Hamilton Bohannon @ Motown

[jsmith]

THIS IS OFF THE NET ............
Hamilton Bohannon was born in Newnan, Georgia, and learned the drums at school. He began playing in local bands, one of which featured guitarist Jimi Hendrix, before graduating from Clark College, Atlanta with a degree in music and secondary education. After a brief period as a schoolteacher, he was recruited in 1964 as drummer in 13-year-old Stevie Wonder's touring band. He moved to Detroit in 1967, where he was employed by Motown as the leader and arranger of Bohannon & The Motown Sound, who provided backing for many of the label's top acts on tour, including Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Four Tops and others.

I have adds for shows that his Motown Band played, backing up Motown acts [[Miracles, Spinners, Bobby Taylor & Vancouvers) , at venues such as Baltimore Civic Center in 1968. So he was leading Motown's touring backing band [[I guess) from 1967 onwards.
........... BUT ...........
how does the above info match up to the Motown Unreleased mp3 tracks from 1962 by the Hamilton Bohannon Quartet. Surely if he cut tracks for Motown in 1962, he must have hooked up with the company before the 1964 date when he toured as the drummer in Stevie Wonder's live band.

Did he cut any other 'solo' tracks for Motown through the 60's ??

[Hotspurman]

I think you're confusing the George Bohanon Quartet [[led by trombonist George), who did have two albums released on Motown's Workshop Jazz imprint in 1963 and 1964 [[and had other material in the vault that appeared onMp3 late last year) and Hamilton Bohanon, who as far as I can tell launched his own recording career with Dakar much later.

[marv2]

No, JSmith has it right. He , Hamilton Bohannon, worked for Motown in the sixties and worked with many of their top acts.

[Hotspurman]

I'm not disputing that Hamilton was at Motown from the mid-1960s, but the unreleased tracks that were made available on Mp3 were by the George Bohanon Quartet, not the Hamilton Bohanon Quartet [[was there ever a group called the Hamilton Bohanon Quartet?).

[jsmith]

Yes, I'm getting my George's mixed up with my Hamiltons.
BUT ... Just to further confuse matters, Discogs thas this info on Hamilton .....
He moved to Detroit in early 1960's. He worked first as sideman of Stevie Wonder between 1965 - 1967.

[jsmith]

I found an old mid 70's interview the Hamilton did and in that he states that he first teamed yup with Stevie Wonder [[as his touring drummer). He then took control of the Motown touring band & led them from 1967 to 1972 [[backing up the likes of the Temptations on a US tour in 1970 for instance).

I think I need to get the Motown touring band run-down sorted out.
The Joe Hunter Band [[Hank Cosby, James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin, Mike Terry, etc -- basically the Funk Brothers) had gone out on tour behind Jackie Wilson for some of the summer of 1961 and they also toured behind Motown acts back then [[the likes of the Miracles I guess). Popcorn Wylie & the Mohawks were also going out touring with Motown acts in 1961 and this seemed to go on at least till the end of that year if not into 1962.
Popcorn Wylie had signed to Epic as a solo artist in summer 62 and had 2 x 45's out for the label [[the 1st in October 62 with the 2nd following in Feb 63. He did return to Motown in the early 70's though.
The Choker Campbell Band had taken over on Motown tours by summer 1962 and that outfit was still providing support to Motown review tours through to November 65. For a while an outfit went out on tour that was billed as the Motown Recording Band or just the Motortown Band. Any idea who led & made up this outfit ?
Hamilton Bohannan had taken over the Motown touring band leading duties by 1967.
Of course, some acts [[Tempts, Miracles, 4 Tops) had their resident touring musician that went just about everywhere with them.

Is the above about right and have I left any outfits out ??

[Roger Polhill]

Hamilton Bohannon led the backing band on the "Motown Revue Live At The Fox" MS 688.

[jsmith]

The backing band for the 1964 'Live @ the Fox' show was Choker Campbell's Band and I guess his outfit also backed up the artists who performed in 1962 on the first Motortown Revue live recordings which were made at the Apollo.

[Roger Polhill]

MS 688 was from July 1969 and was Hamilton Bohannon.

[jsmith]

The Motortown Review that played the Fox Theatre from Saturday 23rd December 1967 through to Monday 1st January 1968 was backed up by 'the Motown Recording Band' which was most probably led by Hamilton Bohannon [[though why they should have been given that title is beyond me as they were the live tour band rather than the studio guys).
The shows, which were headlined by Stevie Wonder for the 1st 5 days and by the Miracles for the last 5 days took place in 67/68 as that is the only year in that period when those days / dates tie in. ALSO the Miracles latest big hit [[I Second That Emotion) was advertised on the poster and that had only entered the US 45's chart in mid Nov 67.
7276

[jsmith]

7277

The Marvelettes performing on the Motortown Review at the Fox Theatre in 1963 ........ no doubt the 'big band' players who can be seen behind the ladies were Choker Campbell's guys.

[jsmith]

7278

I guess this is the Review line-up that played the Fox Theatre in late 1966.
Anyone confirm that fact.

[Roger Polhill]

MS 688 is the Motortown Revue Live at the Fox with the Originals, Blinky, Bobby Taylor, Temptations, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Stevie Wonder backed by Bohannon and the Motown Sound.