Has there ever been a compilation LP or CD of Johnny Gilliam tracks?

Obviously a no ! Looking at feedback 

The are spread across Ace/Kent CDs so it seems from Discogs 

  On 20/05/2023 at 23:06, Thinksmart said:

The are spread across Ace/Kent CDs so it seems from Discogs 

I think his Modern and his releases as JG lewis are, nOT sure about his BoMar, Cancer, Paula & ICA releases?  Would make a good comp though. 

His Kent release under Johnny Gilliam, can’t see owt on the search under JG Lewis

Cookin' With Kent

Johnny Gilliam

Mission Impossible

Mo' Mod Jazz

Johnny Gilliam

You Make Me Feel Like Someone

The Stars Of Modern - California Soul Classics

Johnny Gilliam

You Make Me Feel Like Someone

The Stars Of Modern - California Soul Classics (MP3)

Johnny Gilliam

You Make Me Feel Like Someone

Deep Shadows - The Best Of Kent Ballads

Johnny Gilliam

Baby Take Me Back

For Connoisseurs Only (MP3)

Johnny Gilliam

Mission Impossible

Cruisin' Instrumentals

Johnny Gilliam

Baby Take Me Back

For Connoisseurs Only: Kent/Modern Collectables

Johnny Gilliam

Thanks Chalky.  I agree would make a great compilation, may be our Kent friends 

would consider? 

Richard

Room Full of Tears. What a record!

Two tracks as J.G.Lewis are on Kent CD - Mainstream Modern Soul 1969 to 1976- CDKEND 440. tracks are

I'm The One Who Loves You

What Am I Going To Do

Let the Music Play (as J G Lewis) on Super Duper Love (Mainstream Hits and Rarities 1973-76) - (CD KEND 457) 

You Make Me Feel Like Someone on Kent/Modern's Serious Shades of Soul (CD KEND119)

  On 21/05/2023 at 13:55, Kesalocasoul said:

Let the Music Play (as J G Lewis) on Super Duper Love (Mainstream Hits and Rarities 1973-76) - (CD KEND 457) 

You Make Me Feel Like Someone on Kent/Modern's Serious Shades of Soul (CD KEND119)

I thought there was but nothing showed on a search on Ace

You have to put in J.G. Lewis (not J G Lewis), then it comes up with three titles.

  On 21/05/2023 at 14:52, Kesalocasoul said:

You have to put in J.G. Lewis (not J G Lewis), then it comes up with three titles.

I typed every way but for some reason nothing showed. 

Johnny Gilliam is one third of the really nice Dewi Cheetum and Howe on Thomas.

DEWI, CHEETUM & HOWE: Who The Hell Were They?

 

During 1968 the imperious Impressions recorded their first album for fellow group member Curtis Mayfield’s own Curtom label. The title of the album was “This Is My Country”, this seminal album especially the title track (which also gained a 45 release on Curtom) would become one of many songs that became part of the soundtrack of black America’s Civil Rights Movement.

Three years later a further version of “This Is My Country” was also released as the b-side to a song called “Impossible Decision” under the obscure artist names of “Dewi, Cheetum & Howe” which begs the question who were this fictitious trio?

 

A clue is in the songwriters credits on the A-side song “Impossible Decision” which is “Melvin And Mervin”  one of several different songwriters names used by The Steals Brothers, Mervin “Mystro” Steals And Melvin “Lyric” Steals. Both twin brothers having been former members of The Four Perfections who recorded the northern soul anthem “I’m Not Strong Enough” (Partytime 1001).

Although Melvin and Mervin would later hit pay dirt with the 1974 Detroit Spinners million seller “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” and Gloria Gaynor’s “Honey Bee”. Back in 1970 the Steals Brothers were finding that the opportunities for hearing their music played on major national American R&B/Soul  radio stations were being deliberately restricted by some of the more powerful and influential people within the Philadelphia music scene. It was for this reason that they decided to reach out and offer their compositions to producers in other cities.

 

To this end, the Steals brothers were joined by a fellow native of Pittsburgh, Johnny Louis Gilliam a singer and bass player from the Hazelwood neighbourhood of the city, whom they had originally met through highly respected Pittsburgh DJ, Brother Matt (Johnny’s best friend at the time). Johnny being the same Johnny Gilliam who recorded a string of excellent 45’s on the following labels Bo-Mar, Modern, Cancer, Paula, IX Chains (as J.G. Lewis) and on ICA (as John Gilliam)His final known recording was on Baltimore Disc Jockey Al Jefferson’s own Al & The Kid label. Johnny (who had a similar sounding voice to Jerry Butler) was during the early 1970’s working as the musical director for The Marvelettes. In 1970 Johnny and the Steals Brothers recorded two songs upon which Johnny also played on in a Pittsburgh studio using future Sigma Sound Engineer Ken Present.  Johnny then proceeded to play these two songs to Curtis Mayfield. Suitably impressed, Mayfield invited the threesome to join him at the ABC studio’s in Chicago. Their arrival in Chicago would bring joy for the Steals Brothers with Curtis appreciating their composition “Impossible Decision” but rejecting Johnny Gilliam’s song (Which just happened to be a group version of Johnny’s solo 1965 Bo-Mar outing “Find Yourself Another”!). Signing them to his and partner Eddie Thomas’s self-named Thomas (TH-810) label.  Curtis invited them to record The Impressions song “This Is My Country” which due to the songs huge significance they all felt highly honoured to have been asked and readily agreed to do.

 

Following the recording of their version of “This Is My Country” in 1971 with Johnny’s distinctive voice providing the bass parts, the guys needed a name. After giving the matter some thought and with all of them being great fans of the popular 1950’s US TV comedy show ‘Amos & Andy’ in which one of the major characters ‘King Fish’ and his equally unscrupulous lawyer ‘Calhoun’ had concocted a fictitious Accountancy company in an attempt to get rich quick under the name of “Do We Cheat Them and How”!

Johnny, Mervin and Melvin adopted this name and thus became the recording artists ‘Dewi, Cheetum & Howe’. Although the fictitious characters of ‘Amos &Andy’ did get rich, the real life characters of ‘Dewi, Cheetum & Howe’ on this occasion did not!!!

 

The Steals Brothers story is still very current and ongoing with the recent discovery and release of their lost masters on the Philly group The Intrigues “If The Shoe Fits” (SJ 5013) available through Soul Junction Records: www.souljunctionrecords.co.uk  and their current cd album project with the Chairmen Of The Board (Featuring Ken Knox) “Words Left Unsaid” produced on their own Mo-Philly label in partnership with Detroiter McKinley Jackson available through CD Baby.

 

Words By: David Welding

Acknowledgements to Melvin Steals Sr.

 

 

 

Here they are. 

Just been listening through the various tracks mentioned above.  Great, great vocals (especially on That's Her (That's The Girl For You)), but one wonders what impression (pun intended) his Jerry Butler-style (or clone) vocals created on Curtis Mayfield, when Curtis' former group-mate and friend was performing at his peak in the late sixties/early seventies, albeit contracted elsewhere (Mercury).

I do not have the "gimme some mod jazz" compilation, or the original 45/album, so can't check the liner notes/credits, but is Mission Impossible our man?  He is described as a bassist above and a guitar-player and musical director elsewhere, but neither instrument comes to the fore on the Hammond-organ driven canter through this oft-recorded film music.  

 

Said before. What a compilation LP it would be . Must be somebody that interested in compiling!

  On 31/05/2023 at 10:27, Soulagogo said:

Said before. What a compilation LP it would be . Must be somebody that interested in compiling!

Interest or not the problem with releasing a compilation album/cd is that you have to secure licensing deals with several different owners of the masters, some may be receptive to the idea and some not. If some of the tracks are owned by major labels they may want crazy money to license tracks which wouldn't make the project viable.  

Edited May 31, 20231 yr by Louise

Dave entirely Agee , just a shame it might never come to fruition