Robbk

I didn't know that The Five keys did any recording for any RCA label (or does that album include non-RCA recordings (maybe bought out later by RCA's conglomerate)?).

I had the 1000 series issue at one time, but traded it away, years ago.

Yes, Chicago, Detroit, L.A, SF, Cleveland, Cincinatti, etc. all had R&B bloomings with people who had later success in Soul music.

Here's OUR version:

That looks to me NOT like a "light blue" demo copy, but rather, a black on pure white demo, whose colour looks a bit grayish, caused by the scanning process. My black on white DJ copy looks like that. I've never seen the blue one, and never seen any Chex Record without a stamp, and with "Chex" scratched on. I've seen many Jay-Gee distributed issues on the cream-coloured block lettered Chex. But they all had a stamp (Sheldon?), and also the record number etched on, and no "Chex".

I was around at tha time the record came out, and remember only the white cream-coloured issue with block letters, that was also picked up by Jay-Gee fro national distribution, and the yellow and green "checkerboard" issue. i don't remember seeing the blue issue until the late 1970s or early 1980s. That doesn't mean that it's a boot, but I don't remember Chex using blue on other issues, and would be wary of pressings with no stamps, and only "Chex" scratched on.,

"Landy" was Landy McNeil. Definitely a Philly label. I wonder how The Vontastics got on it. No other relation to Chicago. Definitely not in operation in 1965. Very late 1966 for The Dippers MIGHT be a possibility. But 1967 sounds right.

Valerie & Nick's version blows The Bee Jays' away.

Round Robin was Domain's main artist, and he worked out of L.A.. Not sure whether or not Sepe/Krasnow and Brooks worked out of NY/Brill Building, or L.A. Rust/Laurie being in NY has no bearing on where the labels they distributed were located. On the other hand, a NY local label could have signed L.A. artists. I'm not at all sure that Van mcCoy was involved at all in the Carol Slade recording sessions. She could also have been an L.A. artist, whose producer just wanted her to sing a Van mcCoy penned song. Highland was a local L.A. label, that picked up L.A. local productions for regional (California/Southwestern US) distribution. I'm guessing that Carol Slade was an L.A. artist, and that Domain Records was located in L.A. Carol Hughes was an L.A. artist who also sang a Van McCoy song ("Let's Get Together Again"). It's also curious, that she had the same first name (Carol). It's also interesting that her label (Corby Records) was also similarly distributed by Malynn Enterprises (as were Malynn and Highland). I think I remember that Domain Records was located in Hollywood.

That LP was probably made from taping off of Dave W.'s playing of them at Stafford, or possibly even a "generation" later (from an in-between source). No wonder the quality wasn't so good. That's why some of the boots were even lower quality, as they came off 4th generation tapes (The Vandellas comes to mind).

Yes, Rod, I've forgotten who the dealer was who auctioned off the various acetates. But others had gotten others of the acetates we saw. They were sold out from under Motown by more than one source at more than one time. Soussain probably got some of them, but they probably went to several dealers in several batches.

I'm sure that someone else took a copy of our tape and sped it up. When I heard that "new" version, it sounded like mine sped up a bit. THAT so-called "version", had nothing to do with the other two alternate takes. We heard at least 2 different vocal and instrumental versions in The Vaults, and neither of those 2 were the "Baby Have Mercy On Me" version, shown above.

I think that Sepe-Krasnow and Brooks were the owners or part owners of the Domain label.

I remember the Carol Slade coming out on Domain in very late 1962 or early 1963(the latter being more likely). Domain was nationally distributed by Rust (Laurie). I don't remember seeing a Domino pressing before 1964-65. That must have been The Domain people re-issuing it. They leased in to L.A.'s Highland in late 1963 or early 1964. Highland was distributed by Malynn. The Malynn re-issue was around 1966. So, if you have a Malynn pressing with a Monarch code from 1970, that must be a second Malynn re-issue of the Highland rights.

The Darrell Banks, J.J. Barnes, Roz Ryan all sound like they were recorded at United Sound, in Detroit (but, in 1967-69), The strings on William Bell, Johnny Taylor and other Stax/Volt artists sound like Detroit players (Detroit Symphony Orchestra players used by Motown/Golden World/Solid Hitbound). I'm sure all those Stax singers' vocals were recorded in Memphis. Maybe Don Davis recorded some Detroit artists' vocals in Memphis after 1969 (but, I don't follow '70s music). The Dynamics recorded in Tennessee before the end of the '60s (but that wasn't Don Davis). The Dramatics recorded in Memphis (maybe starting in 1969?-or was that 1970 or 1971?)

No! This was a 3rd different take. Ours had a different vocal, and the instrumental was different as well. I remember hearing 3 different takes on this song, with 3 different instrumental recordings (not just different mixes). Unfortunately, I'm in Denmark now, away from my records and tapes, so I can't play it. But Rod (ModernSoulSucks) should be able to play his original tape, and see which version we chose.

That wasa different acetate. We had a standard 7 inch Jobete Music 45 rpm acetate. This was an alternate take (done, I Believe, a little later than the one we found.

The acetate we had was a Jobete Music ownership reference acetate with no artist listed. It had a cream-coloured label, which only had "Suspicion" written on it in red ink from a typewriter. "Our version", was different from the recording now available on You-Tube. I believe our take was a nicer version (tighter- with better vocal and better instrumental mix.

I don't think that was their biggest seller ("Their greatest hit").

Nope! Bought both white DJ and store stocker of "Sandra" in 10 cent bins, and That Dubs' record in a 3 for a Dollar bin, within one year of their releases.

I seem to remember Rick Gianatos being a member of this forum, and making a few posts here and there, he was one of our main producers and arrangers, and half-owner of Altair Records (which he continued after Tom died and Airwave was over). He could answer a lot of your questions. Maybe he'S STILL LOOKING IN HERE?

Ha! Ha! -And I thought you were a lot younger than I!

It got a LOT of sales in Germany and Belgium, as well. It was our biggest seller, by far. Maybe Mel Carter's "Love Test" was 2nd, with its UK sales. But the only money we ever saw was the original rights lease upfront payment.

Yes, it does bring up a lot of memories. Unfortunately, I can't help with who ran UK Airwave. That happened after I left Airwave in late 1984. We had acontact in London, whom I visited, trying to market Mel Carter's Love Test, Linda Kendrick and a few others in 1983. But we didn't finish a deal. Tom DePierro was already suffering a lot from his cancer by late 1984, so it may have been Terry Brown, who made the deal with the British lessee.

Not if he's from USA.