Goldsoul

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dobie back in 99 for Signal and recently for Smooth Radio. A very talented man indeed. RIP Larry. Here's the Wiki rundown on the greet man..... Dobie Gray (July 26, 1940 - December 6, 2011)[1][2] was an African American singer and songwriter, whose musical career spanned soul, country, pop and musical theater. His hit records included "The 'In' Crowd" in 1965, and "Drift Away", which was one of the biggest hits of 1973, sold over one million copies, and remains a staple of radio airplay.[1] Contents  [hide] 1 Life and career 2 Death 3 Discography 3.1 Singles 3.2 Featured singles 4 See also 5 References 6 External links [edit]Life and career Gray was born near Houston, Texas, by his own account in Simonton although some sources suggest the nearby town of Brookshire.[3][4] His birth name was probably Lawrence Darrow Brown,[4][5] who is listed in the Fort Bend County Birth Records as being born in 1940 to Jane P. Spencel and Jethro Clifton Brown. Other sources suggest he may have been born Leonard Victor Ainsworth,[1] a name he used on some early recordings. His family were sharecroppers, and he discovered gospel music through his grandfather, a Baptist minister.[3] In the early 1960s he moved to Los Angeles, intending to pursue an acting career but also singing to make money. He recorded for several local labels under the names Leonard Ainsworth, Larry Curtis, and Larry Dennis, before Sonny Bono directed him towards the small independent Stripe Records. They suggested that he record under the name "Dobie Gray", an allusion to the then-popular sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.[4] His first taste of success came in 1963, when his seventh single "Look At Me", on the Cor-Dak label, recorded with bassist Carol Kaye,[6] reached # 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.[5][7] However, Gray's first album, Look!, failed to sell.[6] Greater success came in early 1965 when his original recording of "The 'In' Crowd" (later recorded by Ramsey Lewis) reached # 13 on the chart. Written by Billy Page, arranged by his brother Gene,[8] and produced by Fred Darian,[5][9] Gray's record reached # 11 on the US R&B chart, and # 25 in the UK. The follow-up, "See You at the Go-Go", recorded with such top session musicians as Kaye, Hal Blaine and Larry Knechtel, also reached the Hot 100, and he issued an album, Dobie Gray Sings For 'In' Crowders That Go Go Go, which featured some self-penned songs.[6] Gray continued to record, though with little success, for small labels such as Charger and White Whale, as well as contributing to movie soundtracks.[7] He also spent several years working as an actor, including 2½ years in the Los Angeles production of Hair.[1][4] In 1970, while working in Hair, he joined a band, Pollution, as singer and percussionist. They were managed by actor Max Baer Jr. (best known as "Jethro" in The Beverly Hillbillies), and released two albums of soul-inspired psychedelic rock, Pollution I and Pollution II.[6][10] The band also included singer Tata Vega and guitarist/singer James Quill Smith. After that, he worked at A & M Records on demo recordings with songwriter Paul Williams.[4] In 1972, he won a contract with Decca Records, shortly before it became part of MCA, to make an album with producer Mentor Williams, Paul's brother, in Nashville. Among the songs that they recorded at the Quadrafonic Sound Studios, co-owned by session musicians Norbert Putnam and David Briggs, was Mentor Williams' song "Drift Away", featuring a guitar riff by Reggie Young.[4][11] Released as a single, the song rose to # 5 on the US pop charts, and remains Gray's best known song today.[1] The follow-up, a version of Tom Jans' much-covered song "Loving Arms", made # 61 in the chart. Gray also released three albums with MCA, Drift Away, Loving Arms, and Hey, Dixie, but later stated that MCA were unsure of how to market the albums - "They didn't know where to place a black guy in country music."[4] In the mid-1970s he moved permanently to Nashville and signed for Capricorn Records, writing songs in collaboration with Troy Seals.[1] His biggest hit singles in the late 1970s were "If Love Must Go", # 78 in 1976, and "You Can Do It", # 37 in late 1978, his last solo chart hit to date.[5] He increasingly concentrated on songwriting, writing songs for a variety of artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Johnny Mathis, Charley Pride and Don Williams.[4][7] Gray also toured in Europe, Australia and Africa in the 1970s. He performed in South Africa only after persuading the apartheid authorities to allow him to play to integrated audiences, becoming the first artist to do so in that country.[1] His popularity in South Africa has continued through numerous subsequent concert tours.[3][4] He re-emerged as a recording artist for Capitol Records in the mid-1980s, recording with producer Harold Shedd. Gray placed two singles in the US Billboard country chart during 1986 and 1987, including "That's One to Grow On" which peaked at #35.[1][12] His country albums included From Where I Stand in 1986, and he made several appearances at Charlie Daniels' popular Volunteer Jam concerts.[7] He also sang on a number of TV and radio jingles.[4] In 1997, he released the album Diamond Cuts, including both new songs and re-recordings of older material.[1] In 2000, Wigan Casino DJ, Kev Roberts, compiled The Northern Soul Top 500, which was based on a survey of northern soul fans.[13] Gray's "Out On The Floor", a 1966 recording which had been a British chart hit in 1975, was placed in the Top 10. "Drift Away" became a hit again in 2003, when it was covered by Uncle Kracker on his No Stranger to Shame album. The recording was a duet between Kracker and Gray, who was also featured in the video. It placed nineteenth in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2003. [edit]Death On December 6, 2011, his official site stated he had passed away. [14] [edit]Discography [edit]Singles Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications (sales threshold) US US R&B US AC US Country CAN CAN AC CAN Country UK 1963 "Look at Me" 91 " " " " " " " 1965 "The 'In' Crowd" 13 11 " " 8 " " 25 "See You at the Go-Go" 69 " " " " " " " 1973 "Drift Away" 5 42 " " 7 " " " US: Gold[15] "Loving Arms" 61 81 7 " 70 2 " " 1975 "Out on the Floor" " " " " " " " 42 1976 "If Love Must Go" 78 " " " " " " " "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em & Forget 'Em" 94 71 " " " " " " 1979 "You Can Do It" 37 32 " " 58 " " " "In Crowd" " " " " " 47 " " 1986 "That's One to Grow On" " " " 35 " " " " "The Dark Side of Town" " " " 42 " " 48 " "From Where I Stand" " " " 67 " " " " 1987 "Take It Real Easy" " " " 82 " " " " " "" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country [edit]Featured singles

Mad as a box of frogs...

Terry-Why don't you say that to some of the DJs we hire such as Butch, Mick H, Andy Dyson......then standby for the rippling laughter. I don't ever remember you at the Torch(1972) or anywhere else. Mind you don't you keep away from busy venues?

Enjoy the trip to Barcelona- One way flight?

Dear Clueless in Seattle-Next time you want a Soul quiz let me know. I can't give you 45 start to 50 but I'll work with 40. And for the record, let's hear your Northern Soul achievements in 50 words or less. Somehow, a tough call. In the meantime, your partner is waiting for the usual 5,000 word sermon before bedtime!

Chalky.....Bang on. I wonder how meladdo will answer? Don't tell me.......with a 5,000 word essay no doubt!

For the record, the last song played at the Tower Weekender was Somebody Sonewhere Needs You- Darrell Banks played by my co promoter Richard Searling. Just in case anyone really thinks the 'Hokey Cokey' was spun. That of course, was all part of the topic starters intention to de-rail. Looking forward to seeing lots of you at Stoke on Saturday. The Windsor Suite has a pretty good selection of underplayed gems so check it out. Over and Out x

Phew....Mr Articulate is off to Barcelona. For a moment there I thought we might see him at the Kings Hall Stoke All Nighter. But there again, I think he keeps out of the way of the big ones. And please....no more frigging essays, after 40 years on the scene, I can do without it!

Lookls like we have no response to the 'Why Stop At Those 3' comment. I wonder why?

Let's see if we can keep the tempo up and attract the forum a few more views, seeing as most have defected to Facebook(I wonder why?) Just to recap.....some of the quotes so far 'Makes me chuckle this Mr Sadot posts the link lights the blue touch paper steps back and watches the firweworks fly and has not as yet said anything else in reply lol beautiful Paul simply genius'. Mark Bicknell. (Mark-Only way he can get attention, plus the thread works a treat once the slag offs kick in) I do resent guys who should know better making a living out of it by selling it down the line, get a fookin real job, you too should be ashamed of your selves. Geeselad (Says Geese....Promoting 50 yards from the Kings Hall Stoke on Saturday. Anyone would think you were cashing in?) Customers who frequent the Blackpool weekender love it. Those who berate it don't go. So what's the problem here? Good for them and many more happy returns I say! And why should the profit margins be the business of anyone but the promoters? Do people really think that a promotion of this scale should be without reward? I don't. I don't believe it makes the 'scene' a laughing stock other than to a small number of complainants here. If it goes further than these few individuals, who is it exactly that also finds it a laughing stock? The Soulgirl (True statement hun....... though standby for the PM's from the fools....I can almost hear the keyboards crashing right now) Mr Sadot is back He pulls the pin on his hand grenade and tosses it into the room then f%ks off Little Stevie (You said it!) much prefer the nutters on the rare soul scene...kinda real people if ya get what l mean tezza Peggy Babcock (Truer words never spoken from....well.....a nutter!) Every TV Magazine show did Northern Soul features, usually involving a predictable cast...Messrs ROBERTS, WINSTANLEY and SEARLING smelt the bucks and the imminent re-entry of the original 'stiffs' Rich Chorley (Why stop at those 3?....conveniently forgot Messrs Wicks, Wigley, Brady(Bridlington/Scarborough), Raistrick(Skegness),Waterman(Radcliffe), Trundle(Hunstanton), Croasdell(Cleethorpes)? Plus around 200 more who run profitable Soul nights and attract......stiffs? How insulting can you get to the general public. Shameful )

Why bother to explain? The thread is fuelled by mostly Failed DJ's desperate for a quality gig.

First played as a new release in 1975 by Colin Curtis at the Mecca. Regularly played at the Kings Hall Stoke by resident Mick H.

The label was owned by my good friend James McEachin, who after a spell in the record business became a successful actor. I will email him and ask if he has a full discog. One or two of you may have net him at SoultripUSA 2004. I hooked him together with Fred 'Keymen' Smith. The pair had not worked together since The Furys- I'm Satisfied With You in 1966.

With the full story of OOTP in Chris's book due next year.