Roburt

Yes, I saw that. I guess the money ran out & the project withered on the vine. VERY SAD. They deserved to have their story told.

Back in 2008, "This Magnificent Moment", a documentary about the Magnificent Men was in production. A trailer had been released to publicise the project in 2006 (see below) and further work was ongoing through 2007/08. A show the reformed group undertook in November 2007 was filmed, this footage to go into the proposed documentary. Anyone know if the project was ever finished & the film released in any form ?

Used to visit the Soul City record shop in Monmouth St ... AND ... send off my postal orders to get 45's sent by them ... ... worked for British Rail at the time, so got free travel to London and to Leighton Buzzard (F L Moores) + Manchester of course.

As already stated, Sam always had a decent TV profile in the US, so he was known to folk across the States even though he had no national hits. Cos of that, a new Sam Fletcher 45 would be viewed by radio stn DJ's as a thing not to ignore ... Don't think Sam did much (live wise) down in Dallas / Fort Worth but this 45 did ... a featured pick record on KNOK in November 1964 ... ...

... "Sam appeared on a top Italian TV show in 1963, thanks to RCA records" ... .... The clip from this show of H B Barum is also up on youtube (but it ain't relevant to this thread).

Sam appeared on a top Italian TV show in 1963, thanks to RCA records. HOWEVER, this was before the Beatles / Stones breakthrough, so the music they wanted US stars to perform on this RAI Saturday night peak time show was very M-O-R ....

This version is a bit closer to home for Edwin (as he used to be the featured singer with Bill Doggett's group) ...

Sam Fletcher appeared on lots of TV shows back in the late 50's / 60's; in the US & abroad ... here he is during one of his TV appearances ...

I interviewed Johnny Pate many years ago. With all the massive tracks he had a hand in, I asked him which of the 1000's of cuts he worked on was he most proud of. He came back with an instant answer; SAM FLETCHER's "I'd Think It Over". I asked the reason for this & he stated Sam was the first BIG ACT he was trusted to work with. This was because Sam had lots of big regional hits including "Tall Hope" & "I Believe In You" ahead of his Tollie recordings. He also starred on lots of US TV shows -- 'The Dinah Shore Chevy Show' (1963 along with Barbara Steisand ) + on American Bandstand and other TV shows., So Sam had a 'high profile' on TV when only a few blacks got to star on US TV variety shows at the time.

Lots of great info on this thread about many folk involved with GW. One of those being Sonny Sanders. Sonny must have been quite switched on (business wise) as he was already getting into running labels as early as 1962 (when he was only 23 years old). Along with Robert Bateman, he had formed the Satintones in Detroit in 1957 (when 18 years old) and they were signed to Motown. But he soon moved on from Motown & with Bateman started SonBert Records (part of Correc-Tone) in 62. He was also working with the likes of Wilson Pickett, James Velvet, Gino Washington (all for Correc-Tone) and Bobby Lee Watson (Maureen). From there, he was onto working at GW and then off to Chicago. Not a bad start to a long & successful music career.

One of Radio One's soul DJ's used to play Terry Callier tracks all the time around the late 70's, guess it was Robbie Vincent (but I could be wrong). After that, his music faded from view for a while & then was picked up on by the British guys mentioned above. I saw him at the Jazz Cafe and he was just brilliant. Lots of those present had copies of his records that we wanted signing. So after the show we asked one of his entourage if Terry would come out to chat & do some signing. Nothing happened for quite a while... and then Terry came running out ... "I've only just been told you lot were waiting on me" he said ... "I'M SO VERY SORRY TO HAVE KEPT YOU WAITING" ... what a complete gentleman he truly was. HUGE TALENT coupled with COMLETE HUMILITY ... a unique combination.

Jumping back to the part of this thread that dealt with Gene Redd's work in the 1960's .. ALSO earlier Tony & Tyrone's Atlantic 45 featuring "Please Operator" was mentioned ... I added this statement, which was supposition ... Jumping back to Tony & Tyrone, their "Please Operator" seems to have gained a LATE release (Nov 67) for the people involved. If it was actually cut in Detroit, I'd say it had 'sat around' for a while before Atlantic picked it up. In similar fashion, A Musicor 45 was released in June 1968 -- the Toys "Sealed With A Kiss / I Got My Heart Set On You" (MU 1319). The B side song was co-written by Gene and he also arranged the track. But I'm sure he was long gone from Musicor by summer 68. So this track must have laid around for some time before it escaped on this 45. I don't believe with Musicor singles that it's possible to date a track from the info included on the 45's label.

We didn't have cars on our early niter trips, so usually took public transport (bus / train). When going to the Mojo niters (66/67), we'd hang out afterwards (Sunday morning) at Sheffield bus stn cafe (waiting for the 1st bus back to Donny). Then, as a big Sunday dinner would be forced on us if we went home, we'd usually crash for a few hours in a town centre cinema. When the Mojo closed, we turned to the Nite Owl (Leicester -- getting there by hitching or train usually). My mate Tom Sleight got to take us in his dad's car one week. We called at Leicester services (M1) on the Sunday morning. But after that stop, he blew the car's engine up, so we never got to use it again. Then the Owl was also closed, so it was the Wheel (going by train at first & then lifts in mate's cars). The ritual in Manc on Sunday mornings, was to wait around in the car park behind the Wheel while lads played niter sounds on Discatrons. We'd then head over to Piccadilly for the 1st available train back over to Yorkshire (or drive back mid morning).

I can't tell you which Arctic tracks were cut in Detroit but I do know when Gamble & Huff were over there (@ Motown and GW). Gene Dozier had quit Philly to try his luck in Detroit after chatting with Mickey Stevenson backstage @ the Uptown. One of the last things he did in Philly was start co-writing a song with Norman Johnson. It wasn't finished when he headed out of town. Both guys did further work on the song -- Norman's version became Eddie Carlton's "It Will Be Done (June 65). Gene laid down a demo version of his effort which was released as "Swoop Down On You" and credited to Lorenzo Manley (a 1966 Original Sound 45 release -- the uva side of the 45 being cut by Lorenzo himself in LA after Gene had moved there). So, Gene headed off to Detroit & went to Motown's studio. He didn't really get the welcome he was expecting but did get 'taken on'. He told me he sang background on Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" sometime in Fall 65. He co-wrote some songs with other Motown writers, these included one release a while later on the Marvelettes ("Too Many Tears, Too Many Times"). But he told the Motown team his name was "Billy Jackson" aka Billy the KId (coz he was still young). Gamble & Huff came into town and hung out at Motown. The guys there said ... Oh, you'll know Billy Jackson who's working here now ... puzzled (coz they knew the real Billy was still back in Philly), they asked to see the guy ... that's not Billy Jackson, that guy's name is Gene Dozier they told the Motowners. So Gene / Billy was asked to move on in late 65 / early 66. He moved across town to work with Golden World / Solid Hit. There he was responsible for Pat Lewis's "Let's Go Together" (March 66 release), Theresa Lindsey's "Daddy-O" (May 66 release) & Pat Lewis's "No Baby No" (a later Solid Hit released cut, which had obviously been cut a while before it's release) + other tracks. But Gene soon decided to move on again, this time to LA. There he hooked up with a new musical partner (Santifer) & cut the Blossoms "Let Your Love Shine on Me" (October 66 release) & tracks by the Groovettes ("Think It Over Baby", etc) put out on Reness. BACK TO THE QUESTION THOUGH ... Gamble & Huff exposed Gene Dozier's deception at Motown some time in latish 65 / early 66. So Gamble & Huff were over in Detroit to cut tracks during that time period ... so I guess those tracks would have been released on or after Arctic # 115. I guess the likes of Robb would hear the work of Detroit musicians if he listened to the right Arctic tracks from that period (late 65 through to mid 66 releases I guess). No doubt the guys that check out the Motown track recording online database can easily ID when "Uptight" was laid down and when "Too Many Tears, Too Many Times" was also laid down to get a more accurate date for Gene's work at Motown.

The Bandwagon's US 45 was doing so well by late May 68, that Epic sent out new promo copies to radio stations & music mags across the States. Their new 45 followed just after & was reviewed as a potential pop chart contender in those mags in June 68 ... the mags having reported their original 45's regional breakout status in April 68.