Andrew L Smith songs written with Bob Babbit

[jsmith]

I've been playing Act 1's Spring LP [[from 1974) a lot this week.
My fave cut on the album is "Love's Got Your Mind" which was written by Andrew Smith / Bob Babbitt & Perry Boyd. This trio wrote 3 songs included on the LP; "Goodbye Love [[We're Through)" & "You Didn't Love Me Anyhow" being the other ones. All 3 songs sound as though they were written with General Johnson & the Ch of the B in mind. "Love's Got Your Mind" is a great dance cut whereas the other 2 are handled at a slower pace.
Perry Boyd was a singer songwriter from Detroit & I'm led to believe that he was featured as lead singer on some of the tracks on this Act 1 album [[no doubt the on these s ongs that he had helped write). Act 1 offically consisted of Reginald Ross, George Barker and Roger Terry [[session men Gerald had worked with before). In fact, Perry Boyd, Billy Nichols & Cleveland Parker all get a special mention on the LP cover for the ASSISTANCE they gave on the project [[I'd guess all 3 sang lead on different tracks).
I seem to recall that [[way back) Andrew Smith's time on the east coast was mentioned on SDF but can't recall many of the details [[didn't Babbitt & Smith move to the east coast in 73 after having played in the Invictus' Hot Wax studio band?). How come he ended up over there when he was still working with H-D-H in Detroit [[he had also headed west to work at Motown in LA).
I guess the Babbitt / Smith / Boyd songs were written back in Detroit & just used on the Act 1 project as they fitted in well and Andrew was involved with Raeford Gerald [[the producer) & the group on the project [[he arranged 6 of the 11 tracks on the LP).
The only thing wrong with "Love's Got Your Mind" is that its way too short [[being under 2mins 20 secs in length).
I seem to recall Andrew also wrote some songs whilst over in the east, this time in conjunction with David Jordan.
Anyone know how Andrew ended up there & why he split again and went back west ?

[bankhousedave]

There are an enormous number of songs on the books with Bob Babbitt as co writer - especially with Jack Ashford and the original Funks. Bob and Andrew were, of course, bass player and drummer, so they might have worked to give the other elements to Mr Boyd's melodies. They didn't really move together. Babbitt went on to be a seriously in-demand session player, who has worked on both coasts ever since, and is now playing with the remaining Funks, while Jack Ashford haas his own band and recording studio again.

[ady_croasdell]

By the time of the third single, Dock Price’s name was absent but the Detroit songwriting team of Bob Babbitt, Andrew Price and Perry Boyd had joined the creative process. They composed the A-side, ‘Goodbye Love [[We’re Through)’, and two more tracks that were eventually issued on the LP. Bob Babbitt was a renowned bass player and Andrew Smith a great drummer who had been integral parts of Motown’s Funk Brothers backing musicians in the 60s. Perry Boyd was a fine vocalist, and though the trio originally wrote together in Detroit, Bob and Andrew moved to New York when they were hired by Spring for their recording sessions on Joe Simon, Millie Jackson and other of the label’s acts. Perry followed the pair of musicians to the East Coast and in August 1973 was signed to the label as a member of Act 1.

That was from my the sleevenotes to the Act 1 CD we put out in 2007 it was information from an interview I conducted with Bob Babbitt at the time.

Ady

[Joe Dabbs]

I had the pleasure of doing sessions with Andrew at United Sound and Orchestra Hall in Detroit. We were good friends and hung out together. I taught guitar at the first music store he opened with Charlie Bannister, the great Detroit Drum teacher, also at the Detroit Drum School after Andrew moved. Andrew's mom could sure could a great chicken dinner! After Motown left Detroit, he moved to New Jersey. He and Bob Babbitt did many sessions both in New York and Philadelphia. Bob can certainly fill you in on details. I never met Bob, but I know he and Andrew worked on many original rythym tracks together, some of which he would bring over on tapes to get my input. My role was as a songwriter. My material was never released. My publisher and sometime producers were Don Davis and Ed Wolfrum. Andrew could spot a hook right off the bat and his fills were superb. He was also a human metronome - listen to "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" by the Temptations to understand this statement!

[tom_moulton]

I sure would love to know what happened to that relationship with Andrew & David myself. I was mixing Debbie Taylor[[ I Don't Want To Leave You a big soul hit on Arista) Joe Anderson[[You & I),Tony Drake [[Footsteps In The Dark) and a couple other acts that they both produced together and then they seemed to vanish. I know Andrew passed on and no one seems to know what happened to David Jordon. They did write and produce some great tracks together.

[MIKEW-UK]

Here is an interesting series of posts on Andrew from the forum in 2003

http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3838/3395.html?1057990328

http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/1/788.html?1024060360

and Act One GoodBye Love [[We're Through)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2ku0Ue20c


Scorpion tracks - Mike Campbell-Vocals/Ray Monette-Guitar/Bob Babbitt-Bass/Andrew Smith-Drums

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gxn2R81vbQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKvldEtD64I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLu8vb7xNgA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeOb75KYqRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzlrMPnETck

[jsmith]

I'm getting my Andrew L, Louis & Michael L Smith's mixed up a bit.
Michael L[[arry) Smith was born is St. Louis, Missouri. With his brothers Danny & Louis he formed the Smith Brothers and cut a 45 for Gold Future. They then signed with the Isley Brothers T-Neck label & he then worked with Isaac Hayes. In the 70's he and his brothers signed with Holland-Dozier-Holland's Musc Merchant label as Smith Connection. He started producing / arranging for the Honey Cone, Freda Payne, Laura Lee & Melvin Davis. Later, after a spell back in St Louis, he switched to working for Motown. At Motown he worked with Jnr Walker, Jackson 5, Originals, Bloodstone, Switch, Supremes, Temptations, Jerry Butler, Jermaine Jackson, Ozone, Thelma Houston, G.C. Cameron & Syreeta, Cuba Gooding. etc. He also recorded for the company as Lovesmith [[with Danny, Louis & Aaron), Motown Sounds & solo as Michael Lovesmith.

Andrew L[[ouis) Smith born in Detroit [[D: 2000). Took to playing the drums and grew up around Motown /Golden World, spending time with the Funk Bros. With Mike Campbell, Bob Babbitt & Ray Monette formed Scorpion in 1968. The group were together for over a year and cut a self titled LP for Tower. He played with Bob Babbitt on the 1969 Dennis Coffey Trio LP 'Hair & Thangs'. Played on many H-D-H tracks for Invictus / Hot Wax artists. Scorpion worked with Stoney & Meatloaf on the duo's 1st album [[Motown). As a Motown studio session player he worked with the Temptations, Edwin Starr, Undisputed Truth, Blinky, Smokey Robinson & Miracles, Marvin Gaye,Valerie Simpson, Four Tops + Gladys Knight & Pips. Also played on a couple of later Dennis Coffey [[Sussex) LP's. Played on Ashford & Simpson LP 'Gimme Something Real' [[WB – 73) & also their 'I Wanna Be Selfish' album [[74). Went onto work with Joe Simon, Millie Jackson, Garland Green, Act 1, Debbie Taylor, Norma Jenkins, Joe Anderson, Margie Joseph, Tony Drake, Vivian Reid, the Spinners, Luther [[Van Dross), Mark Radice, Vitamin E & more.

So there was no connection at all between Andrew L[[ouis) Smith [[of Detroit) and Louis and Michael L Smith [[of St Louis) ..... APART FROM THE FACT THAT .... all three worked with Holland Dozier Holland at Invictus / Hot Wax / Music Merchant AND all three also worked at Motown. Andrew L & Michael L both worked on Motown projects with the Temptations, though a different times.

[Joe Dabbs]

Andrew's sitting on the cover in the sand in the Plastic Ono Band album with the pyramid. He also did some recordings with Tom Rush. He plays drums on "No Regrets", when Tom re-recorded it on the Columbia label for the "Ladies Love Outlaws" album.