The other day we had a discussion about the demise of the album format, as folks turn more often these days to individual tracks, the playlist, and the shuffle, as their preferred mode of listening. It all seems so new, but really it's the album that's the (relatively) new concept. Up until the technology allowed for the album in the 50's, music was sold, as is rapidly re-becoming the fashion, 1 tune at a time (plus a bonus B-side) on 78's, then 45's,then the dreaded cassingle, and finally (as single song selling was going out of fashion in favor of the gigantic record company piggy bank of digital discs) as the CD single.
Of course, nowadays single songs rule and albums are rapidly becoming an esoteric pursuit for music afficianados only. The album, perfected in the 70's as a transmission of an artists current output, is being ripped apart for playlists and scrutinized for tracks that aren't "worth it." I don't fall on either side and I hope the album stays, but I will never underestimate the power of a single, especially when it arrives on a 45.
Soul (and then funk) man Darrow Fletcher came up in the time when albums were not the typical mode for soul music. Sure there were LP's in '66, but the concept of the soul LP was still just a gleam in the eye of folks like Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye. In fact, though he cut close to 20 singles in an active career that spanned 9 labels and 13 years, Darrow Fletcher never made an album. I don't know the why's and wherefore's of all that, but I do know it makes his records a little more rare and a lot more enticing to crate diggers, especially those of the Northern Soul variety, to whom Darrow is a legend.
That's Darrow singing at 2006's Cleethorpe's Weekender, where organizers spared no expense to track down the long retired Fletcher, whose rare 45's have fueled dancers for years. The Northern folks have basically rescued his oeuvre which consists of Motwn-esque kid soul (his first records came out when he was 14) to a more mature funk sound that came in with his 70's records.
First up, 'cause it's Funky Friday, is 1970's Now Is The Time For Love, a percussion,flute, and wah wah thing that was released on the tiny Genna label.
Now Is The Time For LoveDon't mind that 45 surface noise..
Funk was not all Mr. Fletcher did as evidenced by this other A+B from 1970, cut for the larger (but often very soulful UNI label) When Love Calls-A/Changing by The Minute-B
Next up are the tunes that tend to tickle the fancy of Northern Soul folk..singles Darrow cut in '66 for the Groovy label when he was barely a teen..His debut and his 3rd record. The Pain Gets A Little Deeper
Gotta Draw The Line
Finally,' cause of the day, I'll give you a taste of his late work with a 1978 single he cut for Atco/Atlantic..The voice was still there, and the groove is no slouch, but funk was on it's downhill slope by then. So, after years of scuffling around in the minors, Darrow got called up to the majors for one more shot. Evidently (and it's amazing considering who got to make albums by '78) the suits didn't have an album in the marketing plans for Mr. Fletcher either, but with the scant info available on him, I can't really say why he never cut an LP or why he dropped out of the biz. Many thanks to the soul collective across the pond for bringing him back and teaching me yet another thing I didn't know. The education continues... Improve-1978
I'll submit that Darrow Fletcher is at least one reason why the album isn't the be all and end all of music delivery. It's kind of fitting (though somewhat annoying) that there isn't a Darrow Fletcher album or, at the very least ,a compilation of his work out there for folks to dig. Of course, some would prefer the 45's, and for now that's all we've got.
About 2 Years ago I made a post about a cat that I was having trouble finding info on. Despite still being alive, having recorded for Stax and Motown, and having worked extensively with Bill Cosby, the information available on Stu Gardner was limited to just a few hits on the net that provided limited and very specific data. I pulled together what I found into the best timeline I could get for Stu.
Most excellently, my little aggregation project kicked up enough dust to get a response from "Stu's people" (which was cool) and more importantly bloggers, who helped dig out a lot more music and data on Stu.
The post is a fave of mine because it led me to 3 albums and a single that barely make a blip on the internet, but are incredibly solid soul and funk records. So what follows is the original post with additional tunes and info. I hope you dig or re-dig Stu. Stu Gardner-Drive Me (1966-A&M 827)
One of the ways I try to keep track of all the music I listen to, is to keep a file of songs that make an impression on me. When I get a CD's worth, I burn it and listen to the songs some more. In working through the last few volumes of The Complete Motown Singles, one artist kept grabbing me:Stu Gardner.
Stu recorded for Hugh Masekela's Chisa label, which had a deal for distribution with Motown from '69 to '71. During that period Stu made 5 songs. I had never heard any of them prior to the boxes, and they are all good. They don't sound anything like the Motown of the period, 'cause these are real Soul records, with more than a touch of funk. Not only is the sound pure Soul, but Stu can really sing. I'm talking Joe Tex,Otis Redding type singing. I had to see what was up with Stu, so I started digging. Although there weren't a lot of initial sources, Stu's story runs long and deep.
(The 1966 Drive Me single is something I didn't have the first time I posted about Stu. Spanish Northern Soul collector, Danny (aka Soul Rocket) hooked me up)
Looking for an overview I headed to All Music Guide, and there was nothing. The great notes in the Motown boxes started to point me in the right direction, mentioning his early band, the Stu Gardner Trio and an appearance as a soul singer in John Boorman's 1967 film, Point Blank. (All Music Guide recently added an entry for Stu, coincidence? More on that later)
On a google search I pulled up a Wolfgang's vault page with an old Filmore West Poster, showing "the Trio" opening on a few Blues gigs in '67..Stu's in the middle, down below John Lee Hooker.
The song in the video appears on the movie soundtrack, but I haven't been able to dig that up, or any other recordings of the Stu Gardner Trio. Stu's Trio was also busy as an opener for Masekela at LA's Whisky A Go-Go and this led to the release of Stu's debut, To Soul with Love. Did I mention that Stu also played keyboards..
Released in '67 on Revue Records (A Division of Uni)To Soul With Love is pretty much as rare as an unindicted Illinois Governor. Chased after by Northern Soul folks and Deep Soul collectors, it was difficult to come up with a picture of the cover, let alone tunes. Many thanks to the splendid In Dangerous Rhythm blog for posting tunes from this record. A real revelation to me. Hugh Masekela produced To Soul With Love, backed by the Crusaders. I'll Always Love You
Soul Wrecker
Never Gonna Hurt Again
To Soul with Love didn't sell well, evidently it received very little promotion, because UNI was only interested in Hugh Masekela and The Crusaders, so Stewart Levine (Hugh's partner) and the Chisa label looked for a new home at Motown. Motown was looking for new labels and looking to expand to LA, so it was a perfect fit. Over the next 2 and half years Chisa put out some great records for Motown, but none of them were hits, including Stu's records.
(You'll find these tunes on volumes 9+10 of the Complete Motown Singles) Home On The Range
It's A Family Thang
Mend This Generation
Expressin' My Love
I Don't Dream No More
Sidetrack 1
There is no doubt that Bill Cosby would've seen Stu Gardner around LA in this period (68-71). Bill was signed to UNI records for one and releasing his own music records along with his ultra popular comedy stylings. Here's Bill's 1969 single Hikky Burr pt.1..cut as Bill Cosby with the Bunions Bradford Band. It was a theme to a short lived sit com. As you can see on the label it was made with Quincy Jones and featured the LA session elite (Carol Kaye, Earl Palmer,etc.). Bill Cosby- Hicky Burr-Pt.1
I think that UNI thought Bill's effort here was a little strange, but that's where Bill's head was at, and for his next record, Badfoot Brown and the Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band, he continued in the abstract direction. We get back to our story here, because Stu Gardner, as Stoobie, produced and played on this record and the next Bunions record. Both of which are incredibly rare slabs of jazz funk, mainly written by Cosby. This one was reissued by Dusty Groove in 2008:
The first Badfoot Brown record features the tune Martin's Funeral, a fifteen minute instrumental. The liner notes contain Cosby's essay talking about his feelings surrounding the funeral of Martin Luther King, jr. and are worth the admission price of the CD..If you are pressed for time check out the edited version here..
Martins Funeral (edit)
Sidetrack 2
It's cool to see how deep A Tribe Called Quest digs in the crates. Here's their flip of Martin's Funeral.. A Tribe Called Quest-We Can Get Down
If you have the time, I'd recommend listening to the whole track,too. It is pretty damn cool, even without the back story. Martin's Funeral (full 15 minute + version)
Stu Sings For Badfoot Brown
As popular as Mr. Cosby was, I guess the folks at UNI were a bit put off by a 2 song instrumental LP, so Badfoot and The Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching band were dropped. Withough missing a beat, Sussex Records picked up the next installment. Stu Gardner stepped up to the mike this time, on the "hit" single, Mouth of The Fish..only 4+ minutes..Radio ready, I'm not sure, but a Rare Funk gem nonetheless.
Mouth of the Fish
My trail goes cold on Stu after the second BBBBMFB record until 1974, when Stu shows up with an album for the financially teetering Stax empire. Volt 9503, Stu Gardner and The Sanctified Sounds, has less info on it than just about any of the records here and I can't find a pic of the cover, but there is this bumpin' little number (Devil In A Man), that shows up on a Stax comp or 2 (not on the 10 CD box set from the era though..shame on them). (This is one of the records I got from the original post..thanks to Lafayette at Four Brothers Weekly. The record has been reissued by P-Vine in Japan. It's also got Stu on the board at All Music Guide, where it is called a solid if unspectacular effort by a journeyman artist..I respectfully disagree). Devil In A Man
Sister Matilda
Funky Neighborhood
After my original post, I also discovered another item that Stu was involved in for Stax. In the comments of the original Stu post, Phil/DJ Inna Soul from across the pond in the UK dug out a session where Stu played keys and got some songwriting credits. Jazz drummer Chico Hamilton's 1973 The Master LP also has some other backing musicians you might recognize as the core of Little Feat.
Bass - Kenny Gradney
Congas - Sam Clayton , Simon Nava
Drums - Chico Hamilton
Engineer - Larry Hirsch
Guitar - Paul Barrere
Guitar [Slide] - Lowell George
Organ - Stu Gardner
Piano - Bill Payne
Lowell George had a few choice comments about the gig..
"It was very fast. It was all recorded in three days and they were all jams. We got payed less for that work than any other. I mean Stax Records is notorious for not paying, and they didn't. Then they resold the product to an advertising agency and they made a Porsche commercial out of it. And nobody got a penny for it. We even wrote the tunes and nobody got any publishing money. What a disaster." (Lowell in Oz)
I don't know if it's a he-said she said thing about who got paid, but Stax was in pretty rough shape around that time. Definitely a record of interest... Fancy
Feels Good
Stu
Why is Stu Smiling? The 70's were pretty good to him, I'd say. He went on to do a lot of LA session work, reunited with Cosby for an '83 album from the stage film, Himself, was the Music Director for The Cosby Show (Huxtable version), composed the themes for A Different World, Living Single, and Little Bill, and started the band NGFOOT (Nine Guys from out of town), who have released albums (in a jazz vein) as recently as 2006. He is also a music educator and runs a foundation that offers scholarships to inner city youth.
Check out any of Stu's stuff..you don't have to look to hard to find the joy that comes from a life of making music. If anyone can contribute any other info on Stu, I'd be glad to see/hear it. Thanks to all the blogs and the Motown boxes, for the info. It's been fun boogeying with Stu. Stu at CD Baby Volt Records Discography Revue Records Discography
Additional Note:In the post I posited that Stu might be the only artist who recorded for Stax and Motown, but since then I found another (and she's good,too):Mabel John
I don't do a traditional year end top 10 or 20 anymore. I just don't gather round the internet water cooler every Tuesday chatting up new releases like I used to, so I don't think my list for 2010 would mean a whole lot. That is not to say that I don't listen to new music, I just don't do it with the kind of urgency I used to. It is also not to say that I don't look for new (or,especially, new to me) sounds.
(OK,OK here's my 2010 Top 10, and yes, some of these are reissues and yes, some may have been released in '09)
In the last ten years I've probably listened to more new and new-to-me music than any ten year period of my 30+ years of music junkiehood. I also listen differently than I used to. Because of the staggering volume of music that is available, I'm just not able to spend as much time with a new record as I used to, because there is so much at my fingertips. I still buy albums, but they just aren't the same to me..not because they are any better or worse than they used to be, but because after I spin an LP once, that's usually it. I may playlist a few songs or include a track on a mix tape or two, but rarely do I return to an entire album. I'm more likely to give certain playlists or mix CD multiple spins, than I am to listen to an album repeatedly (as was my MO in previous years).
So, what I have here are songs that really grabbed me over the last ten years. These are tunes that caused me to back off the internet fueled music gorging I've been doing and hit the rewind button...again and again. Some are relatively new, some are ancient. I'm not saying these are the best songs I heard in the last ten years, but, at least for me, these tunes rose above digital din and reminded me why I keep looking for new records.
You can skip around the tracks in this divshare list (you can also hear them in order) or check out the mix at 8tracks (below). If the track has a link, that means I wrote about it on MOG and you can click through to those words if you like.
1.Inell Young- What Do You See In Her
Rumored to be a kiss off tune aimed at Eddie Bo, who produced 4 of the 6 sides she waxed A cool slice of NOLA Soul.
2. On Verra Ça - Orchestra Baobob
Everybody told me Pirates Choice was the Baobob record to get, but this track from their American debut, Specialist in All Styles, was the keeper for me.
3. I Got Loaded - Lil Bob & The Lollipops I came to this NOLA classic very late via the Los Lobos version. Soundmen may wince when they hear the squeaky hi hat, but that's just one of the many endearing things about his tune..another being that I've got my 9 year old singing it.
4. Gary Song -Alice Smith I worked as a distributor for this record in 2006. After listening to it once (like I do), I passed it on to my wife. She flipped a gasket over Ms. Smith and reintroduced it to me. Alice can sing, whisper, and belt, often in the same tune and with great authority. Her only album to date, For Lovers, Dreamers, and Me, got caught up in music biz hell and Alice has not gotten the recognition she deserves. A singing specialist in all styles.
5. Hey Ya!- Outkast (Andre 3000) Nope, I wasn't immune to the charms of this tune. It kept me from driving off the road on the long trip I used to make from Albany to Brooklyn and back, which I did every couple of weeks for a year or so back in the middle of the decade.
6.God Is A Good God-Campbell Bros. W/Katie Jackson
Burning pedal steel track with booming vocals from the essential Sacred Steel-Live! album on Arhoolie. Religious and Rocking, but this ain't Stryper.
7. Come Down Now- Passing Strange(Broadway Cast)
I finally got around to liking Stew in 2008. He and his writing partner, Heidi Rodewald had been making music as The Negro Problem for over 10 years, but it was this musical (their first) that opened the door to their music for me. What took me so long? My old boss had been telling me to go there for years and he wasn't lying. Stew and Heidi, in whatever guise their music appears, are always a revelation.
8. Awufuni Ukulandela Na?- Izintombi Zasi Manje Manje The whole compilation that this tune appears on, Next Stop...Soweto, is choice South African pop, but the sheer joy of this track (not to mention the guitar and drums), easily crack through the language barrier. The first time I heard this tune I hit rewind at least 10 times.
9. Raw Spitt- Raw Spitt (Charlie Whitehead) The compilation, Songs To Sing-The Charlie Whitehead Anthology, houses the output of a journeyman soul singer who worked with legendary, iconclast producer/artist Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams). Their 1970 album was billed simply as Raw Spitt..need I Say more? 10. Shake Daddy Shake - Eula Cooper Don't know if this got so popular that Northern Soul DJ's leave it alone, but this Georgia based Soul singer cut a heap of sharp tracks for the Note and Tragar labels. Easy to find nowadays thanks to the Numero group's Eccentric Soul series. 11.If You Believe Your God Is Dead, Try Mine- The Swan Silvertones
Now, I love Gospel Quartet music from it's heydey in the 50's and before, but this 1969 cut from the long running Silvertones is more Godfather of Soul, than God the Father, if you know what I'm sayin'..
12.Long Time - The Roots I also missed the boat on The Roots until I came across this track from their 2006 Game Theory LP. When I started music blogging in 2006, it was one of the first songs I wrote about (badly,too). Black Thought's first verse was staggering to me. I'm sure fans of the band were not surprised and going back through their stuff, I can see why.
13. Kokoriko-T.P. Orchestre Poly Rhythmo The incredible Soundway label introduced me to Benin's T.P. Orchestre Poly Rhythmo back in 2005. The band has released over 50 albums in their home country and the comp, Kings Of Benin Urban Groove 1972-1980, distills it all down to an almost perfect 13 song primer of their intricate,layered,pan-continental Funk.
14. Roll Call - Oliver Morgan
A New Orleans party on wax, with an excellent back story to boot. Check the link.
15. Rudi- Butch Cassidy Sound System
Here's one my six year old (at the time) son and I could agree on. A mix of live instruments, cut and paste tech, and loads of reggae vibes.
16. Another New Day-Jazzanova A post-2K record, but with a drum and conga breakthat reminded me of James Brown and Dennis Coffey. I couldn't get enough of this tune.
17. Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu- Alhaji K. Frimpong
A 1976 cut from Ghana's highlife master finally reached me in 2006. I've subsequently searched out everything I could find on Mr. Frimpong, but I never found anything quite this good. The slippery organ is one key, but the 2+ minute intro is what keeps me coming back to this one.
18. This Broken Heart - The Sonics
As far as I know the Funkadelic version of this tune from, Cosmic Slop, is the only commercially released cover song P-Funk ever waxed. A sweet late period doo wop cut from the Chess Rhythm and Roll box set.
19. I Can Feel the Ice Melting- The Parliaments Althoughit isn't the most danceable cut in the P-Funk canon, it was the first cut my wife and I danced to at our wedding, which was almost 10 years ago. When we first met, I was obsessing over this tune and I brought my wife along for the ride.
20. How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
After a few years of raw funk from Sharon and the boys, in 2005 they released a record that showcased a more soulful sound...and the rest is neo-retro-soul history. It's funny that I discovered the Inell Young cut (track 1) around the same time..I find the sound and vibe of the tunes eerily similar.
So there they are, in all their highly subjective, thoroughly un-scientific, glory. After almost 10 years of digital gluttony, I'm still not sold on the way I listen to music these days, but I sure as hell don't like music any less.
Originally posted on MOG 4.26.2007
I know a guy who plays bagpipes in one of those bagpipe clubs that is always appearing at funerals and parades and such. I thought I'd impress him by dropping Rufus Harley's name and mentioning that he was one of the few jazz bagpipe cats out there. My guy said, yeah, he knew about Rufus, but wasn't that impressed with his piping.No music conversion points for me, boo hoo, but then I said (begin embellishment here),"oh yeah, well you've probably only heard the records he made in the 60's for Joel Dorn at Atlantic (Reissued in their complete form-Courage:The Atlantic Recordings by Rhino Handmade). Have you heard his later self-released stuff." My piper said, "no." Aha vindication! So folks, this is the good Rufus, from '72's Re Creation of the Gods. Never (for me) have drums, b-3, and bagpipes come together like this, and lord knows, this is plenty. Jazz dancers resurrected Malika (track 7) in the late 80's and I've been grooving ever since.
Since, I made this post I found out two things. The first is that Rufus Harley passed away in 2006 (Times Obit) and the second is that Re Creation of the Gods has been reissued. RIP, Mr. Harley.
Rufus Harley-Re Creation Of the Gods (Complete LP)
originally posted 3.21.2008
While the "coalition" has been scouring the world looking for evil doers, a few things have been missed..Osama and Weapons Of Mass Destruction being the first that come to mind. What is little known, though, is that during the war, while turning every stone for terrorists, some incredible Funk has been found, in places you might not expect.I'm not a general so I won't speculate on how the War on Terror is going, but in the Search for Funk, coalition forces most definitely have earned this..Mission Accomplished. Israel-The Apples
original Osaka Monaurail post 2.14.2008
After the FIFA World Cup ended this summer, I put together a battle of funk and groove bands that replicated the South African tournament. I "replayed" all the matches and came up with quite a different result. One of the surprises of my Funk and Groove World Cup was Japan, who advanced to the Quarterfinals. A big part of Japan's deep run in the tournament were it's two main raw funk exports...Osaka Monaurail and Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro. Take a look at the 2010 Funk and Groove World Cup final 16 bracket.
I first wrote about Osaka Monaurail for a Funky Friday post back in 2008 after I finally heard about their collab (15 months after its release) with James Brown alum, Marva Whitney. New, New Superheavy Sushi Funk
I know a phone call that made somebody's day...This was the call when Marva Whitney's (that's the Marva Whitney that sang with the James Brown review) manager called the manager of the Osaka Monaurail (Japan's primo JB-esque funk kings, named after a late period JB's album), and said,"Yes,Ms.Whitney would be glad to cut a record with you."
If you are the top funk band in Japan, and have pretty much styled your sound on the James Brown big-funk-band model, you would be ecstatic to back one of The Man's best singers. The fact that the vocals are really the only thing missing from your complete mastery of the JB sound, does not escape you, and so,problem solved, you go out and cut the best post-James Brown, James Brown record by a country mile. Marva Whitney w/Osaka Monaurail
This is good old funk here folks, with strong female vox, and a tight-as-a-drum band, that knows where The One is, and takes solos the way Fred and Maceo used to do. Like the myriad of soul artists "coming back" with new records Marva Whitney proves age ain't nuthin' but a number, and, in fact, the added maturity adds even more grit to a voice that was already down and dirty. I think it was an article in Wax Poetics where I found out about the Osaka Monaurail, and I have to admit, I was mighty skeptical. Truth is though, these cats can lay it down. If you enjoyed the funky soul that Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse have made with The Dap Kings, then this record should be right up your alley. Please have a funky friday.
back to 2010..
So coming into the tournament this fall, I knew Japan had at least one strong entrant, in the form of the Monaurail, but without repeating myself, how would Japan compete in their group with Holland, Denmark, and Cameroon. A little research delivered, Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro. The MMK drop some fine instrumental funk, but the Osaka boys come with longevity (and vocals), having been working on their JB-styled grooves since back in 1992, releasing upwards of 7 albums worth of material, since the 2000 debut, What It Is , What It Was. Still though, the MMK spreads it's wings a lot further and faster than the Monaurail, covering grooves in quite a different bag from the Godfather. And yet, the Osaka Monaurail does the JB thing so well (with and without vocals), you can see why they wear the crown. But let's let the music decide this matter.. Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro- S/T (2009)
The MMK have a second LP, that goes by the name of, Uhuru Peak. Check out an interview talking about the new record at Jelly Jazz and see the vid for the lead track (Aint Got Nobody) I'm Just A Ramblin' Man right here:
For their part Osaka Monaurail have been very busy with European tours (they just released a Live in Spain record) and putting out a steady stream of releases since their debut. All of these, excluding the Marva Whitney record , have gotten very little coverage here in the US, although Dusty Groove tries to keep their records in stock (at $30 bucks a pop, this can be a pretty expensive crate dig).
Here's a snippet of what you might've seen if you caught their 2010 Euro tour: Osaka Monaurail-Live
Osaka Monaurail - Just Being Free (2001)
Osaka Monaurail -Tighten Up (2006)-stretching a bit from the JB mold on a mostly instrumental soul covers record.
Osaka Monaurail-Quicksand (2006)
This is just a small sampling of the Monaurail's funk oeuvre, but I am going to let the challengers have the last live word. I'll leave the judging up to you. Wagering is not necessary, because funk is its own reward. Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro-Live
Originally posted 1.29.10
During the first half of the 20th century nearly every town had 2 or 3 recording studios, a handful of clubs, and a few larger venues where music was made. In the most places you could usually find all these outlets in pairs..for every whites only venue, there was a similar spot for black folks only. In the Northern States it was somewhat less overt, but it was still the general rule as deep segregation was the written and unwritten law of the land. Things relaxed a bit in the music world though, even in the south. Rhythm and Blues was at the forefront of this boundary blurring, most famously at places like Atlantic Records, Fame Studios, and Stax, but also in Nashville.
Nashville Jumps - Cecil Gant (1949-Bullet 250)
Though it was the (business)home of country music, Nashville also had a separate (and perhaps even equal) black music scene, featuring clubs (the New Era, the Del Morocco and Maceo's), a major chitlin circuit theater (The Bijou), a 50,000 watt radio station (WLAC), and more than one label focusing on R&B records (Bullet, Sound Stage 7,Dot, Silver Fox, SSS International).
"In 1962, a struggling musician was living above a Nashville nightclub in an apartment furnished with little more than a mattress and a light bulb. Perfecting his guitar playing at home during the day and performing in local clubs at night, he eventually attained worldwide fame. It's a stereotypical Nashville success story, to be sure, but there's a twist. The tale isn't about a country musician. The guitar player's name was Jimi Hendrix." (CMT news)
A few years back The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (which, although I can't vouch from personal experience, sounds like it slays the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame) put on an exhibit called Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970, that opened up Nashville's R & B closet. In conjunction there were also 2 double discs released that showcased local acts and the output of local labels.
The exhibit told the story of Nashville's black music scene going all the way back to the Fisk Jubilee singers in the 1870's, through the dawn of Rhythm & Blues (see Nashville native Cecil Gant's Nashville Jumps), up to the demise of the soul club scene in the late 70's (percipitated by the construction of I-40 and the record industry's love affair with disco).
One of the main proponents of Nashville R & B was a DJ at WLAC, John Richbourg, a white man, who went by John R on the air, and laid on the jive pretty thick. He also went on the produce records (well over 100 sides) for Sound Stage Seven and his own labels, Seventy Seven and Sound Plus, as well as manage the career of Joe Simon.
Joe Simon - Moon Walk Part 1 (1969-Sound Stage 7)
She's A Wiggler - Fenton Robinson (1971-Sound Stage 7)
Hey, Lucinda - Betty Everett (1976-Sound Stage 7)
We're Not too young -The Continental Showstoppers (197?-Seventy seven Records)- A Northern Soul Fave
There weren't a ton of major hits that came out of Sound Stage 7, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the output from the small indie label. Richbourg was a dedicated soulman producing records in black southern styles until his death from cancer in 1986. The performers at a 1984 benefit put together to cover his medical expenses give you an idea of how important he was to the soul community...
"By 1984, Richbourg was dying from lung cancer. His wife, Margaret, and singer Jackey Beavers, a longtime associate, organized a benefit concert to help pay the announcer's steep medical bills. The March 26, 1985 show, held at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House, included numerous artists who were featured in John R.'s broadcasts: James Brown, B. B. King, the Neville Brothers, Rufus Thomas, The Tams, The Coasters, gospel singer Bobby Jones (who then hosted a local TV program), and Beavers (now the pastor of a Cartersville, Georgia church) himself. In his book, Wes Smith commented that James Brown gave one of the best performances of his career at the event." (wiki)
John R (Richbourg) Aircheck from WLAC
Another big name in Nashville was iconoclast record man Shelby Singleton. He started as a regional promo guy in Shreveport, LA for Mercury/Smash, scouring the South for sales and finding new records and labels that he would try to break nationally. After being elevated to producer, he went indie. He wasn't based in Nashville but he spent a lot of time there, starting the Plantation, SSS International , and (with Lelan Rogers -Texas cat who recorded the 13th Floor Elevators) the Silver Fox label. He hit big with novelty country hits from Ray Stevens (Ahab The Arab) and Jeannie C. Riley (Harper Valley PTA), but he had his hands in a lot of Soul records, from his labels and as a producer for Brook Benton. His final claim to fame (and reason for his inclusion in the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame) is that he bought Sun Records in 1969, and oversaw the reissues of that seminal labels' output. The vibe you get from Mr. Singleton's story is that he was all about the music (that would sell), whether it was soul, garage, rockabilly,or country. Betty Harris-There's A Break in The Road (1969-SSS International)
Mickey Murray-Stickey Sue (SSS International) Bettye LaVette-Do Your Duty (1970-Silver Fox Records)
Big Al Downing-Cornbread Row (1969-Silver Fox Records)(You can hear why Big Al also had a few country hits)
There were no barriers for Mr. Singleton:
(His) roster included artists of varying styles, and it was not uncommon for Mr. Singleton to preside over sessions that featured African-American artists and white musicians.
"He brought (African-American) artists to town and put them up at his house," said Kennedy, who often engineered sessions that Mr. Singleton produced, and who also produced hundreds of records for Kennedy-owned labels. "He brought people like Clyde McPhatter, Brook Benton and Ruth Brown here, and the only hotel where they were allowed to stay was the old Eldorado, in North Nashville. So most of the time, the artists stayed with Shelby."
Shelby Singleton died in 2009 at 77, another great loss from a year that saw a lot of great folks from the music biz pass away. Another loss in 2009 was the Blues guitarist Johnny Jones. He arrived in Nashville from Chicago in the early 60's after holding down gigs with Junior Wells and Earl King. It is said that upon his return he battled Hendrix in a guitar duel at the Club Baron. Hendrix and Billy Cox played in a band called the King Casuals. Johnny Jones replaced Hendrix in the lineup when Jimi headed for New York. He played in and around Nashville for years, releasing his own music and touring with "Gatemouth" Brown and Bobby Bland. Later in his career Johnny Jones backed another Nashville R&B legend, the vocalist, Earl Gaines. Mr Gaines, sadly, also passed away in 2009. Like we've all noted it was a tough year.
Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers w/Earl Gaines-It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day) (1955-Excello)
Johnny Jones And The King Casuals-Soul Poppin (1968-Peachtree)
The Nashville Soul Story keeps giving though, because Music City was also home to Bobby Hebb("Sunny") and southern soul master Arthur Alexander, whose tunes (Anna,You Better Move on) were covered by the Beatles and The Stones, not to mention a tune he did that Elvis had a comeback with (Burning Love).
Arthur Alexander - Burnin' Love (1972-Warner Bros.)
