Curtis Mayfield - Move on up (Curtom demo)

[Girdwoodinc]

So MOU 45 was originally EU release in 70/71 then a US release on Curtom 72 but the demo wasn't released until 74 (sorry if the dates are out multi-tasking with work) - what's the story on US demo coming out so late? Or have I got this completely wrong, sorry head is up my ar$e at work at the moment

[Girdwoodinc]

Doh sorry it’s 72 the label is CR1974 - asi said my head is up my ar$e

[Guest Shufflin]

you're not wrong

UK/European releases year 1971

US release year 1972 (CR1974)

THEN

US promo, year 1974 (CR1974 too)

all according to Discogs, weird innit

 

Edited February 14, 2019 by Shufflin

[Blackpoolsoul]

29 minutes ago, shufflin said:

you're not wrong

UK/European releases year 1971

US release year 1972 (CR1974)

THEN

US promo, year 1974 (CR1974 too)

all according to Discogs, weird innit

 

Not so weird me thinks submitter got totally mixed up with the catalogue number and used it as the date  it should be 1972, as the Impressions "I Need To Belong To Someone / Love Me" CR 1973 and Curtis "Freddie's Dead" CR 1975 were both 1972

Edited February 14, 2019 by Blackpoolsoul

[Girdwoodinc]

5 minutes ago, Blackpoolsoul said:

Not so weird me thinks submitter got totally mixed up with the catalogue number and used it as the date  it should be 1972, as the Impressions "I Need To Belong To Someone / Love Me" CR 1973 and Curtis "Freddie's Dead" CR 1975 were both 1972

Yes, 72 according to 45cat as well and if you look at the label listings - head up arse moment as I said 

[The Yank]

Not sure how much faith  we should put in that Discogs entry- besides it, I can see no other info anywhere that "Move On Up"

was reissued in 1974. 

      Someone also posted this as a 1971 release for "MOU" years before Curtom was distributed by Warner Brothers !

[Guest Shufflin]

this is an interesting record, release wise -

the LP came out in 1970 and included Move On Up (long version, 9 mins)

but no US single that year?

then it was released in edited (shortened) format in Europe 1971

then it got a US promo and release (CR1974) in 1972, also the shorter version

odd

Edited February 14, 2019 by Shufflin

[Kegsy]

None of this makes any sense. The curtom promo must have been 1972. Discogs must be wrong. The record was played on the scene as a new release and was minor hit in the UK which probably led to the US release in 1972. It was reissued in the UK in 74.

[Blackpoolsoul]

1 minute ago, Kegsy said:

None of this makes any sense. The curtom promo must have been 1972. Discogs must be wrong. The record was played on the scene as a new release and was minor hit in the UK which probably led to the US release in 1972. It was reissued in the UK in 74.

Discogs is wrong as mentioned previously

[Alan T]

Can i put a Word doc on here ? Something i've been working on for a while, Curtis publishing demos after he left The Impressions and went solo. These were done around the same time as 'Move On Up'. 5 EPs with 4 tracks on each, 17 by Curtis, 2 by Five Stairsteps and 1 by Major Lance. The Curtis ones are up there with his best work. One of the greatest artists in music.

Word 

Edited March 29, 2019 by alan t

[Sunnysoul]

5 hours ago, Kegsy said:

None of this makes any sense. The curtom promo must have been 1972. Discogs must be wrong. The record was played on the scene as a new release and was minor hit in the UK which probably led to the US release in 1972. It was reissued in the UK in 74.

This is a record that's always had a life of its own.

But was it really played as a new release on the northern scene ? The major northern clubs in 1972 were Torch , Up The Junction , Catacombs & Mecca (until it closed that year) but you never see Move On Up listed in their top sounds at the time.

It wasn't like Archie Bell & the Drells, Tams and Robert Knight whose initial impetus for UK chart sucess came from the (at that time) underground northern scene , was it ?.

And as for it being a "minor hit",  Move On Up reached the number 12 position on the UK charts in July 1972 which surely makes it a fairly major hit by any standard , doesn't it ?

Didn't Move On Up only really become associated with the northern scene from the late 70s on ? With added momentum from the mod revival of 78/79 when old soul hits were being revived and re-released by record companies in the UK (e.g. Green Onions ) ?

Was Move On Up played at Wigan in Mr Ms late 70's ?

In the US it was never a hit single ... at any time.  It didn't even make the US RnB charts. 

As for a promo release in the US two years later in 1974 ? Highly unlikely in light of the fact that Curtom moved it's distribution from Buddah to Warner Bros in 1974.   A promo 7" release in 1974 would have featured "distributed by Warner Bros etc" at the base of the label but all copies of the US Move On Up promo still bear the "exclusively distributed by Buddah " legend.

Edited February 15, 2019 by sunnysoul

[Jim G]

Well I was dancing to it in 1972/73. And it was played at Casino main room by Dave Evison. I guess it doesn’t matter as most have always loved it and might struggle to precely recall the where and when. It is a tough one on US Curtom though

[The Yank]

1 hour ago, sunnysoul said:

 

And as for it being a "minor hit",  Move On Up reached the number 12 position on the UK charts in July 1972 which surely makes it a fairly major hit by any standard , doesn't it ?

 

     It looks like "Move On Up" made the British charts twice ! Here's  Billboard's Hits Of The World from September 04, 1971-

    "Move On Up" is at #12 - 

[Sunnysoul]

4 hours ago, the yank said:

     It looks like "Move On Up" made the British charts twice ! Here's  Billboard's Hits Of The World from September 04, 1971-

    "Move On Up" is at #12 - 

Very intereresting. The reference I usually go to for US & UK chart placings (pop & soul) is this site 

https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Curtis+Mayfield&tab=songaswriterchartstab 

which I believe is based on the Billboard charts .

 

[Kegsy]

7 hours ago, sunnysoul said:

But was it really played as a new release on the northern scene ?

Afraid so, it was played at the L'ambassadeur nighter in Bradford and also got spins at local non nighter venues, around here. It's UK release, June 1971, pre dates Torch, Junction and Cats all nighters, and was too late for the Wheel.

Edited February 15, 2019 by Kegsy

[Amsterdam Russ]

In the UK, “Move on up” entered the NME Top 30 singles chart on 14th August 1971. It stayed in the chart for seven weeks with positions as follows:

22 / 18 / 14 / 11 / 12 / 20 / 28

And to confirm sunnysoul's statement about it not charting in the US at all, it doesn't appear in the Billboard Top 100, Billboard R&B, Cashbox or Record World charts at all.

[John Reed]

13 hours ago, the yank said:

Not sure how much faith  we should put in that Discogs entry- besides it, I can see no other info anywhere that "Move On Up"

was reissued in 1974. 

      Someone also posted this as a 1971 release for "MOU" years before Curtom was distributed by Warner Brothers !

This release can only be post 1974 as Warners took over distribution from Buddah in January 1975

Edited February 15, 2019 by John Reed

[Alan T]

Just a few months after 'Move On Up' was released in a number of European countries Curtis came over here and did live shows on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test , Germanys Beat Club TV show and probably others too. I would of thought organising these shows and bringing a full live band would take a few months preperation. So did he come here on the back of 'Move On Up' being a hit or was it released knowing he was already scheduled for a promotional tour for his solo career.  Why was it Move On Up that was picked considering it was already a one year old album track. Did it have something to do with the UK Soul / Allnighter scene liking uptempo dance music ?
Here is Move On Up on Beat Club, it take three attempts to get it started, the look on the drummers face says "It's been a long day". Curtis does say on his intro the song was very popular internationally.

https://youtu.be/sF1uF-28MZE?t=649  ***cant embed on here, probably for copyright reasons in Germany

[Kegsy]

35 minutes ago, alan t said:

 Why was it Move On Up that was picked

Move on up was actually the second single release from the album in UK/Europe, the first was Nov 1970. The tour in late 71 was probably to promote his new album Roots. The first track on the video, Keep On Keeping On, is off that album.

Edited February 15, 2019 by Kegsy

[Mart Inc]

43 minutes ago, alan t said:

Just a few months after 'Move On Up' was released in a number of European countries Curtis came over here and did live shows on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test , Germanys Beat Club TV show and probably others too. I would of thought organising these shows and bringing a full live band would take a few months preperation. So did he come here on the back of 'Move On Up' being a hit or was it released knowing he was already scheduled for a promotional tour for his solo career.  Why was it Move On Up that was picked considering it was already a one year old album track. Did it have something to do with the UK Soul / Allnighter scene liking uptempo dance music ?
Here is Move On Up on Beat Club, it take three attempts to get it started, the look on the drummers face says "It's been a long day". Curtis does say on his intro the song was very popular internationally.

https://youtu.be/sF1uF-28MZE?t=649  ***cant embed on here, probably for copyright reasons in Germany

I don't post or comment often.... but  WOW  great to See this... the effort going into it....  Passion   commitment  determination  SOUL!  Always be heralded as a 'soundtrack to my life' by so many.....  Fookin Brill

[Ian Parker]

11 hours ago, sunnysoul said:

Was Move On Up played at Wigan in Mr Ms late 70's ?

 

 

Yes,  definitely

[Alan T]

40 minutes ago, mart inc said:

I don't post or comment often.... but  WOW  great to See this... the effort going into it....  Passion   commitment  determination  SOUL!  Always be heralded as a 'soundtrack to my life' by so many.....  Fookin Brill

There's a couple of parts to these recordings on Youtube

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk4n52qwwlI

2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF1uF-28MZE

A special mention for Master Henry Gibson, i could watch him all day https://youtu.be/pk4n52qwwlI?t=1638

Players are

 

[Dave2]

7 hours ago, alan t said:

Just a few months after 'Move On Up' was released in a number of European countries Curtis came over here and did live shows on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test , Germanys Beat Club TV show and probably others too. I would of thought organising these shows and bringing a full live band would take a few months preperation. So did he come here on the back of 'Move On Up' being a hit or was it released knowing he was already scheduled for a promotional tour for his solo career.  Why was it Move On Up that was picked considering it was already a one year old album track. Did it have something to do with the UK Soul / Allnighter scene liking uptempo dance music ?
Here is Move On Up on Beat Club, it take three attempts to get it started, the look on the drummers face says "It's been a long day". Curtis does say on his intro the song was very popular internationally.

https://youtu.be/sF1uF-28MZE?t=649  ***cant embed on here, probably for copyright reasons in Germany

He's on a lovely black strat here, looks brand spanking new.   What's interesting for me is the great funky sound out he's getting out of it!  Completely unique in contrast to say other guitarists of that era who used the same model, sounding nowhere near this.  Such a great, original unique sound!  It's beautiful!    

[Colnago]

Just slightly going off topic but sticking with Curtis , I read the biography on him by his son or his nephew? I forget, but the bit about when he did one of his very first gigs and the promoter a known gangster/shyster was notorious for not paying and Curtis still a teenager confronted him , to which the guy pulled a pistol put it to his face and said “how bad do you want the money “ to which he replied “ bad enough for you to pull that trigger” if true how fucking cool is that

[Ian Parker]

4 hours ago, dave2 said:

He's on a lovely black strat here, looks brand spanking new.   What's interesting for me is the great funky sound out he's getting out of it!  Completely unique in contrast to say other guitarists of that era who used the same model, sounding nowhere near this.  Such a great, original unique sound!  It's beautiful!    

ironically,,,   i watched him at Hinckley leisure centre,  playing a Telecaster ,  i was mesmerised by the clean, beautiful sound he got from it,  with no effort.  a God and a legend!

Edited February 15, 2019 by IanP

[Guest Shufflin]

so the original 45 release was the Buddah international 45 in 1971 ??

the Curtom 1972 release/promo was basically following/after the international interest?

 

[earlvandykes6]

On 15/02/2019 at 07:34, Kegsy said:

Afraid so, it was played at the L'ambassadeur nighter in Bradford and also got spins at local non nighter venues, around here. It's UK release, June 1971, pre dates Torch, Junction and Cats all nighters, and was too late for the Wheel.

Keggsy , Spot on - Defo A Sound There , Decent Crowd Gathered Within ! , Guys From HYDE :- Paul Pleva ( GED ) ,Docker , Colin Hirst , Dave Warfield , Dave Ball , Les Crompton , Slat Lad ( Me ) , Dukinfield Pete + Pete Tilsley , Brian Leah ,Sammy Gilby ,  Alf Hockaday , Staylybridge & Ashton Crew + The Guys From TOWN ! - Good Niter Inspite Of Having A Box Of 45’s Nicked .

Edited December 15, 2021 by earlvandykes6

[earlvandykes6]

I Also Recall Seeing Those White Labeled USA Demos - A Basic Curtom Logo , The Tittle And Nothing Else ?   .  1974 ish  

[Nickinstoke]

Could that have been a Canadian issue? 

[Geeselad]

On 15/02/2019 at 00:36, Jim G said:

Well I was dancing to it in 1972/73. And it was played at Casino main room by Dave Evison. I guess it doesn’t matter as most have always loved it and might struggle to precely recall the where and when. It is a tough one on US Curtom though

I heard Dave say, on his radio show, that it was an accidental play, the previous record had finished, he'd been distracted, had to just something, anything on. That happened to be M.O.U. it filled the floor and went on to be very popular. 

[Dave Pinch]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:12, Nickinstoke said:

Could that have been a Canadian issue? 

yes canadian.. i have a few of them but not that one