Robbk

I've been collecting R&B since 1953, and I lived in Chicago, back in the day. Like you, that voice seems familiar to me. From your list, it seems clear that Boulevard Studios was just a second-option studio for indie labels in Chicago, VJ and United/States used Universal and other studios for the majority of their recordings. First, I can't positively identify the singer by voice, or the sax player by style. Secondly, I don't remember hearing the songs or seeing a record with those 2 titles back-to-back. I have virtually complete discographies for those 3 labels, and Mr. Jolly Man/Do It were NOT released on United, States or VJ Records. I will proceed to peruse the discographies of Chance/Sabre, Parrott/Blue Lake, Theron, Cobra, JOB, Chess/Checker, Drexel, Club 51, etc.

That record has a very "poppy" Caucasian girls group sound, although the arrangement by Mike Theodore is very nice, and the sax reminds me of Mike Terry's playing style (it might well be him). The other musicians sound like the good Detroit crews that I'm used to hearing from 1963-64. It's not Soulish at all, hoowever. I don't think most "Soulies" would like it. As far as other records on the label, I remember having seen another one. But I believe that was "White Pop" as well. I don't remember hearing about any Soul releases on this label. Maybe you are confusing it with Detroit's Sound Records, or Sound, Inc., which was the umbrella company for Velgo and Sound City Records.

It's a pretty well-written song. It would have been a good one for The Dolls to sing. I was always surprised that Kerr didn't have The Dolls sing it during their Maltese run.

Yes, Tamboo was a Chicago label, run by Mel London, who also owned Chief, Profile, Age and Starville Records.

I didn't know that LaBrenda Ben recorded that song in The Snakepit. Have they really identified a master tape or acetate of that song by her? I do remember seeing the acetate (demo) in The Motown Vaults. As is usual, it didn't have the artist listed. I later found Norma Jenkins sang it. She, (and The Dolls) were fixtures of Jobete Music's New York office, working for George Kerr and Sidney Barnes. Norma Jenkins, Carol Moore, George Kerr, Sidney Barnes, The Serenaders and Sammy Turner sang demos for them.

It sounds like a Five royales-style cut. But I don't recognise the lead singer's voice. I'd bet I have that record. But it's probably unlikely that I won't remember the title and group. Could easily be: "I Won't Stop Loving You", but also could have lots of other possible titles.

That second DJ copy is from a different pressing plant. So, apparently one of the white DJs had the hearts on it, and the other didn't. Several of my white DJs of other records (including Challengers III and Spinners also DIDN'T have the hearts). Miss Hong Kong Fuey, which pressing plant was used for yours? Please tell us what plant code is scratched in the trail.

The Vows were brought to Motown by Marc Gordon and The Pipkin Brothers (Chester and Gary) to work in Jobete Music's L.A. office, writing songs for Motown and creating demos for their artists. Ostensibly, The Vows were used as background singers on some of the L.A. demos, and, as a group working with The Pipkin Brothers and Marc Gordon and Frank Wilson, were hoping for a group/artist contract with Motown. They also wrote some songs. The Vows had four unreleased Motown recordings that I know of. The two cuts on Tamara Records were songs they had originally written to submit to Motown, but, for some reason were not bought by them, and their demos failed to gain The Vows a Motown artists' contract. So, Marc Gordon and/or Hal Davis published the songs on their own, Finesse Music, and released the 2 cuts as a single on Tamara records. Interestingly, William Powell apparently also a writer/producer at L.A. Jobete Music, produced a single by The Cinderellas on Tamara with 2 songs he'd already sold to Jobete Music, but Motown didn't want to use first for their own artists. I assume that this was not the same William Powell who was a member of The O'Jays.

Shouldn't that read: ":The Attractions were signed by Anthony Renfro to his Renfro Records. Their Renfro releases "Destination You" (Renfro 659), and "That Girl Is Mine" (Renfro 674) were leased to Bell Records for national distribution."?

No! This was the OTHER Frank Wilson-brother of Vance Wilson (Frankie Vance). This guy also worked for Motown, which is confusing, but not until 1970 or so. Both Wilson brothers were in The Remarkables.

That design of DJ issue is original. So, if it has the Sheldon stamp, ARP, Nashville Matrix, Bell Sound scratched on, it should be original.

My favourite would be "You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet" (co-penned by Marc Gordon). Still hoping that Universal's Motown Vault crew will find a Motown in-house version of that song, recorded in The Snakepit, using The Funk Brothers. Can you imagine a version that is 25% better than Mary Loves?

I guess you could tell he meant Uptown too.

As far as I know, the only thing that Brenda Duff (recorded in The South and Midwest at Muscle Shoals and other studios) and The Deletts (recorded by Arthur Wright in L.A), were that they both had releases on Mercury's Blue Rock subsidiary.

I remember all those unreleased Thelmas and Groovesville recordings being advertised for sale on cassette tapes, but not on CDs, for the first several years they were available.

Originally, Thelma stopped at # 113. So, 114 and 115 are 90s boots. I'd be surprised to hear that Don Davis' son was paid from their sales.

Do you still need The Monticellos, Dave? If so, I'll send it.

I've seen the store stocker probably over 100 times. i've seen only a handful of the DJ issue. At least back in the day the promo was much rarer. However, I've seen that situation turn around in "modern times", with demo boxes being found and no additional store stock being found. But, I'd say the DJ of this one is much rarer.

I'd call it a "legal boot". I doubt that Vivian Carter, Jimmy Bracken, Ewart Abner, Willingham, Barry or Sam Fletcher got any of the proceeds. So, they started a new Belgian Tollie Records? What were their other releases? Wouldn't this be treated as a "boot' on the UK Northern scene, in any case, regardless of the fact that Belgium treats art as "public domain" after only 25 years (and it is considered a "legitimate re-release"?

Despite knowing the story, I'll NEVER understand how Berry came to the decision to "pull back" that issue. It had hit written all over it.

I bought everything that was cheap, and that I thought I would like. I liked a broad range of the Black American music. So, I bought a LOT of songs I liked, and the few records I didn't like, I was able to swap for records I did like. It brought me a wide range of knowledge, but didn't stop me from learning a lot about Detroit and Chicago music from 1945-1965. Unlike many of the major collectors, I DIDN'T make dealing in such records my major source of income. So, I was unable to compete with them bidding on records, and unable to gather money together to buy large warehouse stocks of records. So I was limited in my collection to the records I could find in obscure places, and could buy cheaply. But, I did alright, as I was looking a lot at the time the records were out, or soon after .

Hi Dave, I sent you 300dpi scans of both sides of The Sherrys on JJ. I have a Little Joe Cook on JJ (titled "Two-Jay") 1003/1004, "Against My Will"/"Dotl Pickle". Do you want that as well? Regards, Robb

That's right. All those with the plain label design and red-orange or orange colouring were legit '70s re-issues by Weldon. Some of them had never been issued before. The originals of the ones that had been issued, have the Harthon logo on the label.

I bought everything in the Black American genres from late 1940s through about 1969, but specialised in Detroit and Chicago Soul from 1959-1966.

Ha! Ha! I remember Steve Propes very well. We used to meet in thrift stores and fight over records (when I moved to L.A. to attend UCLA in 1966-70). He had the upper hand, as he used to deliver pies, and he "gave" pies to the workers in those stores, and they would hold out 45s and albums from the shelves, to let him have first look at them. I remember him being very angry one time, when I found an original VG++ copy of "Money" by Barrett Strong on striped Tamla, right from under his nose at the Downtown Long Beach Goodwill Store. He went on about that for years. John Raino had a record shop in Venice. I used to meet him all over the L.A. area in record shops, distributorships, warehouses, etc. We became pretty friendly. I got a lot of obscure records from him. He gave me the inspiration to run labels. Yeah. Bob Stallworth has a great collection. I don't think most Soulies would appreciate how great his records are. I also saw Art Mariano's and Henry Mariano's, and Bob Cattaneo's, and Rip Lay's collections (all from San Francisco Bay Area), as well as Dave Antrell (Antrobus)'s, and The Stolper Brothers' collections.