Ashford, Simpson, Armstead

I'm always in an Ashford & Simpson mood, whether it be their pre-Motown compositions, their super superb Motown years [[no surprise there):o, their own recordings, and their later work with Gladys & The Pips @ Columbia, Ullanda McCullough, Diana, Stephanie Mills, etc.

This morning I've been listening to a playlist I had created with songs A&S had written with Jo "Joshie" Armstead. This awesome trio wrote some great songs together and I wanted to post some of my favs on SDF for others to enjoy as well. Have a great Saturday everyone!

Doris Troy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb0W4nx2JRY

Betty Lavette:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLy1m-xy_vM

This version of "Let's Go Get Stoned" was recorded in 1965 by Chuck Bernard, a year prior to Ray Charles' version. I preferred Chuck Bernard's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkxueaZ7Er0

Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOXxMMtP-FU

The Diplomats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6-2eizCyDI

Jimmy Bailey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsWX8GhzdzQ

Jo Ann & Troy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFRwJPZDpBA

The Kittens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbgIfZnrq0U

Maxine Brown:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35q32uwDn-o

Tina Britt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxjSxLT2__o

The Apollas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiru3IttVn4

The Geminis [[this song was later recorded by Gladys & The Pips):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDIiPadhzpE

Tina Britt - You're Absolutely Right [[also covered by The Apollas; I prefer Tina's):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPEyod-mL6Q

The Apollas' live version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNh6Elt5nDo

Maxine Brown - One Step At A Time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G_8N_a1P8Q

Madeline Bell's version of "One Step At A Time":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALwL3K2V4c

Ray Charles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8TJnoa2WTg

The Shirelles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdvUX1i_hW4

The Blossoms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPmtIXjVE6Y

Garland Green:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfWU6c_dK8s

"Too Hot To Hold" was originally recorded by Betty Everett. I find Rosie Lopez's version more funkier...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpcNp7WJoq8

Here is Ray Charles with Susaye Greene realeased in 1969. You go Susaye!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9yJNxlS5B4

The Kittens - I Got To Know Him; written by Valerie & Joshie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EjncU41dAA

A great playlist with many surprises which shall listen to today; thanks so much for posting! , too, am an A&S fan, from back in the "Exposed" / Ellis Hazlip "Soul" days, right up through "Dinosaurs...". Thanks again!

I second what RobertZ said. Learned some stuff I didn't know before today. Didn't know anyone had ever recorded Let' Go Get Stoned before Ray Charles got a hold of that song.
With due respect to the earlier version, it needed his treatment of it! The Apollas tracks
reminded me I have to go pick up my Where The Girls Are cd from the library today...Anyway, it would be nice if someone could tell me who backed Tina Britt on her
releases or show me who The Kittens were and what they looked like.Again, great thread...
I'll come back and listen to more tracks, later. Laundry day.....

Attachment 9087
The Kittens were from Chicago's West Side. They included Joan Montgomery [[wife of The Vows' Larry Montgomery), Bernice Willis from Farragut High school, and Marshall High's Thelma Mack and her cousin Laurel Ross. They started off in 1964 [[as a 4-member group), managed by Ruth Moore, and recorded for her and Bob Lee on their small Chicago Indie label, Vick Records [[distributed by Leo Austell's Renee Records). They later worked with arranger/producer Johnny Pate with ABC-Paramount from late 1964 through early 1966, and moved on to Chess [[as a trio), after Joan and Thelma retired to have families, and Traci Williams took Thelma's place [[just before their last ABC release [["Is It Over, Baby?"). At Chess, they worked with Gerald Sims and Carl Davis during 1967-68. I saw them appear locally a few times during the mid '60s.

There's a CD out now that has many of their ABC and Chess songs: THE CHICAGO GIRLS - The Kittens The Du-Ettes & Fantaisions. It likely has a photograph of them in its booklet.

I have a photo of them from their Vick period, that was given to me by Don Montgomerie, who used to post here a lot back from 2001-2007. I'm not where the photo is right now, but, in any case, I wouldn't post the photo without his permission. I had promised him I would just keep it for my own reference, and not publish it. Don is the nephew [[adopted son) of Larry Montgomery, [[member of The Vows/Major's/Majors/Major IV) and Joan. The Vows were also managed by Ruth Moore.

My friend, Bob Abrahamian [[may he rest in peace), had an interview on his "Sitting In The Park" radio programme [[and website) of Three of The Kittens' members [[minus Joan).

Here's a link to it:
http://www.sittinginthepark.com/inte...s-7-9-2006.mp3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robb_k

Attachment 9087
The Kittens were from Chicago's West Side. They included Joan Montgomery [[wife of The Vows' Larry Montgomery, Bernice Wills from Farragut High school, and Marshall High's Thelma Mack and her cousin Laurel Ross. They started off in 1964 [[as a 4-member group), managed by Ruth Moore, and recorded for her and Bob Lee on their small Chicago Indie label, Vick Records [[distributed by Leo Austell's Renee Records). They later worked with arranger/producer Johnny Pate with ABC-Paramount from late 1964 through early 1966, and moved on to Chess [[as a trio), after Joan retired, to have a family. At Chess, they worked with Gerald Sims and Carl Davis during 1967-68. I saw them appear locally a few times during the mid '60s.

There's a CD out now that has many of their ABC and Chess songs: THE CHICAGO GIRLS - The Kittens The Du-Ettes & Fantaisions. It likely has a photograph of them in its booklet.

I have a photo of them from their Vick period, that was given to me by Don Montgomerie, who used to post here a lot back from 2001-2007. I'm not where the photo is right now, but, in any case, I wouldn't post the photo without his permission. I had promised him I would just keep it for my own reference, and not publish it. Don is the nephew [[adopted son) of Larry Montgomery, [[member of The Vows/Major's/Majors/Major IV) and Joan. The Vows were also managed by Ruth Moore.

My friend, Bob Abrahamian [[may he rest in peace), had an interview on his "Sitting In The Park" radio programme [[and website) of Three of The Kittens' members [[minus Joan).

Here's a link to it:
http://www.sittinginthepark.com/inte...s-7-9-2006.mp3

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robb k,
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and thanks for you still being here
with your knowledge of things most forgot or never knew in the first place...

Attachment 9088
Here's a scan of The Kittens' Vick record. It's pretty rare, so I thought you might like to see it.:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j5...psefw3k0ug.jpg

As far as my knowledge goes, you happened to get lucky here, because I grew up in Chicago, and saw The Kittens when they were starting out, and, just by coincidence, I am friendly with the adopted son of one of the founding group members, and also had a friend who interviewed the group. You hit the jackpot here. If you had asked about an obscure East Coast group, I might have known nothing about them, more than what labels released their records and what years they came out.

You should remember Don, Splanky. He was still posting on Soulful Detroit for a few years after you joined. Don was well loved on this forum in it's early days. He was a little kid when Larry and The Majors were still making records, and he remembers lots of Chicago's late '60s and '70s Soul recording artists, having met them personally.

Attachment 9089
Here's another Ashford-Simpson-Armstead song sung by The Kittens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kzGzRR10yjM

Attachment 9090
It might be difficult to figure out or find out who sang backgrounds on Tina Britt's Eastern Ashford/Simpson/Armstead songs. Clearly, the group on "The Real Thing" are a different group from the one who sang on "You're Absolutely Right", Her producer, Juggy Murry, used a lot of different background singers on his productions for his Sue, Symbol, Crackerjack, Eastern and Broadway Records.

The Real Things seems to have been a popular song, the first version I ever heard was the terrific one by Bette Everette. The song certainly has that Heatwave jump to it.

http://youtu.be/82qCNCpxgWo

Attachment 9092
This brings to mind the question of who were the background singers in the Betty Everett recording. Her producer, Cal Carter, used The Dells, regularly as male background singers for her. But, VJ didn't have any prolific female background group in house. I wonder if Carter used The Opals or The Kittens on that record?

Thank you for posting no_place_like_motown . I'm always in an Ashford & Simpson mood and also love the work that they have produced.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RossHolloway

The Real Things seems to have been a popular song, the first version I ever heard was the terrific one by Bette Everette. The song certainly has that Heatwave jump to it.

http://youtu.be/82qCNCpxgWo

This version of "The Re

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Attachment 9110
It sounds like this recording was sped up [[ostensibly for The Northern Soul market). Funny, it seems to me that it is LESS danceable at this faster speed!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robb_k

Attachment 9110
It sounds like this recording was sped up [[ostensibly for The Northern Soul market). Funny, it seems to me that it is LESS danceable at this faster speed!

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See I disagree, I really love this version of the song. Very Motown-esque

Attachment 9115
I like Betty Everett's version best. But, it's the real recording that's on the 45 that I like, not an artificially sped-up version. I don't think it sounds even remotely like Motown or a Detroit recording. It sounds like a Chicago recording of an Ashford-Simpson style song [[sort of New York girls group sound).

Attachment 9116
Another one by Betty written by that trio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=odnKlAsVhe8

This version by Kim D popped up on Pandora, not a bad version either.

http://youtu.be/mp6L1rnta9U