Roburt

BUT were the group from DC or Philly ????????????// ............ OFF THE NET ............... Cardell Eaton / the Lovations.....names I haven't heard since I last performed in THE HILL DIST. 30 plus years ago. Although I don't remember this tune but it has that Pittsburgh sound. "They used to call the Hill District 'Little Harlem' because of the amount of jazz artists coming through there," said Nathan Davis ..... The Hill District is a collection of neighborhoods that is considered by many to be the cultural center of African-American life in Pittsburgh. Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay once called the district "the crossroads of the world," referring to the neighborhood's heyday in the 1930s—1950s. It is known to many Pittsburghers as simply "The Hill." pittsburghlive.com - Jan 17, 2008: "There's one by a group called 'Basic Sounds of Pittsburgh,'" Hopper says. "A group called the Lovations -- their 45 was produced by Nathan Davis over at Pittsburgh …….. Nathan Davis, director of jazz studies at the University of Piitsburgh .... Pittsburgh's jazz legacy shows up again on the new set of Jazz Icon DVDs, this time in a team many have forgotten.In 1965, Nathan Davis, the director of jazz studies at the University of Pittsburgh, was in Paris, carving out a saxophone life that still makes him famous in Europe. For a time, he sat in with Pittsburgh legend Art Blakey on a tour through the Continent. So along with all the other famous editions of the Jazz Messengers there was one of Blakey, Davis, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Jaki Byard and bassist Reggie Workman. This DVD, along with one featuring Pittsburgh's Erroll Garner, is yet another depiction of the city's jazz history from this series. This year's titles also feature works by Anita O'Day, Jimmy Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Art Farmer and Woody Herman. Since the series began in 2006, Pittsburgh jazz has taken a starring role, either with discs headlined by Blakey or featuring Joe Harris, Ray Brown or Kenny Clarke as backup players. The plot thickens .............. more later .....

Next time I'm at a soul night, I'll try to ensure that I don't dance to any records that have lost some of their "myth" I don't want to be excommunicated by the ' Northern soul police'.

Why restrict posts to just info on 45's .............. It may not have been politically correct, but quite a few US soul singers (Percy Sledge, C L Blast, etc.) went down to Sth Africa to perform in the 70's (at Sun City and similar venues). Some got involved with local musicians whilst there, the main one being C L Blast. He went into the recording studio with locals & laid down tracks that he supervised (producing & the like). He also cut a full LP of tracks there which was only released in SA ... this contains some decent tracks. In addition to his 'solo' album, a couple of tracks were lifted from it to go on a compilation V.A. LP .... one of the other tracks (by a local) also included on this VA album has a distinct US soul feel to it and I believe that this was due to input from CL. Other decent VA compilation albums were released around the world. Lots with 'unusual' tracks included on them (Sth American countries had their own popular US soul tracks) & so there are some nice items to be found on albums put out down there.

And ... Pigmeat Markham also had to get in on the act in November 1968 ............ f

Back to the jazzy guys .................. Gene Harris & his "(Sock It To Me) Harper Valley PTA" .................. Monk Higgins had a big hand in the cuts on this album.

Who were the Deacons on Shama who also waded in (at the end of 1968) & made the US Soul 45 charts .............

Joe Cuba had a go too ............. and in 1967, so did Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels ..............

Steve, Little Joe Curtis did have a strange recording career. I don't have info on 45's released on him. I get the impression that guys who had copies of his tracks on master tape just sold them off for release by 3rd parties. Certainly very similar LP's that featured his stuff escaped in the US, UK, Europe & (I think) Australia. RE: "Bring Back My Love" / "Sock Me Your Love" -- this track escaped with both titles -- in the US it had the 1st title, outside the US (for some reason) it had the 2nd title ... plus on the US Somerset LP each track had the artist identified. On the non US versions, not all the tracks were attributed to an actual singer. ............ MOST STRANGE.

US singer Little Joe Curtis cut "Sock Me Your Love", though I can't find what it's original label of release was (unless it was Somerset). Then there was Bill Moss & his "Sock It To Em Soul Brother" (Bell; 1969).

The UK band the Senate backed up loads of visiting US soul singers (Garnett Mimms, Ben E King, etc). They also got to cut some tracks themselves, one of these (for United Artists) being a cover of "Sock It To Em, JB". Another UK album featured a 'Sockin' track too ..................

"Sock Some Lovin To Me " ................... Blues Soul ............

Nearly forgot the biggest 'Sock It To Me' hit .... Reffa's "Respect" that hit the charts in May 67 and went all the way to No.1 (though of course 'Sock It' isn't in the title).

I bet Selby's Paul Temple (then based at a Scarboro bank & DJing locally) could name a couple of em ..... ... Kegsy should know some as well (I bet they all knew to steer clear of him !!).

Of course, Rex himself was 'Sockin To Em' on his WSJ Sound 45 ........

You're right, Bobby was also early on the case at the start of 1968 ...

Johnny & Dolores ................

Syl Johnson starts some 'Sockin' ....................

The 45 got a favourable review in Billboard in May 66 ................ Of course, UK soulies were soon discovering more goodies by Mr. Garvin, but it was this track that started him on his journey to UK acceptance.

June 1966 was Rex's 45 was breakin out across the US (having started its journey in Pittsburgh) .....

As I have made mention of Rex Garvin in my piece on Marie Knight, I thought I'd start this thread on a topic related to one of his big tracks. Rex first came to my notice back in late 1966 when I heard (& bought) his UK Atlantic 45 "Sock It To Em, JB". This was a tribute to both James Bond & James Brown and got Rex lots of props back then. To my knowledge this was the first use of the term "Sock It To Em" even though most US TV viewers thought it was a phrase invented for use on the 'Rowan & Martin Laugh In' show. Rex's Like 45 hit the US shops in May 66 and certainly seemed to be ahead of the curve in this respect. In no time the term was taken up within the soul community ............ John Roberts was "Sockin 1,2,3,4" on Duke in late 67. Syl Johnson was tellin folk to "Come On Sock It To Me" (Twilight) around the same time. Johnny & Dolores were also "Sockin' Soul" on True Soul back in 1968 ......................... see info on this track here ....... https://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2009/dec/08/johnny-and-dolores-true-sounds/ Simtec (Simmons) & Wylie (Dixon) were "Sockin Soul Power" for Toddlin Town in 1969 ............ with Syl Johnson trying almost the same song at about the same time. What other soul songs use similar phrases / words to get their message across (I must have missed a few above) ?? So "Sockin' Soul" became quite popular in the mid to late 1960's .............. but who originally came up with the term 'Sock It To' ???? Of course, Marvel Comic characters had been 'Sockin' people in the superhero cartoon strips for some time & the Batman TV show back then must have had at least a little influence on things (words such as 'Sock' coming up on screens when Batman hit a baddy during the shows). But who really inspired the words to the song that Rex made into a mod / soul anthem back in the day ??

Her very R&B-ish Addit 45 cut ........

Her 1959 45 release (a duet with Rex 'Queen of the Go Go' Garvin) ......... A year earlier (1958) and she was on Baton Records ................ November 1951 and she had a 'Sepia' record out (according to her label) ...... This was her track cut in association with world boxing champ 'Jersey Joe' Walcott ....

In 1966, Marie was one of the artists that Musicor were giving a push to in their trade ads ............. ... even though they never released a 45 on her after "You Lie So Well" that escaped around October 1965 .............. video no longer works

A few weeks later & she hit the chitlin circuit with vengeance. Touring with the likes of Clyde McPhatter, Ben E King, Gene Chandler, the Impressions and more ...................... ............... here's some shows she undertook at the Royal in Baltimore ................

March is always a bad month to be in New York; cold, windy with lots of snow. Back in 1962, Marie was wise enough to head back to her birth state to play gigs at the Knight Beat Club (not named after her) in Miami ............