Dear Ralph: Job Well Done

[jobeterob]

Dear Ralph

I like the new way of the Forum better; it's much better to celebrate these stars of old than kicking them down all the time. I'm way more comfortable with it. It's really nice.

Keep it up. And we'll do our best too.

Rob

[ralpht]

Much appreciated, Robb. Credit the forum membership for the positive vibes on the forum these days.

[jsmith]

JOB WELL DONE ....... I believe that statement also applies to the work detailed here (by UK soul fan Rob Moss) ....

...... Ed Wolfrum .... “When I first went in (to Motown) I did a lot of recording with people like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, Kim Weston, Supremes. Well, pretty well all their artists really. It was all very exciting because the company was so hot and many of the sessions we did became big hits. I got to work with all the musicians too. They were great. Probably the best group of guys I ever worked with, particularly the rhythm section. People like James Jamerson, Benny, Uriel, Earl, Eddie Willis, Joe Hunter and all the :Funks. You could give them a new tune and they would pick it up so quickly.
When I first came in I enjoyed it and found it quite challenging. But then the responsibilities became divided between the recording and technical sides and we had two bosses. McLean was our technical boss and Lawrence Horn was in charge of recording. I wasn’t comfortable with this because I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions... and I wasn’t learning too much either. I also had trouble working with Mike McLean. Call it a clash of cultures.” Wolfrum’s immersion in the Catholic faith had always exerted a major influence on his philosophy and spirituality. “ I have always been strongly driven by my faith and during this time (at Motown) I felt a tremendous pull to dedicate myself to the priesthood, so I left the company and entered the Seminary.” He spent almost four years there yet returned in the summers to work in the studio. “During that first summer in ’65, I approached Bob D’Orleans at Golden World to sell him a ‘Direct Box’. He bought two, but, more importantly, introduced me to Joanne Bratton and she introduced me to Ed Wingate. They knew who I was from my time at Motown and in radio. Mr. Wingate asked me if I’d like to work with Bob D’Orleans at Golden World and I jumped at the chance. Bob and Ken Hammond had built the Golden World studio from ground up. He took me under his wing and taught me a lot. As a recording engineer he was way ahead of his time and was far superior to anyone at Motown. He was strict though. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him, especially when it came to recording and re mixing. The first session I worked on was with the Sunliners, a pop group that contained RALPH and RUSS TERRANA (who ??? , I never heard of dem guys !!), who would later become a sound engineer. RALPH would later open Terra Shirma studio.”
Ed Wolfrum’s jump into the big league as a sound engineer at Golden World, came in 1966 as he fondly recalls. “Columbia Records had booked time for some of their projects, people like Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Kenny Rankin and Andy Williams. I got a call from Joanne one day telling me that there was a very important session but that Bob couldn’t make it and that I would have to do it on my own. It was Johnny Mathis or Kenny Rankin on the first day I can't recall. I was nervous, but everything went OK and after that I did a lot of sessions by myself. I still don’t know if Bob had thrown me in at the deep end on purpose, to see how I would cope. He never told me. I worked with all the Ric Tic/Golden World artists – Edwin Starr, JJ Barnes, Parliaments, Debonaires, Detroit Emeralds, Al Kent, Reflections and many more. We were doing so many sessions at Golden World – for our own artists and lots of ‘outside’ projects. I guess a lot of companies liked our sound and wanted their artists to try and capture it.” During that same year Ed Wingate finally sold the company to Motown. “ Berry Gordy had been trying to buy Mr. Wingate out for a long time. I guess he wanted to get rid of the competition. He also didn’t like all the musicians he had at Motown coming over to record with us. I remember when the sale was going through and Berry Gordy came by on a Saturday at Golden World, he saw me and said ‘What are you doing here? Why don’t you come back to us now?’ I told him that I couldn’t get along with Mike McLean to which he responded ‘ I’m still the boss. Let’s work something out.’ I did work at Motown again after that, right through until 1972, when they left for L.A., but as a consultant, not an employee.”
The sale of the company was quite sudden however, when it did happen, and caught many of the employees off guard. “I remember the last official Golden World session we did. It was ‘Cool Jerk’. It was booked by Ollie McLaughlin. I guess Mr. Wingate was obligated to do the session because it had been booked before the sale. The first I found out about it was when the session finished. There was Ray Monette, Don Davis, ‘Bongo’ Eddie, Bob Babbitt, Johnny Griffith, George McGregor and Mike Terry in the studio. Don Davis stood up and said’ I just want you guys to know that you just did the first ever session in Berry Gordy’s new studio .......... ’ Our jaws dropped.”
............ WHO DEM TERRANA GUYS DEN, NEBER ERD OV UM

[ralpht]

I have written that the best song The Sunliners have ever recorded was a John Rhys produced "Heart Of The City" Ed was the engineer for that session. Unfortunately, the song was never released and the track seemed to have disappeared. A couple of years ago, after a phone conversation with Ed, he told me he had some of that session. It turned out he had the original rhythm track without the vocals and sweetening, but it was a great find none the less. Ed has remained a close friend through the years and his contribution to the construction of the Tera Shirma console was priceless.

[jobeterob]

I love this sense of humour Ralph is giving us these days.................from the "thing" Diana had flying off her back in Central Park (otherwise known as a "cape") to locking a thread and telling everyone to go play somewhere else for a while.

A job well done with a great sense of humour.

[ralpht]

I just call it as I see it, Rob.

[Roberta75]

I'm still shocked that you boys (Ralph and Job) didn't know that Diane was wearing a cape that night. Men..........honestly. LOL

Best to you both,

Roberta

[carlo]

lol. It was definitely a cape!

[ralpht]

Roberta,
Like I said. I call it like I see it. It looked like a "thing" to me.

[Roberta75]

Roberta,
Like I said. I call it like I see it. It looked like a "thing" to me.

Don't worry dear Ralph. I'll keep you boys right when it comes to ladies clothes and capes. LOL

Yours, with every good wish.

Roberta

[jobeterob]

For me, it definitely was a "thing" and my laugh was exactly like Ralph's when he talks about it in the video.

And then when we got told it was a "cape"...........I thought "well, of course it's a cape!"

But without her cape, it would have taken so much away from that DVD; the cape and her hair.

[thelastsupreme]

Chuckling, Ralph! Bravo! xox

[ralpht]

Roberta,
Bless you for keeping we guys straight on women"s fashion. you are a jewel, baby. But us guys did think it was rather funny. Superman wore a cape. I still contend Diana had this flowing thing behind her, whipping in the coming storm, but now, I have to re-think the entire deal.

[ralpht]

But Wait!!!! Susaye Greene is laughing. Well maybe just chuckling, but doesn't that maybe put a new twist on things, Roberta?

Hey Susaye. I was watching the Ray Charles special (for the umpteenth time..and will always watch it when available) and saw your interview. How blessed you were to work with this legend.

[Roberta75]

But Wait!!!! Susaye Greene is laughing. Well maybe just chuckling, but doesn't that maybe put a new twist on things, Roberta.

But Ralph, I think Susaye is laughing at you and Job because you boys don't seem to know what a cape is. LOL

Miss Greene is a glamor gal and former Raelette and former Supreme so she knows a thing or two about gowns and capes.

Fondly,

Roberta

[ralpht]

Well you trumped me on that one Roberta. I now revert to being merely a "guy" who wouldn't know a cape from a ....ah...from a........well you get the idea.

[Roberta75]

Well you trumped me on that one Roberta. I now revert to being merely a "guy" who wouldn't know a cape from a ....ah...from a........well you get the idea.

LOL Ralph. Stick with what you know and leave the capes and gowns to us girls.

Best to you,

Roberta

[ralpht]

And best to you.

[soulster]

Dear Ralph

I like the new way of the Forum better; it's much better to celebrate these stars of old than kicking them down all the time. I'm way more comfortable with it. It's really nice.

Keep it up. And we'll do our best too.

Rob

We don't have to like each other, but at least treat each other with civility. And, except for one mishap yesterday, all is fine. Good to see Ralph sticking to his word. He even gave chances. It should be a lesson to all who persist on attacking other members.