Robbk

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.

You are correct. I wonder why Universal.Motown hasn't tried to make some money off that property? Maybe Ace/Kent can make a limited collectors' issue (like their other Motown issues?

Isn't the sound quality on the Golden World/Ric Tic CDs poor, as they weren't made from the masters?

It doesn't sound like Shirley Alston or The Shirelles. If it's The Crystals, I don't recognise the lead singer's voice as one I know.

It sounds nothing like what I recognise from Detroit, and not really like L.A. as far as the instrumentation and recording studio acoustics. It sounds like New York to me. The group doesn't sound like The Apollas to me. Maybe it's a demo that Ashford and Simpson used to shop it, or to guide the chosen artist? It doesn't sound like Candy of Candy & The Kisses. It doesn't sound like a finished product. I'd vote for a demo cut. What female studio demo singers or group did Ashford & Simpson use?

It was also release on another (related) small NY indie label, Bliss Records, with the same 1001 catalog number.

he led Lee and The leopards on both sides of a release on Fortune Records, as well. He also wrote a fair amount of songs.

No. It was the first MOTOWN record. Tamla 101, "Come To Me" by Marv Johnson was the first Tamla record. Wade Jones on RayBer 1001, was recorded first, but was released a few weeks later. G1 was the cut number. "Bad Girl" by The Miracles was record number TLX-2207, which appeared on one pressing of it. While only the cut numbers, G1 and G2 appeared on the other pressing. Both pressings are very rare.

Yes. That is absolutely true. As far as we know, they had only the 2 releases. So, I guess we could call Phelectron a TWO-off.

I know that for you Brits, "rare" is what has survived to this day, not what existed during the years of the records' releases and the few years later. But, it's hard for me to think of records as rare, when I saw many of them back in the day.

I would say that Phelectron was the rarest. Or did they find a box of each, in later years. In all the looking I did from 1966 to 1980 (through millions of 45s, I only saw the one of each that I bought. I know that a few were found in later years, but were enough found that it isn't thought of as super rare anymore? I'm sure almost none (if any) were sold in record shops in 1966. On the other hand, I've seen at least 30 Radio City records (many of them the same record) in various locations.

Calvin Williams was on the label as well. If I remember correctly, there were a couple more artists on that label. LaBeat certainly isn't a rare label. I've seen hundreds of Masqueraders, James Shorter and Nelson Sanders, and several Al Williams. I'll admit that the Lester Tipton is rare (but that doesn't make it a rare label. I wouldn't even say that Northern Del-La is a "rare label". I would say that a "rare label" (in terms of '60s-'70s Soul) is one that people who have looked through at least 100,000 45s or LPs during 1960-today, in cities all over USA have seen only a handful, even though they've been through masses of distributor stock and record store stock and thrift stores (in)/from all geographical areas. Shrine is a rare label because virtually all their non sold or non given-away stock was destroyed. Even given that, I'm sure there are "rarer" labels than Shrine. I found several Shrine records in the mid '60s. So, they did get to some shops and record mass closeouts and thrift stores in some quantity. There are many little local labels that had very small press runs, no sales, and the small stock didn't get given away to very many people, and the handsful that did land in people's hands have been lost over the years. THOSE labels might have only a few copies of each release known now. They'd be rarer than Shrine, overall, because only some of Shrine's many releases are that rare.

Unfortunately, the website only covers US and UK 45s to this point. Stephane has plans to cover LPs when the 45s are finished. But we're only into mid 1965 at this point. So, it will be at least a few years before we get to LPs. However, you could send an e-mail to the administrator, and perhaps he can ask his sources if the UK LP was ever pressed up and sold. I imagine that Harry Weinger and Keith Hughes would have that information. Why don't you contact them directly?

I was around from the late '40s through today. I heard the term used here and there during the '50s, and a fair amount more during the early '60s. I would say that it started being used a lot more in 1964, and started to be used universally in 1965 (which seems to have been corroberated by some posts on this thread. I think that widespread use happened about the same time Funk started to come in, and "Soul" music was a term that could encompass both R&B and Funk.

I bought my flesh-coulered one and the Ciray when they were out. I saw the dark pink very soon after. I suspect that the latter was a second pressing during the original run of the record.

I have one, and I think Bob A. probably has one. It is pretty rare, however. If you mean "who owns the rights to it, I'm not sure. Hootenanny Records was a local, Chicago small indie label. The production was done, and owned by Don Talty. So, I assumed he leased the masters to Hootenanny, and that lease period has expired. I think that Talty is deceased. So, I'm not sure who has those masters now. Curtis Mayfield wrote the songs, and he and Johnny Pate ran the session (as they both did for Talty on Jan Bradley's Formal and Night Owl sessions). But, I don't think that tht master tapes ended up with Mayfield. Surely, Talty got them back from Hootenanny in the mid sixtys. I don't know if he sold them, or who ended up with all his tapes.

I would LOVE to hear THAT one!!! Is there a way we can listen to it?

Another one from Detroit: