Robbk

I had that very acetate in my hands, among hundreds of others during the 1970s, at Motown, while working on The "From The Vaults" and other unreleased Motown issue projects. I had seen and heard 4 or 5 cuts by Edward Earling, which all had been recorded in 1963. Most were produced by Mickey Stevenson, but I seem to remember one having been written and produced by Smokey Robinson. Earling sounded a bit like Eddie Holland. We set aside the best ones, "This Time I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Baby Don't Leave Me" for possible release on a later volume (LP) of "From The Vaults". Being partial to Motown's 1962-64 sound, I was sorely disappointed that none of Earling's cuts ever were released on "Cellarful of Motown" or "Lost Motown", or any other mixed artists releases. I think I asked Keith Hughes if there was some question about Earling's artist contract with Motown.

We can't his big hit, "High on a Hill", which was sung mainly in falsetto, and full of twee notes.

Scott English was a professional singer who even had a hit record. I believe he sang some demos of his own songs. But this recording doesn't sound like him. Nor do I recognise the singer's voice, The singer certainly is NOT Jay, of Jay & The Techniques.

Can you also ask her if Gene Chandler (Eugene Dixon) had any connection to the label, and who Mr. Greene was?

Thanks. I see that Gene Chandler and Simtec Simmons being involved in the ownership was, apparently, just a fan rumour. The Chandler who wrote "Truth" for Monique may not even have been Gene, but possibly Kermit. Too bad that information-seeker didn't ask her who Monique was.

Then that must be true. It's clear that Jackson ran the label. But, I'm pretty sure that Gene Chandler was an investor partner.

I have always heard that The Maurci label was owned by Gene Chandler and Simtec Simmons. But, I would guess that Maurice Jackson was a third owner. And, I wonder who "Greene" was. I've got 101 through 109 101 - Monique - Nobody's Baby(Am I)/Truth (Red) 102 - Three Jades - Makes My World Go Round/I Care For You (green) 103 - Three Jades - Show Me Your Way/Come On Let's Party (yellow) 104 - Monique - If You Love Me/Never Let Me Go (gold also red-orange & white) 105 - Simtec Simmons - Tea Pot/Tea Box (gold also red-orange & white) 106 - Computer and Little Fooler - Computing/SW-W-WIS-S-SH (gold also pink & white) 107 - Simtec Simmons Band - Limber Up/Cooling It Now (pink & white) 108 - Monique - I Wouldn't Believe/Never Let Me Go (pink & white) 109 - Simtec Simmons Band - Computing/Coming On Strong(With It) (yellow) 111 - Tri-Ems - I Wouldn't Believe/Tracking (yellow&Red) Does anyone know what 110 is?

Thanks for correcting my comments. I remembered incorrectly, that Hancock came from MOR to Jazz in the '40s, then to R&B in the late '40s. I didn't mean to imply that he had no ties to The Black Community - only that he was much older than most of his fellow DJs at KGFJ, and so it wasn't a good bet that one of them was a partner in his record label.

Herman Griffith was one of KGFJ's DJs during the mid 1960s. He was a part owner of L.A.'s Joker Records, which had a connection with Hal Davis and his L.A. Jobete Music operation, and recorded several Jobete Music songs on their own artists. But, just because Hunter Hancock owned a Soul label and was a KGFJ DJ, doesn't mean that it was likely that any other KGFJ DJ was involved in Magnum. I doubt that any other DJ was involved in his Swingin' Records. Hancock was a Caucasian man who was a holdover, who had been a DJ with that radio station when it had had an MOR and News format before it was changed to R&B in the late 1950s. He adapted himself to The African-American community, who was their new audience. He had a decent relationship with his colleagues. But, I doubt that any of them participated in his record labels.

Mercedes Music was owned by L.A.'s Soul station, KGFJ, DJ, Hunter Hancock. It was the house music publisher for Hancock's earlier label, Swingin' Records, as it was for Magnum (which was at least co-owned by him). Jimmy Johnson was the main producer and A&R man, and his band provided the instrumentation on most of their in-house productions, Elliot Chavers was not an owner. Mutt & Jeff was co-owned and run by Joe(y) Jefferson. Magnum leased a couple productions from Jefferson. Yes, most of Magnum's cuts (all their in-house sessions) were probably recorded at Johnson's studio. Jefferson probably produced Charles Perry elsewhere, and Royce Esters produced the Ollie Jackson, Jobete cuts, which were likely recorded in Hollywood by Hal Davis, where he took most, if not all of his Motown-related productions.

Mowtown - Is that the place where Jon Deere hay harvesting tractors are manufactured???

As I gave you the answer to your question, and you never returned, I want to find out if you are satisfied with it. Please let me know, when you read it. Thanks.

Wasn't that a Canadian production, recorded in Toronto? If so, it might be worth a lot to Canadian collectors.

His real name was Issac "Snookum" Russell, who was a Jazz and Boogie Woogie pianist, first in George Lewis' Band, out of New Orleans, then in Paul Bascomb's band(out of Chicago), and, later head of his own bands, headquartered in Chicago. They used to tour The Midwest and The South throughout most of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. He recorded well into the early mid 1970s. In addition to Russell, their members included: J. J. Johnson, Fats Navarro, Ray Brown, Tommy Turrentine and Herbie Phillips. He was the chief of A&R of Brainstorm Records (maybe he was even co-owner). He may also have been the piano player in "The Master Keys" instrumental group. I think he also may possibly have been one of "The Key Masters", who were a group of producers, who produced sessions for The Master Key Distributors' group of labels (Master Key, Lovelite, Lock, Locket, Erica, Red Balloon, Broach, Quality Sound, McVoutie, Jay-Tee, etc.-late 1960s-early 1970s), of which Clarence Johnson, Johnny Cameron, William Bagsby, Johnny and Terry Thompson, and Byron Gregory may have been members (surely at least the first three). However, I didn't find his name on any Twin Stacks Records (Brainstorm's sister label). If you know of a Chicago Soul Music or general Chicago music forum, please lead me to it! The only other Soul Music forums I participate on are "Soulful Detroit Forum", and "Soulful Detroit Motown Forum", as well as a Doo-Wop/Vocal Group Harmony forum, on which I am the only member from Chicago (or even The Midwest).

Yes, one can do a LOT of sweating under those hot lights. Imagine, singing and putting a lot of emotion into it, moving around, and having all those hot lamps shining down upon you. That's why talk shows give the guests several bottles of bottled water nearby, to swig during commercials, or when others are talking, because, even sitting relatively still, you sweat out LOTS of water. You need to constantly replenish it, or you can get heat stroke. It's dangerous for people over 70 years old, as it can lead to an accidental heart attack, EVEN if you don't have heart disease. That has happened even to young, otherwise healthy athletes, who lose too much water, and continue their exercising. I had a friend who was a marathon runner get dehydrated while practise-running, on a relatively cool fall day, in The Netherlands, near the beach in Scheveningen. He had lost too much water, and hadn't brought his ruksak and bottled water along. He collapsed, and was found later. He was rushed to hospital, but his heart stopped before the paramedics got him there. He died at the young age of 27, of heat-stroke dehydration, being otherwise in good health.

Or the southern tip of Portugal?

And you've live in USA and Canada, too. You've gotten around quite a bit. Have you also been to Africa and South America, China, India, and The Middle East?

I see. Above ground, the meat smells dissipate into the open air, and spread quickly enough to not stay highly concentrated. In The Netherlands, the strong sea winds blow those fish smells quickly to the east of wherever one is.

Lots of fast food meat kiosks??? Vegetables and fruit don't keep under ground? I know I'm slowing going senile but, am I missing a connection here? Beware of the underground malls, my son, they're full of bad people that will try to get you to eat meat!

Ha! Ha! Our mosquitoes in Manitoba make Minnesota's look like midgets!

Shows 1-300 can be watched on YouTube. Very funny if you're familiar with rural Canada.

I'm not surprised. But 1990-current winters in southern Minnesota and Toronto were nothing compared to Winnipeg winters in the late 1940s and 1950s (before Global Warming!). I'm used to 55 degrees F below zero real shade temperature, and wind chill factors of 140 below. (that was back before we changed to Celsius). They don't build malls underground for no reason! I know that Minneapolis' "Mall of America" is also underground. But, I did like the fact that we had freezes for 5 to 5.5 months straight, so we could keep playing hockey on the backyard rink.

Here are a few photos of Steve Smith ("Red Green"):

Here are a few more photos of me looking like "Red": I'm wearing my usual baseball cap by my friend's wall where I painted Donald Duck's nephews, because he's a big fan. Honestly, I DO mostly wear long sleeve plaid shirts when the temperature goes below 60 degrees F, or so. But I haven't been wearing them when taking my few photos since my beard became gray. Anyway, whenever I'm in Canada, I always wear them.

I wondered how you knew him. I used to spend a lot of time visiting The UK during the '60s-early 2000s, and never remembered seeing "Red Green" on TV there. You have no idea how apropos your comment was. I've had my beard and mustache since 1963 (never shaved it off). Ever since it became gray, I've looked just like Smith. And, funny as it seems, I've always worn jeans or cacquis, with long-sleeved plaid shirts (that's my uniform). You can see the one I was wearing in the photo above. Ask Rod (Modern Soul Sucks). He's seen me a lot in L.A., so, there it's way too hot to wear long sleeves, so I wear mostly tee shirts. When I visit England and return to Canada, I always wear long-sleeved plaid shirts. Not only that, -but I was a back-country skier and mountain climber, and even taught wilderness winter survival courses. So, I've spent a lot of time in the woods, like "Red". But, unlike him, I know how to handle myself there. Also, another coincidental similarity, I've been a comedy writer since 1984, and making a living from it since 1989. Oh, yes, just one more similarity, my father, like Red's (Steve's), always gave me the same advice: "Keep your stick on the ice!" The only difference in our appearance, was that I always wore a long-billed "baseball cap", as opposed to Red's short-billed cap, and I never wore suspenders. By the way, yet ANOTHER coincidental similarity is that I had "red" hair until it started turning reddish-brown during my thirties through fifties. So, my nickname as a child was "Red", from that, and "Red Kelly" was my favourite hockey player, along with Gordie Howe. So, while visiting my sister in Winnipeg (which I do for 2 months each year), and I'm walking around in public, I often hear "Hey Red!" I turn around happily, expecting to see an old school friend or hockey teammate. But, no! Most of the time it's a stranger making a joke, thinking I'm trying to impersonate Red Green. Now that I'm going into semi-retirement, maybe I can get some work as his double? I'd be the only stunt double who is 20 years OLDER than the star!!! I wouldn't mind regular free client-paid trips to Toronto. Anyway, nice to know someone on this forum appreciates "Red Green", and has some Canadian experience, other than visiting Martin Koppel! Where and when did you live in Metro Toronto, and in Minnesota? We used to drive down to Minnesota to warm up!