Roburt

BTW, Benday Music (these days) is based in Jamaica, New York.

Had my usual Tuesday afternoon chat with Lou today.The subject matter moved on to more modern work AND his time on the road with the O'Jays and Terry Knight. Lou had become a bit disillusioned with the music industry in 67 but local Cleve guy Terry Knight had a big seller on his hands late in 66 ("I (Who Have Nothing -- a UK Cameo Parkway 45 released on 13th Jan 67). Anyway, Terry Knight needed to go on the road to cash in on his hit 45, but he needed a road band. He hired Lou to play guitar behind him, lent Lou a guitar (as he had sold his own) and off they went. Terry played the white club circuit where the pay was better and so was the treatment. So Lou was well paid & had guys (roadies, club techs to set up / sound-balance his gear). So for about 12 months, Lou toured & lived well. Eventually, with no follow-up 45 hit, Terry Knight went cold & came off the road. So in late 67 Lou became Road manager for the O'Jays. Lou always has been a good businessman & so set about sorting the O'Jays finances out. They played the chitlin circuit where life was hard. Off they went, all over the US, playing black clubs. Their fee (for the group, musicians, roadies, tour manager) was $1000 a night but the group members & musicians were just on salary (by their manager Leo Frank -- owner of Leo's Casino back in Cleveland). When on the road, the group members got a salary of $350 a week each with the musicians getting $75 a week. All other monies went back to Leo Frank. Work was hard but enjoyable & Lou went about their biz. The group hadn't had a hit 45 in over a year, so it was hard work pleasing audiences & club owners. But in Dec 67 they had their 1st hit for Bell. Work really started to flow in but at the usual fee; $1000 a night. They were soon turning work away as their 45 climbed the charts (where it stayed for almost 3 months). Lou could see what was happening, so started to tell the group to stay on the bus when they arrived at a venue while he had a chat with the club managers. Lou negotiated an increased fee as the venue could charge more for tickets now. So the fee went up to $1800 a night ($2500 for some big venues like the Apollo, Howard, Uptown, etc.). When they weren't working on the road the group member's salaries dropped to $100 a week though many times Leo Frank would have them work Leo's Casino back in Cleveland those times. With a hit, work was also secured in white venues (blacks would watch the shows in black clubs, whites only in white clubs). So the group would play 2 shows in each city; one black, one white. They worked all over the US and were kept busy. Lou stayed in that post till 1970 when he quit and went off (to many of the same venues) as leader of Hot Chocolate. More later on more current work & the artists involved. A few pics to finish off (the group is Lou with Hot Chocolate) ..........

Sometimes you just can't win ............... I chased up my New York contacts ..... that's coz ......... Earl Jackson was a singer & a songwriter but he had little success as a singer, so I went off down the songs road .... ..... Turns out that Earl wrote in partnership with a number of guys ....... 1st off is Gregory Carroll: GC was originally from Baltimore but was then NY based & wrote for the likes of Doris Troy. He produced stuff for NY based Twirl Records (Jo Ann Courcy) + Tina Florence for APT. GC also wrote FOR J R Bailey (Chuck Wood -- who was also from Baltimore originally but moved to NY to finish his schooling & then stayed on) and for Billy Frazier (NY based ?). 2nd; He wrote with (Josie) Armstead & (Valerie) Simpson - then NY based. 3rd; he wrote with Johnny Mitchell, a NY based guy. He also wrote with Bobby Smith (who arranged stuff for Sonny Knight & Jimmy Robins). He wrote with Morty Craft (who worked with the likes of Faye Adams, Tony Middleton, Diplomats & Earl Grant in NY). Lastly, he also wrote with Roger Bass (Gwen Owens & the Utopias). I chased up the little indie music publishing company Benday Music (based in NY) that represents Earl. There I got in touch with the publisher's rep Vanessa Benton. I got this message back ........ I'm sorry I can't be of any help to you. I do wish you the best on tracking him down. If I come across any information that would be helpful I will let you know. Best of Luck. Sincerely, Vanessa Benton ........... (no doubt she's the Ben in BENday). So it seems that we are fated to never get the full SP on Earl Jackson ........... SORRY .........

Scans of EMI 45's from some of the countries they used to operate out of ............

Earl Jackson was a guy in his own right ... I'm chasing up a lead in New York that (hopefully) will result in us (finally) getting the full SP on Earl .... MORE LATER ...

I didn't make mention of it in my article coz it doesn't really relate to the Mojo or other allniters back then ... BUT in 67 we made a few longer 'soul related' trips as well. After the 1st 'LAST' niter at the Mojo (15th April), we were initially at a loose end on Saturday nights. Some of us would shoot across to Hull as that city always had a great night life scene (port & all that). So Frid / Sat / Sun 21/22/23rd April were spent in Hull & it's 2 soul discos (The Discotheque on Whitefriargate & the Gondola on Little Queen St). BUT we were bored by the next weekend (when some of the Hull lads came thru to Dony) & so organised a trip down to London for the 6/7th May. We met up as usual on the Saturday nite (drinks in the Coffee House & then Danum), we killed time till the early hours & caught a Kings X bound train at 3am. Early arrival Sunday in London. Down to Petticoat Lane (clothes & record buying). Then up the West End in the afternoon (think we got some decent 45's -- UK Major Lance singles, etc.) down the Kings Rd. Night time found us heading to the Saville Theatre (owned by Brian Epstein & the Beatles) to see Garnett Mimms live. Then an early exit from the theatre, dash across London to catch a late train home to Dony. SEE RELATED BITS BELOW ............

Eli, Maxine Brown arrives in London on the 8th June (to perform on 11th June). Are you hanging around the UK after the 7th ?? BTW, I really love "Hold Out" blue-eyed gospel-soul at its best.

Track produced, arranged & conducted by Johnny Pate who also co-wrote the song. I visited him back when he lived in Vegas and made a point of asking him about this cut. "Who was it by & what was the song title" he said ... "have no memory of that session at all & can't even recall working with a guy called Earl Jackson". So much for getting the low down on this NS anthem then. Picture of Johnny with a few of the 45's I'd taken along (got the sleeves autographed).

More news from Lou: he's in Harvey Fuqua's studio this afternoon laying down the music for a new record by Bobby Jonz / Bobby Jones. It's a song titled "Moonlight Handyman" that Lou co-wrote. The track will feature real brass (sax & trombone) + just about all real instruments. Lou was close friends with Harvey & used / still uses his studio a lot (Lou once set me up to chat with Harvey while I was in Vegas ... but I was about to head back to the UK & the only time I could make it was a Sunday morning. Harvey said OK but we'll have to chat on the golf course, while I play a round with friends. I said that would inconvenience them & I'd do it another time. The friends it turned out were Smokey & Johnny Bristol .... DOOH). Anyway, back to now, Lou (& John Wilson's Sly, Slick & Wicked) are pencilled in for shows in LA, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus & Lorain plus maybe one in Vegas. Early days yet but at present it seems likely that these will take place this summer. A picture to finish ... Lou with Harvey's HAL ('Tribute to Heroes And Legends') award ..........

The Way Out studio ........... a story I was told ......... before the recording gear was stripped out of the building & it was still in use by locally based soul singers / musicians. John Wilson & his group had been cutting in there one day & had left some gear in the place. But they were heading off on the road early the next morning. So JW & his conga player went to get the stuff. The security guard knew John and said it was OK to get the drums. But he had forgotten that the alarm was still on. The 'alarm' was a shotgun pointed at the door to stop burglars who had tried to steal equipment from the studio. It went off when the door was opened. Forgetting this, John pulled the door open and the gun went off. By the grace of God. he was not injured .... but the concussion from the blast blew his hat off and also blew a 6 inch hole in the left side of the wall right next to his right shoulder.

Lots of saxy sax on this MS anthem from one of the Windy City's finest ......... the late great .........

Heard from his daughter, he's still in hospital but seems to be improving. Mack & daughter ............

Robb, knowing Ady, he'll need it this week !!

Eddie Floyd just posted up this message .... Much love for my God Father, Mac. So Mack Rice must still be hanging on .... hope he improves & gets discharged.

Here'tis .........

new issue 45 on ebay -- £7.99 with free postage ....... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gloria-Jones-Gone-With-The-Wind-Is-My-Love-Northern-Soul-Vinyl-45-Listen-/131773457940?hash=item1eae4f6614:g:lI4AAOSwHnFV6WBP

Well it escaped in the not too distant past on Soul Purpose & Record Shack (as 45's) but originally I think it was just an Audiodisc acetate (might be wrong though). Rita & the Tiaras on Dore -- the original released version.

Songwriter Jimmy Leonard Jones wrote many songs, these are a few of them …. AIN'T GONNA CRY NO MORE, AIN'T NOTHING WRONG MAKIN LOVE THE FIRST NIGHT, ALVIN'S BOO GA LOO, BOSTON MONKEY, A BOY NAMED KENT, CALDO, CONCRETE RESERVATIONS, DOIN THE ALI SHUFFLE, DUSTY BLUES, ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY, FATTY BOO, GHETTO, GIMME SOME OF WHAT YOU GOT, GIMME SOME OF YOURS I'LL GIVE YOU SOME OF MINE, GOOD LOVIN, GOT TO FIND A WAY, I GOT TO FIND A WAY TO GET YOU BACK, I LIVE THE LIFE I LOVE, I SIMPLY LOVE HIM, I TESTIFY …..... plus …. GOT TO FIND A WAY, I PAID THE PRICE, LIVE AND LET LIVE, LONELY ROOM IN MEMPHIS, PHILLY FREEZE, THAT'S WHERE THE ACTION IS, THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE, TIRED OF BEING LONELY, TIRED OF FALLING IN (And Out Of) LOVE & many more. Notice anything from the list … see the 3rd & 8th title (both cut by Alvin Cash) and those towards the end "Philly Freeze" (another Alvin Cash record), "Tired of Being Lonely” (a biggie for the Sharpees) and "I Want You" (a 45 cut from Troy Johnson) ..... so the singer Jimmy (Lee) Jones is the great Vapac songwriter Jimmy Leonard Jones … SMALL WORLD !! ........

Yes it is Robb !! He co-wrote "Tired of Being Lonely" and many more goodies !!

Here's a scan of that 45 ..... would guess that this was Jimmy's own label ........... limited release to get licensing from bigger outfit ?

JJ on Deke ............ Deke was Deke Atkins label (he also did stuff for Calla, Duo, etc) ....... Pack It Up And Bring It Back / Lonely Room In Memphis DK5411 Do What Comes Natural / I'm So Glad I Got You DK5412 Live And Let Live / I Don't Mind Confessing DK 5413

Guess Boba could have tracked him down (if had still been around). We lost a gud'un when we lost Bob.

I think this is by this Jimmy Jones ... but it could be by the Texas based guy .... Andre Williams worked on this ... AND ... also worked around the same time with Mack Simmons in Chicago ... so guess this is our guy (that makes a grand total of 6 x 45's by him; 3 on Deke). His last 45 ............

Came from the greater Chicago area (Illinois). Recorded from 1970 to 76 ... had 5 x 45 out, others also being good. His 1st 45 escaped on Twinight, his last on Conchillo (A soul pack 45 back in the day but still a fine record). Guess that the Walter Simmons who co-wrote one of his Deke songs was Simtec Simmons (half of Simtec & Wylie).

Found dead in his London hotel room ......... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36028232# Guess this means the upcoming 'UK Soul Tour' will have to be called off as he was the promoter (or so I believe).