Well I'm certainly not royalty! Ralph may well be deserving of such a moniker, given the number of drama queens he sometimes has to deal with on this site!
Glad you like the book.
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Well I'm certainly not royalty! Ralph may well be deserving of such a moniker, given the number of drama queens he sometimes has to deal with on this site!
Glad you like the book.
I spoke with Mac Suazo and have set up membership accounts for him and Michael so we may hear from them today sometime.
Hi Graham,
Hope the book is doing well.
Hi Ralph
Yes, the book is doing well – physical sales are now running at five times the ebook sales, which is particularly good considering there are no images or illustrations inside. Al Abrams has also been very helpful, so a big shout out to him.
I’m hoping UK interest will significantly increase when Motown The Musical is announced....
That is very good news, Graham.
Not to hijack this thread, and I will give a complete review once I listen to my XIT cd, but I just had to tell my sister to get me the Motown Encyclopedia. I had forgotten to add that to my list. Hopefully she will order that now and I'll have it on Christmas day!
You're not hijackin' it, Thom. When it comes to birthday and Christmas gifts, that's the way to do it to ensure that you get what you want. Or, you can take it one step further like I do. I've learned the hard way that if you see something you want, buy it NOW. If you procrastinate for even a day, it could be gone. So, go ahead and buy it yourself now and keep the receipt. Then, when your significant other, family, or friend asks you what you want for your birthday or for Christmas, whip out the Motown book or CD and say, "Well, this would make a great gift for me if you wanna!" They'll gladly accept your offer as it eases their shopping worries, you'll get what you want [[with reimbursement), and everybody's happy. You'll have your XIT CD in your hands in just a few days, and best of luck that your sister will come through with the "Motown Encyclopedia" for Christmas. It's a wonderful reference book on anything Motown.... and then some! - Gary
Hey Mac, welcome to the Motown Forum! It's great to have you here! I’ve been looking forward to talking with you. I knew that XIT was a Native American Motown group with two early 1970's album releases on the Rare Earth label, but I never had a chance to check out your music until this week when I purchased your "Plight Of The Red Man" and "Silent Warrior" CD’s which I just learned were available. Great stuff! I honestly can't remember the last time I bought a CD of new music [[new to me) that moved me so. The songs and melodies, the arrangements, the production, and the performances are outstanding from the authentic percussion and instrumentation right up through and including David Van DePitte's exquisite string arrangements and the soulful back-up female vocals. The overall message is powerful and so true. I found myself playing "Plight Of The Red Man" over and over, 5 times in a row in one night! The last track [["End?") hit me the hardest, as I played that track alone at least 10 times in a row. That's how much it impressed and hooked me.
I just finished reading Ralph's book, "The Road Through Motown", in which he raved about what exceptionally talented performers XIT is. He was so right! - Gary
Test!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CreateSpace do seem to turn around the books very quickly, so I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems getting hold of a copy for Christmas! And many thanks, from a grateful author!
Just A Teaser! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but after seeing Ralph’s link for XIT’s End? in the other Rare Earth thread, I decided to provide a few of my own here. Hope you like them. [[Produced by Tom Bee along with Ralph & Russ Terrana!)
From XIT’s PLIGHT OF THE RED MAN CD [[Rare Earth/Soar Records) [[String arrangements by David Van DePitte; Back-up vocals by Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent [[pre-Tony Orlando & Dawn), and a girl named Bunny):
Beginning/End? [[Uploaded to YouTube by Bucky Tuckfield. Bucky somehow managed to seque the first track [[Beginning) and the last track [[End?) – and he did it beautifully, I might add. If only it were uploaded a bit louder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jC1KOOeKK4
I Was Raised [[Uploaded to YouTube by Leo Kountouris)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xJO3E_E3hc
End? [[Finale, by itself) [[My personal favorite.) [[Uploaded to YouTube by Hupababy83)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMdALV5gxNw
From XIT’s SILENT WARRIOR CD [[Rare Earth/Soar Records) [[String arrangements by Tom Baird and Gene Page)
Reservation Of Education [[Uploaded to YouTube by EKBelam7000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qguSNTO7Mc
Birth [[Uploaded to YouTube by Twinmonsterslayer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKKjpfDnwI
Cement Prairie [[Uploaded by XIT - Topic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKRYJlO9KAA
Anthem Of The America Indian [[Uploaded to YouTube by XIT - Topic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEFJ3W4bpMs
I hope y’all enjoy these XIT Motown/Rare Earth/Soar Records tracks as much as I am. It’s the best new [[new to me) music I’ve heard in a LONG time. - Gary
What a great thread. I didn't know about the Rare Earth Live in Chicago album. I'm pretty sure I have XIT's first LP but not the second, but I may have never listened to it. [[I'm sure I bought it years after their stint with Motown when I was collecting all Rare Earth label titles.)
I'm going to seek out the links above to hear more of XIT's music and also plan to purchase the new Rare Earth LP.
Now what we really need is a great 2 or 3 CD anthology of the Rare Earth label! I imagine there are lots of hidden gems we don't know about in addition to these.
Thanks guys!
"Now what we really need is a great 2 or 3 CD anthology of the Rare Earth label! I imagine there are lots of hidden gems we don't know about in addition to these."
There was a CD compilation done of the Mowest label done a year or two ago that was a good starting point for that label, so maybe there will be one for Rare Earth. As far as I can tell, there were two problems getting this off the ground. If you collected the Complete Motown Singles packages, you will know that several of the Rare Earth single releases were omitted because of licensing issues – they had originally been released by EMI in Europe and issued by Rare Earth in the US under a licensing agreement. Since Universal has now bought most of EMI that may not be an issue any more, although I’ve been speaking to a couple of artists who had previously recorded for EMI and their product is now controlled by Warner Brothers [[WB bought the Parlophone label and, seemingly, some if not all of the Columbia label).
The second issue is Universal itself – would a Rare Earth label compilation sell well enough to justify the time and effort? If it wouldn’t [[and I have no way of knowing what kind of figures Universal would require to even break even), then are Universal prepared to licence out to anyone else?
@hotspurman, I hope there is deemed a market for such a release. I'm often amazed by some labels which get anthologized nowadays. I love late 60s acid/psych/fuzz/prog rock and there's so many anthologies of various labels [[Liberty, for example, as well as labels which were fairly obscure even back then such as Mainstream) of this type of music. Rare Earth certainly has a worthy lineage as being part of Motown.
Liberty had a couple big acts but Mainstream had none, and there's a great double CD out of theirs called "With Love...A Pot of Flowers." So hopefully, one day someone will see fit to anthologize RE!
I have to admit, I bought the Mowest anthology [[on vinyl!) but don't think I've played it yet!
And I, for one, can't wait for this album to be re-issued on CD. after all Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus. Nice organ actually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RztMXe1T-LU
Whilst we're at it - here's the other side.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Sxjdpflwc
You’re right, mysterysinger – Sounds Nice’s "Love At First Sight" is a really nice track which I had never heard before. Yes, the organ makes it unique, and I especially like it when the strings come in. [[I’m a sucker for Motown string passages.)
The Sounds Nice recording you uploaded here sounds so master-tape-worthy, I checked it out on Amazon. Lo and behold, the song "Love At First Sight" by Sounds Nice is available as a download. Unfortunately, it’s not the complete Motown/Rare Earth album. It’s merely one track [[Track 16) on a non-Motown Various-Artist compilation. But, for now, it’s better than nothing....and I'm buying it! Thanks for making me aware! - Gary
Here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
Mysterysinger, I just made an official request to Harry for SOUNDS NICE's "Love At First Sight" album in the thread titled "Our CD/Download Want List For Harry". Not sure it will do any good due to licensing problems inherent with some Rare Earth-label product, but we'll see what happens. - Gary
WOW, I recently downloaded some Rare Earth albums and then started looking at the Rare Earth label... and found this thread...
Well can I just say I didn’t realise how many groups there were on the label! Damn... I had never even given Xit a listen before, and I kinda like them. The Crystal Mansion I like too, great lead voice.
However, Toe Fat, wtf is going on there? Oh my the album cover... weird weird weird. Phew... and The Power Of Zeus... hard psychedelic rock... experimental for Motown or what. Oh and Dan The Banjo Man... absolute madness... :D
interesting stuff
Hey Tom! I, too, love XIT! I bought both of their CDs and love them -- especially their first album that Ralph produced. Another Rare Earth-label favorite is Stoney & Meatloaf [[also produced by Ralph) i love every track but two.
Where did you see the Rare Earth catalog available as downloads?
Attachment 13882
Shout out, too, for the man with music running through his veins [[and Vancouver's finest), Tom Baird, who arranged the strings on ''We Live'', ''Awakening'', ''Birth'', ''Cement Prairie'' and ''Anthem Of The American Indian'', while Gene Page arranged the woodwinds to add an extra dimension on these tracks for XIT's 'Silent Warrior' album.
...check this out ...from the BSNPUBS / Motown site...
http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/rareearth/rareearth.html
Grape :)
Gary, you may not be aware, but the album "Love At First Sight" by Sounds Nice has already been released on CD in Japan, back in early 1915; I think by Warner Brothers. I'm sure copies can still be obtained, but as is always the case with these relatively obscure items, it's going to be fairly expensive to purchase.
I remember buying "Love at First Sight" by Sounds Nice on CD but I don't recall what label released it.
Just something to point out is that Rare Earth albums [[the group) are being issued as mini-LPs [[my favourite format) by Culture Factory and in chronological order too.
Great shot of Tom, TomBairdFan. Captures him perfectly. Great musician/producer, incredibly intelligent and a super nice guy. I was so lucky to have worked with him.
Ralph we're also lucky to have you contribute to these threads as your first hand knowledge is invaluable in understanding the personalities involved who. in most cases, we only know about from a distance.
Hey Gary, I shall have to check out that Stoney & Meatloaf album. Sounds interesting. I shall also revisit Xit and let the tunes grow on me ;)
Ooh all the Rare Earth albums up until 1973's Ma are on iTunes I believe. I've got all them as downloads and am still yet to listen to a lot of it... although I can say I love "I Just Want To Celebrate" ;) however the notion of a 20 minute song [["Get Ready") is already freaking me out, lol
Definitely mysterysinger!
And, on that point, I wonder if I could ask you something Ralph? The Power Of Zeus album you produced... what’s the story behind it? I can’t believe Motown released an album like it. What were/are your thoughts on it? I don’t know what to make of it, lol
:D
https://www.catchopcd.net/en/mini-lp...ni-lp-cd-.html
I bought the Stoney & Meatloaf album along with both Sunday Funnies, Matrix, Wolfe and a couple other Big Pink reissues fairly cheaply.
I wish both Rustix albums would be released on cd, plus their rumored 3rd album that's in the vaults, also, along with the Messengers.
Tom,
Harry Balk was hot to expand the offerings of the Rare Earth Label and asked Russ and me to look for bands. Russ found Power Of Zeus playing in some Country bar on the East side of Detroit. What was odd was the band [[totally Hard Rock with the name Gangrene) had turned the bar into a Rock and Roll joint. The band's motto.."Music to infect your mind." So Russ and I went to see the band together. We both agreed to bring them to Harry. A meeting was set up between us and the band's manager, Jim Wilson. Things went well and we signed the band. Harry's first order...change the name of the band. He knew we were opening new ground for Motown with the type of music we were going to lay on the Sales Department, and heaping the name Gangrene on top of it all was a bridge too far for Harry.
By the way....I guess I somehow missed this thread when it first appeared. Many thanks for the positive feed back on my productions while at Motown. That means a lot to me.
Wow, thanks Ralph. Fascinating stuff.
[["Gangrene", what kind of a name is that :D)
As a foot note, Tom, I wasn't in favor of the name. I preferred simply "Zeus".