Roburt

Another of the group's fine tracks .......

Shelbra Bennett (ex of the Soul Children) has passed away. This sad news has just been posted up on the Stax website . Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

As stated above, Tru-Glo-Town Records and their 'in-house' Town Sound Studios were located in Englewood. TRU-GLO-TOWN was owned by TRUde Heller, GLOria Toote and Ed TOWNsend. Trude Heller being the odd one out. She was a middle aged Jewish woman who had escaped from Austria with her parents just before WW2 kicked off. She established a life in New York and by the 60's was promoting music shows & running clubs. She had a famous Manhattan club that just became known as Trude Hellers (at Sixth Avenue and 9th Street). In 1965, she promoted a big Supremes show at the Lincoln Centre Philharmonc Hall in New York. In 1967, she opened a 2nd club in New York, the Trik (at Broadway & 49th St). Here she had live groups on and just about always had either Eddie Jacobs & his Mighty Soul Rockers (who became the Eddie Jacobs Exchange) or Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers on live. She obviously got close to Benny Gordon as he was allowed to record at Town Sound Studios. She also booked him & his group to play live at just about the biggest / swankiest private party ever staged in NY .... Truman Capote's Black & White Ball. Like the clientelle at her clubs, only the very top celebs (500 guests) were invited to attend this event staged at the swanky Plaza Hotel in 1966. Other acts who she had on at her clubs included the Sandpipers (T-G-T artists), Otis Redding, Ben E. King, Joey Dee & the Starlighters and Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs. But Trude, like many rich New Yorkers, got into the habit of flying down to Florida in the winter time. She soon opened a club there as well and quit New York altogether for a few years. She kept her NY clubs though but went with musical fashion and seemed to loose interest in soul acts before the end of the 60's. Still, in the time that soul music had been fashionable, she had booked & helped many acts plus of course had helped finance Tru-Glo-Town and their Englewood based studio.

Yes, Ace / Kent have put out loads of Fame stuff on vinyl & CD since they set up a deal with the Muscle Shoals based concern. As you would expect with Ace, the known gems PLUS loads of great previously unissued stuff have been escaping.

I believe that famerod is Rick Hall's son (Rodney Hall) who now owns & helps run Fame Studios in place of his father. So, if anyone would have 'kosher licensed represses' or original copies of Fame 45's in bulk, it would be him. ............ https://www.fame2.com/our-history/

That fine gent, Lord Horace of Harboro, has organised a special session in the Modern Soul Room at the Weekender. This is being staged when Bettye Swann is on live in the main room AND is to get all the prats who just shout to each other in the main room whilst the act is on 'out of the way'. There is nothing more rude / distracting than to spoil proceedings for those who do want to watch / listen to the live act (not to say unnerving for the act themselves) than to have so many idiots ignore the main event just coz they only like sounds being played off disc. SO, if you are one such person, please PISS OFF this year to the room laid aside especially for you. Then those of us who will mainly be attending the weekender to witness a 'historic' live performance can enjoy ourselves to the full HOWEVER .... if you still intend to stay in the main room but will not be paying attention to Bettye .... PLEASE

Nearly right, Ruby ANDREWS was born Ruby Stackhouse. Richard (the Searling) used lots of 'real names' for C/U artist names (for instance Phanthom Janitor PLUS Esther Williams -- for the Cheryl Berdell cut).

Can any of our knowledgeable US based listies explain why Englewood, New Jersey seemed to attract so much 'soul action' in the 1960's ?? I guess it had something to do with the fact that the place had great transport links to New York (just across the River Hudson) and yet property rents there must have been way cheaper than in Manhattan (or even Harlem I guess). ALSO, it was most likely a location where blacks felt safe living / working. Many of the other river front New Jersey towns down to Hoboken in the south were 'white working class' areas and blacks weren't welcome in those places back in the day. The likes of Wilson Pickett, Jimi Hendrix and the Isleys based themselves in the area after they relocated to New York to be nearer the 'centre of things' music biz wise (though the Isley Bros themselves soon moved to the adjacent Teaneck area). There were numerous jazz & soul record labels based out of there PLUS a good number of recording studios too. Tru-Glo-Town had their studio (Town Sound Studios) in Englewood. Loads of soul singers recorded there -- Lou Courtney, Benny Gordon, etc. Sylvia Robinson (& husband Joe) had her studio there (Soul Sound Studios) and All Platinum / Sugarhill Records were based there & they fetched even more acts into their studio to lay down tracks. Loads of top jazz tracks over a long period were cut at Van Gelder studios (445 9th St. Englewood Cliffs). Bert Berns lived / worked out of the place (though the official address for Bang / Shout Records was in New York). I also believe that Law-ton Records was from the area (though again their official address was in Manhattan). Loads more soul singers were based in the area but at present my brain is playing up so I can't recall who they all were. The place & its surrounding suburbs were also (I seem to recall) where many 80's / 90's indie labels that put out soul 12" releases were based or at least where outfits they that distributed those labels were from. There are current proposals to extend the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system (trams to us Europeans) that runs from Jersey City, Hoboken & North Bergen up to Englewood and if that occurs, no doubt the area will become more gentrified. ... AND ... just to reinforce the funky nature of the name .... Englewood, CHICAGO was home to lots of soul folk too !!!

Seems that the Phoenix based recording team cut a lot more tracks than they managed to get released (didn't most though) ......... .... a bit off the net (amended slightly to remove errors & unnecessary info) ..... “Big Mike” Lenaburg was born in 1946 in Liverpool, England. His family moved to a predominantly black neighborhood in Pasadena, CA when he was 3 months old …... In 1960 Mike’s brother Harry suffered from emphysema. Doctors recommended moving to a dryer climate and the Lenaburg family decided to relocate to Phoenix ….. Mike quit High School at the end of his sophomore year. He explains: “I got the all night slot at KRIZ and I couldn’t keep up with school.” He worked at KRIZ and made pretty good money for a sixteen year old. Eventually though a new program director fired him and he returned to school …....... In 1965 Mike recorded “Rainy Day in Vietnam” with The Seargeants in Sydney’s garage but was unable to release it …... Mike & a friend were partners in the Out of Sight Record shop they owned from 1967 until 1968 on 1834 E. Broadway. They opened the store but they kept on losing money on it, so they 'closed the doors' a year later. However, a lot of the kids from the neighborhood come through there and thus they had met some talent that they recorded. However, the only record they recorded on the Out of Sight label was “A Woman 73” by Oklahoma Zeek with the B side “Soul Skate” by the Soulsations …... Mike recorded some of his artists at Audio Recorders. One of the first ones he recorded was with Small Paul Hamilton who made his name by being a “300 pound James Brown” with a voice that belied his tender age of 14 (?) The songs they cut were “There’s Gonna be Some Crying” and “Do the Everything” ….. Floyd Ramsey who ran Audio Recorders had been keeping a close Mike’s efforts for a while when he recorded Small Paul and Oklahoma Zeke (John Lewis) and the Soulsations at Audio’s Studio B which was a little cheaper (around February 1967). Mike had cut 5 records in two hours time. Floyd had been impressed with this kid’s ever more ambitious doings. After Mike recorded Joe Houston in around May or June 1967, Ramsey called Mike up, told him he liked the material he was recording and asked Mike if he would like to produce records for Audio Recorders …... After Floyd Ramsey asked Mike to be a staff producer, Mike started looking for singers. One of the first talents he spotted was Ronnie Whitehead who was the then fifteen year old son of Ernie “LC” Whitehead senior who had been a renowned local gospel singer. Mike had heard about him at Bo Stewart’s B&B Records. (L.C. had been tragically shot in a bar on Broadway in 1964) ….. Ronnie Whitehead recalls he was walking down Broadway one day and saw Mike’s record shop. Curious, he looked in. Big Mike spotted the young teenage boy and asked what his name was. When Mike heard that he was one of the Whiteheads he recalled that they were a musical family. He asked Ronnie “Do you sing?” Ronnie said yes. Mike told him he’d record him in the studio and gave him the words to “Beggin You” and “Out of Breath” to memorize. When Ronnie told his mother that someone wanted to take him in the studio she didn’t believe him. But a few weeks later when she and her friends Dino and Bertha sang backup on Ronnie’s recording session of “Beggin’ You,” Ronnie says he had never sung with a band before they recorded. They did everything in one take. “I didn’t even know you could record something twice. I just thought you’d record and that was it.” Looking back Ronnie says, the songs were too high. “If I would have known anything then I would have dropped the key lower.” Mike says Ronnie was a very likable young kid, witty, talented and he could dance. He’d start hanging out with Mike and Duffy at their record shops listening to music and singing along with the records. Brent Records released “Beggin You” and “Out of Breath.” Floyd Ramsey knew Bob Shad who owned Brent Records and also the Shad label which had released a popular doo wop record by the Knockouts. Bob Shad was also involved with Dick Clark and others in Jamie Records (Duane Eddy had recorded all his songs for Jamie Records at Audio Recorders and via that work Floyd got to know Shad). Mike leased Ronnie’s recordings but he was billed as 'Ronnie White' by Brent Records and the tracks broke out in Atlanta. It looked like they actually may have a chance of breaking big. However Shad had another act, Big Brother & The Holding Company (their tracks were put out on Shad's Mainstream label). The same week BB&HC broke out nationally and Brent didn’t put any more effort into promoting Ronnie’s stuff …... The same story from another perspective; Mike was just hanging out at his Out of Sight record store on 18th Street and Broadway. He stopped a boy he recognised who was just on his way home from school and asked him “Aren’t you one of the Whitehead boys?” So Ronnie Whitehead came in and Mike recorded “Out of Breath and “Begging you” with him (Mike had co-written the songs with the Soulsations bassist Tony Flores). The cuts were released on Brent Records. A while later he recorded 2 more tracks with Ronnie “Got To Give You Up” and “Cold Feet.” Ronnie, Rochelle and Gary Whitehead sang the vocals with some of the musicians being old members of the old Blazers (Richard Casen, Rodney Brown and Bernard White ex of Dyke & the Blazers plus a few other guys). They recorded “Funky Night Club” and “Blending Soul”, Mike Liggins “Standing On The Corner” followed along with another session that featured the Soulsations on “Broadway Shing-a-ling” (on whichTony Flores sang lead). When the booked singers didn’t show up to sing “on “Sun Begins to Shine” they just cut a number “Soul Skate” with the Soulsations ….. Mike says he recorded about 13 songs for Audio Recorders but none of them became a major hit although Ronnie Whitehead (or Ronnie White as he was known then) was on Brent Records and another artist Lon Rogers & The Soulblenders on Remco (Floyd Ramsey’s label). The Soulblenders also included some of the old Blazers (Richard Casen, Rodney Brown & Bernard Williams). Duffy had found Lon Rogers. They recorded “Too Good To Be True” and “My Girl Is A Soul Girl.” Mike talked to Phil Reagan at Union Review Records and got him to listen to “Too Good To Be True.” Reagan liked the record but he couldn’t use it because he had a record on the verge of becoming a hit already, so he contacted Eddie Ray at Imperial. Records Ray also liked the record but he was concentrating on the O'Jays at the time, so also passed. A few other record companies were contacted but all the labels eventually passed on putting the record out. ... the internet site I lifted the above from is .... https://phoenixsoul.mysite.com/ I believe the Ronnie White 45 on Brent was just about the last record put out on the label. So probably “Got To Give You Up” was cut with a release on Brent hoped for but the label never picked it up for release. Brenton Wood was just about the biggest artist on Brent, but he had jumped ship to Double Shot by February 1967. I guess that by that date, Brent was struggling and Bob Shad was putting his efforts elsewhere.

A bio here ..... https://www.myspace.com/ronniewhiteheadthewhiteheadbrothers and some of his best outings are on this 2fer LP package.......... https://www.discogs.com/Various-Eccentric-Soul-Mighty-Mike-Lenaburg/release/2693031

Yes, she's pictured with Ludie. Here's another picture of the two of them ...........

YES

I like the many French EPs that were put out in the 60's, a great picture cover (usually) plus unusual tracks for a 7" release (Stevie Wonder -- Love A GoGo for instance). Even more 4 track EP's in Brazil as there 7"ers were done at 33rpm. So they had extra space on the vinyl that allowed the additional track to be added to each side of the disc. The majority of the Brazilian releases came in piccy covers too.

It was definitely considered a soul record when it 1st came out. From its US 45 release to it making the UK pop chart it was a massive Mojo Club play. Got plays from around mid August 67 when the Mojo had gone to Alldayers instead of nighters .... but a last couple of niters kicked in before the council forced the clubs close down & it was played at them as well (as I remember at least). It was a massive US R&B + Pop chart hit from the off ....... it had made the Aussie pop Top 10 by Jan 68 and the UK Pop Top 10 by Feb 68.

Much respect to the BBC crew that made the documentary ...... obviously done with a lot of care & love. Reminds you just how great the big label stuff was (Stax, etc) ... it ain't all about obscure rarities. Mind you, it was Otis (+ Sam & Dave) that 1st got me into soul, so I might be a bit biased.

I live in ..... a house ......... smart arse (right back at you) ..... I grew up listening to the crappy UK covers coz that's all the BBC would play, so I know what I'm talkin about. The UK covers (99.9% of em at least) can't hold a candle to the originals ..... never have & never will do.

The depth .............. right down to the very deepest level of crap ........ The quality ........ almost completely none existent in 99.9% of Brit covers.

Don't know what you mean, I quite like the sound of the 'Soup for Sluts'. Can't buy that in Tescos.

My son used to live 'round the corner' from Greg ..... he (Greg) took me to my 1st NY record fair about 15 years back (got some good stuff as well).

Seems that the record shop is still there ... AND ... now sells FOOD as well !!!!! ... https://theboken.com/hoboken/tunes-record-store-in-hoboken-sells-ramen-noodles-for-broke-lazy-sluts/ https://www.recordstoreday.com/Venue/5344

You could always go watch the 'Motown Story' musical play on Broadway. BUT .... if Manhattan, New York gets a bit too hectic, catch a ferry (or jump on the PATH) and travel the 5/10 minutes across to Hoboken (NJ). Great views from there of Manhattan plus a fine waterfront area (Frank Sinista's birth place & where 'On The Waterfront' was shot about 50 years ago). The place has a 'village feel' that is much removed from the bustle of Manhattan. Clam Chowder House is a great place to eat. Maxwells often has good live acts on (Bettye LaVette & the like). There used to be a good record shop on the main street (Washington) which might still be operating ...... ... AND .... you might even bump into Greg Tormo who lives there.

The theatre closed in the 70's and was used as a church in the 80's .... .... but after that it fell into disrepair .....

The Uptown --- outside & in ... ...... the theatre could house up to 2,100 people and back in the 60's was just about always sold out when a top touring package played the venue.

Tammi Terrell (& her sister) outside the Uptown around October 69 .... about 6 months before she died. When not being used to stage live shows, like the other chitlin circuit theatres, the venue was a cinema & screened all the top movies.

I've already bought a copy as it looks like it will be a very informative book on this iconic venue .... An extract from the book ..........