Sporting Heroes Who Cut Soul / R&B Records

[Guest]

The discovery of an acetate by Joe Frazier got me thinking of other sports performers who cut a few records on the back of their sporting prowess . Sorry if this has all ready been done . I found nothing in the index.

Several heavyweight boxers come to mind including three world champions in Smokin' Joe Frazier, Jimmy Ellis (who cut a gospel album for Atlantic) and Muhammad Ali (as Cassius Clay - he shouldn't have bothered)..

Here's Frazier performing 'I'd Be Ahead If I Could Quit While I'm Behind' in 1974. Unless I'm mistaken the other couch guests are Sly Stone and Richard Pryor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWRU3rI80HQ

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Firecrest

[Guest]

Ernie Wheelwright known as 'Wheels' was a running back for the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta falcons. He also ran a nightclub in Atlanta that bought him in contact with a fair few touring stars. He cut this brilliant deep cut on Gaye out of Atlanta.

  

 

[Guest]

Lee Maye doubled as a Major League Baseball players for The Atlanta Braves. Another from Atlanta's Gaye label. 

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Firecrest
grammar

[Roburt]

Then there's Roosevelt Grier, Ed 'Too Tall' Jones (Searling used to spin one of his tracks in the 80's), Alexander O'Neil, Ernie Terrell and others from the US.

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Roburt

[El Corol]

 

Shoot-A-Basket is a funky laid back tune.

[Guest]

 

It didn't work out for Ernie on this ocassion.

[Hooker1951]

If I'm not mistaken our own heavyweight boxer from the early 1960,s the original blonde bomber Billy Walker made a popcorn record or two' copies of American originals , 

Mick L

[The Yank]

 

[The Yank]

 

[John Reed]

Hoddle and Waddle - Diamond Lights . 

Seriously, Roosevelt Grier apart from singing and doing needlepoint also played American football.

Edited December 13, 2018 by John Reed

[almanc]

Emile griffith  , his story is well worth researching 

[Chalky]

50 minutes ago, John Reed said:

Hoddle and Waddle - Diamond Lights . 

Seriously, Roosevelt Grier apart from singing and doing needlepoint also played American football.

Rosey was also a presidential bodyguard too wasn’t  he?

Jimmy Gresham was part of the New Yorkers with him too.

Edited December 13, 2018 by chalky

[Soultrainer]

Not a bad effort from Smokin Joe on his very brief Motown career

 

[The Yank]

Basketball Great Wilt Chamberlain made one single for End - 

 

[Windlesoul]

3 hours ago, chalky said:

Rosey was also a presidential bodyguard too wasn’t  he?

Jimmy Gresham was part of the New Yorkers with him too.

 

3 hours ago, chalky said:

Rosey was also a presidential bodyguard too wasn’t  he?

Jimmy Gresham was part of the New Yorkers with him too.

Yes he was - Rosey Grier was an unofficial  bodyguard for the Kennedys and was there when Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in LA

Edited December 13, 2018 by Windlesoul

[Chalky]

20 minutes ago, Windlesoul said:

 

Yes he was - Rosey Grier was an unofficial  bodyguard for the Kennedys and was there when Robert Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in LA

He can’t have been very good, all he guarded got shot 

[Guest]

14 hours ago, the yank said:

 

This was a John Peel spin as a new release, hence how I came by it myself. 

I just checked out the credits on the release. This was a Richie Tufo co-prouduction, a name that should be very familiar to most readers for his work with many of the successful Chicago stars. That's diversity. https://www.discogs.com/artist/318007-Rich-Tufo 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Guest

[Speedlimit]

The late great  jackie wilson was a boxer along with berry gordy before he turned to singing.

[Mark S]

Lee Dorsey was a boxer .

[Tomangoes]

Top tune, plus Focused on you?

Ed

[The Yank]

1 hour ago, Martin S said:

This was a John Peel spin as a new release which is the only time I've heard it on a radio show. Love it. 

     Glad you liked it. That's the last record I would have thought John Peel would have played on his show ! 

[The Yank]

24 minutes ago, tomangoes said:

Top tune, plus Focused on you?

Ed

    That's a different Bernie Williams.  That Bernie Williams (Bernabe Williams Figueroa)  was born in September ,1968

   and played for the New York Yankees from 1991- 2006. 

[Tomangoes]

Google got it wrong?

Fake bloody news everywhere:)

Ed

[Davenpete]

15 hours ago, the yank said:

 

The least you can do is post 'Cheer Me Up' : )

Larry Wedgeworth - 'No More Games' was a Boston Celtics promo song.

Thought Roosevelt Grier was a baseball player (specially given the EP cover with him in whites and a baseball cap), how about Babe Ruth (anyone going on rise to that one : ) ).

Cassius Clay - forget, wasn't it 'Get Ready' he did on CBS?

Johnny 'R' (The Champ), boxer, Kenni Thomas, boxer. Major Lance, boxer. Supposedly Jackie Wilson put Berry Gordy in hospital at one point following some disagreement or other.

...Talking of music moguls, we mustn't forget the global cricketing sensation that is our own beloved Adrian Croasdell.

Dx

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by DaveNPete

[Guest]

6 hours ago, the yank said:

     Glad you liked it. That's the last record I would have thought John Peel would have played on his show ! 

Only those that listened almost every night to John really knew of the wide variety of music he was playing. This might surprise you, John was equal to any over hyped DJ's that may have been around at the time when it came to the rap and electro. Here's some of the tracks he played as new releases that I bought thanks to him playing them, all US Imports. Some of these are mind blowers:

B Boys - Cuttin Herbie, B Beat Girls - Hearts A Hurricane, C Jam & Kid Frost - Commando Rock, Cat Claw - Out In The Street, Dynamite Two - Let us see you dance, Death Comet Crew - Marble Bar, Kool Krew - Don't Let Em Drop The Bomb, Last Poets - Long Enough, Mantronix - So why is it fresh, Dr. Otto & His Patients - The Beef, Rebels - You can make it, Red Alert - Hip Hop On Wax, Rhythm Master - Rhythm Magic, Zero Hour - The Dark Side

[Tomangoes]

Indeed...

Used to have it on when I was doing ' afters and nights'...

Three that stood out..

Margaret Mandolf,  Carter USM, Alien Sex Fiend.

Would have loved somebody to start off with those 3 at an ' upfront night'

Ed

[Mal C]

I know allot of singers were body builders, remember there was a great picture of Timmy and the Persionettes on a Kent cd... the Ben Lee productions one...   hope I got that right, cause there is also Timmie and the Empires on there, same Timmie/y? 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Mal C

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Mark S said:

Lee Dorsey was a boxer .

Hi Mark S, 

It is true that Lee Dorsey boxed as an amateur but it seems his record company somewhat over estimated the extent of his boxing career. He had just one professional fight in 1953 and suffered a 1st Round K O and that was his professional career over. 

However he certainly boxed as an amateur in New Orleans and this gives an excuse to load up this fantastic piece of old video.

 

 

[Kegsy]

I think I once read something that said Dynamite Singletary had been a pro American Footballer. However I can't seem to find the article anymore, help !. Maybe I'm getting confused with Mike Singletary, who definitely did have a lot to do with American Football.

[Soulsides]

22 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

think I once read something that said Dynamite Singletary had been a pro American Footballer.

Hehe..no, Dynamite Singletary are a group.

This is an absolute stormer !

 

[Kegsy]

1 minute ago, Soulsides said:

Hehe..no, Dynamite Singletary are a group.

This is an absolute stormer !

 

Well there you go then, there's no accounting for old age, poverty and confusion, maybe the group had their own american football team. 

[Kegsy]

20 minutes ago, Soulsides said:

Hehe..no, Dynamite Singletary are a group.

This is an absolute stormer !

 

Have done a bit more sleuthing and the plot thickens.

His full name appears to be David Henry Singletary, if writing credits are to be believed.

This article also muddies the waters a bit.

https://redkelly.blogspot.com/2007/03/j-hines-and-boys-cant-think-of-nothing.html

There's also a picture of him as a single artist on Discogs.

[Davenpete]

1 hour ago, Firecrest said:

Hi Mark S, 

It is true that Lee Dorsey boxed as an amateur but it seems his record company somewhat over estimated the extent of his boxing career. He had just one professional fight in 1953 and suffered a 1st Round K O and that was his professional career over. 

However he certainly boxed as an amateur in New Orleans and this gives an excuse to load up this fantastic piece of old video.

 

 

I understand his career as a pit pony jockey didn't go so well either.
Dx

Edited December 14, 2018 by DaveNPete

[Guest]

I have 19 sports raps in front of me but sadly only one of them is by the competitor and that one's already on here (The Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle). I'll stick by the rules determined by the original posting. How frustrating. Did anyone on here ever see Hoops McCann in action?

Edited December 14, 2018 by Guest

[maslar]

Mel Farr and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions (both close friends of Marvin Gaye) sang backing vocals on What's Going On (the single). This was the same time that MG was considering (in his world at least) going into American Football. He managed to get   a try out with the  Lions but I'm pretty sure they were just humouring him.

[Johndelve]

John Conteh cut a record, "The Boxer", in 1975. I've never heard it and suspect that may be a good thing.....

[Kesalocasoul]

The Cassius Clay track was Ben E King's "Stand By Me", backed with "I Am The Greatest" (Columbia 4 - 43007).  Legend had it that it was the only song he knew when he got to the recording studio.  Dave Godin once said it was his favourite version of the song.  Not a view that I share.

 

[Kegsy]

27 minutes ago, KesalocaSoul said:

The Cassius Clay track was Ben E King's "Stand By Me", backed with "I Am The Greatest" (Columbia 4 - 43007).  Legend had it that it was the only song he knew when he got to the recording studio.  Dave Godin once said it was his favourite version of the song.  Not a view that I share.

 

He also recorded an album.

[Roburt]

Lee Maye .... he was kept quite busy in the recording studio between 1963 & 1969  ... 

 

[Roburt]

A single released by a group of 1965 LA Rams players -- Rosie Grier was in the team then & was supposed to be a member of the quartet though he didn't appear as one of the 4 guys in their record publicity pic ... Rosie's later Amy 45 with the group lists all 4 of their names too (Olsen, Brown, Jones, Lundy). However, it appears that Charlie Cowan was the original 4th man.

Edited December 23, 2018 by Roburt

[Larsc]

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by LarsC
bad link

[Roburt]

While he wasn't the featured artist on any records, ex Cleveland Brown star player Jim Brown played a major part in the record / music biz.

He helped fund Way Out Records (Cleveland) for a period and so was awarded his own label, BIG JIM. From there he went on into artist management. He 'discovered' (this story was most likely made up by RCA's Promotion Dept) the Friends of Distinction and got them signed to a record deal ... he's also played a part in the early life of Earth, Wind & Fire (BTW Jessica Cleaves featured in both groups). After the early version of the group had moved from Chicago to LA, Maurice White met with Brown & signed the group to his B B & C Management Company. The group auditioned for reps of Warners & RCA at Brown's house & Warners signed them to a deal. Brown himself had gotten into movies in 1966 and from there (having relocated to LA) did some TV work and more movies before becoming a major lead actor in Blaxplotation films in the early 70's. He doesn't seem to have got involved in the soul soundtrack side of his Blaxplotation films though (or not to my knowledge at least).

Edited December 26, 2018 by Roburt

[Theothertosspot]

Was played at Stafford, reviewed by Carl Fortnum in Shades of Soul too.

Was a programme on BBC 2 a few years ago about the people behind the record label, good viewing too.

[Mr Fred]

I Remember when the ex boxer Jackie Wilson was on top of the pops and featured in the video was Jocky Wilson throwing darts. BBC's Cock up of the Century LOL.

Regards Fred. 

[Theothertosspot]

On 14/12/2018 at 00:37, tomangoes said:

Google got it wrong?

Fake bloody news everywhere:)

Ed

None the less, other side to ‘Focused On You’, is also very good, it’s needless to say. Excuse the pun.

[Tomangoes]

Upfront material?

Ed

[Soul-slider]

60's Football superstar 'Lance Rentzel' (Dallas Cowboys) cut a Northern double sider. He also dated/married Joey Heatherton but got divorced when he exposed himself to some under-age girls....tut tut.

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Soul-Slider

[Guest]

I still struggle to understand how Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 managed to sell so many records in 1982 despite the challenge this legendary piece of Hove boy activity presented. [I think we've all heard the Anfield Rap before someone uploads it].     

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Guest

[Soulsides]

1 hour ago, Martin S said:

I still struggle to understand how Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 managed to sell so many records in 1982 despite the challenge this legendary piece of Hove boy activity presented. 

Hehehe,brilliant.

Im laughing and laughing very hard at this comment..it also has nothing to do with the coughing fit I'm presently having from the sliced beef and  Carolina reaper chilli sauce I'm nibbling on whatsoever,although i'll admit it's not exactly helping to be honest!

[The Yank]

Roy Hamilton was a heavy weight Golden Gloves boxer 

before he started his singing career-