Robbk

I think that Bob Schwartz may have co-owned Ruby (as a subsidiary of Enterprise Records). Enterprise Records (according to Ron Murphy) was owned by a local Detroit businessman (maybe Joe Thomas?) (I forget his name). He owned Different Music, and also The Dynamic and Heart labels as well.

"That's My Desire" by The Flamingos on Chance is listed as "Northern Soul". Ha! Ha! I remember when no song earlier than 1966 would ever be even listened to by Northern Soulies, and no song slower than a racing "stomper" would be played! My, how The World has changed (and only £79!!! Must be a facsimile boot. The photo doesn't look like a real '53 Chance record.

There were two Motown Vault versions of "Suspicion" by The Originals that we considered for placing in Motown's "From The Vaults" series (only one album saw the light of day, and it didn't get "Suspicion". The better of the two versions was played by Rod Shard in the early 1980s (1982 or 1983?). Someone in UK taped it off him or his version, sped it up and booted it (as The Detroit Prophets). The other acetate version came to UK later. It's the only one on You-Tube now. It is not as good, in my opinion.

I think Joe Casey was the owner (or a co-owner). I think Al Placido (Top Ten) and Ernie Stratton had something to do with them as well. I think Placido was A & R man for a while.George McGregor was a major producer, Mike Valvano, Mike Terry, McKinley Jackson, and Dale Warren and Mike Theodore were in on sessions. They recorded a lot at Ralph and Russ Terrana's Tera Shirma studio.

The Gold (Yellow) coloured print makes them look VERY different. No one could mistake the boot for an original. Also, the plastic and run-off grooves are different. If it's supposed to be a "facsimile" boot, it's a very poor attempt.

I think this is true. Simon was out here in L.A. then running off other boots. The "Magicians" was run at Monarch.

Why is that boot going for so much? Even the boot was fairly common when they were pressed up. It looks VERY different from the black on Avacado green original, and the group name is different. it's not like it's a facsimile.

The connection between Riley's and Thelma is pretty thin, other than both being located in Detroit, and that Joey King Fish worked for both companies, and I believe that Melvin Davis worked on a few recordings for both companies. But, if you recorded in Detroit in the mid 1960s, you were more or less forced to use at least a few musicians that other small R&B/Soul firms were using. Joey King Fish was Diamond Jim Riley's main A & R man for a few years, while he wrote songs and produced several sessions at Thelma, but was less important there (as they had Don Davis, Norman Whitfield, Don Juan Mancha, Clay McMurray and James Gopphine producing as well). Although, he DID lead their in-house band during much of their existence, and took over as A&R Man and chief producer when Davis left the company for Golden World.

Does anyone have that Goldmine CD and can send me soundfiles of the Pat Smith sides?

If I stated that I have that record I was having a senior moment. I have The Kittens on Vick, but not The Emeralds. "Catch Me I'm Falling" is very nice. But, I suspect I'll like the flip even more (if it is slower mid-tempo or a ballad. I do remember them as a group talked about in Chicago in the mid-60s. They sang at some school/park functions. Not sure about clubs.

I've been collecting R & B/Soul records since 1953, and I keep hearing "newly discovered" songs from my heyday (1953-1969) almost every day. There were hundreds of thousands of songs recorded. Many were never released, many were never pressed up, many were never distributed other than by hand from the producer or artists. There's lots new to discover all the time.

Man, I'd like to hear both sides of that one!!! That's got to be my prime sound. And to think that with all my scrounging and searching in Chicagoland just when that was out, I somehow missed it. Just the lock of the draw.

I have the full label run, as well. "Lucky To Be Loved By You" was never released nor even slated for 103 (or any other number by Thelma. Number 103 and the two missing matrix numbers were slated for two songs by a female artist named Pat Smith. I surely would have liked to hear those. I suppose people have asked Don Davis' son what happened to those master tapes. I can't figure out why Davis thought that tiny Wild Deuce could get that release any kind of decent national distribution. I think it was the very best (and most "Motownish" Thelma recording. Here's an excerpt from Soulful Detroit's "Webisode" on Thelma Records: "There are many vinyl collectors living in hope of finding a copy of Thelma #103, but they don't exist. That catalogue number was allocated to Pat Smith's unreleased recording, "Going Through A Whirlpool" - Ron Murphy found the documentation in United Sound's archives." I remember Ron, himself, telling me that he found that. He had remembered Pat as a local Detroit singer. Clearly Smith's record was cancelled, without even demos pressed, as Golden World used one of the missing ZTSC numbers.

"Isn't She Pretty"-Temptations-Gordy 7001

Wasn't she A&R man Kent Harris' wife? I'm pretty sure I've got her 45 on solid greenish-blue (bluish green) Romark.

I'm guessing she means the late '60s Chicago label associated with Carl Jones' CJ Records (distributed by them?)

I thought The Magnificents on Dee Gee was an L.A. record, as it was produced by H.B. Barnum for Jobete Music L.A. office, with Frank Wilson and Marc Gordon writing it. Were those the Chicago Magnificents? Did they move to L.A. with Magnificent Montague, when he came to L.A. to be a DJ on KGFJ?

I wonder if Leo Austell co-owned Vick and Sta-Set along with Lee, as his own Lamaja Music was involved in virtually every record I have on those labels, including The Emeralds on Vick. Austell was also co-producer with Lee on The Emeralds' record.

The pink one was pretty common. I've seen a lot more of those (both East Coast and West Coast, and Midwest pressings) than the white DJ issue.

What I can't figure out is why both sides were never played on US radio stations. We did hear some of Harry Balk's productions that were placed on Big Top, and Impact Records. Both sides of this record were better (IMO) than most of his productions that DID receive lots of airplay.

I'm a no-nonsense bloke, so my user name is my first name and last initial. My avatar is an actual photo of myself from 2009 (neither flattering, nor unflattering). As The Dramatics once said: "What you see is what you get."

I like The Millionaires' version on Big Bunny much better (although I like Gerri Grainger's version very much, as well). It's a very well written song. The Millionaires' version is more soulful. It sounds much like a New York Jobete Music arrangement, rather than the highly orchestrated (more big-bandish) Big Top version.

It was never on US Red Bird. It was only on US Red Bird subsidiary, Blue Cat. But maybe that listing of Red Bird refers to UK Red Bird? There was no UK Blue Cat. So, I assume that UK issues from Red Bird/Blue Cat stable all came out on UK Red Bird, or not at all in The UK. Isn't that right? Maybe it was slated for issue on UK Red Bird in 1967, but it was pulled back? Maybe only a few were pressed up (for DJ copies)? I've never seen one.

I'd bet that date (year-1966) for Stone Blue 101 is too early. I'd guess it was at LEAST 1968 or 1969. I've seen it listed only as 1969.

I'd call it rather a "Solid Hitbound" recording, as BOTH Lebaron Taylor and Don Davis produced it and furnished the recording effort, rather than just Davis (Groovesville).