Robbk

Congratulations Ady! Your Ace/Kent Records has brought a lot of great music to a LOT more people than just the British Northern Soulies. Keep up the good work!

Didn't Clinton also have a release on Arctic Records? I'm sure I have one by him on Arctic.

I think being called a "Rare Soul Collector" wouldn't be an insult - nor misleading nor a misrepresentation. But a "Northern Soul Fan" is mot what I am.

This applies to me, as well. Of course, no Brit would think of me as a Northern Soulie. But other North Americans, especially on the Doo Wop forum I frequent, think that I'm heavily into NS. I'd like to be thought of as a music fan, and, if someone had to divide the music into categories, then I'd like to be thought of as a fan of Jazz, Blues, R&B, Gospel, and Soul music, rather than just any single one. (I also like classical, Oriental, Blue Grass and old-fashioned non-commercial US Country-Folk music, Middle Eastern, and, indeed, most ethnic folk music - but wouldn't likely be pegged as a "fan" (fanatic) of those genres).

It MUST be if it is, indeed, grey in colour. i've seen blue and pink Wheelsville USA, but no grey.

Then it WAS an Argo master. I wonder why it wasn't released by Chess in some form? It must have been arranged by Phil Wright or Riley Hampton (with less possibility (but some) that it was Johnnie Pate (who still was a free-lancer at that time). With Billy Davis producing, and the song not being an old, "standard" song, the writers were very likely from Billy Davis' Chevis Music writing staff (including, Davis, himself, Carl Smith, William McKinley, Leonard Caston, Gerald Sims, Tony Clarke, Raynard Miner, Ty Hunter, and Maurice McAllister, among others).

This song was discussed in the "Modern Soul category. Is this a recording that was made after 1979? Was Ed Townsend the producer? Maybe he was the writer, or co-writer? So, then it WASN'T recorded during Etta's time with Argo/Cadet?

WOW! Right up my alley! Classic Chicago 1964! It could have been a fantastic 1964 Chicago recording. What a well-written song! It's very sweet. It's neither made for the gruff and Bluesy Etta James lead, nor the fairly weak group behind her. And the instrumental is weak, too, where are the drums, percussion? Strings have the right idea, in the main, but go the wrong way in a couple places. The call-response of the lead and coordination with the background group could be better. The background group should be much stronger. The arranger didn't emphasize the nice changes correctly. Too bad. I can hear, in my mind's ear, a fabulous recording. It would have been one of my favourite styles. And if done correctly, would have resulted in one of my all-time favourite recordings. Etta did okay with it. But, it would have been a lot better, if it had been recorded at Universal Sound Studios, (1) produced by Calvin Carter , arranged by Riley Hampton, and sung by Barbara Green backed by The Dells; or, (2), it would also have worked well in 1965, produced by Carl Davis, arranged by Sonny Sanders, and sung by Mary Wells, backed by Billy Butler and The Chanters. Or (3), I'd even have settled for Leo Austell producing, Burgess Gardner arranging and Betty Everett on lead, with The Daylighters backing her up! Who wrote that terrific song, and what company originally published it?

That just corroborates what I stated above. Which is that 1845 was first on the black label.

I've NEVER seen that blue issue. I've NEVER seen ANY of that blue vertical logo design on any Chess record after 1830. I'm guessing that's a special reprint. It looks real enough. But, in 1963 I lived in Chicago. the original release was on the black issue, and, later, still during its initial sales run, the yellow and orange. I traveled across USA and Canada for 3 months that year, looking at hundreds of thousands of 45s. I never saw it. If that were used in a press run in a plant that had an old overstock of the previous label style, why did I never see it in ALL these 52 years since? There must have been precious few pressed. Some kind of special commemorative issue? A boot? It looks legit, however. But. I CAN'T bring myself to believe it is from 1963.

Nice story. Sorry to hear that the reason his 2nd record is so rare is because he died so young of cancer, and was fighting it off from age 6. That's very tragic. Nice to know that he was relatively happy, and seems to have enjoyed the time he did have, and seemed to make the most of it. I will have a different attitude towards listening to his songs. I've had his first record since it was out in 1965. Now I'm not surprised that I never got his second (although I DID see it 4 or 5 times in other's collections. Maybe I passed up buying it at least once, because it cost too much (over $2).

It was the one on Checker, and, if I remember correctly, also, the one on Check-Mate. So, when I was 16, I thought his name was "Kendricks", and in early 1964, I thought it was "Kindrick". And a couple months later, I thought it might possibly be "Kendrick". I wondered why this guy couldn't get his name straight, but could sing the lyrics in his songs, just fine. [url=https://s77.photobucket.com/user/Robb_K/media/WKendricks2_zps0cbdf5ad.png.html][/url I've heard that his real name was Kendrick. But I've also heard that it was Kendricks. You know Americans, it doesn't matter all that much, what one's real name is, as long as it's close. McDaniel or McDaniels, what's the difference? Lose or loose, who cares? Didn't Eddie Kendricks have his name spelt "Kendrick" on one Motown record? The printer's favourite between Kendrick and Kendricks won out over personal rights to be known by one's legal name.

But his name WAS spelt "Kendricks" on one of his releases. That's a common error in ALL English-speaking countries, adding or dropping the "S" at the end of the name. There are lots of Kendrick and Kendricks, McDaniel and McDaniels, Daniel and Daniels. What did that suffix "-S" mean, added to the end of a name? Is it a Keltic usage?

There's also this variation of Willie Kendrick's Golden World #1:

I'll second that. Ron Murphy bought out the warehouse stock at the beginning of the 1970s, and there were no company sleeves. None of us old-timers who visited the company and were around throughout its existence ever saw or heard of any company sleeves.

You are missing #108 (Golden World) - Joyce Webb - "It's Easier Said Than Done"/"Laughing To Keep From Crying". The "A" side is a VERY nice mid tempo, written by Ron Miller. Arranged by Bert Keys. It's one of the best of the 1962-63 old series.

Absolutely! I'm sure that Soma didn't have any Black artists. The song's style is only marginally "Soul" in any case.

"Never Alone" as recorded by The Holidays. But a different take?

All this is semi-educated speculation, mind you. Finding out the truth from a reliable, and well-documented source is always preferable. But, sometimes, alas, that possibility is gone. In this case, that may or may not be true. I would like to hear the true answer from an authoritative source, just as you.

Upon reflecting again, it seems to me that I remember seeing the black Watts issues in the mid '60s, and not seeing the yellows until later. The font on the black issues looks like a font from the earlier mid-60s, while both the fonts on the yellows look later (one late '60s, one early '70s). Perhaps the blacks were original pre-Magnum, and the yellows were re-issues on Millsap's own label? Many times Small owner labels issued a record originally, before it's national lease. and then several times after the lease run, as did Fee Bee on The Dell-Vikings' "Come Go With Me", and again with "Whispering Bells". Both BLACK Watts 901 and 1080 look older than all the fonts on the yellow issues. I resided in LA late 1965 - early 1972. and then part-time after. To me, the small, block font on the yellow Watts releases is the same as used by Modern and Kent from 1967-69. while the larger, thinner font on the yellow BGs, is from the early to early mid '70s.

Magnum leased many masters, and was a much bigger label. with multi-regional distribution. Watts was a tiny L.A. label. I believe that Mercedes music was owned by Hunter Hancock, and that he was one of the owners of Magnum. Lo-Mill was likely a partnership of producer, Yancety Millsap. It looks more likely to me that Millsap was co-owner of Watts Records, and for Magnum to pick up The Uptones' "Wear My Ring" for national distribution, Millsap and his partner had to give up the publishing rights to Hancock. It seems, thus, that the Watts record was released first.

I know that Ellis Taylor lived in Kansas City, and that's where Marva Whitney came from, and returned to, after quitting James Brown's entourage. But, The Rayons, and The Four Darlings were clearly recorded in Chicago, and seem to be Chicago pressings. Did Ellis Taylor do all his recording in Chicago, or just some of the earliest releases? Should we consider Forté a Kansas City or a Chicago label? Or is it a hybrid like Success (Des Moines/Chicago) and Twirl (Detroit.New York)?

What labels were each on?

Prowlin'/Prowling, Progress, Moving and kick Off Records all seemed to share some relationship and also a connection with Zeke Strong. He had a band/Orchestra and was arranger on many of the sessions. perhaps he was the A&R man for most or all those labels?

Why not call it Chicago '60s Small label font? Why demo? It was used on store stock, too.