Roburt

A bit out of a 1962 Nashville music article .....

I'll leave Ady or Dean to answer that one ...... I'm struggling to keep up with all the 'Fame related' CD releases (though have managed to get a copy of all the vinyl releases that have come out up till now). I'd guess there has to be a detailed discog on one of the compilation CD's (if only to help ID which are the previously unissued tracks). Here's a start ............... https://acerecords.co.uk/features/label-profiles/fame

Just about all the interesting info on Fame Records is being included in the booklet notes that go with Kent's ongoing Fame CD series releases (some out already; more to follow) ...

Nashville Phono Matrix Inc. 310 Chestnut Ave ................ ....... to see full sleeve see link to ebay on Cody Black -- Ram-Brock thread ......... ........... item sold to Archer for their use (on behalf of Ram-Brock).

Some Little LP's that were available on order back in 1966 .........

Not about Nashville Matrix but a related subject .... this took place in 1973 when the vinyl & related products shortage was in full swing following the oil crisis that year ... ... seems that US firms made 'masters' for clients in at least 78 overseas countries !?!?! .....

The Black Exotics "What Am I Waiting For" (United # U-0311) has been included on the recent comp CD 'Loving On The Flipside'. The BOOK that comes with this CD (& it is a small book -- about 8" x 6") has loads of details on the group. The Black Exotics hailed from Macon Georgia & were formed in 1970 and played loads of gigs around their home area initially. They eventually landed gigs in Florida & toured around there, sharing a gig with Sundia & the James Jenkins Band. After that, they headed off to SC to see United Records. They cut the O'Jays track & either 250 or 500 copies of their 45 were pressed up. But they hadn't had permission to record the song & got in trouble coz of this. The 45 wasn't really distributed at all after the trouble kicked in but it doesn't seem to be known what happened to all the 'stored copies' (guess the guy who owned the label sold them over recent years). To get over the problems they had experienced with their 1st 45, they wrote some original songs & cut a couple of these. They cut one of the songs (in 1976) but it didn't gain a release (it was a disco-y item "Boogie To The Beat"). They next went on the road as Sam & Dave's backing band until their singer / bassist Michael Burnett was lured away to join Cameo.

Seems that some manufacturers were still making / pushing mini LP's as late as 1973 ...... .... Dave, do you know much about this outfit ??

This ad 'implies' that the likes of Jerry Butler & Terry Callier MAY have been on some of these Dell's album tracks ...... ........ do they get a name check on the LP cover (other than as writers) ??

............ and he gets a very brief mention here .............

1974 info on Terry ...............

I went to the site & bought the Dan Penn & George Jackson 45's ... plus found a copy of the 'Record store Day' Fame EP on there as well. All 3 now winging their way to my place. .... HINT .... it would be good to have a 'sound clip' of "Victim of a Foolish Heart" up on the site .... it would help sales I'm sure.

As everyone knows .... back in the late 50's / early 60's, guys (like Curtis) who were gospel singers in church met up with their mates outside 'church circles' to sing doo wop on street corners. This was popular as it helped them practice harmony singing & also attracted girls, something all teenage guys liked to do. If a few 13 year olds had played hoops with younger guys (as Terry told me he did with Curtis), I'm sure that when the older guys started their 'singing practise', the younger kids would also hang around & try to join in (as it made them feel older & more important). I'm sure the older guys wouldn't want them joining in but it COULD well have happened. Terry did also tell me that the opportunity to team up with him (at Curtom or when Terry was in Jerry Butler's songwriting workshop team) never presented itself, so he never sang 'professionally' or actually worked in the biz with Curtis

Not to do with this side of the UK 45 but ..... When Bobby Hutton played Prestatyn, Paul Temple fetched a beat up copy of the UK 45 to the weekender to get it signed. I showed it to Bobby & he was blown away. He wanted a copy badly ...... ... needless to say, he went back to the States with Paul's copy in his luggage. Wonder if a similar thing happened when Willie came here to perform ???

When I chatted with him at the Jazz Cafe, he talked specifically about playing hoops with Curtis Mayfield in the projects when he was young. He never mentioned singing with Curtis but no doubt he did a bit of harmonizing on the street corner with Curtis & their friends. Perhaps Boba can confirm if they grew up in the same area.

Thanks for the compliment. This one was actually a bit easier than some other articles as I had direct input from some of those involved (Howard Biggs, Lenis Guess, Jerry Williams). But I still needed to do lots of research & select which topics to include & which to leave out.

The Royalettes in 1965 ..............

Three of the Royalettes are pictured here (in December 66) with Baltimore's George Jackson (who cut in New York), local DJ Hot Rod & others ....

Ben Boyce played a big part in Justin's recordings and it's suggested 'on-line' that Justin might actually have been Ben Boyce himself. I can't find info about him singing himself though, but he was a songwriter so may have sung on demos of his own compositions An early appearance for his name was on the Port 45 by the Intrigues. Port was the R&B label set up in 1965 by Jay-Gee Record Co. of New York. Ben also worked on most tracks cut by Johnny & the Expressions that were released on Josie in the mid 60's (Josie being distributed by Jay-Gee). Boyce killed himself in 1969 by jumping in front of a New York subway train after he learned that his pregnant girlfriend had died of a heroin overdose.

Slugs Jazz Club back in 1969 ....

53 Pitt Street Manhattan ........ https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/2689/53-Pitt-St-New-York-NY-10002/

On WIKI ....... James LaMont Johnson was born in New York City. During his childhood he took dancing, singing, and mime lessons, and appeared on the Star Time Kids television program at age 7. He later served in the United States Air Force in Germany, after which he attended Manhattan College and Syracuse University. Johnson began his recording career in 1962. In New York City, he worked with tubist Howard Johnson and trumpeter Woody Shaw as the bebop period came to an end. Throughout the 1960s, he recorded with artists such as Jackie McLean, Ornette Coleman, and George Benson. Later in the decade, Johnson began composing music for films and advertisements. LaMont and his brother Keith established a record company (funded by MBA, a midtown production company) on the Lower East Side in New York City in 1966. It was located on 53 Pitt Street, in a former seltzer factory, and was named Down East Records. The site housed the offices for Down East along with a small recording studio in the back of the building. The label released an R&B single by Justin entitled "Right Now". This became one of the first R&B records to utilize a fusion of Latin, jazz, and R&B music in commercial music. The same studio was also the site of demo recordings for Cat Mother (a rock group associated with Jimi Hendrix) as well as recording sessions for an Ornette Coleman album. Many of the jazz musicians from SLUGS, a jazz club in the East Village, would use Down East to record demos. In 1967, the Down East roster performed at the bandshell in the East Village's Tompkins Square Park. Down East Records had one record that made it to the airwaves ("Right Now") and it was played on WWRL once every few hours. The label went out of business in 1969. The label's successes included major sales in Africa, and in the Mid-Atlantic region ranging from Washington, DC to Baltimore, MD. The artists performed on television shows such as The Hit Kit and gave radio interviews. Other staff members that worked with LaMont Johnson at Down East were Harry Bass, who had previously worked with Motown; Jimmy Hall, who had worked with and sang with many successful groups in the New York area; and James (Jimmy Mack) McNary who had worked as a musician/writer/promoter with many New York record companies. Johnson lived and worked in San Diego, California, where he established the record label MasterScores Records. In his later years, Johnson lived in Austin, Texas, where he continued to perform at venues such as Top of the Marc, and released I'll Be Home for Kwanzaa on the Bagel Label. During this time, he appeared on Jackie's Blues Bug by the Hip Bop Essence All Stars, a group that also included Branford Marsalis, Javon Jackson, and Vincent Herring. He also worked with Black Entertainment Television. Between 1991 and 1997, he was involved with more than 30 jazz festivals, as either a performer or producer. Johnson died of heart failure on October 21, 1999 in Austin, Texas, where he lived with his wife Jayne Taylor Johnson

New York based Down East Records is best known for Justin's double sided 45 from 1968. This escaped in the UK some months after its US release but it seems it could easily have been made available back in the US on Musicor Did it ever get assigned a release number on the bigger US label ??

Frankie's mid to late 60's publicity shot .....

Frankie Karl played Hud in the LA stage version of 'Hair'. Next the cast moved to Vegas and in 1971 they played what's now the Hilton Hotel. After that, the cast went on the road & played quite a few US cities .....