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Tom likely knew The Primes - not The Distants. There's a lot of guessing and supposition in there, Robb. Popcorn and his group recorded for Motown in 1960/61. I can clearly hear Tom say 'Alone'. I put my ear to my speaker... Can't you just turn up the volume? Like you, I doubt the existence of a record by Tom titled 'Alone'.

PS: Tom mentioned Norman Whitfield earlier in my interview with him... something about meeting him at an early Motown place on the corner of John R (a street in Detroit). It didn't see quite right at the time as I know Norman was with Popcorn's Mohawks, but I don't recall reading anything about a 'Motown' place on John R.

At the start of the segment, he refers to The Temps (Temptations) and he's talking about Eddie Kendricks. Earlier Tom told me he used to babysit Eddie's children when he was young. I can clearly hear 'Norman ' - "That's when Norman wrote...

Here's an MP3... Segement of Tom Storm.mp3

I'm puzzled, too, Robb. Tom seemed very clear about it, but I have to wonder if he was mistaken... take a listen:

I just played an interview with Tom from about 20 years ago (he has since passed away) and he mentioned his first recording was a song that Norman Whitfield wrote called 'Alone'. He said the label credited him - Tom Storm - but didn't know anything else about it: Does anyone here know that 45? He said it was before The Peps were formed - and talked about in being in the late 1950s, which doesn't seem quite right. (Tom was born in 1940.) Norman Whitfield wrote a couple of early Thelma productions, such as 'I've Gotten Over You' by The Sonnettes (released on the KO label around '62).

Barbara Mercer (and her man, George McGregor) told me that Brian had the keys to the Motown studio and that the songs were actually recorded in the Snakepit.

There were three 45s on REM's sister label Oncore (as far as I know) and are all from 1964: ON 83: THE FOUR-GENTS - YOUNG GIRLS BEWARE / CHERRY LIPS ON 84: GWEN OWENS - MYSTERY MAN / SOMEONE TO LOVE OR 85: THE FOUR-GENTS: THE DONKEY / TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME

Yes.. I was just going from memory in that interview and thought Jamie was a 1962 release. No wonder Sonny was adamant! Regarding Raldo (Robb and others)... If there are more than two 45s on the label, I would love to know about them. Regarding Pat Meehan... he was also the backer of Power House records in the early 1970s. Johnny Powers did the studio work, but Pat financed the recordings. I have four Power House releases listed - 1003, 1009, 1011 and 1015. Are there any others that people know about? Does anyone know the flip to Tommy Diamond's "I Think Somebody Loves Me"? (PH 1003) I have a (1979) 12" Westbound disc by Sonny Monroe -"I Was made For Love" - that Pat was also behind. His name is down as co-producer with Mike Theordore. Sonny told me that Pat pumped a lot of cash into the project.

Thanks!... Sam said he was a 'fat dude'.

Lots of things don't make sense after the event. I'm just relaying what I was told by people who were there. When I asked Sonny Sanders about him joining Correc-tone, he said he had quit Motown. I told him that didn't seem quite right due to the recording of 'Jamie' - which he did the string arrangement for - and the first 45s on Correc-tone. There was clearly an overlap, but he seemed to be offended and was adamant he didn't work at both at the same time. That didn't make sense to me.

Great, Robb... thanks very much!

Robert Bateman told me it was Mickey Stephenson who got him to quit Motown - he never mentioned the Holland brothers. Robert felt strongly that Mickey wanted him out the way so as to cement his own position at Motown. Mr Golden told me that Mickey had been involved at Correc-tone in the early days and had written a song while there called 'Old Southern Beat' that became 'Dancing In The Street'. Mr Golden never mentioned the Holland brothers being involved in any way at Correc-tone, but did tell me that one of them nearly joined him before going to Motown. (I'd have to play that interview recording to confirm which one, but it was likely Brian). Remember that blood is thicker than water.

Dorothy Pierce owned the Pillar label. Barbara Mercer (later at Golden World etc) was one on the Sty-letts. Dorothy's daughter was married to Brian Holland and any songs that bear the name 'D Pierce' were actually penned by Brian, who was obviously under contract at Motown.

Raldo was one of Sam Motley's labels and funded by a guy (Gerald) Sam knew. It was named after Gerald's two children. I only know of two releases on Raldo: The Dawnbreakers, and Big Bubbles (a drummer). I want a good scan of the Dawnbreakers disc (She'll Meet Her Match) for a project I'm working on.

REM are the initials of Richard E Medinas, who was one of the financial backers. The label is a sister to Oncore and the main guy was Patrick Meehan. Hi-Lite was Pat's first label and he was initially in the Seminoles before getting drafted. His uncle managed the label for a while during his military service. Pat also had a label called Sunday - it released a Frank Kinsell 45. Pat and Richard were both real estate guys - and white. The Impacs were the session musicians on the Gwen Owens' recordings, and were called The Fabulous Impacs on the Bomb 45 (owned by Bill “Preston” Carnes). The group later became Black Murder and recorded 'Foxy Lady' that Gino Washington released (credited to The Soul Agents) on his ATAC label - without their knowledge.