Barrett-Strong song on Philly's CAMEO Records

[woodward]

I just became aware of this Orlons release. If you look at the actual record, underneath the title No Love But Your Love it reads BARRETT-STRONG.

Does anyone know for a fact that it was our Barrett Strong of Motown and Money fame? Not a bad song by any means. The hyphen indicates two different persons, but I think it is doubtful just a human error.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxKUC4F9PIQ

[snakepit]

Richie Barrett was a producer in Philly....and maybe on the Orlons.
So it may be 2 writers here...but Barrett Strong left Motown about 1961 until 1966 so it could well be him

[splanky]

I vaguely remember reading on somebody's blog about Barrett Strong working between stint's at Motown but it was too long ago and no mention was made of The Orlons. That
would have certainly made me pay closer attention being a big Orlons fan. I'll have to
get No Love But Your Love. Anyway, The Orlons did a couple of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas imitations. Envy was spot on....

[robb_k]

It was definitely only Motown's Barrett Strong. Richard Barrett was not involved. Barrett Strong left Motown near the end of 1961, and signed an artist's contract with ATCO Records in early 1962. After a failed 45 release, he moved to Chicago in 1962, and started to work as a songwriter for VJ and Constellation records as a free-lancer. He was soon hired by VJ as an in-house songwriter and assistant producer to chief producer, Calvin Carter, through 1964, and the beginning of 1965. Early in 1965, he was hired by Carl Davis' Jalynne Music, as a songwriter, and helped Davis on his recording sessions for Okeh Records, and on songwriting and sessions for Mary Wells' ATCO productions, In addition, he worked for Jaylynne on their co-productions with Jerry Butler's Conlo Productions, which were a Chicago/Philadelphia record label and production unit, which produced a few recording sessions on Dee Dee Sharp and The Orlons for Cameo-Parkway Records in 1965 and 1966. They produced "No Love But Your Love" by The Orlons, and "Standing in The Need of Love", "It's A Funny Situation", and "This Love I Feel For You" by Dee Dee Sharp, all issued on Cameo, except the last song, issued on Cameo-Parkway subsidiary, Fairmount Records.

Here's "Standing In The Need Of Love":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTy2lPWa0ZM
It sounds very "Chicagoish", doesn't it?

[robb_k]

18610
Here's another Chicago Production Barrett worked on for VJ, which had The Dells backing up Barbara Green:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0sdTnCNPec

[woodward]

WOW, Robb, thank you for all the additional information you provided. You certainly know your history of anything Motown related. You are truly an asset to this forum. Thanks again.

[bradburger]

WOW, Robb, thank you for all the additional information you provided. You certainly know your history of anything Motown related. You are truly an asset to this forum. Thanks again.

Indeed, Rob's Knowledge of 60s Soul and all the labels associated with it blows me away!

Thanks Rob!

Cheers

Paul

[robb_k]

18616
Here's Dee Dee Sharp's "It's A Funny Situation" - more Chicago-Sound bliss from the pen of Barrett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB31bqspCjc

[robb_k]

18617
At Okeh Records in Chicago, Barrett teamed up with his old Motown work colleague, Sonny Sanders [[arranger) to record several super Motown-like songs by Marvin Smith's Artistics, including my favourite, "This Heart Of Mine":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=433nN9OfI58

[robb_k]

18618
The flip, by Barrett, and the same crew, was almost as "Motownish", and almost as good - "I'll Come Running":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H5oHytJxsU

[robb_k]

18619
Barrett, Sonny and crew recorded a 3rd Motowny Chicago recording in that same session - "So Much Love In My Heart". If a young kid from Detroit had heard these 3 songs, without knowing about The Artistics, he or she probably would have thought they were recorded at The Snakepit by a Motown group:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhquJX0gJuw

[robb_k]

18620
Here's a Chicago-produced song Barrett wrote together with The Dells and Wade Flemons that sounds like Chicago, rather than Motown. But the singer Joe Murphy, was a Detroiter, ex member of The Five Jets and Berry Gordy-produced Five Stars, and who recorded for Gwen Gordy's and Harvey Fuqua's Harvey Records as Joe, of Lo and Joe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pyiASWvGVI

[robb_k]

18621
Here's the great Chicago-sounding flipside, "So Blue [[Without You)", with The Dells backing Joe, as the also did on the other side:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa4FDA1zdkQ

[robb_k]

18622
And here's a somewhat-Motowny song Barrett wrote for Mary Wells - [["Such A Sweet Thing"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2wKti7ViZo

[drlorne]

I loved this song, and was disappointed it was so short...everything about it her voice, the orchestration, the production should have just gone on and on and on. Thanks Robb, I knew it was Barrett Strong, but didn't know the Conlo and Jalynne and I find that stuff really interesting too. Thanks again for your factual contributions.

[drlorne]

Loved this one too!

[motony]

"Such A Sweet Thing" by Mary is one of the BEST and should have been a huge hit. Atco even had a full page ad in Billboard about it.

[robb_k]

18629
Here's what Conlo Records looked like. The logo is of an historic building in Downtown Philadelphia. It was produced by Jerry Butler, and published by Carl Davis' Jalynne Music:
18630