Robbk

I think it's also interesting that Alphonso Higdon went to prison accused of Numbers running (just for a matter of months). And Syng McGowan went to prison for 2 years (1964-66), (and recorded while incarcerated there).

Here are scans of the two Roleaks sides:

Hope Records was a Baltimore label. The Roleaks' record was Hope 556 ("Keep On Loving You (Just Loving You)" and 557 ("As Long As You Love Me"). Alphonso Higdon was the A&R man, and probably arranged and ran the recording session along with producers Belle Flowers and someone named Howard. The music publishers were Three-Letter and Belsyng Music (presumably representing rights of Howard (3-Letter) and Belle Flowers and Syng McGowan (BelSyng). Given that, the owners may have been Howard, Flowers and McGowan. I have no idea who the members of The Roleaks were, other than Barbara J. Vanlandingham, their lead singer. But I'd guess that they were all from Baltimore, as she was. She had started out in singing with her family's Gospel group. The pressing numbers show that the record was pressed in early 1966. That girls group sung this fast-tempoed Nothern Soul favourite-that can be heard on You-Tube -here: Here is a discography of Hope Records that I've pieced together from several sources: 1846A/B Syng McGowan - Not Sympathy / How Will I Know 2052A/B Syng McGowan - Loneliness Is A Pleasure / Dear Santa 550/551 Syng McGowan - That's What I Want / Peggy Did 552/553 Syng McGowan - Loneliness Is A Pleasure / Just In The Nick Of Time 554/555 Del Thompson - The Love Waiting For Me / First And True Love 556/557 The Roleaks - Keep On Loving You / As long As You Love Me 558/559 Billy Joy - One Twenty One / When You Cry I believe that Hope Records operated from 1965-1966 (possibly slightly into 1967?). Does anyone know a producer from Baltimore/Washington D.C. Area named Howard? Does anyone know who the other (non-lead) members of The Roleaks were? Was Belle Flowers related to Phil Flowers? Wasn't he from the Baltimore/D.C. Area? Does anyone know who the owner/owners were? Does Syng McGowan bear any relation to Sam McGowan, who recorded for Smash in 1967-68?

I have confirmed (without a doubt) that Lark Records was a Detroit label that was connected under the umbrella of Detroit's Sound, Inc. Production company. Brothers, Danny and Larry Lick (Pavelik), and their cousin, country/rockabilly singer, Johnny Powers (Pavelik), (all Detroiters) owned it. Ernest Kelly may have been involved at some time). It was located Northeast of Detroit. Sound Incorporated had more than 20 labels affiliated to it, including: Sound, Universal Sound. Sound City, Velgo, Lark, Thump, Sidra, W.I.G., Amon, Poo Pan, Drifter, Walker, Cupid, Keepsake, Lusty, Monee, Radio, Oceanside, Fink and Trash Records. It had it's own rcording studio and pressing plant. Here is a link to a thread we had on Soulful Detroit Forum some years ago, in which the owners Detroit's Pavelik Brothers, including Johnny Powers, and their headquarters' address (in the Greater Detroit Area), and listing all the labels involved: https://faac.us/adf/m...html?1237305322 The SI pressing number series is the same as all the other Sound, Inc. -related labels use (as I stated above), they had their own pressing plant.

I really like his early '50s Blues recordings with Modern, his early Duke recordings, and his later Duke recordings from the mid -late '60s. I haven't heard most of his recordings made after ABC bought out Duke. But he certainly was intense on his Blues recordings and his early Duke recordings. "Call On Me" is my favourite of his "Soul" songs. It sounds like an early '60s Detroit-recorded song (although it was not written by Detroiters, nor recrecorded in Detroit. Which is ironic, because Robey later had a production agreement with Detroit's Joe Hunter, in which Hunter's Detroit crew wrote songs, and recorded Detroit artists AND Duke artists (including Bland, himself) both in Detroit and Houston, for release on Duke, (Peacock?), BackBeat and Sure Shot Record labels.

Did Evans own or co-own any labels other than Spar?

I'd bet that A LOT more DJs (all over USA) were at least co-owners or had minority interests in record labels. So, who were some of those Philly DJs that were co-owners (we've only got Jimmy Bishop so far)? What about all those New York, Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Miami, Atlanta. New Orleans, Denver, Houston (Besides Huey Meaux), Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Minneapolis/St. Paul.....etc.. etc.?

Doesn't anyone else have some other DJs to list that were record company owners and co-owners. As you can see, I only know Chicago and L.A., having lived only in those 2 cities in USA. My having lived many years in Winnipeg and Den Haag will not help this thread. Doesn't anyone know East Coast DJs from the '60s?

Yes, that Xyland Bill Hawkins song was the only one on Velgo. Was Bill Carnes Preston's brother?

I'll send you the Parkway, Dave-if you still need it. Robb

Cleveland is a regular stop for local distribution out of Detroit. It's more likely that it was a Detroit record with connections to Cleveland than the other way round. As I stated above, Jesse Greer was Detroit based, and Vivian jones recorded for Harry Balk's Detroit-based Twirl Records. Sound, Inc. also used Wilhurte and Xyland Music (Velgo), and Devotion Music (Sound City). In addition, the pressing plant code numbers look like they were from American Pressing Plant in Detroit (as the Velgo records used.

I've read that after investigations, Dick Clark was found to have had % minority interests in all those record companies. I can't vouch for the accuracy of that statement. But, I did read that.

I'd like to hear at least snippits of both sides if it is possible (without joining a pay service to do so). Can anyone help?

I assume that's a Detroit recording. Sound, Inc. was a Detroit production company, who owned Velgo and Sound City Records. And Jesse Greer was a Detroit songwriter (with HOB/Spartan/Soul Records, etc.) I know she once recorded for Harry Balk's Twirl Records.

I didn't mean to pretend you didn't list any, just so I could list more. I merely re-wrote your entries to add the labels they owned or co-owned.

Here are some others: Al Benson (Parrot/Blue Lake) (Glow Star/Crash/MICA), Herman Griffith(Joker), Richard Pegue(Penny/Nickel), Richard Stamz (Fox/Foxy/Sign/Dawn), Vivian Carter (VJ), Art Laboe (Original Sound), Hunter Hancock (Swingin'), John Richbourg (Rich/Sound Stage 7), Dick Clark (Swan/Cameo/Parkway/Jamie/Guyden/Chancellor/Hunt), Alan Freed(Champagne), Dick "Huggy Boy" Hugg (Caddy), Magnificent Montague (Black Swan/Miko), Johnny Otis (Dig/Eldo), Jimmy Bishop (Arctic/Dionne/Frantic), Bill Moss (Bilesse/Capsoul), LeBaron Taylor (Revilot/Solid Hit), Al Perkins (Mier), Don McLeod (Maltese), Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg (Wheelsville USA/Premium Stuff), Ollie McLaughlin (Karen/Carla/Moira/Ruth/Omack), Kae Williams (Junior/V-Tone), E. Rodney Jones (Twinight), Ted Jarrett was a DJ in Nashville in the early '50s. He later started Ref-O-Ree Records. There are hundreds more. These are just a few that I remember at this moment off the top of my head.

It's not so rare because it got some local radio play, and it had commercial pressings of decent size (for local and regional sales). The Fascinators probably had a smaller press run. Same for Flash McKinley.

McDougall was Motown's rep in philly for many years. Kim Fowley (of all people!) was their sales rep in L.A. during 1959-62.

Yes. I left a LOT of great records unbought because I couldn't afford to pay more nickles, dimes, quarters and half-Dollars for more records. I'd be a multi-millionnaire in Pounds Stirling, Euros and Dollars many times over, if I had just added one hundredth of the $1 records I passed up.

I suspect that they were a local Detroit group. I never heard anything about their names, or if they appeared in any of the Detroit venues back in the mid '60s.

Yes. and he recorded a great song for Marvello Records in 1964, "Who Told You (I Love You)" -found on a studio acetate. I like that even more than "I'll Rescue You". I've never seen the Flute release, but I may have heard it on You Tube. But, it isn't there now. Can anyone upload an MP3 of it? hearing mid '60s (sweet-sounding) Chicago Soul I've never heard is a rare treat for me.

I listened to it, and it doesn't sound like Detroit to me. I don't hear any of the recognisable session players. Don't get me wrong, I admit I don't know almost ANYTHING about '70s music. But, with a New York publisher, an artist not known to be a Detroit artist (or IS he?), a label not known to be a Detroit label (or IS it?),and a sound that doesn't sound "Detroitish" (at least to me), I'm a little skeptical. So, Bob, is there information you haven't written on this thread that helps you make the decision that there's a decent possibility that the record was recorded in Detroit? I always thought that Ronnie West was an East Coaster. And that might jibe with the New York publishing company. Did you see the Goins Records label listed somewhere as Detroit? I'm not trying to play the devil's advocate here. I'm just trying to learn.

I guess that "I'll Rescue You" was a dead rare record. Maybe Bombay didn't have a distributor, and Bob Catron just drove around in his car, delivering them to record shops in Chicagoland? Ha! Ha! he probably drove past me on the street, and I didn't know he had all those nice Flash McKinley and Fascinators' records in his trunk! Bah! Humbug!

Man, - that cut, "I'll Rescue You" is right up my alley. Too bad it wasn't released as a Bombay single. I'd have picked it up in 1964 or 1965 at United Record Distributors. Bombay produced some nice music. It's a shame that none of it sold much.