Robert West and 'Soul On Fire'

[Clifton Miller]

Here's a look at a new U.K. package [[released today) of Robert West's labels and their Motown connections:
http://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/2017/12/1/motor-city-cherries

[keith_hughes]

Welcome to SDF, Clifton!

Best thing about this set - from a Detroit soul collector's point of view - is that after several decades' wait, at last we have six never-before-released tracks from Robert West's family of labels, by the Minor Chords, Joe Stubbs, Tina Marvel, Bennie McCain and ... a debut cut from Don Juan & the Vulcans. [[Don Juan is Don Juan Mancha, who wrote Barrett Strong's early Tamla single "Misery", plus a handful of titles for Golden World 45s.)

[Clifton Miller]

Keith: you're right about the gems. I had never heard Tina Marvel before, for example. Then, of course, there's "Oh How Happy," which I might have mentioned in the blog, given that label owner Harry Balk went on to join Motown in A&R. When I spoke to Harry in 2015, he said he was writing his own book, but it apparently never came to pass before he died, one year ago tomorrow, Dec. 3.

[robb_k]

13804
The blurb about the 3CD package states that Robert West owned Sidra Records because Barbara Mercer's "Call On Me" is in the package. But, I've never heard that West owned Sidra, nor seen his name connected to that label in ANY way. I always thought that Johnny Powers and a financier "money partner" owned Sidra. Neither West's name, nor that of any of his music publishing companies [[Higgins-West, LuPine) appeared on any Sidra or Drew [[Subsidiary) Records. Powers, George McGregor, Mike Terry and Mike Valvano were producers at Sidra. The only possibility of connecting Robert West to Barbara Mercer's "Call Me" would be if West financed the recording, and that's why the master tape was found with all the master tapes from his own labels. But, I'm sure if West had owned Sidra, we'd have heard of that.

[Quinn]

13804
The blurb about the 3CD package states that Robert West owned Sidra Records because Barbara Mercer's "Call Me" is in the package. But, I've never heard that West owned Sidra, nor seen his name connected to that label in ANY way. I always thought that Johnny Powers and a financier "money partner" owned Sidra. Neither West's name, nor that of any of his music publishing companies [[Higgins-West, LuPine) appeared on any Sidra or Drew [[Subsidiary) Records. Powers, George McGregor, Mike Terry and Mike Valvano were producers at Sidra. The only possibility of connecting Robert West to Barbara Mercer's "Call Me" would be if West financed the recording, and that's why the master tape was found with all the master tapes from his own labels. But, I'm sure if West had owned Sidra, we'd have heard of that.
Yes Robb you're right,it was founded by friends of Johnny Powers and Larry Lick.Joseph Brown,Joe Cassey,and Ray Jackson.It looks like this collection has been pushed back until the 8th of December.

[Clifton Miller]

13804
The blurb about the 3CD package states that Robert West owned Sidra Records because Barbara Mercer's "Call Me" is in the package. But, I've never heard that West owned Sidra, nor seen his name connected to that label in ANY way. I always thought that Johnny Powers and a financier "money partner" owned Sidra. Neither West's name, nor that of any of his music publishing companies [[Higgins-West, LuPine) appeared on any Sidra or Drew [[Subsidiary) Records. Powers, George McGregor, Mike Terry and Mike Valvano were producers at Sidra. The only possibility of connecting Robert West to Barbara Mercer's "Call Me" would be if West financed the recording, and that's why the master tape was found with all the master tapes from his own labels. But, I'm sure if West had owned Sidra, we'd have heard of that.

Robb: mea culpa. I realise that some of the tracks on the third disc of "Soul on Fire" are not connected to Robert West, and that Barbara Mercer's "Call On Me" is one of them. [[Great photo, though.) Appreciate the feedback, and I'll fix the mistake in the blog. Regards, Adam