Roostertail shows

[Clifton Miller]

Motown Mondays and more in this look at the Roostertail. Anyone catch one or more of those shows, back in the day?

https://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/roostering

[motony]

In the early 90's, Martha Reeves took my brother & I to the Roostertail for dinner & we met George Gordy, also the owners. It was a real nice, upscale restaurant & they were the same owners.

[marv2]

Motown Mondays and more in this look at the Roostertail. Anyone catch one or more of those shows, back in the day?

https://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/roostering

I was never old enough in those days to go to the Roostertail. If I were, I would have caught every show I possibly could.

[StuBass1]

I have stories...however, my most memorable night at the Roostertail was the evening as a 15 or 16 year old, me and my buddy were invited by my friend Paul Williams to hang out with The Temptations in the dressing room for their Monday Night show that was recorded for the Live Album... Lots of fun and memories, including drinking alcohol myself while I was going to fetch a scotch for Paul...LOL...All the Motown bigwigs were there and came back into the dressing room as we hung out... Roostertail had some terrific shows and other than the Motown shows which used their own musicians, the Roostertail house bad featured some of the best musicians around town. My brother played guitar in the Roostertail House Band with his buddy Dave VanDePitte who also played in the band for bandleader Johnny Trudell. That's where Paul Anka while performing there discovered my brother and hired him as his personal touring guitarist and later his Music Director... Another interesting tidbit... The Roostertail is where Frankie Valli [[and The Four Seasons) decided to try out a song that had pretty much been rejected and had not much of a future headed for the B side trash bin as local DJ's didn't like it, but the CKLW Program Director, who also was not impressed was convinced to go to the Roostertail to hear the song live for shits and giggles. The song went over quite well, convincing the PD to put it into his rotation the next day...the switchboard lit up, and the rest is history.... That song became Frankie's all time classic...Can't Take My Eyes Off of You...

[gman]

and maybe Mary Wilson was in the audience and became spellbound by it at that time. I love the way she sings Cant Take My Eyes Off You....studio version or Hollywood Palace version over the lives ones!

[marv2]

I have stories...however, my most memorable night at the Roostertail was the evening as a 15 or 16 year old, me and my buddy were invited by my friend Paul Williams to hang out with The Temptations in the dressing room for their Monday Night show that was recorded for the Live Album... Lots of fun and memories, including drinking alcohol myself while I was going to fetch a scotch for Paul...LOL...All the Motown bigwigs were there and came back into the dressing room as we hung out... Roostertail had some terrific shows and other than the Motown shows which used their own musicians, the Roostertail house bad featured some of the best musicians around town. My brother played guitar in the Roostertail House Band with his buddy Dave VanDePitte who also played in the band for bandleader Johnny Trudell. That's where Paul Anka while performing there discovered my brother and hired him as his personal touring guitarist and later his Music Director... Another interesting tidbit... The Roostertail is where Frankie Valli [[and The Four Seasons) decided to try out a song that had pretty much been rejected and had not much of a future headed for the B side trash bin as local DJ's didn't like it, but the CKLW Program Director, who also was not impressed was convinced to go to the Roostertail to hear the song live for shits and giggles. The song went over quite well, convincing the PD to put it into his rotation the next day...the switchboard lit up, and the rest is history.... That song became Frankie's all time classic...Can't Take My Eyes Off of You...

CKLW's legendary Program Director was Ms. Rosalie Trombley!

[StuBass1]

CKLW's legendary Program Director was Ms. Rosalie Trombley!
Familiar with Rosalie's name too, however the PD in 1967 who added CTMYOY to the CKLW playlist following seeing the group at the Roostertail was a guy named Paul Drew, to give the proper guy credit...

[Circa 1824]

I have stories...however, my most memorable night at the Roostertail was the evening as a 15 or 16 year old, me and my buddy were invited by my friend Paul Williams to hang out with The Temptations in the dressing room for their Monday Night show that was recorded for the Live Album... Lots of fun and memories, including drinking alcohol myself while I was going to fetch a scotch for Paul...LOL...All the Motown bigwigs were there and came back into the dressing room as we hung out.....

WOW. Very impressive !!!!

[marv2]

Familiar with Rosalie's name too, however the PD in 1967 who added CTMYOY to the CKLW playlist following seeing the group at the Roostertail was a guy named Paul Drew, to give the proper guy credit...

Yeah, Trombley served as Music Director of CKLW from 1968–84. She was the Queen of Hits! LOL!

[Clifton Miller]

Yes, Paul Drew was the PD who supercharged CKLW at the expense of WKNR. He had joined the station earlier that year, from WQXI in Atlanta. And if you have the Contours' "Do You Love Me" album, you'll see Drew's liner notes there.

[Roger Polhill]

Please can anybody tell me who co-starred on the following:
8.22.66. Four Tops
9.5.66. Marvin Gaye
9.12.66. Martha & the Vandellas
I believe one was Jimmy Ruffin and could the Spinners have been with Marvin?
Many thanks.

[johnny_raven]

I checked Newspapers.com. The only mention of a co-star was Tammi Terrell who appeared with The Miracles.
16066
Regarding the ad ... The Miracles and The Temptations swapped dates and The Supremes replaced The Marvelettes

[theboyfromxtown]

Jr Walker was on the same bill as THE VELVELETTES.

[StuBass1]

I checked Newspapers.com. The only mention of a co-star was Tammi Terrell who appeared with The Miracles.
16066
Regarding the ad ... The Miracles and The Temptations swapped dates and The Supremes replaced The Marvelettes


From Tammi's memorable Roostertail performance...https://youtu.be/vxqUSDV0Dos

[Roger Polhill]

Many thanks everybody for your responses.I believe Willie Tyler & Lester supported the Supremes and Chris Clark with the Temptations.I will sort this out one day!

[StuBass1]

Many thanks everybody for your responses.I believe Willie Tyler & Lester supported the Supremes and Chris Clark with the Temptations.I will sort this out one day!

As mentioned...I was at the Temptations Roostertail live performance hanging out with Paul and the group in the dressing room except when the show was on or I was getting drinks [[Being 15 or 16, me and my buddy left just before the start of the 2nd show)...... Chris Clark accompanied Berry Gordy and his two sons [[dressed in matching blue suits) to the dressing room upon arriving as she had been living with Berry on West Outer Drive at the time... For some reason, I have scant recollection of her performance [[I must have been hanging out back in the dressing room)...therefore I only really recall her being there as Berry's escort, not as actually having performed...

[Roger Polhill]

Sorry Stu - a senior moment!

[StuBass1]

Sorry Stu - a senior moment!
I can't say for sure she didn't perform a song or two Roger...I just don't recall that...Could be MY senior moment, but I clearly recall them coming back into the dressing room before the show...As I recall, Chris towered over Berry...:D...
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/40900000/Chris-Clarke-And-Berry-Gordy-classic-r-and-b-music-40925919-620-370.jpg

[Roger Polhill]

Stu ,you are so lucky to have been around at the time.If I had been in Detroit I could have taken you and Marv to all the shows as I`m older - I`m allowed to dream.
Just to see some of the Funks in their heyday - what an experience.
Berry and Chris, it would have been a laugh watching him kissing her goodnight at her front door!

[StuBass1]

LOL...I didn't see that...but Berry's house at the time on W Outer Dr [[later Marvins house) where Chris stayed with Berry and Diana Ross too, was just a few blocks away from mine... I walked past it every day coming home from elementary school. I even remember the people that lived there before Berry...

[Roger Polhill]

If only we had a smart phones back then..

[detmotownguy]

Was BG dating Chris at this time? Thanks.

[StuBass1]

Was BG dating Chris at this time? Thanks.
Yes...She was even living at his house...

[detmotownguy]

So BG was dating both DR and CC at the same time? Why the hell would DR put up with that mess?

[bradsupremes]

Motown recorded the Velvelettes' live set at the Roostertail. It's still unreleased.

I wish Universal would release these live shows as a part of series like Motown at the Roostertail or Motown Live! I don't know if it's different clearances for live material, but it'd be fun to hear these shows.

[StuBass1]

So BG was dating both DR and CC at the same time? Why the hell would DR put up with that mess?
Gordys relationship with Diana Ross was complex and transitional through the years...I don't know that he was dating Diana and Chris at the SAME time...Close proximity
though...

[sansradio]

Gordys relationship with Diana Ross was complex and transitional through the years...I don't know that he was dating Diana and Chris at the SAME time...Close proximity
though...

I think BG himself confirmed that he dated them concurrently, IIRC. The story goes that he had CC hide in a closet once when DR popped up at his mansion.

[StuBass1]

I think BG himself confirmed that he dated them concurrently, IIRC. The story goes that he had CC hide in a closet once when DR popped up at his mansion.
That might be...Although the time Berry Gordy showed up at the Roostertail with Chris Clark was some time before he moved into the Boston Blvd Mansion. He was living on West Outer Drive at the time...

[Boogiedown]

what a great read . what romantic , ' can do' times , even if I'm just over imagining them that way .

And I already liked the name The Roostertail , before learning its inspiration came from looking out those big windows and watching speedboats racing around creating roostertail waves . perfect!!:cool:

[NativeNuYorker]

I'm stuck on Paul Williams asking a kid to purchase alcohol for him. Was this during the Roostertail Club album? Wasn't that 1966? That's my favorite live album and I love Paul's solo on "Don't Look Back." Listening to the women in the audience, it sounded like he stole the show with that one. It's so well performed I never would have guessed he was intoxicated. How is it he was friends with kids? You must have some great memories and stories.

[SatansBlues]

Please can anybody tell me who co-starred on the following:
8.22.66. Four Tops
9.5.66. Marvin Gaye
9.12.66. Martha & the Vandellas
I believe one was Jimmy Ruffin and could the Spinners have been with Marvin?
Many thanks.
According to an Adam White post on Motown Mondays, the Marvelettes opened for Marvin Gaye.

[StuBass1]

I'm stuck on Paul Williams asking a kid to purchase alcohol for him. Was this during the Roostertail Club album? Wasn't that 1966? That's my favorite live album and I love Paul's solo on "Don't Look Back." Listening to the women in the audience, it sounded like he stole the show with that one. It's so well performed I never would have guessed he was intoxicated. How is it he was friends with kids? You must have some great memories and stories.
LOL...Just noticed this question... I met Paul when I lived down the street from Smokey and a lot of the Motown artists and musicians used to stop by his house and I met many of them there, Levi, Marvin on his little scooter, Tony Newton, and others as Smokeys nephew was my pal and when he would come visit Smokey, he'd stop by my house and pick me up and we'd hang out down there...Me and some friends went to the State Fair one year when we were 14 or 15 and the Tempts were performing and we went backstage at the bandshell and Paul recognized me from the neighborhood and he used to make fun of my name...calling me StuPID and would take me around and introduce me to everyone like Tammi Terrell as his friend, StuPID LOL... When I started playing in bands, Paul would give me advice as I had his phone #, and when me and my buddy got tickets and went to the Tempts show at the Roostertail, he invited us to hang out in the dressing room with the guys... He'd send us up to the bar to bring him back his scotch [[on his tab), and I, looking like a young kid that I was, but wearing sunglasses to try to make me look older ordered a whiskey sour and the bartender lady served me LOL...After the first show, Paul ordered food as I recall in the dressing room, and sent us for another scotch...Like I said, he used to give me advice telling me to stick with White bands because that's where the money is... Obviously this was before Sly & The Family Stone... LOL... I ran into Paul shortly before his death and we had a meal together at a restaurant on W Grand Blvd, and he looked unwell, but I didn't realize how much he was actually suffering...

[Roger Polhill]

Many thanks SatansBlues, I`m so glad that you had kept this in mind. Really appreciated.

[tmd]

I never get tired of Stubass nuggets, especially when he opines on James Jamerson, nice story as always, we go way back to 2001 on Soulful Detroit.