Roburt

RE: Mad Hatters - People all over the world - Peg Leg Bates Peg Leg Bates was a famous US 'one legged' dancer. He danced for the British King twice in the 30's and toured the UK again in the 50's with Louis Armstrong. He didn't stop touring till he was in his 50's (around the mid to late 50's). He owned and operated the Peg Leg Bates Country Club in the Catskill Mountains from 1951 to 1987 (being the first black resort owner in the area). The club attracted folk (in the summer) from all over the greater NY / NJ area as well as people from as far away as Baltimore & the like. ..... SEE article published about him on his passing .......... https://www.nytimes.c...dies-at-91.html I guess he hired the Mad Hatters to play his club & was so impressed, he arranged a recording session for them. Any idea when this 45 dates from (70's ?) and if there are any other Peg Leg Bates related records / labels ?? At Peg Leg Bates club in 1985, the main singer was Rene Bailey (who has sung at the resort since 1972). She was backed by a 'funk-flavored jazz' outfit Richard Diamond & the Mad Hatters (can't find out how long they had been the club's resident band). So I guess this is the group who had cut "People All Over the World".

I would guess that all their 45's were initially pressed up in the same numbers (maybe 1000 copies but thats a real shot in the dark). However, lots of Sue 45's sold well in the immediate period after release OR over an extended period of a few years (Mockingbird; Thats How Heartaches Are Made; Its Gonna Work Out Fine; Daddy Rolling Stone; I Can't Stand It; Ya Ya; Harlem Shuffle; Little Piece of Leather; ETC). So all those would definitely have had 2nd / 3rd presses. Of course not all copies of Sue 45's will have sold and I'd say that lots of unsold stock would have been junked in the late 60's / early 70's. So its really a guessing game as to which (these days) are the rarest. The factors being that amongst those 45's that sold in small quantities back in the day, which have had a lot of copies destroyed over the last 40 years. It certainly can't be worked out from the prices each Sue 45 commands, as lots of the 'really rare' items will not be much sought after today (except by label completists).

OK, I'll slip back into the 60's (though it was released here in the 70's on Nu Beat) ...... ALTON ELLIS ......... "La La La Means I Love You" ...............

It'll annoy Pete but lets move forward to the 70's ......an AL GREEN clone -- now what was his 'imaginitive' name ?? ... Oh yea .. ..........AL BROWN .............. ..

........... NOT SOUL AT ALL .......... but a massive mid 60's mod club sound that I had to slip in .......... .... its 15th April 1967 again, two in the morning & we're all at the Mojo niter in North Sheffield waiting for Geno to come on stage when Stringfellow spins this .....

No vocals on this .... so the 'backing track' has to 'stand on its own feet' ....

Afraid its way too 'tinny' for me Pete. Beat you to the 67 version of "Queen Majesty" !!

An earlier version of the above that again features the Techniques .......

Here's a better effort from Pat Kelly .... a Curtis Mayfield (Impressions) song .....

Can't say that this is my fave version of "Dark End of the Street" ......... the backing is just TOO amateurish .... There has to be a better reggae version ...... no doubt Pete S will point me in the right direction.

Here's one thats always been a fave of mine ........... bought as a new release a FEW years back ...... We're just like Williams & Watson .... two (bros) for the price of one

There was a white garage band from New York who went by the name of the Changing Scene. Avco signed them in May 70 and they had "Sweet & Sour" out plus a self titled LP by November 70. Then there's the (Memphis based ?) black outfit who cut in Nashville for Co-Town in 73. Guess neither outfit is the group who cut for Jo-Vee-Jo though.

Lou is back in Cleveland this week (7pm Wednesday) being interviewed at the R&R Hall of Fame by 'Cleve Soul' expert Carlo Wolff (Invisible Soul). The session is open to the public & no doubt lots of little known 60's / 70's local soul facts will be discussed. Lou's Numero package is 'doing well' and he's back working as a consultant with Numeo (on another very interesting Cleve Soul project they are developing). Lou has been back in Cleveland a few times over the last couple of years and his played gigs there ......... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHb1gcXLSyI

Lee Charles Nealy featured on Gospel Chimes tracks on Savoy, HOB & Atlantic. However the group had a number of lead singers over that period (Jessy Dixon, Carl Beans -- not the Motown gay guy, etc). The LP's Lee features on didn't usually detail who was singing lead on the group's tracks unfortunately (lots of gospel albums did back then).

The announcement that Musicor had licensed the Justin tracks ........

LaMont Johnson and his brother Keith established Down East Records (with funding from MBA, a Manhattan based production company) in New York City in 1966. It was located at 53 Pitt Street in a former seltzer factory. The site housed the offices for Down East along with a small recording studio in the back of the building. Jazz musicians booked to play Slugs, a local jazz club, would hang out at the studio and many times made up the studio band on sessions cut there. As already stated, the 45 that featured "What Can I Do" was a 'local release' only. Some months later (March 68), Musicor picked it up for national distribution with "Right Now" now being coupled with the 3rd Justin cut. "Right Now" got plays on NY R&B radio stn WWRL (where Frankie Crocker, King Coleman, Jocko Henderson & Gary Byrd were / had been DJ's). The studio went out of business in 1969. LaMont relocated to LA and got back into playing / cutting jazz but not before he had cut an album with Mokie, JJ & R.O.B. for the Sun, Moon & Stars label (1972). This LP included the track “You're So Real” which also escaped on 45. Lamont did the musical soundtracks for a couple of B-movies in the early to mid 70's; 'Thunderfist' (film released in 73) & 'Capers' (titled 'How Come Nobody's On Our Side' originally. Film released in 75).

An ad for the studio placed around the time Justin went down there to record his tracks ..... ... if you were fully rehearsed (& quick) you could cut a track for $20 !!!! The studio was located in the Lower East side (of Manhattan) just inland from the Williamburg Bridge that links across to Brooklyn ...... Unfortunately the building that housed the studio was demolished a while back and a 7 storey apartment block replaced it.

Well Charly put out a 'Best Of' CD on Joe Tex in 2005 that included his Dial recordings. So, they maybe had the rights to his Dial suff back then. I have no knowledge of a Charly 12" featuring the track but I wouldn't put it past them to have tried to cash in on the the popularity of UYPL back then.

.... US news piece here ..... https://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/king-of-funk-george-clinton-and-others-accuse-local-businessman-of-music-royalty-rip-offs#ixzz2K9Co0Ih0 As Ace / Kent own the UK rights to the Westbound catalogue, I wonder who they have to pay their royalties to (Armen Boladian no doubt).

A CD box set due out in around a months time ............... no doubt many of the tracks featured would have been regular plays at the Wheel's 1st incarnation (Braznose St) ..... .......... 'Boogie Chillen: Early Mod's 1st Choice Vinyl .............. https://www.amazon.co..._sim_sbs_m_h__1

Cadet 5546 -- that would make it a mid October 1966 release (on Cadet), whereas "It May Be Winter Outside" (Mustang) came out in time for Xmas 66 (the 45 was listed among the new releases in Billboard mag dated 24th Dec 66). So I'd say she was signed to / recording for Mustang in November. Guess "Think About Me" must have been cut in the summer, with its 'local release' in LA (pre-Cadet) dating from that time also.

I will be asking our lass (who'll surely outlive me) to get these 4 played at my wake ........ Lorraine Ellison -- Stay With Me Baby Artistics -- I'm Gonna Miss You Astors -- Candy (named my daughter after this track & Candi Staton) COD's -- Michael (named my son after this track) SORRY ABOUT IT BEING 4 .... but can't play just 1 of the 2 for the kids). I'd also have to ask for at least one gospel track to be spun, can't decide what yet (but probably the Gospel Classics or a vocal version of "Wade In The Water").

Ian, you're right in part I got a bit mixed up with regard to her UK hit. But as you will remember, President never deleted 45's. I don't even think they ever took returns (overstock from record shops returned as unsold to swop with newer releases from the label). So, you could buy President 45's for some years after they were initially put out. I remember buying singles on the label by the likes of Viola Wills, Alvin Cash, Johnny Wyatt, Willie Parker & Betty Everett well after their initial release dates. Mind you I toally missed their releases on Barry White (67) & Roger Hatcher (68) at the time. When she had her UK hit, her older records were pushed again & of course, they were played by DJ's in Top Rank / Locarno type venues after "I Feel Love Coming On" was a popular track.

The guys in the group .......... don't know which one was James though ........... They had black musicians backing them up (on the recording & on live dates) ......

The group's best seller ............