Robbk

We know for a fact that that vocal is NOT LaBrenda Ben. The latter has a much deeper voice, with a very different tonal quality. I, myself, may be the erroneous source of the rumour that that artist is LaBrenda Ben. We taped that off a Jobete Music acetate in the late 1970s, for potential use in the "From The Vaults" album series. It was never used. We never found out who it was. I had played that cut for several collectors I had known (including our own "Modern Soul Sucks"). I remember saying (in jest) to one of them, "Maybe it's LaBrenda Ben?", knowing, full well, that it couldn't possibly be her. I had no incling that anyone might take that comment seriously. Whoever it was probably forgot the context of that conversation, and connected that name with the cut. Rod, I guess you can vouch for my "sense of humour" being so deadpan, that no one could possibly tell when i'm kidding! The artist may have just been a demo singer, with The Andantes behind, or an unknown group trying out on a Jobete song, but who were never signed, or maybe an early Velvelettes' cut (but certainly not Cal on lead, or one of their more recognisable voices).

I had also forgotten that The Impacs were on the flip.

I know that Sam Motley was a producer on Raldo Records. He was often the one who financed records he produced. So, I am thinking that maybe Motley co-owned Raldo Records, with a Michigander businessman named Raldo. There were a few families in The Detroit area with the Italian surname, Raldo, from the 1920s through 1960s. I didn't see any connection between names on the two Raldo records I've seen and any of the Hi-lite related labels.

I've only seen the Gwen Owens release on 105. I've never heard of The Impacs on 105. Perhaps they were her uncredited back-up group on her 2 cuts. The Impacs certainly have a connection to Gwen owns, as they both worked for some of the same producers. I've never seen 102. The scientific use of the acronym R.E.M., stands for "Rapid Eye Movement", which is tested when people are asleep, related to dreaming. I suspect that this record label's REM stands for three people involved with the label. The "M" might stand for Meehan. But I haven't the foggiest idea what "R" and "E" might represent. I'm not with my records now, and so, cannot check Raldo's label credits and music publisher to see if there's any connection to Hi-Lite/Rem/Pillar. But, I believe that I remember NOT filing Raldo next to the Hi-Lite labels. So, I'd guess, in absence of any evidence, that they were not related. What is your reason for considering a possible relationship between those labels? Have you seen evidence of a possible connection?

As far as I can tell, there is absolutely NO difference between the two recordings. They just changed the title (for some unknown reason). Perhaps, they didn't want to lose any sales from the Correc-Tone issue (that they were still hoping would sell some)?

As far as I know, Jerry Butler and Eddie Thomas operated Conlo Records and Conlo Productions out of Philadelphia, when Butler was residing morew on The East Coast than in Chicago, during his time just before switching to Mercury Records, and then through much of his Mercury period. The Conlo artists were ALL from Philly (none from Chicago), and the recordings were all made in Philadelphia, from what I remember. The Conlo label even has a picture of a clock tower of a building located in Philadelphia. The Shells group on Conlo was an East-Coast group. I never heard of, nor saw evidence of any Shells group in Chicago.

With only these choices, I had to go with HDH. Had I my own choice, I'd have chosen Stevenson-Hunter. Curtis Mayfield was great, but he only got label credit as producer for his Curtom/Mayfield and later work. Most of what I like of his was his ABC work, where he was at least as important in his sessions as the listed "producer" Eddie Thomas (and arranger Johnny Pate). Van McCoy would be up near the top, as well.

Also Zodiac/Aquarius/Boo, and Jo Armstead labels, and Maxine Brown on Epic, and......

Ashford & Simpson and Bachrach-David had the best songs of the bunch. But Ashford & Simpson's artists were a little more soulful, on average.

I would have picked Stevenson and Hunter, rather than HDH. Where was Dean-Weatherspoon, Gordon-Wilson, Pipkin-Gordon-Pipkin, Holland-Bateman-Gorman, Cosby-Moy-Wonder, Bateman-Sanders-Wylie, Brown-Hunter, Goffin-King, Ashford-Simpson, Ashford-Simpson-Armstead, Ashford-Terry, Bachrach-David, Leiber-Stoller, Mann-Weil, Cleveland-Crier, Davis-gordon-Wilson, Whitfield-Strong, Strong-Davis, Strong-Carter, Gordy-Davis-Gordy. Caston-Webber,Davis-Taylor, Creed-Bell, Higgins-West, Fuqua-Bristol, etc.?

In general. I'd always choose Detroit. But the cuts on the podcast make it very close. I'd call it about even. But, I prefer Detroit for sheer number of great cuts. I'd always pick Chicago over L.A. or philly or NY. Chicago is only very slightly behind Detroit, and a lot closer to Detroit than those other 3 cities are to Chicago's level.

Sounds like about 1966. It might well be a pre-Motown Tom Baird production. There must be someone from Vancouver who knows about his pre-Motown career. I know he was producing records. I didn't know they were as typically Soul-style as this. Maybe it's known with which groups he worked.

Of Course! How could I have forgotten that Frank Brown, Joe Hunter and Mike Terry were involved in that recording, and that the red pressing had "Detroit michigan"written on the label? It's only that the yellow pressing DOESN'T have "Detroit"on the label, and also looks very similar in design to the Philly label's font and layout, and also the incredible coincidence that both labels (Philly label's 2nd run only) started from 500. But, anyone knowing the time periods of both labels would know that they couldn't have run concurrently. The Philly label's #503 was issued several years before The Celebrities' Detroit release. Another item of interest is that there appears to be only a thin connection of The Celebreties' Detroit Boss Records with the Pied Piper Detroit Boss, in that both labels used Joe Hunter and Mike Terry in their recordings. But, Frank Brown seems to be the money man/executive production man in The Celebrities', and The Pied Piper people were clearly the source of the later Boss issues. Perhaps Joe Hunter and Mike Terry are links from one label to another, but I'd like to know why these two, seemingly little-related labels had the same name only 1-2 years apart.

I wonder why several of them ended up with lousy sound quality. I would be very surprised to find out they had more than one press run. The record got NO airplay whatsoever locally on KGFJ, and no airplay on Bay Area's KGFJ, and also no airplay on WVON in Chicago. So, I doubt that it got aany airplay anywhere-(and therefore-no sales). I found it in a bargain bin at L.A. South Central's Pat's Records (probably only a couple months after it first reached record shops). With no sales, I doubt that they would have pressed it again. On the other hand, if there were a pressing accident first, I suppose they would have another run to produce saleable records. Could a cutting accident happen in the middle of a run (perhaps a miniscual change in the cutting angle?).

Isn't it interesting that Dennis Edwards was lead singer in a group that made a record on a Philadelphia label named Boss, and yet he was a Detroit artist, and there was later an unrelated Detroit label named Boss? Was he originally from Philadelphia?

I had the first one found. It was pristine mint and sounded fine on its first play.

Yes, George McGregor had an unique style. He and Melvin Davis were the OTHER main Detroit drummers on Soul sessions other than Pistol Allen, Benny Benjamin and Uriel Jones. They were independent session players who bounced around recording for almost all the non-Motown producers. He was quite a good songwriter as well.

That's absolutely what I was thinking. I'd bet he was in a group on Fortune Records.

I can't find anything on him. There should be a Detroit singer from that time period named Sam(my) Jackson or Johnson, or James, or Jones, or Jefferson or Jenkins. But nothing rings a bell in my memory for any of the Detroit labels (including Fortune and Hi-Q, and Robert West's labels, and Johnnie Mae Matthews' labels). It certainly would be interesting to know who he was. I'd bet we Detroit collectors have him on other releases.

I agree with this. That looks like a good Canadian issue to me. I've seen many London-distributed issues with that font style, and similar label design. Can't say that I can think of a similar situation of a change of lease/distribution rights during a records first run in Canada. But there were many instances of that in USA. I bet on it being legit.

I've never seen a store stocker of either the Marva Josie OR the Laura Johnson. I'd bet neither were ever in shops. Interesting that the 3rd Correc-Tone production leased to Brent/Time, The Donays, got to (red) store stock. But that's because it charted regionally and had decent sales. Interesting that both Bateman's productions flopped, and Popcorn Wylie's was a minor hit.

My original has Delta # 56960 and 56960-X, from Monarch's original press run in 1964.

Here is a You-Tube comment by the sister of one of The Summits (Melanie Lockhart), after she found out that the backing track was used for The Intensions' record" "Hi. I'm Mauriuz's sister, Melanie. My father just told me about the recording by the Intentions after another member of the Summits arrived back from Las Vegas. Boy was he angry! He came to find out, while out there, that Redmon had used the backing from this song. My father went on to say that THe Intentions used the track of the song, while the Summits recorded this very song, with the band. This goes to show what happens when studios have ownership of music. So..no we have NO relation to 'em."

I concur. The font definitely looks like a '70s font. That font just didn't exist in Detroit pressing plants in the early 1960s. My guess is that it's a '70s boot, or, possibly (but a lot less likely), a legitimate re-issue, with some participation by the original rights holder.

I've read several times (and from some sources from that time-including Ron Murphy)-that The Taylor Tones were Sherri Taylor and her mother. I DO agree that the C & T record was her first (about 1959 (before Motown). The label format and style is similar to those used for Robert West's labels in 1958-59 (and was never used again). The sound is older, as well. Furthermore, i think I got my own copy before 1962.