G F

I think these two titles are in fact the same recording. Has anyone got both to compare?

What was your best purchase, Matt?

I bought quite a few as Bob's prices were decent - he had a load of Juanita Williams on Golden World that were just a few dollars each - but I didn't buy anything rare. He used to put the rarer records aside for some UK dealers - I recall him having Larry Wright, but he was saving it for Shifty, who had given him his wants list. I actually sold him some 45s. He had a basic turntable, so you could play any records you didn't know. Bob was a nice guy.

I just came across this snap of me in Bob's place - it was probably taken in the late 1990s. I'm surprised Bob hasn't got a cigarette in his mouth - the place (on the north side of 8 Mile Road, AKA 102) reeked of smoke. He had some gems. Anyone else here ever go?

I have just put an interview on YouTube...

Many thanks, Nick - I did see 'Let's Do It' on YouTube (maybe that's yours). I may just include that in the audio.

Cheers, Tom. Do you also have the Thelma 45 by The Magnificent Seven? I wonder if it is the same two recordings.

Does anyone have an MP3 of the Northen label disc? I would like to include a piece of it in an interview that I'm now editing. Also, were these two recordings reissued on Thelma? (The Thelma 45 has a different title for the B-side) Thanks.

Get well wishes to you, David. Hopefully it's not too serious.

Hi, David - great to hear from you. Yes, the book idea just evaporated over time... moving so far away from Detroit didn't help, but as you say, the videos give listeners a chance to hear directly from the people involved, and the audio samples and colour images wouldn't be possible in a book. The other plus is that many people now use YouTube, so it does reach a decent audience, some of whom may find the videos just by chance. It's actually me who compiles these slide shows - I just use Debbie's account - and it's been an interesting learning curve getting to know how the (free VSDC) software works. It takes about 40 to 60 hours to make each one, as the interviews have to be seriously edited first so that they follow some kind of chronological order. It's a shame some have poor audio quality - a few are basically non-starters for others to listen to - but I managed to use a bit of Johnnie Mae's. Unfortuntely a lot of my original one with her has her son (Chuck) continually interjecting.

Glad you enjoy that - it took some time to get it syncronised right using the video editing software. I guess you heard Rudy mention hitting a pop bottle - I wonder who it is doing that on the Dee Edward's' tune.

I've put another video on YouTube that includes a variety of interviews, inc' ones with Gracie - Mike's wife, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Dee Edwards, Hindall Butts and others...

Great stuff, Dave Did Willie mention Joe Terrell and the incident with Mike Terry?

Maybe nothing really new to add, but it will include interviews with Mike's widow, Gracie, and likely Johnnie Mae Matthews, Louvaine Demps, Dee Edwards and Rudy Robinson, as well as some of the people I've done videos for already, like Melvin Davis - and various record samples. I sometimes wonder if Soulful Detroit will still be around in 10 years - hopefully these videos will stay on YouTube.

Cheers... I'm now compiling a few interviews to tell The Mike Hanks Story.

Hi, Robb Fred's voice was fairly quiet, but I thought this interview sounded pretty clear - it's certainly much better than many others I have. I can understand you've labeled it a Correc-Tone recording, but it was cut at Special and I don't think Wilbert Golden funded that session. If that's the case, Golden's involvement is nonexistant and the commonality is just Robert Bateman. The first Correc-tone records were released in early '62 - I think I made a mistake on my Robert Batemenan interview (caption). I've a note of Pickett appearing at the 20 Grand (solo) in June 1961, so he must have left The Falcons by then. Yes, Fred said Mr Hicks (and also maybe Fred) went to New York with that Gloreco 45, but couldn't get a deal. Fred didn't want to go on the record about Mike Terry and Mr Terrell, but he told me Terrell locked Mike in the trunk (boot) of a car and was going to shoot him. He didn't know why.

I don't think Detroit has ever really recovered from the riots in '67. I haven't been over for 20 years, but back then the core of the city was dead.

You can hear the difference in audio on that Majestees' recording - it does actually sound like they are in a garage. I'd assumed Fred and Skeets was him and maybe Bobby Eaton. Probably others did, too. I had some technical issues with this video and ended up getting a new laptop so that I could convert the file OK. It seems those two bits of actual 60's video of the group that I incorporated caused the problem. BTW, you have my name mixed up - it's Graham. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Thanks, Yank... I did interview Bill Craig back then. At teh time he was still doing something in the music business and Don Mancha came while I was in his office.

My interview/video with Fred is now done and on YouTube...

Thanks My Fred Bridges interview/video should be on YouTube shortly. I've had some serious computer-technical issues.

Thanks - I didn't realise that. The singer sounds like Bobby Eaton.

I'd like to know what this record is like... I've searched YouTube, but just got lots of McDonald's stuff. The ZTSC number makes it fit in with the Zodiac songs that Fred Bridges was doing with Robert Eaton and Richard Knight - Brothers of Soul.