jam66

Just being a smart ass. It's an in joke we'd often put talc on the floor when dancing.

As the part quote above and others have mentioned and if I may add, we didn't really give a rat's ass the colour or geographical location of the record's artists or producers, certainly for the majority, it just had a certain sound that joie de vivre. That's not to say we weren't conscious of it it simply was not our first concern. I too wore a single black driving glove (Bradford Mecca '68/'69/'70ish Kegsy ) when first being attracted to the records. To presume I had any real idea of the racism and struggle for self identity within America would be tosh. Once again in reference to the above quote it was about me/the rest of us not the social discord elsewhere. Many of us had our own to flee from. Any later ruminations on these themes have come with age and the growing awareness that comes with knowledge and experience, we were young people having the time of our lives which is the annoying part of your post in retrospectively applying politics to our 'childhoods' which misses the whole point and is what you seem to be missing. Sure now many of these things are well recognised amongst us but they really were irrelevant at the time. Your other point about the geographical element says more perhaps about some divisions as seen by black America than here, many a fantastic side came out of LA including many on the Okeh imprint. Or is it that perhaps it's not as important there as you are claiming and are merely trying to upset us with some perceived superior knowledge and or insights. Don't think I'd bother if I was you as some on here could tell you what the assistant engineer had for breakfast and whether the receptionist got lucky the night before the tracks were laid down. Rant over but I can't help but envisage trolls like yourself as bathing in infants tears so here's something for after bathtime for you.

Just thought I'd recommend a youtube channel and just hope I'm not offending protocol. Thought I'd mention it as it has a wealth of information on LA's Gold Star studios Phil Spector's stomping grounds and where Gene Page, Bill Medly, Jack Nietzsche and David Gates et al worked out of. Largely pop but a smattering of mention for Northern but some very useful information, pics and bios on there and it may be one you've missed. Good resource and they're always welcome https://www.youtube.com/user/reichardtaj

Definitely played at the Torch I'd just started attending nighters and it blew me away at the time . Checked the MFP listings at discogs as I bought it at the time for just for that track but I'm struggling to remember the other tracks on there, although I remember I Hear A Symphony was, and the only one I can see doesn't have rumours on?? The story I heard at the time was it was being played off a German issue of some description.

Many thanks John.

Thought that was Peaches and Herb

There was the Andantes in Detroit and the Blossoms in LA, just wondered if there was a group of female 'go to' backing singers for Cameo, Arctic etc. I have these names for Camep Parkway but they may have been on the more pop side. Suzy Contreras, Dawn Hopkins, and Linda Barton. Although they backed Chubby Checker sometimes (I think), just wondered if there were any more stalwarts mainly from the very early to mid '60's. Thanks in advance Dave.

Can't fault the choices so far. Just like to mention the Fantastic Four's As long As I live. Great production all round but when they spin off into that melodic chorus, buzzing and just sends me. Getting a lot of plays at chez D at the moment.

Most of the intro as it's Tony Banks; press?

Sorry mate checked me facts again it was just the Stone one that was withdrawn, for some reason I'd got it in my head there was a British Atlantic one.

Genuine question. How rare is the withdrawn Otis Redding, You Left The Water Running. Knew all about his widow withdrawing it but there's a couple of other versions I prefer so never thought about it much.

Love the Falcons tune.

This, every flippin' time! Always someone's peeling onions funnily enough

Another vote for 'ask the lonely' here.

Thought I'd put it up in case some of you missed it. Some interesting sounds in the background but outside of S.A. I hadn't thought much about the wider market. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26654516

Just looked through the thread again and I can't believe there's no reference to Lenny Gamble. They were playing it at the Casino one night and I said really loud 'sounds like Tony Blackburn', the look on peoples faces as the penny dropped was pure gold.

Didn't go to many of the Bradford nighters but once when there I'm almost certain they played a track with the word pray in it (would be no surprise obviously), was I hearing things? If I remember rightly it sounded all right at the time. Anyone help on that one, could see if my taste is as bad as many reckon

Darrell for me, mentions of the flip brought a great rush. It was still a big nighter sound when I first started going and that rumbling out the speakers just blew me away and I still get that certain tingle whenever I listen to it.

Considering the rest it annoys me a little that many people consider some of the other catalogues as some form of sub-Motown cast offs when the amount of differing styles one is confronted with, and let's face it some (some), of Motown's output can seem a little generic. Also the deeper influences in Motown can be found all across other labels output so it could beg the question 'who's zooming who?'. The delightful regional and cultural differences across the board make it the rest for me.

Who'd want to take that away from her, or the rest of them??

I know I shouldn't but Samantha Jones 'Surrounded By A Ray Of Sunshine' really lifted me when I was doing time around '78. I was working in the shop where we produced jeans for the rest of the prison system. We used to have radio 2 on and Jimmy Young played this on a regular basis, obviously I remembered it from the Casino and it seemed like a connection to the outside world and I still play it at home occasionally. Shoot me now??

Just tried to check on the magazine's page but they've no search function. Any chance of a link or a date for the interview?

Not quite stealing but I had a 'mate' who was a serious collector and when I started a family and stuck one time for coin relieved me of Morris Chestnut on original demo Frank Dell on Valise and a few other goodies for a piss poor price. He relieved me of the Morris Chestnut for £20. Tantamount to theft from someone that called themselves a friend.

I'm subscribed to Motown Junkies and he's just put up a snippet of the back story on Barbara and I'd never heard it before so I don't think he'll mind me re-posting the paragraph here in case it's news to others. "Ms McNair, who we’re meeting for the first time here on Motown Junkies, is one of the more fascinating characters we’ve come across so far in the Motown story. By the time she signed with Motown, she was already famous, a veteran actress and variety performer of stage, screen and TV, and even without the Motown connection her life would make for compelling reading. Here’s some edited highlights: she was one of the first African-American entertainers to get her own televised variety show (the unimaginatively-named The Barbara McNair Show), she flew to Vietnam to entertain the troops (striking up an unlikely friendship with Bob Hope in the process), her showbiz mogul husband was later murdered by the Mafia amid dark rumours of FBI involvement, and — if all this wasn’t interesting enough — she also became one of the earliest black women to pose naked for Playboy. Oh, and she also found the time to cut some records." https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2014/01/26/658/ P.S. Don't know how to get rid of the shading.

Yvonne Baker...You didn't Say A Word. Taxi for Jam.