Ojays-working on your case/hold on

[Wheelsville1]

For me this is one of the greatest double siders of all time.As we know this is a pied piper production that was recorded in cleveland ohio in late 66 and released in jan 67.I have always associated pied piper with either Detroit or in some circumstances Chicago.I know the ojays were from ohio,is this the reason why these were recorded there. Cheers. Chris. 

[The Yank]

Technically, it's really not a Pied Piper production. Although Herb WIlliams of Pied Piper did the arrangements, the track was produced by Ed Wright. 

Edited November 15, 2020 by The Yank

[Sunnysoul]

3 hours ago, Wheelsville1 said:

For me this is one of the greatest double siders of all time.As we know this is a pied piper production that was recorded in cleveland ohio in late 66 and released in jan 67.I have always associated pied piper with either Detroit or in some circumstances Chicago.I know the ojays were from ohio,is this the reason why these were recorded there. Cheers. Chris. 

Soulful Detroit had a thread many years ago:   https://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3190/2145.html?1045499562  containing the following information about recording dates and location of certain O'Jays releases:

STAND IN FOR LOVE
Produced by Bobby Massey & Larry Hancock
January 27, 1966 at Way Out Studios, Cleveland

WORKING ON YOUR CASE / HOLD ON
Produced by Bobby Massey & Larry Hancock
Arranged by Herb Williams
January 4, 1967 at Way Out Studios, Cleveland

Of The O'Jays three releases on Imperial previous to Working On Your Case / Hold On:       I'll Never Forget You / Pretty Words , No Time For You / A Blowing Wind , Stand In For Love / Friday Night ... No Time For You & Stand In For Love were A sides "arranged" by Herbie Williams (Pied Piper) (while the B sides were HB Barnum productions and therefore almost certainly recorded in Los Angeles) . Of those three, only the first -  I'll Never Forget You  - displayed the note "Arranged & Produced by Solid Hitbound Productions"  but with NO apparent  Herbie Williams involvement, obviously because Herbie was not a part of the Solid Hitbound team. There can be no question though that the instrumental backing track to I'll Never Forget You was recorded in Detroit (although questionable whether the O'Jays actually travelled to Detroit to record the vocals).

So, did the O'Jays Detroit connection continue after "I'll Never Forget You" ? Well, as for Working On Your Case/Hold On, No Time For You and Stand In for Love, if the Soulful Detroit forum information is correct, those tracks would appear to have their instrumental backing recorded in Cleveland at Way Out studios.

The conclusion one might then draw is that any Herbie Willams / Pied Piper / Detroit involvement was perhaps limited only to arrangements and overdubs on those Cleveland recorded backing tracks.

And, as the Yank says, Ed Wright the producer on Working On Your Case/Hold On, No Time For You and Stand In for Love was strictly LA based.

[Wheelsville1]

Thanks for your replies,i had always had my doubts about these two sides being true pied piper. Cheers. Chris. 

[George G]

Ed Wright was a Cleveland DJ on WABQ at the time. He moved to Los Angeles in late 1966/early 1967 to take a job at Minit records. The O'Jays, and Cleveland drummer Jerry Baxter went out there also. Wright has also been mentioned as the O'Jays manager, but I don't know how true that is, "manager" is often pretty casual, especially back then. 

Wright, along with Cleveland club operator Harry Hanson, produced and wrote recordings under the name of Smashville / W&H productions.

"Working On Your Case" was part of the Intertains live show, as lead singer Larry Hancock co-wrote it. The Intertains recordings were also produced by Smashville/W&H.

The Deletts on Blue Rock were from Cleveland, a Smashville production, with Wright, Hanson, and Baxter as the writer credits. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by George G

[The Yank]

Here's Ed -