Adell Records & Studio; Novi, Mi

[jsmith]

Anyone know much about this outfit based on the western outskirts of Detroit.
I'm told when the studio was opened [[late 60's) they hired an experienced studio engineer from Cleveland. That would make sense as both Joey Mann and Tom Baker [[who had releases on the label) were from Cleveland.
The releases on the actual Adell label were very sporadic and can't have kept the studio busy enough to stay in business. So other outside acts had to use the studio, anyone know which ones ??
A guy by the name of Joe Petito produced a couple of acts who had stuff out on the label BUT their biggest track was by Steptone with the Soulful Black Knights -- Your Love is Like the Rising Sun" [[ADE 2001 in 74) ... this eventually escaped on Fast Track as by the Steptones.
This group must have connections to the Steptones who cut for Diamond Jim in 1969.
They titled themselves Adell International, so they must have had big plans [[or were a major force in another line of business).
Apart from the above, I know nothing about the studio, label, ownership.
11641

[jsmith]

The guy that produced the Steptone track was Leonard Jones. He had quite a high profile, working with the likes of the Dramatics, Sugar Billy, R J's Latest Arrival, John Freeman, Almeta Lattimore, Final Decisions & more.

[ralpht]

Adell made a fortune in the car business. His claim to fame was coming up with the metal beading put on the edge of car doors to protect from chipping. I guess he decided he wanted to be in the music business an did some recording at Tera Shirma. After a time he built his own studio in Novi, Michigan.

[jsmith]

Ralph, as ever, local knowledge triumphs, many thanks for that info. Seems the studio may have been renamed Fast Track studios around 74 / 75.

[ralpht]

Glad to get it right once in a while J.

[jsmith]

Just done some more checking, after Ralph gave me an additional lead ... found out that the Detroit motor manufacturers trusted Adell from previous experiences of working with him. So they approached him when 8 track was taking off to manufacture tapes for them. He jumped at the chance, built his studio in Novi and started a record label at the same time.
One of the first acts signed to Adell Records [[in 1970) was Lonette McKee [[so that was straight after she'd had her M-S Records 45's out).
Nothing else escaped on Lonette till 74, so I guess that means there are unissued tapes containing tracks she cut somewhere out there.