Robbk

D. Peoples' songs are certainly listed on Richard Parker's BMI list. I second that Parker lived in Chicago. He may have come to L.A. in 1965 because VJ started a 2nd office there, run by Randy Wood, and started producing there. He went there to help with production (Fred Hughes). He must have worked on those projects with Modern Records and Melic records ("Stop The Music" by Johnny Wesley) as a free lancer.

So, it appears that Parker didn't sell half the rights to Brooks for that release. Well, VJ wasn't around to sue in 1968. Who owned Conrad Music at that time? VJ International?-who were leasing out their recordings to oldies labels?

Pop music can't be what's popular at the time, as that keeps changing. Pop music is bland music from all eras, that is produced to try to reach the widest audience, so is "watered down" to be "palatable" to as many people from all walks of life, as possible. Pat Boone singing "Tutti Frutti" is pop. little Richard singing it is not, regardless of how many millions of sales it got.

Yes. I wonder who D. Brooks was. Surely not pop singer Donny Brooks. Barrett Strong co-wrote "I Should Have Treated You Right". I wonder if Cal Carter and Richard Parker, and Barrett Strong were all at the session along with Bunky? I never asked him, as while he had the office suites next to us (Airwave Records) for 5 years, I didn't know that he was the producer. I read that later, after I left the Record business.

On my record he's shown as the only writer. Did Barbara co-write it? I've read that Bunky Sheppard was the producer, and the session run at Universal. I would have guessed that Richard Parker was involved in the recording session. i know he also wrote "A Lover's Plea" and Our Love Is No Secret Now".

Yes, I just meant that they didn't buy houses or rent apartments there (in other words, uproot themselves from Chicago) like The Parliaments left New York to live in apartments in Detroit. Now I remember that Larry wrote several of the songs, but Don always talked him up so much as the "leader" of the group that I confused that. I guess he meant "creative leader (e.g. songwriter).

Not my cup o' tea, especially with that organ in there. I've never seen a stock copy. I'd bet it only ever got pressed as white DJ.

People get the two separate, completely unrelated groups mixed up because George Motola's L.A. group were from L.A, and The Chicago Vows/Major's/Majors/Major IV ended up recording last, for an L.A. label (Venture Records). But, the 2 groups had no connection. The L.A. Vows were formed by James Moore, and also had Ralph Chestnut (Morris Chestnut's cousin) in the group, as well as Helen Simpson (who led on "I Wanna Chance") and later married Moore, and, I believe that her brother (also named Simpson) was in the group at one time, as was Morris Chestnut, and they had a few more members at other times (from L.A.). We had a complete list on a Soulful Detroit thread, but I can't find it now. The Chicago group was led by Larry Montgomery, and also included Burl(Berl) Bynum , Lawrence Bibbs and Joe "Fuzzy" Buckner. They had a couple later members, Kirk Davis, and a guy named Lester. We had a few threads on Soulful Detroit (which I can't now find). Larry's nephew (adopted son) is a good friend of mine. He knew all the group members. They recorded for Ran-Dee Records, and Leo Austell's and Bob Lee's Sta-Set Records as The Vows, Bob Lee's Big 3 Records as The Major's, and Mickey Stevenson's Venture Records as The Majors and The Major IV. They never lived in L.A., but only recorded there for Venture. Ruth Moore was their manager. Bob A has a great interview with Vows/Major's members. They also sang backgrounds on several Chicago and a few Detroit recording sessions of famous artists.

I've never seen the Weston Prim, even on white DJ. I wonder if it was ever pressed at all?

The Sta-Set and Big 3 group is a Chicago group who were also known as The Major's, and who later became The Majors and Major IV on Mickey Stevenson's Venture Records. Richard Parker worked in Chicago with Mercury/Philips and VJ, worked in Detroit with Ric Tic (Golden World), and (I guess) worked in L.A. at least. for VJ.

Was that Jimmy Norman the same one who worked out of L.A. during the 1960s with H.B. Barnum? The time periods would have coincided.

I think I've seen the white DJ of this before. But it must be dead rare. It, doesn't show up on any Brent discography I've seen. What is the catalogue number?

Ady- would you like me to send you 300 dpi scans?

I have the stock issue of the Ronnie White. It's the only one I've ever seen, despite having seen many white DJ copies. Here are the scans:

Finfer was a partner in Jamie/Guyden records, as well.

Your theory sounds plausible. The dates listed for Gina's run were 1963 -1964. So both the Arlen and Gina pressings could have been done in early 1964. But why would the Gina issue be stated as having been out in 1963? Someone reporting the release dates of the Arlen or the Gina release is wrong. From my memory, the sound of the song and recording, and the style of the labels, etc. I'd be more inclined to believe that BOTH were pressed up and first issued in late 1963, and the sales run may have trickled into early 1964. I have no prejudice towards which was issued first. The fact that Arlen's numbering system was used for the Gina release makes it appear that Arlen was first. But do we know what numbering system was used on the other Gina releases?

Those shown above are two legitimate original issues. The one on the right looks to be a styrene pressing from Monarch Pressing Plant in L.A., while that on the left looks like from Columbia New York.

Not bad at all. Well, I still think Phelectron is one of the rarest Soul labels as all 3 releases have only a handful or less of known copies.

I have both the Gina and the Arlen records. The Gina pressing has "45 LH-3" on the I'm Gonna put the hurt On You" side, and "45 LH-4" on "Gotta keep On Walking", same as exists on the Arlen sides. The only other markings are the Sheldon stamp. So, I guess mine was a Chicago pressing. My Arlen record has exactly the same exact markings, "45 LH-3" and "45 LH-4" and the Sheldon stamp. I had always heard that the Gina was first. So, it seems that Finfer had it released on his own label, first in mid or late 1963, and then he had his and Dick Clark's Arlen label re-issue it in early 1964. I had thought that Finfer's Jamie/Guyden distributed the Gina record, but didn't know who distributed Arlen. Both had pretty good distribution around USA. Although, I think the Gina record didn't get out to The West Coast or Mountain West, whereas Arlen (at least the tams records) did get to The West Coast. I don't, however, remember ever seeing Little Herman in L.A. or The SF Bay Area, or remember seeing a West Coast Arlen pressing of it.

My copying the link doesn't produce a live link to place here. But here are segments of the tables on Soulfulkindamusic's "Label Information" page: Gina - Philadelphia - 1963-1964 - Harry Finfer - Schubert Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania There is no entry for Arlen Records. But, if you Google "Arlen Records - Philadelphia, you'll find out that it operated from 1962 to 1963 and it was owned by Harry Finfer and Dick Clark (who was part owner of a boatload of Philadelphia labels -probably just from offering to play their records on his show ). Finfer was co-owner of Jamie/Guyden Records, as well as the record distributorship that owned them. He was also owner of several other Philadelphia labels.

I have read that Mr. Campbell has a son and a daughter living in London, Ontario, and his other daughter is living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

I, too, have always read and heard that the Gina release was first. But Arlen Records was around from 1962 through 1963, and Gina operated later , starting in late 1963, and going into 1964. I think that the Gina pressing was a re-release by the same label owner (Harry Finfer) on his own later label, of a production which had previously come out on Arlen, which he had co-owned. Gina ran from 1963 through part of 1964 (and was owned by Harry Finfer-according to "Soulful Kinda Music's website's list of Soul Music labels). I know that Harry Finfer was, co-owner owner of Arlen Records, along with Dick Clark. Gina may have been completely owned by Finfer. Finfer was probably the executive producer of both records, but he was a businessman. I'm not positive who actually produced the recordings (e.g. ran the recording sessions), but Ray Rush is listed for A & R, so, I assume that he was the de facto producer running the recording session.

Both red stock and white DJ of the legitimate original issues are rare. But I think that the white DJ is the more common of those two. I'd seen many of the WDJ in my record searching and looking at people's collections, and only seen one real red stock copy. Mind you, that was all before 1980. I don't know if any boxes were found after that. or any were obtained from Harry Balk.

Yes, 1965. And, this recording sounds very like late 1965.