Choker Campbell

[mickeymac]

I was fortunate enough to pick up an orginal copy of this, and was thrilled. I really like the big band arrrangments of the Motown tunes he does on this. This LP is hard to find but worth the search. Also I think this is something that needs to be reissued.

For those of you whom have heard this record, what do you think?

[alanh]

Hi Mickeymac

I'm afraid it's all a bit too 'big band cabaret' for me, but I agree that it's certainly an album that ought to be made available again. I prefer Earl Van Dyke's 'That Motown Sound' album. With all the recognition and respect paid to the Funk Brothers in past years I'm totally baffled as to why that one has never been re-issued on CD either.

[bankhousedave]

Choker's job was to make the live performances more showbiz and sophisticated for a different audience. The existence of the album is a bit bizarre in the scheme of things because the band wasn't really producing the Motown sound as Berry wanted it to be known. As a general rule the studio musicians and 'road' musicians were kept separate. Dave Van De Pitte told me they only met in passing - and the only real discussions came when the road guys complained that they couldn't reporoduce some of the stuff Jamerson and others were doing live. But if you listen to this album, I reckon there was a meeting of both elements. Making records was a different exercise and I think not all the musicians here were necessarily members of Choker's Big 16 piece band, just as The Andantes occasionally doubled for the other vocal groups. I'm fairly sure that's Papa Joe on Pride and Joy, for example. When I first heard this album back in the 60s, I thought it sounded a bit ragged, but that was in relation to the strict discipline of the Funks. As a sub-jazz biggish band album, it stand up pretty well these days, and makes a great background album in the lead up to some real Snakepit style Motown.

[mysterysinger]

If you judge it as a "big band" record then it is great, as a Motown record it is interesting and different [[but we each probably have our favourite tracks). All in all it is a must have I think - even if just for the completist. It is available on a Marginal release along with That Motown Sound - but is overdue a proper CD release. However, how much interest would there be for an official CD? Perhaps a limited edition would be the answer.

[mickeymac]

This is where Hip O Select should come in.