Who were Mike & Ike on Arctic? Anyone know, got any photos of them?

There is a connection to the 'The Contrails', a blue-eyed Soul outfit from Pittsburgh as their Northern tune 'I'd Rather Be Lonely' shares the same backing as Mike & Ike's 'Sax On The Tracks (I'd Rather Be Lonely)'. 

When you listen to Mike & Ike's vocal side 'Ya Ya' they could be white, possibly?

Here's a bit about The Contrails but no mention of 'I'd Rather Be Lonely' as they were pushing the beat ballad flip... 

https://oldmonmusic.blogspot.com/2008/02/someone.html

  On 24/05/2020 at 12:18, Soul-slider said:

Who were Mike & Ike on Arctic? Anyone know, got any photos of them?

There is a connection to the 'The Contrails', a blue-eyed Soul outfit from Pittsburgh as their Northern tune 'I'd Rather Be Lonely' shares the same backing as Mike & Ike's 'Sax On The Tracks (I'd Rather Be Lonely)'. 

When you listen to Mike & Ike's vocal side 'Ya Ya' they could be white, possibly?

Here's a bit about The Contrails but no mention of 'I'd Rather Be Lonely' as they were pushing the beat ballad flip... 

https://oldmonmusic.blogspot.com/2008/02/someone.html

 

Edited May 25, 20205 yr by Simon T

I think it was a joke name....to hide the real artists, like Jack and Jill on artic.

Mike and Ike are oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, orange, lime, lemon, and strawberry. ... The candy is kosher and gluten-free. They are similar to Hot Tamales, another candy introduced by the same manufacturer in 1950, though they are not spicy.

Place of origin: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA (1940)

Created by: Just Born, Inc

Other information: 0 grams of fat; kosher; gluten-free

Ed

  On 24/05/2020 at 13:08, Tomangoes said:

I think it was a joke name....to hide the real artists, like Jack and Jill on artic.

Mike and Ike are oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, orange, lime, lemon, and strawberry. ... The candy is kosher and gluten-free. They are similar to Hot Tamales, another candy introduced by the same manufacturer in 1950, though they are not spicy.

Place of origin: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA (1940)

Created by: Just Born, Inc

Other information: 0 grams of fat; kosher; gluten-free

Ed

Yeah, when I googled Mike & Ike I got a lot of images of these sweets 🤪

So they could be the Contrails anyway?🤔

  On 24/05/2020 at 12:55, Simon T said:

In 1989 i was in a record store near Pittsburgh and the owner introduced to me a white guy as the saxophonist; i can't recall now the exact details, but he did have a copy of SONT in his hand - buying, selling, perusing or worked there, i can't remember.

That's brilliant, a step further. Thank you, Simon.

  On 24/05/2020 at 14:06, Soul-slider said:

That's brilliant, a step further. Thank you, Simon.

 

Edited May 25, 20205 yr by Simon T

  On 24/05/2020 at 14:04, Soul-slider said:

Yeah, when I googled Mike & Ike I got a lot of images of these sweets 🤪

So they could be the Contrails anyway?🤔

Sounds like the other contrails track singers also. Definitely blue eyed.

Ed

Probably Johnny Daye IMO.  He was a Pittsburg act real name John Di Bucci.  Worked for Eko II Productions with Barbara Landis, they took the masters to Arctic.  The source is the booklet in the Cool As Ice set.

The notes don't say what or even if any involvement JD had in SoTT

Edited May 24, 20205 yr by Chalky

What came first, the vocal or instrumental?

Any reason why the real artist or band are not named on the artic record.

Ed

  Dave Moore's book  "The Philly Sound" also says that either Mike or Ike is possibly Johnny Daye .

  On 24/05/2020 at 14:57, Tomangoes said:

What came first, the vocal or instrumental?

Any reason why the real artist or band are not named on the artic record.

Ed

According to 45cat:

Mike & Ike 1965

Contrails 1967 (although the Contrails piece i linked dates it as 1966, for the flip anyway)

 

Edited May 24, 20205 yr by Soul-slider

  On 24/05/2020 at 14:57, Tomangoes said:

 

Any reason why the real artist or band are not named on the artic record.

Ed

Probably because Johnny was still under contract to Jomada ? 

Let's face it, the band could have been anybody. Use a joke name, and all the money goes to anybody but the band.

It was just a b side anyway, and different writers to the a side.

I wonder why they chose the instrumental rather than vocal ? Assuming the vocal was written at that time.

If they had...it might have made the a side.

Ed

 

 

  On 24/05/2020 at 15:54, Tomangoes said:

Let's face it, the band could have been anybody. Use a joke name, and all the money goes to anybody but the band.

It was just a b side anyway, and different writers to the a side.

I wonder why they chose the instrumental rather than vocal ? Assuming the vocal was written at that time.

If they had...it might have made the a side.

Ed

 

 

The masters came from the same source, the one I mentioned, Eko II Productions  and Barbara Landis.  The band are probably musicians involved with them.

It`s one that i`ve been playing out recently, about time it got out more.

Edited May 24, 20205 yr by Guest

  On 24/05/2020 at 14:58, The Yank said:

  Dave Moore's book  "The Philly Sound" also says that either Mike or Ike is possibly Johnny Daye .

This article about him (I have sent a message to see if Peter know anything)

https://www.peterguralnick.com/post/161242971521/mr-c-speaks-johnny-daye-rip

Well reading that link. JOHNNY DAYE says he had nothing to do with the record except his mate put him down as a writer, even though he wasn't.

The mystery is still to be solved..

Ed

 

  On 24/05/2020 at 20:16, Tomangoes said:

Well reading that link. JOHNNY DAYE says he had nothing to do with the record except his mate put him down as a writer, even though he wasn't.

The mystery is still to be solved..

Ed

 

Would be interesting if Dave Moore could also fill in gaps of where his source was

Well as the tracks called sax on the track, is there any possibility that mike could be one mike Terry whom was known to do some session work in philly  for Arctic and harthon 

This looks interesting:

"(Robert) Peckman is a local veteran musician and an original member of the Skyliners. He was also managed by Joe Rock and he played with Daye on many occasions during the sixties. Two of Peckman’s numerous projects over the years include Simon and the Piemen, released locally in Pittsburgh in the mid-sixties, and Mike & Ike, who released a record on the Philadelphia-based Arctic label. Daye received songwriting credits on each of the group’s lone singles, but he admits to having little involvement. “I never had anything to do with those songs aside from sitting around the studio goofing off. Joe Rock wrote them and included my name on them. I was just there....

If you can call it singing...it was Daye then, on these two singles.

The contrails look to have had several releases.

Ed

 

 

  On 25/05/2020 at 06:58, Tomangoes said:

This looks interesting:

"(Robert) Peckman is a local veteran musician and an original member of the Skyliners. He was also managed by Joe Rock and he played with Daye on many occasions during the sixties. Two of Peckman’s numerous projects over the years include Simon and the Piemen, released locally in Pittsburgh in the mid-sixties, and Mike & Ike, who released a record on the Philadelphia-based Arctic label. Daye received songwriting credits on each of the group’s lone singles, but he admits to having little involvement. “I never had anything to do with those songs aside from sitting around the studio goofing off. Joe Rock wrote them and included my name on them. I was just there....

If you can call it singing...it was Daye then, on these two singles.

The contrails look to have had several releases.

Ed

 

 

This is on The Pittsburg Music History site

Q was comprised of Cannonsburg native Bill Thomas on keyboards and vocals, New Brighton songwriter Robert "Pecky" Peckman on bass and vocals, New Sewickly guitarist/recording engineer Don Garvin, and Bellevue drummer Bill Vogel. Bill Thomas founded a band with his singer partner Suzanne calling it Suzanne & Co. Bill’s wife Judy replaced Suzzane when she left. Veteran musicians Robert Peckman, Don Garvin, and Bill Vogel joined Suzanne & Company. Peckman, before joining the band, had performed as a bassist, drummer, and singer with the Starliners (1962-63), The Skyliners (1964-'66), Johnny Daye ('66 to '67), The Groove-U in 1967, and The Jaggerz ('70-''71). Peckman's voice was heard as the lead singer on song "Ya Ya" by covered Mike and Ike on Acrtic Records in 1965 and on the Sparkz 1966 Bell Records single

  On 25/05/2020 at 08:07, Blackpoolsoul said:

This is on The Pittsburg Music History site

Q was comprised of Cannonsburg native Bill Thomas on keyboards and vocals, New Brighton songwriter Robert "Pecky" Peckman on bass and vocals, New Sewickly guitarist/recording engineer Don Garvin, and Bellevue drummer Bill Vogel. Bill Thomas founded a band with his singer partner Suzanne calling it Suzanne & Co. Bill’s wife Judy replaced Suzzane when she left. Veteran musicians Robert Peckman, Don Garvin, and Bill Vogel joined Suzanne & Company. Peckman, before joining the band, had performed as a bassist, drummer, and singer with the Starliners (1962-63), The Skyliners (1964-'66), Johnny Daye ('66 to '67), The Groove-U in 1967, and The Jaggerz ('70-''71). Peckman's voice was heard as the lead singer on song "Ya Ya" by covered Mike and Ike on Acrtic Records in 1965 and on the Sparkz 1966 Bell Records single

That's half of it solved then, Peckman definitely one half of Mike & Ike, it also states that fact here...

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/robert-peckmans-stirrin-up-bees-features-blue-eyed-soul-legend-johnny-daye/Content?oid=1335088

Quote: Robert Peckman may not be a household name, even in R&B circles, but his work certainly is. As a multi-instrumental go-to guy, he spent decades with the likes of the Skyliners, the Jaggerz, Pure Gold and Hoodoo Drugstore. Peckman was also half of the Billboard charting duo called Q, and part of Mike & Ike, whose solitary Arctic Records single from the '60s still gets plays on the northern-soul scene.

 

  On 24/05/2020 at 23:15, Speedlimit said:

Well as the tracks called sax on the track, is there any possibility that mike could be one mike Terry whom was known to do some session work in philly  for Arctic and harthon 

wasn't a Philly recording, done in Pittsburg

  On 25/05/2020 at 08:44, Chalky said:

wasn't a Philly recording, done in Pittsburg

As Chalky says, also we know the saxophonist was a white guy as recalled by Simon T (who seems to have had all his posts removed?).

  On 25/05/2020 at 08:37, Soul-slider said:

That's half of it solved then, Peckman definitely one half of Mike & Ike, it also states that fact here...

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/robert-peckmans-stirrin-up-bees-features-blue-eyed-soul-legend-johnny-daye/Content?oid=1335088

Quote: Robert Peckman may not be a household name, even in R&B circles, but his work certainly is. As a multi-instrumental go-to guy, he spent decades with the likes of the Skyliners, the Jaggerz, Pure Gold and Hoodoo Drugstore. Peckman was also half of the Billboard charting duo called Q, and part of Mike & Ike, whose solitary Arctic Records single from the '60s still gets plays on the northern-soul scene.

 

This is more (he has a look of Dave Raistrick about him 😀)

 

Edited May 25, 20205 yr by Blackpoolsoul

  On 25/05/2020 at 08:57, Blackpoolsoul said:

This is more (he has a look of Dave Raistrick about him 😀)

 

Thanks for that Blackpool! That Groov-U album looks good, in fact I've just purchased it! 

Blue-eyed Soul for sure, there's a version of the Temptations 'I Want A Love I Can See'.

That's Peckman back row 5th from right in thick glasses I guess. 

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Contrails are in that line-up too, they finished in 1969, this album came out at that time.

Edited May 25, 20205 yr by Soul-slider