A very mysterious record which appears to be a one-off.
Two of the writers (Bill Giant and Bernie Baum) also produced the record, and they are best known as the writers of Elvis' "(You're The) Devil In Disguise". Being as the record was released on a Cameo-Parkway label offshoot, odds are it was recorded in New York. Other than a later 60's male group called the Persians, I find no info about THESE Persians.
I also question the date. Cameo-Parkway (just like Motown) more often than not had the wrong date on the label, although the notes to a label retrospective list 1963.
As for the record, it's a beautiful girl group sound with an ethereal lilt.
File under "who knows?"
from 1963?...
THE PERSIANS - GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF
4 comments:
There's also Birdie Green's version from 1963, so I hazard that both versions are from 1963.
The year 1963 is correct. The single got a positive review in Billboard 16 March 1963.
This track appears on the CD "Campark Vol.7 The Vocal Groups", which confirms your Cameo Parkway connection. On the next volume "Campark Vol.8 The Vocal Groups" is another track by The Persians titled "Steady Kind" and I wonder if this is the B Side or another recording by this group.
There are 3 versions of "Get A Hold of Yourself," the 3rd time is the charm as it was magnificently done by The Persians: 1) Original version by Little Rose Little (Blue Rock/Mercury), this arrangement rendered as a rock and roll song; 2) Byrdie Green (20th Century Fox Records), important in that this arrangement slowed the song to midtempo with double-track female lead vocal, this, leading to: 3) The Persians, the final and best version, with double-track female lead vocal and a male vocal background that does a call and response to the female lead; this is definitely a northern soul and latin soul record, the latter due to the 3 step cha cha beat from the piano, xylophone and drums--superb; The Persians themselves never knew this: while released in the US on Pageant (Cameo/Parkway), there was a mega rare pressing discovered in the Philippines on the parent label Parkway---on 78 rpm, the orange and black logo style. The Philippines in the early to late 60s were still pressing 78s alongside the 45 single counterpart. The higher speed makes The Persians performance an incredible one due to the clearer reproduction of the vocals and instrumentation on both the "A" side, in this case "The Steady Kind," and the "B" side, "Get A Hold of Yourself." The label scan of The Persians 78 rpm, along with other discovered Cameo-Parkway "late 78s" from my collection have been featured on the Vinyl Philly-Tribute to Cameo-Parkway webpage. The Persians rock it at 78 rpm---Mark Matlock/Andromeda International Records androintl@earthlink.net
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