Roburt

I'm sure that many people know that THIS Bennett label is different to the Bennett label based out of Huntington, New York. It was the Huntington based label that had earlier put out the 45's by Kenny B(allard) and Marjorie Ingram. It seems strange (to me at least) that, though Bridgeport (where the 'Bonnie Floyd' label was based) and Huntington (where tuva label was located) face each other across Long Island Sound and are only 20 miles apart, Salvatore De Benedetto would choose to use Bennett Records as his label's name ........ even with him using Sal Bennett as his 'music biz' name.

I wonder how Joe Jordan found the time to produce Bonnie's big track in 1969 while still holding down his strikers role with Morton FC. I bet he still has a couple of copies of that Big Yellow 45 at home.

Bonnie's answer record to Mr Big Stuff .............

In his later years Bonnie Floyd stated that he had been born in 1947, though elsewhere it is written that he could have entered this world as early as 1939. Whichever date is correct, he was definitely born and brought up in Alabama where his love of music developed from listening to gospel songs and Sam Cooke tracks. Through his school years, he stuck with his studies and ended up graduating with decent results. After completing his schooling, he headed off up north to try to find a decent job. Having first tried Chicago and Cleveland, he moved onto Detroit in the mid 1960's in an endeavour to find employment in the auto industry. He wasn't that successful in his efforts and only managed to secure menial jobs. After work each day, he would head home down the same street. As he walked along, he would sing out load. A lady (sat on her porch) that he passed everyday eventually called out to him, saying he should sing for a living. He told her he was really looking for a decent job with one of the big local motor manufacturers, but she told him not to worry about that. She promptly entered him into a local TV station talent contest which he duly won. From that starting point, he never looked back and quickly set about establishing himself in the music business. Bonnie moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana and hooked up with an established show band there; the Untouchables. They based their act around hit songs by Marvin Gaye, the Temptations and the Four Tops, so Bonnie fitted right in from day one. The group's then leader liked a drink but one night this led to him being cheated out of their $150 fee by a club owner. Bonnie didn't drink at all and so to prevent a similar incident happening again, he was appointed their new leader. The band, after adding a brass section, started to travel extensively. They were soon securing regular bookings in places such as Atlantic City, New York, all across New England and Canada. They had developed their stage act and Bonnie was becoming quite a showman, so much so that they landed a recording deal with Brooklyn based Clown Records. Thus the single by Bonnie Floyd & The Untouchables “Let Me Solve All Your Problems / Ram-Bunk-Shush” escaped around March / April 1966 (and even managed to get the group and “Ram-Bunk-Shush” a mention in Jet Magazine in May 66). The tracks on their 45 fully illustrated both Bonnie & the group's work at that time; “Let Me Solve All Your Problems” being a fine soul ballad that showcased Bonnie's vocal abilities with “Ram-Bunk-Shush” being a raucous sax led instrumental that perfectly demonstrated the band's musical skills. By 1968, Bonnie was performing James Brown and Johnny Taylor songs in their live act and his performances were helping bring in lots of live work. So many of their bookings were in the New Haven area (65 miles east of New York) that Bonnie had relocated to Connecticut. In April 1967, they (the group now being known as the Original Untouchables) were holding down an engagement at the Ebony Lounge in New London (located at the east end of Long Island Sound; 125 miles from New York). By January 1968 they had moved on to Evelyn's Supper Club in Uncasville (just north of New London). Bonnie soon relocated again, this time moving to New London itself. Their live performances led to bigger labels showing an interest in them, Atlantic Records taking them into the studio for a session. Unfortunately none of their Atlantic cuts were ever to escape from the tape vaults. Their work at Atlantic did probably bring them some benefit. At the time, LA born guitarist Leland Hicks was working on sessions for various producers in Atlantic's studio and he got to know the guys. Lelan would later join the Original Untouchables and add an extra something to their work. Big labels were still talking to Bonnie about recording, but they wanted him to team with studio musicians for proposed sessions and he resisted these offers. By April 1969, Bonnie and the group were securing top gigs as far away as Boston and this helped them catch the eye of a small Bridgeport based outfit; Big Yellow Productions. They were signed to a contract by the company and this fact was announced in Billboard magazine in June 1969. The uptempo “I’m Just A Poor Boy” formed the top side of the following Big Yellow Records single. On this track Bonnie was assisted by an uncredited singer and the end result is a cut that contains all the passion of a Sam & Dave record. On the 45's flip, Bonnie handled a ballad (“I’m So Lucky”) without any other vocal assistance. Big Yellow can't have had too much cash to splash around on their own releases as issue copies of the group's 45 (which feature “I’m So Lucky”) seem to be rare items. The scarcity of copies of the single obviously meant it didn't become a big seller. Bonnie & the Original Untouchables returned to their live work. July 1970 saw them appearing on a big show in Hartford, supporting Junior Walker & the All Stars. In September 1970 they were playing the Talke of the Towne in Waterford (just outside New London). They made a trip up to Canada in August 1971 to play gigs at the Esquire Show Bar (on Stanley Street) in Montreal. Their last 45 together hit the shops around that time, thanks to Salvatore De Benedetto. Sal Bennett's Bridgeport based Bennett Records put out a single coupling “Ain’t No Getting Out” with “Mr Big Stuff” (an answer song to Jean Knight’s smash “Mr Big Stuff”). Around the same time, Leland Hicks then current group, Candy Coated People, also had a single out. However their “Roads c/w Time To Love”, released by New York Sound Company, failed to make any impact. As a result, Candy Coated People split up and so Lelan to the chance of teaming up with Bonnie, becoming the guitarist in the Original Untouchables. Lelan didn't stay with the Untouchables for too long though. Ron Schfrin, Phil Flower's manager, saw him performing with the group at the Copacabana in New York. Schfrin was so impressed with Leland's lead guitar work that he asked him, there and then, to join Phil Flowers band. Lelan took up the offer and eventually became Phil's band leader and got to record as a member of Phil Flowers & his United Family in 1973. Bonnie & the Untouchables soldiered on, though personnel in the group came & went. In August 1974 they were performing at clubs such as Picardi's Allie Puma Cafe in Waterford. By the end of the 1970's it was becoming difficult to secure enough good paying gigs to sustain the group and Bonnie had some hard decisions to make. In 1980, he received some advice from a local lounge musician, Goldie Lewis. Goldie advised him to broaden the type of songs he was performing to also include white written pop songs. Bonnie took the advice and after going out as a solo artist (singing over pre-recorded backing tracks), he was soon getting bookings to play hotel lounges and supper clubs. Around 1983 he teamed up with (ex Arctic Records artist) Kenny Hamber and they worked the hotel lounge circuit together as a duo. Kenny would perform Teddy Pendergrass songs with Bonnie handling the more smooth stuff such as Lou Rawls' hits. Singing over backing tracks the pair made a good living for around two years, playing lots of Holiday Inns across the New England area. They eventually went their own ways and as time passed, Bonnie started to perform more and more jazz numbers. Work was picked up here and there through the 90's with a big show coming his way in late January 1995; the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society's Fourth Annual Heritage Weekend show held at the Westin Hotel, Providence. By the end of the 1990's, Bonnie was operating his own studio in Ocean Beach, New London. At his Glory Studios in 1999, he laid down a mix of original songs and reworked classics with a view to putting out a CD album on himself. Though he was still based in New London, by the turn of the century, he was securing few local gigs. But singing over backing tapes, he still managed to pick up enough bookings in places like New Haven and Bridgeport (Connecticut) plus additional gigs in Rhode Island and across Massachusetts to make a living. One local venue he did play was the Moorehouse Lodge and his singing there helped him to land one big New London booking. The lady selecting acts for the New London Urban Music Festival worked across the road from the Moorehouse Lodge and as a result, got to hear Bonnie. Impressed by the veterans vocal qualities, she booked him to perform alongside all the young hip-hop, funk and urban acts already down to appear at the music festival. Bonnie had also started to work with other artists based in his home area. One such young guy that he helped school was Mack Odom. Mack was recruited in 1997 as the new lead singer of long established outfit Roomful of Blues. He handled lead vocal duties on the albums they released in 1997 and 1998 plus their live offering from 2001. Bonnie finally managed to get his CD released in 2003; 'I Never Had It So Good' coming out on the Jatwan label. It was to be to be the last major landmark in his long musical career as sadly, Bonnie passed away early in 2010. But along the way he had made a living from the music he loved for almost 45 years and he certainly left a few notable recordings for soul fans to remember him by. Bonnie's big NS track ...............

Bob, Dave Godin 'told' you what you should be buying every time you went into Soul City Record Shop.

The Dakar 45 escaped in early December 1968, so I'd say a ABC 45 of "Can I Change My Mind" would have been put out around summer 68. So would have been somewhere around ABC # 45 11120 if it had gotten out (any missing ABC 45 numbers around that?). The 'ABC' Goldies 45 ................

I THINK that the 1st actual release of the ABC version of the Tyrone Davis track was on the Various Artist Dunhill LP 'The Big Hits Now' which escaped around September 1970 (though the album label attributes a 1972 release date to the LP). So the track was released by ABC in 1970 & so wouldn't have qualified as 'unissued' when the master tape cull was undertaken a while later. The cut later escaped on MCA, ABC Goldies & Roulette label 45's.

The initial Tyrone Davis version of "Can I Change My Mind" was a totally separate recording to the hit version put out a bit later on Dakar. I BELIEVE that the ABC version was licensed in by the label but not then released. A copy of the master tapes must have still been held by the 'outside party' and when a decision was made at ABC (around the early to mid 70's I believe) to belatedly put 'their version' out, they probably sourced the master from that 3rd party. I have that ABC 'reissue' 45 and its on a 'dedicated reissue label' I seem to recall (were promos of the single put out on ABC in 68 ?). By the way, going back to my original question ...... the label of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes LP (# 969) gives a 1976 release date ..... BUT ....... copies of the LP were only supplied to trade reviewers / radio stations at the end of Jan 77 (Billboard reviewed the LP as a new release in their 29th Jan edition. The Rufus LP - # 975 - was reviewed alongside the HM&BN's album).

Anyone know just what was going on at ABC / Dunhill Records in the mid 70's with regard to the label's LP releases ........ ............... A few of the labels LP releases in late 76 / early 77 were as follows ........... ABCD 968 .......... Catfish -- Four Tops ................................. 1976 ........ made the US LP chart in Nov 76 AB 969 ...... Reaching For The World -- Harold Melvin & Blue Notes.. 1977 ...... made the US LP chart in Feb 77 AB 970 ................... Susie Allanson -- Susie Allanson .........................Jan 77 release AB 971 ................ The Big Wha-Koo -- Big Wha-Koo ..................... 1977 ABCD 972 ............... Sweet Release.. -- Gabriel ............................... 1976 ABCD 973 .................. Hitchhikers -- The Hitchhikers ....................... 1976 AB 974 ............. Little Funk Machine -- Street Corner Symphony .......1977 AB 975 ................... Ask Rufus -- Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan .......1977 ......... made the US LP chart in Feb 77 I assume that those releases that were designated just AB were supposedly ABC label items, whereas those designated ABCD were really ABC Dunhill releases (though actually issued with the same ABC labels on the records as the others). BUT my main query is about these albums release dates, they seem to be all over the place at that time. I know that Otis Smith (later to run Beverly Glenn) was in charge of the ABC Black Music Division back then and no doubt he ran things his own way, so releases from his division may have easily been 'out of number order' to LP's put out by the label's other units ........... HOWEVER ..... that being so ..... how come the Hitchhikers LP (# 973) escaped prior to Xmas 76 (the group's tracks had been recorded some time earlier & licensed in by Otis Smith in November 76) whereas the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes LP (# 969) didn't seem to make the shops till late Jan 77. By all accounts, ABC (Otis Smith?) put some effort into promoting all their LP releases at the time. Trade ads were taken out for the main artists (Tops, HM & Blue Notes, Rufus, etc.) but even the releases by lesser known group's such as the Hitchhikers weren't neglected. I'm told that extensive radio station visits & record signing sessions were even organised for them and so a decent amount of radio airplay was secured for their tracks. 45's were also lifted from the albums to help in promoting sales and this effort even spread overseas, with different tracks being selected in foreign territories to try to catch extra sales by selecting cuts more likely to catch on in the other countries. ABC did loads of strange things down through the 70's ......... not the least of these being their decision to junk all master tapes of unissued tracks from the 60's (to save on storage space). So when the CD era led to many old cuts being released again, the company had no unissued stuff to beef up sales of the CD's by putting out 'expanded versions' of the original albums. Any explanations going for their haphazard LP release schedule back then ?

Arc Records (who released the Eddie Spencer 45) were well established in Canada by the 60's. They seemed to specialise in Country music releases though they also put out polka & ethnic music recorded by Canadian artists. They made a big push in 1967, putting out 20 albums to help celebrate their centennial year. See here for info on some of their 45 releases ............ https://www.45cat.com/label/arc-ca By 1969 they were getting more into contemporary pop & rock, having had hits on such acts as the Paupers, Sugar Shoppe & David Clayton-Thomas. Seems that their Eddie Spencer signing was part of a start in that direction that they had taken in 68 ......... Don't think the Arc Eddie Spencer 45 can be that rare though no doubt most copies disappeared straight into Canadian homes in the late 60's, never to reappear.

Yes, you're right. Seems that Lambert & Stamp hit on the idea themselves. They wanted Track Records to rival the Tamla Motown & Atlantic labels in the UK as a major R&B source back in 1967. It never really worked out, sales wise for them. Nancy Lewis was still in the same job in summer 1970 (a member of the Who's management team). She accepted a gold disc from Decca Records (US) on behalf of the group in early August 1970

Polydor just distributed Track Records. The label was run by the Who's management team ..... Kit Lambert & Chris Stamp. The pair were mates of RSG's Vicki Wickham, who in 1970 became Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles manager. Wickham renamed the group LaBelle & they moved to the UK. They signed with Lambert / Stamp at Track and recorded some cuts here in the UK (these weren't released till 76). LaBelle opened some shows for the Who but in late 70 returned to the US. LaBelle eventually hit big in 1974 & had 6 hits in all thru to the end of 76 (it was those hits that prompted Lambert & Stamp to release a couple of the group's earlier UK recordings on a Track 45 in 76). Not sure who hooked Lambert & Stamp up with their Detroit connection; could well have been someone at Polydor.

Track Records deal with their Detroit contacts seemed to be over in 3 months (Nov 67 -- Jan 68), though their licensing deals obviously lasted longer as some of their soul releases were reissued later in the 60's (the Debonaires single escaping on 45 very early in the 70's). The label's last soul release in 1976 featured two LaBelle UK recorded cuts.

November 67 ..... ......... see here https://www.45cat.com/label/track

My fave Margie cut ..................

Sir Shambling's web site gives a good rundown on her recording career ................. https://www.sirshambling.com/artists_2012/A/margie_alexander/index.php

A very sad loss ..................

It has been reported on the SS forum that Margie passed away recently ...... An obit for her .................. Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

Quite a few El Caminos in fact ..... ..... a southern suburb of San Fran is called El Camino and a major highway, El Camino Real, runs through it. Then up on the San Fran northern shoreline there's another road that uses the name (El Camino Del Mar). Guess the label was really named after one of those (though the mountain range makes a much better visual to put on the label).

Song written by group member Charles Dyall. He also wrote their biggie from that period ("Safari" -- released in the UK on Epic & also in the US). "Dancing Feet" was put out on a 7" promo single in Sweden; the only copies being given away to people in the audience at a Stockholm club the group played back then.

Been in touch with the current license holder in the US & he's quite happy to grant the rights for "You Belong To Me" & any 2nd Earl Gains track for release on 45 if anyone here's interested.

The shows stars on US TV ........... ....... you have to sit thru a commercial 1st ........... https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/motown-musical-cast-preview-ready-dancing-streets-performance-18879821

Another sought after 45 from guys out of the team that cut the Troy Dodds tracks .......... This (demo) 45 features Walter Hawkins (Edwin's brother) & his sisters. It wouldn't be a bad guess that the El Camino cuts were also laid down at Studio 10 in SanFran.

The HBR 45 (the one with & without the mis-press) ........... he only had 2 x 45 releases on the label (+ the mis-press version of this un) ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkSvRKcc_1M