Roburt

Would the 45 you're interested in be "Wonderful Love" by Freeman Williams" ??

Jerry Hankins seems to have had a lot of creative input on this labels releases. He also worked on the Revlons (with Little Martin & the Mustangs) tracks for the label (VC 112) & the Martin's Mustangs cuts (VN1001 -- no doubt the same outfit as Little Martin & the Mustangs) + the Little Willie Jones sides (VC115). Jerry Hankins was also co-writer of Tony Mason's "Scram" which was released on RCA in 67. He also did work for MPR -- Magic People Records. Jerry is still registered (as a songwriter) with BMI (he has 55 songs listed with them). Their site contains his contact details (he lives in Orange, New Jersey these days). Among the people he wrote with are the likes of George (Giorge) Pettus, Sandra Mercer (who I guess is Sandy Mercer to us) and Richard & Robert Pointdexter.

I seem to recall that the label took it's name from a local music scene magazine (hence the strange name). Here's more info on the releases on the label in an old Soulful Detroit thread ........... ac.us/adf/messages/178308/180645.html?1223671085

James doing a cover live at a Memphis venue ...........

Sad to pass along the news that James recently passed ........... https://www.commercialappeal.com/go-memphis/music/news/memphis-soul-singer-beale-street-fixture-james-govan-dead-at-64_16206097 He made some great records ............... .... AND .. by all accounts put on a great live show around his home area of Memphis.

Good to hear from you Freddie (Freddy) and to learn that you are still going strong. Can you recall where your 521 cuts were cut ("I Can't Go On" / "All About Now"), at the club or in a local studio ? What age were you when you cut those tracks ? What can you recall about the 521 Club, I guess you must have played a number of gigs there.

After the Brooks Brothers left the Impressions, they spent some time based in Baltimore. While there they got to know some local artists, Kenny Hamber being one of them. Kenny saw them walking down the street one day & recognised them from shows he had seen the Impressions perform in the city. He introduced himself and asked if they were who he thought they were (which they confirmed). Seems that they must have moved about a bit back in the 60's after their spell based in New York with the Impressions.

This music news snippet from 1953 implies that Sax Kari was Chicago based back then ........

Tom Moulton posted this on Facebook earlier today ............ Singer, songwriter, Alfie Davison, passed away this past Easter Sunday, April 13th, after various medical complications. Davison was widely known, particularly in the U.K., for his songwriting achievements, namely the 1978 "pop / r&b" smash recording and song, "Who's Gonna Love Me", recorded by The Imperials, which reached number 5 on the Music World pop charts. He went on as both singer and songwriter of the 1980 "Northern Soul" classic, "Love Is Serious Business". In more recent times his "disco" song contribution, "Put Yourself In My Place" by TJM, was remixed by the "legendary", Tom Moulton, on Tom's 2011 CD album, "Philly ReGrooved 2", as well as two other recent previous appearances, on the 2011 "TJM" CD compilation, on Big Break Records, and an even earlier remix by Woody Bianchi on D-Vision in Italy. Producer and longtime friend, Reid Whitelaw, said that Alfie Davison was the most warmest, caring, gentle, and loving souls he ever knew. R.I.P. He made some great tracks down the years & had a few popular cuts, this being his main one here in the UK ...........

The above is correct as Fred & Doug Tanner is the same person. He has 24 songs registered with BMI as Fred Tanner, Doug Tanner or Fred Douglass Tanner. Some of his songs were co-written with Douglas Brown who also co-wrote stuff (for Mikim) with Leon Ware & Mickey Stevenson.

I guess you mean "Summertime in the city" by The Manhattans. If so that was a Columbia / CBS 45 in the US, UK, Germany & I'd think a few other countries as well (summer 1974).

A December 65 Pittsburgh newspaper piece about Tawny & her new 45 "Last Night (I Found A Boy)" .................

Guess the guys at Ace will know a bit about Van (Venson) Robinson as they put out one of his earlier recordings ("Basis of Rock'n'Roll") on their 'Long Gone Daddies' CD.

The book launch party is being staged at New York's famous Bitter End Club next Tuesday (22nd April). Lots of top acts played live at the club back in the 60's / 70's .....

Old thread on this here ........... ....... BUT I don't think it ID's who has the acetate now.

Anyone ever compile a full run-down of the less well known tracks he worked on ?

Gil Askey passed away in Australia on Wednesday. Born in Austin in 1925 he got into the music biz in the 40's. By 1955, he was recording (playing trumpet & singing) with the likes of the Buddy Johnson Orchestra. He went on to play with Chris Columbo and arrange loads of studio sessions from the early 60's. Next he was working with Wingate / Ric Tic and Motown in Detroit. In the 70's, he did loads of work for Curtom and toured with the likes of the 4 Tops and Temptations. On a tour in Australia, he met a local woman and they struck up a romance. He moved there, they got married & had a kid. He still toured with the likes of the Tops and also played in local clubs around Melbourne. Seems strange to me that no one has made the effort to do a decent run down on this talented guys extensive and varied music career.

Kenny Hamber will be performing at the book launch party which is being staged at New York's famous Bitter End Club on 22nd April .....

Bert certainly wrote some great songs. Here's one of my faves .....

I don't believe Joe & Joseph were the same guy as Joseph cut for Crow Records that had Flaming Arrow plus Detroit / Atlanta / Macon connections. I could easily be wrong though. More info on those labels on these old threads ...........

Anyone know where Joseph Webster was from -- Detroit, Atlanta, Macon ???

More on Joe Webster .............. ............ The Showmen may have moved on (label-wise), but this didn’t curb Noah’s talent scouting activities. After Joe Webster and the Anglos made their mark locally, they headed off to New Jersey to record “Incense” which following an initial release on the Orbit label went on to gain national & international distribution. The track would be quite influential as it became a massive sound on the British mod scene of the mid 1960’s. Many of the guys on the Norfolk soul scene collaborated at times. So the likes of Lenis Guess and Jerry Williams worked with Frank Guida and later also with Noah Biggs. In fact, Jerry's brother, Wilson Williams, sang vocals on cuts ................. ........ In summer 1965, Little Ida (Ida Sands) & Little Daddy (Joe Webster of the Anglos) were teamed up in Virtue Recording studio (1618 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia) to record under the supervision of Jerry Williams. Shiptown’s connections with Philadelphia were to be continued, the strings on some of their later cuts being handled there by the likes of Leon Huff ....... "¨"¨"Let's Do That Thing Part 1 / Part 2" followed in 68 with the Soul Duo's (Ida & Joe Webster) "This Is Your Day / Are You Lonely For Me Baby" following in 69 (this was licensed by Jubilee Records & released in mid 69 as Josie #1007). The same pairing's "Can't Nobody Love Me / Just A Sad Xmas" came out a little later. The above taken from the 'Barbara Stant: Unsatisfied Woman' thread on here.

There's this info on the net ............ “Raining Teardrops” by Rockmasters: Singer Joe Webster was the voice behind many songs for Frank Guida's labels over the years – with the Wild Ones, the Anglos and here with the Rockmasters – and also cut some memorable sides for Noah Biggs' Shiptown label. This atmospheric ballad may be his finest recorded achievement as well as the prettiest song to ever come out of the Norfolk Sound studio. ............ https://www.virginialiving.com/the-norfolk-sound/

The song Kenny Hamber will be performing at the launch show for the play .... BTW, the song's lyrics were inspired by the most popular dance of the time ('the Monkey') and have no hidden meaning.

A Time article about the documentary ..... this features a trailer for the proposed piece .... ..... https://time.com/28468/paul-mccartney-video-bert-berns-songwriter/