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Thanks - I'd forgotten about Goosepimples (and The Inspirations' version, which I guess is a NY recording). Elsie mentioned 1965 and the GW 45 was in mid-64. Below are two emails I've had from her: We The Debonaires & Holidays did all the backgrounds for The O’Jays,The Manhattans, starting in 1965 for Gene Redd, The Fantastic Four, some with Pat Lewis. Melvin Davis (I must love you) all of Steve Mancha he recorded at Golden World, there are so many, We also recorded almost the backgrounds for The Spinners when they went to Atlantic Records. Just some you might like. I have many more. And in reply to my question about Gene Redd/Manhattans.... Gene Redd called us to do the sessions, I don’t know how Gene was affiliated with these artists, we just did the background work, I’d like to know too!! Gerald Alston the lead singer of The Manhattans remembered us doing their backgrounds, He was inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame also, if he comes I’ll ask him about his relationship to Gene Redd!!This is happening is on September 24th, I’ll let you know what he remembers!! You can see she mentions Gerald Alston, so it's the Carnival group (The Debs are being inducted to the R&B Hall of Fame this month.) Elsie was pregnant in 1967 and stopped singing for a while. Another one I forgot about... must be age.

One of the Debonaires has told me the group worked with Gene Redd and backed The Manhattans around 1965, but I can't see Gene's name on any of the group's Carnival 45s. Does anyone have any ideas? She can't recall any songs. Also, I know of The Prophets' recording, but wonder what else Gene Redd might have done in Detroit in the 60s - most likely at Golden Worlds' studio.

I've uploaded an interview I did with Steve. I had to fiddle with the audio as he spoke softly - hopefuly it sounds OK to you. Here it is...

I emailed Elsie Baker (Debonaires) and asked her about the song. Here is her reply: Yes, that’s Pat Lewis, The Debonaires and The Holidays. Diane never sang background with the Debs, however it’s always Pat, Joyce, Elsie, Dot, Tony, Robert and Butch that did the background vocals for Golden World and sometimes without Pat Lewis. Yes, it was recorded at Golden World.

Glad you like it. I feel blessed to have met these people - and I'm glad that I recorded the interviews.

I have uploaded to YouTube a video/slide show to go with an interviw I did with Tony...

I haven't edited that one yet. Don came over to Windsor, just across the river from Detroit, and we had lunch. The place had some background noise, but hopefully I can dampen that down with the software I have. I plan to get to some of these interviews shortly. From memory, I asked about the early days with Johnnie Mae and Daco etc. and he talked quite a bit about living and gigging out of state and playing jazz.

It doesn't seem to have been something the police/Feds were focused on in Detroit. As you know, LeBarron Taylor ran Solid Hitbound and local radio station manager George White was also a partner there. You don't see her name on the record labels. Martha Jean called herself 'Premium Stuff' when working in Memphis in the early 60s - hence the label name in Detroit. One of her popular phrases on Detroit's WCHB was 'I bet ya' - which got made into a 45 on Golden World (not that she was involved in that recording).

I have the release date for 'DMBC' as Feb' 1965 and the first (resurrected) Groovesville 45 - Steve Mancha - as October that year. I interviewed Steve and obviously asked about this disc, but he didn't know much about how his recordings were handled... I'll have to listen to my recording on the interview to hear what he had to say. Yes, that Roger Brown. He was a gentle giant, from what I heard. Another partner at the company was Martha Jean Steinberg - AKA Martha Jean 'The Queen'. She was a popular DJ at local stations WCHB and WJLB.

When I interviewed Don Davis, I asked him about the early Wheelsville USA recordings and he told me that he never had any contact/dealings with Mike Hanks. He seemed to be telling the truth - I pointed out the Steve Mancha and Jimmy Gilford recordings. It makes me wonder if the deal was done through Mike's buisness partner, Roger Brown. At the time I didn't think to ask Don about Roger Brown. The names of the backing singers on 'Mr Blue' were given to me by Cody Black.

Soul Source music video feature announcement The below soul music video has just been added to our in house soul video feature .... Name: Detroit Files: Cody Black interview Category: Video Bites Date Added: 16/08/23 Submitter: Mike Video Description: Detroit Files: Cody Black interview Recording in his hometown of Cincinnati with a group in the mid fifties started a love affair with the music business and a solo career soon followed, one which took him inevitably to Detroit, where he hooked up with Mike Hanks at D-Town. Tap below to watch the video right now... PLAY VIDEO: Detroit Files: Cody Black interview Soul Source Soul Music Video Feature

Soul Source music video feature announcement The below soul music video has just been added to our in house soul video feature .... Name: Detroit Files: Emanuel Laskey interview Category: Video Bites Date Added: 09/08/23 Submitter: Mike Video Description: Detroit Files: Emanuel Laskey interview Tap below to watch the video right now... PLAY VIDEO: Detroit Files: Emanuel Laskey interview Soul Source Soul Music Video Feature

Soul Source music video feature announcement The below soul music video has just been added to our in house soul video feature .... Name: Detroit Files: The Debonaires - Interviews Category: Video Bites Date Added: 04/08/23 Submitter: G F Video Description: Detroit Files: The Debonaires - interviews with Elsie Baker & Diane Hogans This edition of The Detroit Files hears from two members of The Debonaires - a group that recorded for Golden World and then Solid Hit, where they worked with the likes of Don Davis, Al Hamilton, Mike Terry and George Clinton. Originally posted in the forums in 2021 by Graham https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/423333-the-debonaires-interviews-with-elsie-diane/ Tap below to watch the video right now... PLAY VIDEO: Detroit Files: The Debonaires - Interviews Soul Source Soul Music Video Feature

Is the Buddy Lamp disc at 22 a typo? I also thought the Jimmy Delphs' 45 (Almost) was released in May 1968... nearly a year later. Unless this was a demo and the disc got shelved. Anyone here know/comment?

A couple of books that may be of interest...

Here are some more that I found on eBay...

A Philly chart from station WHAT dated 1967. It's one of many I sold years ago on eBay - hence the piece of brown paper. Note that Edward Hamilton is that week's 'pick' : A 1967 chart from WWRL... And a 1966 from Baltimore station WWIN

Matt Lucas and the Jackie & The Tonettes get mentioned on this WGPR chart (Detroit) dated Jan. 1966....