever hearing ANY songs recorded after 1976, or maybe one in 1977, in which the instrumentation sound WAYYYYY too modern for my taste, and my HATING the sound.  However, on this recording, the instrumental has none of those modern elements that I dislike.  I can't imagine how that is possible, IF this was a 2010 recording.  Why can't I think of even ONE example of a post 1976 song that meets that standard???

[Geeselad]

11 minutes ago, Robbk said:

If this is true that it's a 2010 recording, they did a hell of a job making the instrumentation sound "old".  It sounds like it was recorded in 1965 or 1966.  I can't remember ever hearing ANY songs recorded after 1976, or maybe one in 1977, in which the instrumentation sound WAYYYYY too modern for my taste, and my HATING the sound.  However, on this recording, the instrumental has none of those modern elements that I dislike.  I can't imagine how that is possible, IF this was a 2010 recording.  Why can't I think of even ONE example of a post 1976 song that meets that standard???

Tend to agree with you rob, about the tune not being a recent recording and about modern records in general. James hunter is an exception.

[The Yank]

12 hours ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Intriguing! Having had a bit of a search, it appears Sandy Phillips was a vocalist with Don Raleigh & his Orchestra - a band that recorded low budget cover versions of pop hits for the Canadian Masterseal label - much the same as you'd get on the Top of the Pops LPs from the early 70s, etc.

Discogs shows Sandy Phillips and Don Raleigh together on multiple albums, and Unchain my Heart features on Masterseal's MTH-13 and titled "12 Top Hits".

Pic source: Discogs

Link to Discogs listing here: 

https://www.discogs.com/release/11736960-Don-Raleigh-And-His-Orchestra-12-Top-Hits

 

    I'm not sure if Discogs got the info right on the Masterseal label. As you can see by this article from a Feb., 1957 Billboard- the company was U.S. based. I know the back of the album covers say "Made In Canada". Maybe the records and covers were manufactured in Canada or at some point the company moved to Canada?

     I've seen 10's of 1000's of Masterseal albums in the U.S. so something is not right with the Discogs info.

 

[Robbk]

7 minutes ago, Geeselad said:

Tend to agree with you rob, about the tune not being a recent recording and about modern records in general. James hunter is an exception.

Yes!!!  I forgot about James Hunter!  When I first heard a few of his cuts, I thought they were Detroit cuts from 1966.

[Amsterdam Russ]

I suspect 'someone' might have repackaged the Masterseal tracks, given them 'new' band names, and then made them available digitally. Searching online for The Green Apples brings up nothing. Likewise, if you search for the record label/publisher Popirock there's nothing to be found.

[Robbk]

3 minutes ago, The Yank said:

    I'm not sure if Discogs got the info right on the Masterseal label. As you can see by this article from a Feb., 1957 Billboard- the company was U.S. based. I know the back of the album covers say "Made In Canada". Maybe the records and covers were manufactured in Canada or at some point the company moved to Canada?

     I've seen 10's of 1000's of Masterseal albums in the U.S. so something is not right with the Discogs info.

 

Clearly, Remington's new budget LP operation started in Detroit, used a Canadian pressing plant, probably in Windsor (but certainly, somewhere in the nearby portion of Ontario (London, or Toronto Metro Area) to master and press their recordings (and, perhaps, they even used a recording studio there, as well).

3 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

I suspect 'someone' might have repackaged the Masterseal tracks, given them 'new' band names, and then made them available digitally. Searching online for The Green Apples brings up nothing. Likewise, if you search for the record label/publisher Popirock there's nothing to be found.

That sounds reasonable, and explains the old sound of the instrumentation and recording acoustics.

[Mot]

I did say I might be wrong 

Also found this at the same time, sounds same to my ear but not slowed down (which they do a lot in Belguim):

Which may point it to being an earlier recording that was not published until a lot later.  But then again we may never find out!!!

I'd disagree with the comment of not being able to re-create a 60's sound now-a-days......there's plenty of records that have been made over the last 10-20 years that sound like they were recorded in the 60's.  James Hunter has been mentioned, but also some stuff released on Daptone and The Kevin Fingier Collective/Acid Jazz to name a few that has an authentic sound, maybe not all soul but also R&B, New Breed R&B, Jazz, Boogaloo and Latin sounds have been copied/reproduced.

I've also seen plenty of unknown/little known 'live' groups over the past 20+ years that to me, sound like they've stepped straight out of the 60's.

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Mot

[Robbk]

2 hours ago, Mot said:

I did say I might be wrong 

Also found this at the same time, sounds same to my ear but not slowed down (which they do a lot in Belguim):

Which may point it to being an earlier recording that was not published until a lot later.  But then again we may never find out!!!

I'd disagree with the comment of not being able to re-create a 60's sound now-a-days......there's plenty of records that have been made over the last 10-20 years that sound like they were recorded in the 60's.  James Hunter has been mentioned, but also some stuff released on Daptone and The Kevin Fingier Collective/Acid Jazz to name a few that has an authentic sound, maybe not all soul but also R&B, New Breed R&B, Jazz, Boogaloo and Latin sounds have been copied/reproduced.

I've also seen plenty of unknown/little known 'live' groups over the past 20+ years that to me, sound like they've stepped straight out of the 60's.

 

THIS sounds like the best answer.  Crown Records was Modern Records' catch-all, multi-genre 45RPM label from 1952-1956, for records they didn't know how to market, or know what to do with (like VIP was for Motown).  In 1957, they used it as a budget LP label for cover records of recent hits recorded by unknown in-house artists given false individual and group names, and for repackaging their own R&B and Jazz oldies, and picking up non-hit-failed Pop, MOR and ethnic music, and repackaging it.  Modern's Crown LPs lasted well into the early 1960s.  Ray Charles' "Unchain My Heart" was released in Fall 1961.  So that Crown LP that contained the Sandy Phillips and The Topovers' cut (not the older Crown label shown on the video, but the later, gray label, without the Crown illustration (only text), could have been released in November or December 1961, or early 1962.  My guess of 1964-66 probably happened because of its later processing.  The sound on the Crown video above sounds earlier, and 1961-62 matches it perfectly.

[Geeselad]

3 hours ago, Mot said:

I did say I might be wrong 

Also found this at the same time, sounds same to my ear but not slowed down (which they do a lot in Belguim):

Which may point it to being an earlier recording that was not published until a lot later.  But then again we may never find out!!!

I'd disagree with the comment of not being able to re-create a 60's sound now-a-days......there's plenty of records that have been made over the last 10-20 years that sound like they were recorded in the 60's.  James Hunter has been mentioned, but also some stuff released on Daptone and The Kevin Fingier Collective/Acid Jazz to name a few that has an authentic sound, maybe not all soul but also R&B, New Breed R&B, Jazz, Boogaloo and Latin sounds have been copied/reproduced.

I've also seen plenty of unknown/little known 'live' groups over the past 20+ years that to me, sound like they've stepped straight out of the 60's.

 

Fair enough I was going to mention daptone but I'd say it's the exception not and definitely not the rule with recent recordings. 

[The Yank]

51 minutes ago, Robbk said:

THIS sounds like the best answer.  Crown Records was Modern Records' catch-all, multi-genre 45RPM label from 1952-1956, for records they didn't know how to market, or know what to do with (like VIP was for Motown).  In 1957, they used it as a budget LP label for cover records of recent hits recorded by unknown in-house artists given false individual and group names, and for repackaging their own R&B and Jazz oldies, and picking up non-hit-failed Pop, MOR and ethnic music, and repackaging it.  Modern's Crown LPs lasted well into the early 1960s.  Ray Charles' "Unchain My Heart" was released in Fall 1961.  So that Crown LP that contained the Sandy Phillips and The Topovers' cut (not the older Crown label shown on the video, but the later, gray label, without the Crown illustration (only text), could have been released in November or December 1961, or early 1962.  My guess of 1964-66 probably happened because of its later processing.  The sound on the Crown video above sounds earlier, and 1961-62 matches it perfectly.

          I'm very sure this version of "Unchain My Heart" was never released on Crown Records. I think someone made up a CD mockup to throw people off the scent. Crown did release this kind of album in the late 50's but not in the early 60's . I looked through the Crown discography on Discogs and I couldn't find any Crown album with a studio group doing "Unchain My Heart". 

[Robbk]

1 hour ago, The Yank said:

          I'm very sure this version of "Unchain My Heart" was never released on Crown Records. I think someone made up a CD mockup to throw people off the scent. Crown did release this kind of album in the late 50's but not in the early 60's . I looked through the Crown discography on Discogs and I couldn't find any Crown album with a studio group doing "Unchain My Heart". 

Thanks for that research.  So, now we're back to square one.  We have no idea where the recording was found.  Maybe it WAS some kind of re-working of a studio group's budget LP early '60s recording?  Maybe it actually WAS Sandy Phillips and The Topovers' Masterseal version? 

[Mot]

The more I've looked into it on the web since my previous posts............I might be eating my words..........I'm kinda now leaning towards the cover version from budget 60's LP idea.  As previously noted by other posts, there were plenty of cover versions for budget LP's recorded in the US and UK throughout the 50's and 60's.  Record gets released by a big artist, gets well known......then rather than paying royalties, budget LP producers cover version of the 'well known' record to include on a LP on 'past' hits.  Very plausible……I’ve got a number of LP’s and EP’s in that vein……..don’t remember any ones which are better or as good as the original version though (I'm not saying this is better that Ray Charles BTW).  Whether it is Sandy Philips or not, I expect we'll never know.  Could just be a 'studio' artist and band that some in Belgium has found along the record digging path!

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Mot