Roburt

Guess this is the same Ronnie McCain. In 1970, along with Sharon Redd (Gene Redd's daughter), he was down in Australia performing in 'Hair'.

I don't know if this is already common knowledge but long time stalwart of the Pittsburgh soul music scene Bobby Wayne passed away last year. Bobby was born Wayne Boykin, though for just about his whole music career he went by the name Bobby Wayne. After first establishing himself on the Pittsburgh club scene around the early 60's, he and his band (Bobby & the Vanguards) toured all over. They did gigs up in Ohio and across in Canada. While up in those parts he played shows backing Darrell Banks and the two guys got to know each other. Not long after this, Darrell had some shows in Pittsburgh (a week long engagement I believe) and Wayne went along to renew their friendship. Darrell hired him to open the show and the two became firm friends, Darrell made an effort & spent time schooling Wayne in stage technique. In the late 60's, Wayne went across to LA and cut some tracks with Arthur Wright. Two of these were leased by Atlantic and released on 45 (credited as by Wayne Boykin) around summer 1969. Another track cut at that time, "Gray Skies" remained in the tape vaults until discovered by Ace about 10 years back. Ady liked the track and included it on a Kent / Modern compilation CD. Wayne soon headed back to Pittsburgh and there he joined a group as their lead singer. He remained in the music biz right through the 70's, ending up in a local 'supergroup' Takin' Names. Wayne continued to play live gigs until the late 90's when a US based NS fan hooked up with him and signed him to his Bonedog Records. Some of his new recordings found favour with UK soulies and were licensed for release here by Grapevine. Two more decent CD albums followed after 2000 and both of these ('Hit That Thing' & 'Soul Station') enjoyed decent sale levels. Sadly Wayne passed away last year.

If you wanna make that prized 45 look just a little bit more special ............ ..... check out this site to see if there's a custom sleeve available ....... https://www.45rpmrecords.com/ms/index_list.php

Now you're askin sumat, after all it was over 40 years ago. As I recall, it was an electrical shop that had a record department rather than a dedicated record shop. It was about 100 yds down from the Town Hall on the west side of Pinstone St (before that becomes the Moor). But my memory could be a bit defective & I have no idea what its name was.

They seem to have selected mainly black female backing singers who have gone out on tour behind rock & pop acts (though Stevie Wonder figures a lot in the film but he had a massive pop profile as well as a soul scene presence). So I think studio backing groups such as those that Dave mentions will get less of a mention as I believe there are trying to pull in audiences that have an interest in the likes of Bruce Springsteen, the Stones, Sting, Elton John, etc. 2nd mention in a thread here for Bruce Springsteen in a couple of days !!! The guys 'soul profile' is on the rise !!

A link to the interviews listed below was posted up on SDF. I think they are interesting enough for me to post them here as well .......... I have only put up links to SOME of these interviews but you can get to others on the same site .... iF YOU WATCH EACH CLIP YOU GET TO LEARN BITS OF MOTOWN BACKGROUND INFO THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS COME OUT .... .......... CHOLLY ATKINS .......... https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/2e7a40-interview-with-cholly-atkins-part-2-of-2 ......... BEANS BOWLES .... https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/264b4e-interview-with-beans-bowles-part-2-of-2 ....CLAUDETTE ROBINSON .......... https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/77c6e7-interview-with-claudette-robinson-part-2-of-2 .........MARTHA REEVES ............. https://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/d67376-interview-with-martha-reeves-part-2-of-2

I think we have all made similar poor decisions Derek. I know I have on numerous occasions. ONE EXAMPLE ......... Back in 1970 I was on a degree course at Sheffield Poly. I had entered as a 'mature student' who had already worked for some years in Civil Engineering, so some parts of the course (the practical bits) I already knew backwards. So I used to bunk off those lessons and slope off into Sheffield city centre to check out the record shops. I came across a store that was closing down its record department and had been left with all the old 45's from companies that didn't take returns. So they were clearing out labels such as Action and numerous reggae labels. So I was faced with a room full of fine singles at 10p each. I bought one copy of each Action 45 they had, numerous other little label soul things and loads of reggae 45's. I intended to play through them all & go back to buy quantity of the best things. I left it a week (longer than I had intended) & when I went back with my 'list of buys', the place had been cleared out of all the good stuff. DOOOOH.

The Waters also get a mention elsewhere as being featured in the film. A 'still' from the documentary (Darlene Love & more) ........

Richard, I've got the leaflet about the CD at home & I'm away again at present. It does give a date when its out. Its later this year but I can't recall if its in the summer or later than that.

A pretty comprehensive list of the people who are in the film is here ............ .... (Gloria Jones & Patti Austin are others in addition to those already listed) ... https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast Another clip from the film ...........

Greg, Are you sure you're not allowed to slip a few gospel goodies into your set at the Cellar, Oxford on the 17th May ?? I live just outside Oxford and could be tempted to come along if you do. WHAT sort of cuts will you be playing in one of your R&B sets (can you list a few examples) ? R&B here means different things to different people !!

A photo of Al Dowe & an early 70's gig his group undertook (Al worked on the Kazia Millage tracks) ........

......... FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN EARLY DETROIT SOUL TRACKS ......... 'History of Soul' Records is a newish CD company operating out of the UK at present. They take 'out of copyright' soul tracks & put together double 'themed' CD releases. So far, they have about 8 CD packages out ........ go here to see details & track listings ....... https://www.historyofsoul.net/ But they have at least another 8 releases in development. One of these is ...... 'Detroit Soul 1957 - 1962'. As yet, I don't have the full track listing for this one but it will include cuts by the Barons, Fabulous Playboys, Melvin Davis, Johnnie Mae Mathews, Timmy Shaw, Falcons, J J Barnes, Walter Hamilton, etc. Each release comes with a detailed CD booklet that sets out the facts surrounding the cuts included in the package. Don't know who they have commissioned to write the Detroit CD notes but the booklet notes I have read for existing releases are good.

Gary Glenn (of Gary Glenn & the Soul Set) was playing live solo gigs around the Pittsburgh area by late summer 1969 ......

The "Water Boy" 45 also escaped on UA in Australia (& no doubt in other countries as well) ..........

Seems that Evelyn Freeman was a gal. She lead a choir and also conducted an orchestra back around 1962. She (they) had an LP out on UA ....... 'Didn't It Rain'. She also cut in the late 50's / early 60's for the likes of Dot & Imperial Records. So, with her leading a choir, I guess different people (male & female) took on lead vocal duties on various songs.

Cleveland Martin (probably without the Soul Sets) was also on the bill of a big NAACP Charity show staged in Pittsburgh at the end of October 1967 .......... This came just over a year after he (& his group) had their 45 (under the name of the Rhythm Rascals) out on Sonic. AS WITH SOME OTHER PITTSBURGH RECORDINGS ....... the Sonic label is not badged as being Pittsburgh based (its LA). The Sonic 45 has connections to Fee Bee, a label that Cleveland would cut for in the 70's as lead of the Del Vikings. The tracks on the Sonic 45 escaped on Roulette in summer 1966.

Paul Serrano had his own studio & label (PS) in the 70's / 80's and before that he played on 100's of Chicago soul recordings. See here ........ https://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Serrano#t=Credits_Technical&q=&p=1 Boba will know loads more about his exploits no doubt.

Anyone know when the Single B / Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets 45 dates from ?? I'd guess that as Odell Bailey & Telldell Music were involved ... AND .... that Cleveland Martin was playing loads of gigs around Pittsburgh then ...that it was 1967-ish. Cleveland Martin had started out in groups at the end of the 50's. He was blind but that didn't stop him carving out a long music biz career. He helped form the Diadems in Pittsburgh who cut for La Vere in 1961. Odell Bailey was involved with the group at that time. They had a 45 out on Goldie in 1964 ("I'll Do Anything") ............ The group changed their name to the Rhythm Rascals in 1966 for a 45 on Sonic that was picked up by Roulette. By 1974, Cleveland Martin was going by the name of Butch Martin and was performing on blues shows around Pittsburgh (see below). Then he (& other members of the Diadems) ended up as members of the Del Vikings in 1976. Also, this is very very speculative, but ........ . could there be a link in label name's between former Swan label head Bernie Binnick's B B Records (i.e. Two B's) and the Single B Record label? Guess not as the B in Single B probably stood for Bailey.

Thought I may as well post up a scan of the Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets 45 as well ........ .... their single came out on the Single B label which Odell Bailey was involved with (and so this label obviously has connections with the Millage label). Cleveland Martin went on to become a member (singing lead) with the Del-Vikings in the 70's.

There was also a French (?) based group who went by the name of The Earl Lett International Soul Set. They had a 45 out that featured a track titled "Soul Serenade" ... though I think this was a different song to the King Curtis / Willie Mitchell one.

There was a Soul Set label ...... AND .... lots of groups who used the Soul Set name. There was one outfit down in North Carolina, one (?) based in Pittsburgh and one or more in the Philly / New Jersey area. I presume that Cleveland Martin & the Soul Sets were related in some way to Gary Glenn & the Soul Set (both were from Pittsburgh I believe). Were the B B Records and Sock & Soul groups one and the same ? .......... BUT ..... just how many different groups did use the name ??

A couple of Millage acts (the Contrails & Captions) were on this big charity show held in Pittsburgh in late October 1967 ..... ......... the AMM label's studio backing band, the Up-Set (Upsets) also played live gigs at venues across the city back then ....... BTW, the top local act on the charity show bill, (Sonny Gilmore &) the Premiers , had recorded for RCA in the late 50's.

Out in the US in about a months time this documentary features some of the greatest backing singers ever !!!! It concentrates on the careers of the likes of Merry Clayton, Darlene Love, Claudia Lennear (Ikette), Tata Vega, Lisa Fischer, etc. Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full