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Kenb

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Everything posted by Kenb

  1. was it Fred who had a table selling pins and badges? Forgive me...is he still around? If so, top of the guest list i would have thought.
  2. "Tell Me What It's All About"
  3. What follows is not a scholarly review of the political struggle facing the Black Panther Party. It is merely to highlight some of the musical association of those times with that Party. If not all, then some people who search out the history of Soul/Funk Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full
  4. Black Panthers, The Lumpen, and Marvin Gaye When Bottom & Company and Redbone had finished as ‘openers’ at The Forum, Los Angeles in May 1974, Marvin Gaye came on stage to a 32-piece orchestra conducted by Gene Page together with the back-up quartet Ladies Choice(ii). Marvin started with ‘Trouble Man’ and finished with ‘What’s Going On’. Michael Torrance was one of those back-up singers in Ladies Choice, and also on the “Marvin Gaye Live LP” that was recorded live at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, California. He also became a writer at Motown during the late 70’s (ii). https://www.discogs.com/High-Inergy-Skate-To-The-Rhythm/master/559162 What follows is not a scholarly review of the political struggle facing the Black Panther Party. It is merely to highlight some of the musical association of those times with that Party. If not all, then some people who search out the history of Soul/Funk will already know much of this. However, perhaps those that follow R&B, Soul and Northern Soul, and other soul genres might be unaware and even surprised by it. Michael Torrance was also first and foremost a representative of the Black Panther Party, and in the quartet that was The Lumpen. The original members were Michael Torrance, Bill Calhoun, Clark (Santa Rita) Bailey-Santa Rita Jail is in Alameda County, and I assume Clark had spent some time there. The other group member was James Mott. The Lumpen was essentially the Black Panther Party Revolutionary Singing Group. The existence of which only really surfaced when Rickey Vincent(iii) learned from Walter Turner (a journalist at KPFA) that the Panthers had a band called The Lumpen.(iv) A year before The Lumpen’s arrival – 50 years ago in 1969, the Panthers' protest at Olympia mirrored one that had occurred in California's capital Sacramento in 1967 against a similar gun law known as the Mulford Act. Picture(v): February 28th 1969 Two Black Panthers, part of a group who marched up the steps of the State Capital building, Olympia, being confronted by Captain R.J. Ranney. Under such circumstances, it’s hardly surprising that the movement also “used music as a means to not only document their struggle but also to educate, motivate and inspire people to resistance(vi) - Michael Torrance. In Sept 1969 Vault Records(vii) took a project on to record Elaine Brown Deputy Minister of Information for the Black Panthers. Out of that came “Seize the Time” LP, and Jack Lewerke (Vault prexy) gave 500 copies to the Black Panther Party for promotion https://www.discogs.com/Elaine-Brown-Seize-The-Time-Black-Panther-Party/master/394499 . Proceeds from the LP went towards maintaining its program of providing free breakfasts for ghetto children. And again in 1973 Elaine Brown delivered “No Time” [‘One Time’ on “Seize the Time” LP] “Until We’re Free” - Black Forum B20000F. Black Forum recordings get scarce notice in any anthology of the Motown label. The Motown imprint released eight albums between 1970 and 1973, including a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech denouncing the Vietnam War. As for The Lumpen in terms of recording? - just one released single “Free Bobby Now” [refers to the plight of Black Panther leader Bobby Seale(viii) who was in jail] / “No More”, both on Seize The Time label ‎BPP-4501. They toured, singing at community centres, clubs, and rallies. Mostly in the San Francisco area like at Merritt College, Oakland. There are two never-released sides by The Lumpen that had been recorded at a 1970 concert at Merritt College(ix) - “Thomas Wallace and drummer Minor Williams anchored the song with a groove borrowed from (James) Brown's "There Was a Time." A version of Curtis Mayfield's 1965 freedom anthem "People Get Ready" followed, but instead of singing about not needing a ticket to board a train that's coming, as Mayfield had, The Lumpen substituted the lines revolution's come and your only ticket is a loaded gun”. Others played their part. As an inmate, Ike White was heading a committee which booked outside entertainment to play at San Quentin prison. In 1971 he helped organise “Soul [Consciousness] Day” (which became renamed as Malcolm X Day at San Quentin”). Curtis Mayfield, Muhammad Ali, War, Jimmy Witherspoon and Eric Burden were invited(x) (xi). It was a day-long event organised by the prisoners’ organisation, with the help of the newly formed San Quentin Prison Chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). There is a further account that Curtis Mayfield was actually the headliner. What the prison authorities were unaware of was the supporting band was none other than The Lumpen and their band the Freedom Messengers(xii). The Lumpen had lasted a year and broke soon after in 1971. Curtis Mayfield also had sides like “Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)”, The Impressions had “Choice of Colors”, The Temptations “Message from a Black Man”, and James Brown “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Note: I’m white. From the United Kingdom. And have no direct experience of what these times were like for America and its people. As an occasional music article submitter for https://www.soul-source.co.uk/ this short piece just brings together some interesting facts about the music associated with the Black Panther Party during this historical time in the late 1960’s early 70’s. Kenb – February 2019 References (i) CB 1974-06-01 Marvin Gaye (ii) Michael Torrance Motown Staff writer page 46 Party Music: The Inside Story of the Black Panthers' Band and How Black Power Transformed Soul Music" Rickey Vincent-published by Chicago Review Press. And see https://www.discogs.com/artist/1297456-Michael-Torrence (iii) Rickey Vincent author - Party Music: The Inside Story of the Black Panthers' Band and How Black Power Transformed Soul Music" -published by Chicago Review Press (iv) http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/Our_Stories/The_Lumpen/the_lumpen.html (v) Washington Afro-American March 4th 1969. (vi) http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/Our_Stories/The_Lumpen/the_lumpen.html (vii) BB 1969-09-06, BB 1969-12-06 (viii) The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded in October 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale who had met at Merritt College in Oakland (ix) https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/rickey-vincents-party-music/Content?oid=3745240 (x) Discogs https://www.discogs.com/Ike-White-Changin-Times/release/1357219 and newspaper clippings uploaded by odub sometime in 2016. (xi) Record World July 20th 1974 page 327 account “A guy named Ike White, who is someone who is in prison. We found him about two years ago at a soul date at San Quentin. 'Spoon asked us if we wanted to go up there for the concert, so Steve and Eric brought the recording truck up-we have our own mobile system-and recorded the show. Curtis Mayfield and a few other people were there, like Muhammed Ali. (xii) http://www.dreamdeferred.org.uk/2017/07/attica-blues-prison-revolts-the-black-panther-party-and-muhammad-ali/ Pdf Version: Click to download/view
  5. this might interest our newer members....
  6. @Kev John there are a number of connections to Kenneth Ruffin (obviously Sylvia is Robinson is -All Platinum, etc). theses are (were) at 57 S. Walnut and include; Quasar, Alakazam, Eclipse Record Co/Soundscape Record Co/Eclipse Artist Mgmt Co - and Creative Dynamics. There is also an LA Branch/connection run by Jean Birk and Moses Ensley. over a (approx) 5 yr period '70-to '75 AT THIS ADDRESS, The 'players' for all these are-John T. Byrd, Bernice O. Johnson, Albert Boyce, Richard Harvest, Charles Adell, Henry Kates. and yes @Blackpoolsoul: Cry, Cry, Cry is the same Kenneth Ruffin If you get 'line of sight' across any of this you might get the Young Ladies member names ( but i've never managed it in the few years i followed it up!)
  7. congratulations - 100 issues takes some doing.
  8. there is also this... Bert Berns (Bang/Shout) was an influence on Freddie. paraphrase from Joel Selvin's book Here Comes The Night - Berns always spoke about plans to reach the Spanish market. He signed Arsenio Rodriguez. Rodriguez always seemed to say he "invented" Mambo, and left Cuba for Miami in the early 50’s, and then moved to the Sth Bronx. They recorded shout LP501 at Century Sound Studio, NJ. and interestingly it's listed as 'Open The Door To Your Heart' (no Up in the title). One other thing that springs to mind- there is (now) well documented evidence of 'Organized Crime' involvement which surrounding Berns. So 'the sales of records' especially via disties outside the U.S. might be less important than you think (think of the tax scam labels)
  9. i think the point i was (badly) trying to make was about writers credits on 'the original' versus the UK imprint. When (and by the time) it got to Edward Kassner's label ( Jay Boy, President, etc) a. he wasn't that bothered, b. more info was available. There are many examples across these labels where those credited differ from the original.
  10. There are lots of sides where writers, artists, arrangers, family and friends, etc, - who have nothing to do with the actual recording, get put on or share credits. In many cases, everybody knew everybody else in a certain ‘music town’ (so to speak), and this was a way of looking after each other as “Brothers & “ Sisters”.
  11. you are unlikely to find any of my 400+ post replies that don't do that.
  12. I keep seeing references to 'full dance floors'. When did rammed dance floors equate to anything? I've never been a DJ, no intention of starting...but i've always been a dancer since '69, and still quite happy to dance on my own at venues where the DJ plays my thing. I choose to go to venues that play original, rare and underplayed.
  13. @Dave Moore a lovely tribute Dave
  14. The Copyright Catalog entry for Sidra’s Theme is 15th Dec 1966. ( 29th Sept 1966 for As long As You Love Me). Since Silky Hargraves is also 1966, it's a pretty good bet that this is earlier. PS. i don't hear the similarity snippets you do.
  15. Time for the latest edition of our long running infographic series 'Northern Soul Connections'. As you may be aware these 'infographics' are produced by member @Kenb and each issue takes a possible item of interest from the soul world' be it an artist, group or even a term and then builds up an infographic 'connected' view. This issue is #18 and the connection this time around is titled 'Living Color - We were 3 different shades of black'. View it all below... Related Videos You can view all 18 (yep thats right we are now at #18!) of Ken's 'Northern Soul Connections' infographics via his activity feed list here... Kenbs Soul Source article list
  16. The latest edition of of our long running infographic series 'Northern Soul Connections'. 'Living Color - We were 3 different shades of black'. Read on below... Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full
  17. i haven't bought any for a while now...but i have had some nice condition Port label, etc, in the past (from memory). So i'd be quite happy for it to continue - and just leave the one's i don't think are good value.
  18. Joey. my wife tells me. it was run Monday & Friday. There is (or was) a pub virtually next door The New Inn. Pattrieouoex ( prenounced Patrio's - the Senior Service cigarette factory) was just down the road- although it was just in the borough Hyde. Pattrieouoex
  19. @chaswhere was Druffies? Chas.
  20. thinking on...i wouldn't mind betting Richard Searling might have dropped in here. From memory i think Ricahrd had a spell at Fielden Park college. If so, it wasn't far from here at all.
  21. In his article he added....He added: "But Bunny Sigler's "Let The Good Times Roll" was the Oaks' anthem." I think i've posted this before somewhere on SS, but Valerie Simpson was one of the girl singers on 'Let The Good Times Roll'-Bunny Sigler
  22. I remember The Oaks, but not quite as the picture in the article. In 1969 it was in my first year was at West Wythemshawe Cof F.E. ( Northenden -Moor Rd i think) and many of that year spent time in the Oaks. I remember "what i think was" the back of the pub where there was a Football Table (mostly occupied all night). I think it was the back of the pub because that was the entrance from the car park.
  23. https://www.coleminerecords.com/collections/store/products/b-durand-jones-the-indications-b-br-i-dont-you-know-i
  24. ditto...to you Dave, Mike and the Soul Source team- as well as all other Soul Source members
  25. First appearance on Ed Sullivan show, March 1968. Singing 'The End Of The Road' and ' I Heard It Through The Grapevine'.


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