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Sultry Chicago soul (although recorded in Memphis) from three young ladies (Veronica Gonzalez, Linda Jackson, and Dottie Hayes) who were still high school students when they were discovered (at a talent contest) by Denise La Salle (the excellent Chicago singer who gave us "A Love Reputation") and her husband Bill who briefly ran the Crajon label.
Three years after their debut ("Hey Romeo", a modest hit) this is the third and final release from the Sequins, and they certainly went out with style! The track is gorgeous with an excellent lead vocal and divine harmonies. Lead singer Linda Jackson is believed to still be performing in Phoenix as Lyn Jackson.
Greetings from Sopron, Hungary! I'm back on the road, so if posts become irregular, it's beyond my control.
This follow-up to their big hit "Talk Talk" sounds just as fine to my ears- and that's mighty fine indeed! Techincally, the other side ("The People In Me") was the a-side, but I find this hard driver to be *THE* side.
Music Machine leader Sean Bonniwell got his start as guitarist in the collegiate pop-folk band the Wayfarers, but the call of beat music pulled him away; by 1965, the embryo of the Music Machine (first called The Ragamuffins) was formed. The group cut a menacing figure with all black clothing, one black glove each and a groundbreaking HEAVY sound achieved my tuning their guitars down a third lower than standard tuning, something which is typically attributed to Black Sabbath but the Music Machine did it first.
In a decade of great achievements, the invention of the male soul duo is one of the most exciting. I'm not one for testosterone fuelled competition for the most part, but something about two dudes duking it out on the microphone for alpha status created some of the most gut wrenching records of the decade.
While a good majority of the male duos were southern artists, The Fuller Brothers (yes they were real brothers named Erskin and Major Fuller) hailed from California. "Moanin'" is one of those jams that I just can't get enough of, and any time I hear a record with this kind of groove and excitement level it NEEDS to be part of my collection. If THAT wasn't great enough, the flip side is a heart wrenching ballad in the southern soul style.
The name The Spaniels elicits the image of late night smooches to the soundtrack of "Goodnight Sweetheart It's Time To Go"; there are few groups more legendary in 50's r&b/ doo wop, and the band was led by the incredible lead vocalist Pookie Hudson. Pookie has probably the sweetest singing voice I've ever heard, and the Spaniels records featured his voice to the greatest effect, cutting some of my favorite doo-wop cuts.
The group (formed in Gary, IN and signed to Gary based VJ records) was an active recording unit (with a few lineup changes) up thru 1961, after which a few brilliant Pookie Hudson solo 45's were released. Almost as if via premonition of the doo wop revival the group reformed around 1969, coming back with this single. The flip side (which was the "a" was a remake of "Goodnight Sweetheart" which, frankly, pales next to the original. However, on the flip side the group hits their stride; thos gorgeous vocals were matched with a fantastic late 60's soul sound for the glorious "Maybe"; a very fitting addition to their brilliant legacy.
Of
course I like every record that I post, but this record is downright
exceptional and this virtually unknown group contained some very heavy
talent. The songwriting and vocal harmonies are exceptional, and certain
harmony notes on "Sad, Sad Sunshine" hold the essence of Byrds-era
David Crosby.
Both sides of this record are equally
fabulous, and show the band had a very distinct personality. "Sad, Sad
Sunshine" (a song that would fit perfectly on the "Notorious Byrd
Brothers" LP), written by the great Al Kooper, is moody and magnificent
while "They Said No" is garage/beat/jangle at its finest.
T'he
Hard Times were based in San Diego and relocated to L.A to be regulars
on TV's "Where The Action Is"; they did cut an LP (wehich didn't contain
these tracks) that is OK but ot up to the glorious level of this
perfect record. One would think that with major TV exposure this group
would have been huge, but it was not to be.
Inexplicably, this GREAT record was a complete failure on the charts when it was released; my theory is that it was just too raw for mass consumption but in many ways (in retrospect) it's a crucial record in the development of the girl group sound.
First off, the lead singer here is none other than the legendary Martha Reeves, herself hired as a replacement for one of the original Del-phis who had left the group at this point. Also, as far as the sound of the vocal arrangement, it's basically the blueprint for the three-girl vocal lineup.
After the failure of this record, Martha became a secretary at Motown and by '62 was leading the Vandellas- aka the GREATEST of all Motown female groups.
It's somewhat unbelievable to think that by the time Albert King signed to Stax records(and achieved his greatest success) in '66 he had been recording for a dozen years!
This single was from King's final small label phase, and honestly they didn't get much tinier than Coun-tree records out of East St Louis. It's surprising in a way that Albert was signed to Stax after all, as these releases didn't make a commercial dent. What they lacked in sales they made up for in sheer drive and talent, as this cookin' record attests to.
It's all happening for the LAST TIME @ The Late Bar tonight. My set is at 11:00. MY MAN Eric Colin is retiring Mod Chicago after 10 fabulous years, and if you are near the fine city of Chicago, attendance is mandatory. If you wanna party to the greatest music in history, that is...
Not only was the short-lived German group Asterix considered one of the founders of heavy metal (members went on to form Lucifer's Friend), but the group also managed to cut a slamming late-period mod dance classic with this SLAMMING cover of Tommy Roe's "Everybody".
I can think of no better song that embodies the spirit of MOD CHICAGO...Happening for the last time at the Late Bar tonight from 10-4. My set is at 11:00.
Pure California girl group nirvana right here, folks!
"Deep Into My Heart" is another gem written by Baker Knight, who I featured here a few weeks back, and the equally great flip side "Good, Good Lovin'" was penned by the great duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Darlene Love shows us once again why she is one of the most fabulous singers of all time here on both sides.
The history of this group is incredibly complex, and I prefer not to get
too wordy on my posts so I'll leave it at this. While the Blossoms had a
number of personnel changes since their 50's inception, the Blossoms
who are most well known (appeared on the Shindig TV show) included
Gloria Jones (who was out of the group by the time of this release) and (lead singer) Darlene Love (who also recorded with Phil
Spector not only under her own name but as a backing singer and also a
lead on cuts by The Crystals (who were actually the Blossoms under
another name).
Of course The Blossoms also released "That's When The Tears Start"; perhaps the ultimate west coast girl group 45.
Even though Trade Martin is a well-known producer/writer/arranger whose names sprouts up on many great 60's singles, little is known about this group that cut at least three 45's at the tail end of the girl group era.
The record is typical of Trade's work from the '60's, as it is creative, unique and swingin'!
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Richard Berry was THE greatest early west coast r&b songwriter; the man had a very strong poetic sense (evidenced in both "Louie Louie" and "Have Love Will Travel") in addition to making SEXY records that just plain rock (today's entry).
Only in his early 20's at the time of this recording, Berry was already a veteran of practically every Los Angeles doo wop group, sang (uncredited) co-lead vocals with Etta James on her breakthrough hit ("The Wallflower") and had already composed "Louie". What a resume!
I believe that this is the final single cut by Bobby McClure before he left the music business. Bobby worked as a prison corrections officer and released a few singles in the '80's before his early death of a stroke at age 50 in 1992.
St Louis native Bobby McClure was a member of the Soul Stirrers while still a teen, and struck out on his own into secular music before he was 20 years old.
By 1965, Bobby had recorded a duet with Fontella Bass ("Don't Mess Up A Good Thing", 1965) and cut his signature single ("The Peak Of Love") the following year. "Peak" should have been a massive hit, but its chart potential was never fully realized.
Bobby was certainly not lacking talent, as this early 70's side shows him in excellent voice; simply another excellent singer lost in the shuffle.
from 1972...
BOBBY MCCLURE - LOVE'S COMING DOWN ON ME
and for good measure, here's the incredible "Peak Of Love" which I featured in the first year of this blog.
Released on ABC Paramount records...Arranged by Johnny Pate...One would be forgiven if they thought this was The Impressions, as it sounds about as close to Curtis & company as one can get! If you're gonna copy, might as well copy from the best, right?
Turns of Jerrio (aka Jerry-O, Jerry Jerome Murray) had heard boogaloo music, and was influenced to cut one of the first hit boogaloo records ("The Boogaloo" by Tom & Jerrio) with singing partner Robert ‘Tommy Dark’ Tharp who was a former member of Chicago group The Ideals. This record became a huge hit, yet the duo was sued by Berry Gordy who claimed the copyright.
The duo cut two more singles, of which is the last (and my personal favorite).
Just like "The Time Is Right For Love", this song was co-authored and produced by the legendary Van McCoy, shortly before his career as a disco man began. While this song isn't as magical as "The Time Is Right...", to be fair, very few songs are. Today's entry is a very sweet song nonetheless, and has plenty of McCoy's songwriting prowess on display along with Bobby's smooth, heartfelt, and genuine vocal delivery. This is a subtle song, one that I find myself getting more and more into as I listen to it a few times in a row to write this description.
Barbara Blake was one of the "duet" singers in Chicago girl group The Du-ettes, who cut the incredible "Please Forgive Me", among other gems between '63-'65.
After the Du-ettes spilt in 1965, Barbara disappeared from the music business until she reappeared in 1970 as part of another group- Barbara & The Uniques. This trio consisted of Barbara, her sister Gwen and Doris Lindsey. They cut the minor hit "There It Goes Again"- a record which I thought I'd featured here a few years back, but never did (look for it in the future).
By 1974, all that remained was Barbara. On this scorching track she is backed by session vocalists. Sadly, Barabara cut one final record after this one and left the music business completely; a very talented singer who never got what she deserved in the way of commercial success.
I'm
truly honored to be part of such a stellar lineup of DJ's from around
the globe, all gathering in Chicago the weekend of June 22-23. This is
the tenth anniversary of Mod Chicago, and we need YOU to make it the
best one yet.
..and you'll get a chance to dance to jams like THIS:
A glorious one-off! Thanks to Red Kelly (The Soul Detective) I learned that Lee and Calvin were LeRoy Crume (guitarist for The Soul Stirrers) and Calvin April (lead singer for gospel group The Pilgrim Wonders). Taking a BIG cue from the Memphis soul sound, this gospel-rooted duo cut this fantastic secular number and seemingly "went home" to their gospel roots afterwords.
While some circles looked down at booglaoo as a lowest-common-denominator form of Latin jazz, personally I look at it as my favorite form of Latin music. Incredibly popular for a few years starting around '65, boogaloo music is the type of stuff that you can put on and practically EVERYONE digs it; it's a sound that is more than likely to induce extreme feelings of elation inside the listener, and also bring on the side effect of extreme ass shaking.
Joe Cuba (born Gilberto Miguel Calderón) was born in Puerto Rico and was brought up in New York City. His recording career began in the early '60's (although he had been an active musician since the 50's), and his previous single "Bang Bang" crossed over onto the pop charts. However, this double sider are the two Cuba jams that I gravitate to most often.
Perhaps they were doomed by their awkward and non-commercial name. This Miami, FL beat group had the makings of a hit right here that stopped in its tracks in the lower region of the top 100 charts after being picked up for national distribution by Columbia offshoot Date Records.
The fantastic harmony vocals through the song are handled by brother and sister team Travis and Coventry Fairchild, (whose real names are Joseph and Loraine Ximenes), and the track is driven along nicely by those infectious handclaps, bubbly bass and a very driven folk-rock electric guitar. The group released three more singles which went nowhere, and broke up in 1967. Thankfully this record, one in which "the magic" happened, was pressed for us all to enjoy in perpetuity.
What this record lacks in lyrical prowess (although I admit that they are effective in their simplicity) it makes up for it in terms of performance and velocity. Knowing they had a good thing, the vocal/ drum breakdown (the highlight of the record in my opinion) repeats for a second time which just flat out rocks.
Z.Z. Hill was from Texas, began his career singing gospel and around the turn of the 1960's decade he fell under the spell of blues which changed his direction. Up until the end of his short life (he died in 1984 at age 49) his records were strongly rooted in his voice as a soul singer, which we here on this record in full bloom. Shortly before the release of this record, Z.Z. had moved to Los Angeles, which is where this record was cut.
Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown recorded some of the grittiest, earthiest duo records during the sixties that sound far more southern than they should (these records were cut in New York City). This dramatic and powerful record showcases not only the fabulous vocals of the duo, but also the excellent songcraft of Valerie Simpson/ Nick Ashford/ Jo Armstead and the superb musicianship of the NYC studio group (probably propelled along by Bernard Purdie on drums).
Hailing from Detroit, this was the debut single from Eric & The Vikings; the song was a HUGE hit in Detroit, which allowed producer Popcorn Wylie to sign them to Motown for a few excellent singles. The record is another fantastic example of the early 70's group harmony revival, capped off with an incredibly smooth lead vocal from Eric McClinton.
Hailing from Atlanta, GA, the Decisions were a young harmony group that were picked up by Los Angeles based Sussex Records. Looks like the group was moved to L.A, as producer Mike Stokes was the label's house producer. The group cut what looks like three singles, including one (probably) cut in Detroit.
The single has that excellent, early 70's swing capped with sweet group vocals, driven along by that excellent bubbling bass guitar.
Deeply soulful vocal? Check. Waltz time? Check. Fuzz guitar? check. HARMONICA solo? check. All ingredients for the kind of thing that is GUARANTEED to get my attention. Most strangely of all, this amazing record was produced by guitar legend/ country-politan pioneer Chet Atkins.
Carmen Cole released a few other records, but I'm afraid that I don't know any biographical info about her. I find these type of records fascinating; a well known country music producer branching out into a whole new thing.
I was very sad to hear that legendary musician Bob Welch ended his life at his own hand. I believe this to be his first recorded work, and shows his guitar skills laid out over two amazing sides. Bob, of course, went on to lead the "interim" Fleetwood Mac (after Peter Green and before Lindsey Buckingham) and had some solo hits that were some of the most inspired '70's rock.
(Originally posted 8/2009) One
Of the greatest (and quite possibly THE finest) west coast soul record,
this sublime 2 sider is a record I dreamed of owning for a long time,
and happily it now resides in a special place in my collection. Sure,
the labels may be in rough condition but the record sounds great and I
am just glad to have it any any condition, and very happy to share it
with everyone here. Part of the fun in collecting records is the
anticipation of getting certain ones, and if we had 'em all, there's
nowhere else to go (so I don't mind if it takes me many years to get
that particular record; it's worth the wait).
The Seven
Souls were formed at the University of Oregon, and were an integrated
group who moved south to Los Angeles and were taken under the tutelage
of musician/ producer/ pimp Larry Williams who cut this absolutely
perfect record with them. Sadly, they only released one other record (OK
but not at the other worldly level of this one). The group sported not
only two phenomenal lead singers (Ivory Hudson takes the lead on 'I
Still Love You", and sax player Henry Moore sings I'm No Stranger) but
young Bob Welch (later of the early 70's lineup of Fleetwood Mac which
gave us "Sentimental Lady") is playing those tasty guitar licks.
Fresno, California (located in the hot, dry central valley) is as far away culturally from L.A or San Francisco as Iowa. I'm not knocking those areas, simply stating that the areas are far more rural and less progressive and free spirited as the coast.
Taking into account their geography it makes it that much cooler that such a great single can come out of an area like this. Road Runners were a TIGHT garage band (just the type that I love) and their instrumental and song craft were shown to great affect on this record. The production on this record, while raw, is excellent- the big mass of instruments (organ, fuzz guitar, sax, those pounding drums) are all heard very clearly with the vocals framed in perfect sonic space.
A truly excellent record that could have been a big hit had it seen bigger distribution.
Simply because there are SO MANY fabulous records that were released during my favorite era of music, I am hesitant to make up top ten lists or pick favorites. Listening to this record today, however, I can think of none that are "better"; this is absolute music perfection, laid out between two sides that total 4:41.
Today is my birthday, and I tend to get reflective on days like this. Thanks to social networking (it's not ALL bad, you know), I been flooded with incredible words from friends all around the world. I'm not trying to brag, but I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been able to work in the music biz all around the world, and have met hundreds of incredible people along the way, and it shows that the gap between us all is incredibly small. We may be thousands of miles away, but we're all very, very similar; languages and colors are NOT a divider, only a reminder that life is not black and white but made up of billions of colors, and the flavor of our diversity is akin to how we season our food. If there is no flavor, it's bland and who wants that?
King Solomon. We lost him recently but the records that he bequeathed upon us are some of the most moving, beautiful and REAL pieces of art that can ever grace our ears. I know I'm writing more than usual today, but there are so many moments in "Home In Your Heart" that are mindblowing; first off, whoever is behind the drum kit has a direct hotline to MY heart, and his stop time fills are not only impressive but so effective to complement the lyrics. Then there's the matter of Solomon's voice; in a world full of musical fakery, this is a man that fully believes what he's singing here, and throws his entire soul into the performance, sending the microphone, preamps, and/or tape machine into distortion at JUST the right times, as the distortion drives home words that he wants to enunciate with even more color. It's all capped off with a slightly sinister laugh at the outro...I've listened to it a dozen times this morning and I could easily listen a dozen more.
"Words", the other side, is one of those southern soul ballads that helped make Solomon the stuff of legend early in his career; Solomon's effect on his female fans is the type of lore that is best devoured in Guralnick's excellent "Sweet Soul Music" book.
I hope you enjoy today's post; it's possibly the greatest record ever made. But I could just as easily give that award to "Cry To Me"... Good, better, best doesn't really matter; I'm simply thankful for ALL of it. Since I've already turned in more words than normal, I'll tell you the story on why I started this blog. I had just been through the most difficult breakup of my life, and I realized more than ever that music was the salvation, specifically those little records that spin at 45 RPM. I figured that since they brought so much happiness to my life, it only made sense to spread the love; it's heartwarming when I receive messages thanking me for what I do, because it's validation that my intention has been a success.
This is the type of record that I find most difficult to write about; I don't know much biographical info on the group, and the fact that it's a sweaty, smoky, lowdown, booty shaking r&b jam doesn't allow much in the way of descriptive writing (or perhaps it just DID and that's all I need to say).
Albert, Jerry & Roman Carter, from Garland, Alabama, cut this record in Shreveport, LA with Jewel Records owner Duke Coleman. The group recorded a small handful of other singles before the group ended in '67, allegedly because Albert & Jerry were drafted. Roman Carter continued on as a blues performer, and as far as I know nothing has been heard collectively from the Carter Brothers since.
Songwriter/
producer Bobby Miller created one of Motown's greatest, dreamiest
records here with former Temptation Eddie Kendricks; this song has taken
on mythic proportions over the years, and it's strange to think that it
languished as a b-side on a non-hit single upon its original release.
Every element, every instrument and Eddie's vocal are the stuff of musical perfection here; Bobby Miller applied the same type of magic to (most notably) the "comeback" era of The Dells, culminating with the tracks and singles which became the "There Is" LP- one of the finest soul LP's ever released.
While so many vocal groups saw numerous lineup changes through their runs, The Whispers (one of the longest running of all) saw very few; the original core of twins Wallace "Scotty" & Walter Scott, Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell remained intact from 1964 until 1973, when Gordy Harmon was replaced by Leaveil Degree. The group remained solid in their lineup until 1992, when Marcus Hutson left due to illness; he was not replaced, as the group chose to continue as a four piece. The group was formed in the Watts section of Los Angeles, and with the exception of a brief period recording in Philadelphia, their entire career was spent recording in L.A.
The Whispers harmony blend is the stuff of legend; their early singles from L.A based Dore records are some of the finest soul ballads of the era. This dreamy track is yet another great example of the group's sound; framed by a fabulous lead vocal from Scotty Scott, the group harmonies are simply divine.
I'm truly honored to be part of such a stellar lineup of DJ's from around the globe, all gathering in Chicago the weekend of June 22-23. This is the tenth anniversary of Mod Chicago, and we need YOU to make it the best one yet.
I didn't know until recently that Muddy Waters' version of "Got My Mojo Working" not only was a remake, but also Muddy basically lifted the song. Written by Preston Foster, Ann Cole cut the original version of "Mojo", and while they were on a joint tour, Muddy learned the song, reworked a few lyrics and claimed authorship (makes the thievery of Jimmy Page/ Led Zeppelin look a little better, perhaps)! Foster's publisher sued Muddy's publisher and while the judgement was found in favor of Foster, Muddy's records still listed him as author for many years.
Ann's reading of Mojo here is downright frightening, and the b-side is nearly an equal- Ann takes an incredibly simple lyric and turns it into a primal haiku over a flat out rocking track.
Ann Cole was WAY ahead of her time on this record; both sides sound far more like 1960 in their raw intensity. I can only imagine what it would have felt like in 1956 to hear a woman sing with such power and fury in the context of the times.
