Help needed for unidentified Fred Brown-Joe Hunter recordings for Kable Records

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I need to hear as many Leon Peterson recordings as possible, to help identify 2 unreleased, unidentified Kable Recordings from late 1960 or early 1961. From the sound, they were clearly done around the time of J.J. Barnes' 2 Kable 437 cut, and Leon Peterson's 2 Kable 438 cuts. Clearly, they used the same production crew as those released records [[Arranged by Joe Hunter, Don Davis on lead guitar, Joe Hunter on piano, The Del-Fi's [[Martha Reeds, Gloria Williamson pre Vandellas group) on background vocals, recorded at United Sound.

I've listened to Peterson's 2 House of Beauty 117 cuts [["This Creation"/"Blues Got A Hold On Me") from 1959, produced and arranged by Mickey Stevenson. I've also listened to 2 of his Bobbin Records cuts, [["Searching"/"I Know You Know") [[he was originally from St. Louis, but went to Detroit to record from 1959-61). I've heard his one Skylark [[New York) side that's on You Tube), and one side each of his later Bag and Opus issues, also on You-Tube.

Do any of you have the Skylark flip side, and know of any other labels for whom he recorded? If so, could you upload links and/or sound files?

I'm reasonably sure that the "mystery artist" is NOT Peterson, as he doesn't seem to have the baritone richness in tone that Peterson has on all his released cuts, and that is especially prominant on his HOB and Bobbin cuts.

Please post anything you know about Peterson, and any secular male singers who recorded for Brown and Hunter in 1959-62 or so.

I know that the mystery singer can't be J.J. Barnes or Mel Anton. I really don't think he is Leon Peterson. Are there any other male singers to whom I should be listening and considering?

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20 views and nobody knows of any other Leon Peterson releases?

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An awful lot of viewers who don't know of any other Leon Peterson records!

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I guess Leon Peterson is too obscure an artist. Anyone on this website who is familiar with 1958-61 Detroit artists, labels, producers, arrangers, musicians, etc., who is also a good judge of voices, please PM me. We need your help to identify 2 unreleased recordings done by Fred Brown and Joe Hunter, just about at the same time as the late 1960 J.J. Barnes and Leon Peterson Kable 437 and 438 cuts were recorded. We can hear Joe Hunter on piano, Don Davis playing guitar, and The Del-Fi's [[Pre-Martha & Vandellas + Gloria Williamson[[Vells) singing background vocals. The question is whether or not the male vocalist is Leon Peterson singing in a totally different manner from his normal style, or some other Detroit artist from that period. If you PM me. I'll arrange for you hear the recordings.

Just resurrecting this thread as a newbie and as there's so little info about Leon Peterson on the net.

Leon Peterson really does appear to be too obscure with simply no biography of him available even on the Northern Soul boards? Your knowledge of him, Rob, that he was originally from St. Louis, and went to Detroit to record from 1959-61, seems sadly the only info that I've come across about him in the public domain? I've been looking at his discography on Discogs which appears to commence with the Kable [['Together Just We Two' / 'Silver & Gold') and HOB releases [['This Creation' /'The Blues Got A Hold Of Me').

Robb did you have any luck identifying the 2 unreleased, unidentified Kable Recordings from late 1960 / early 1961? I did notice in trying to piece together a few things about his discography that the Kent Soul label released a previously unissued Leon Peterson track "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" in 2017 on the album "Various - Birth Of Soul [[Special Detroit Edition 1961-64)". I believe this release is accompanied by a quality booklet of 8000 word no less by Graham Finch which must offer more background info about Leon Peterson and the story behind the unissued track? From what I can tell, there's no mention that this track is also accredited to The Del-Fi's singing background vocals?

After the Kable and HOB releases, there was the Bobbin Records release [['Searching'/'I Know You Know') in 1962 but am unsure if this dates to his 1959-61 time in Detroit or back in St. Louis? 'Searching' was picked up and reissued in the UK in 2013. There was the subsequent release of 'Baby, Baby, Baby' / 'My Bag' in 1969 and a number of other recordings that have had no coordinated attempt to date or link into his recording timeline such as the Skylark promo 'Now You're On Your Own'/'Part Crashin' Time'; Leru Records release 'Lonely Nights'/ 'When You Fall In Love Again [[Let It Be Me)' and the Fire Mountain release 'Don't Squeeze The Sherm' / 'I Wish You Would Stay'.

Finally, the release of the single 'Because I Love You'/'Call On Me [[Then You Can)' on the little known L&R Records [[which was only known for releasing Bobby Bloom if it's the same label?) may have coincided with what was a private release of Leon Peterson's only album 'Now' with 8 recordings that had until then been unheard? I've yet to find any info about when this album was privately released, how many copies were pressed or when any of these tracks were recorded? His only album does seems pretty sought after and given it's scarcity, I've seen it mentioned that there is apparently a digitized version of the album rumoured to have been made from the master tape? If true that a master tape is known to exist, one would surely think his album would be picked up and finally given an officially release!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buzz

Just resurrecting this thread as a newbie and as there's so little info about Leon Peterson on the net.

Leon Peterson really does appear to be too obscure with simply no biography of him available even on the Northern Soul boards? Your knowledge of him, Rob, that he was originally from St. Louis, and went to Detroit to record from 1959-61, seems sadly the only info that I've come across about him in the public domain? I've been looking at his discography on Discogs which appears to commence with the Kable [['Together Just We Two' / 'Silver & Gold') and HOB releases [['This Creation' /'The Blues Got A Hold Of Me').

Robb did you have any luck identifying the 2 unreleased, unidentified Kable Recordings from late 1960 / early 1961? I did notice in trying to piece together a few things about his discography that the Kent Soul label released a previously unissued Leon Peterson track "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" in 2017 on the album "Various - Birth Of Soul [[Special Detroit Edition 1961-64)". I believe this release is accompanied by a quality booklet of 8000 word no less by Graham Finch which must offer more background info about Leon Peterson and the story behind the unissued track? From what I can tell, there's no mention that this track is also accredited to The Del-Fi's singing background vocals?

After the Kable and HOB releases, there was the Bobbin Records release [['Searching'/'I Know You Know') in 1962 but am unsure if this dates to his 1959-61 time in Detroit or back in St. Louis? 'Searching' was picked up and reissued in the UK in 2013. There was the subsequent release of 'Baby, Baby, Baby' / 'My Bag' in 1969 and a number of other recordings that have had no coordinated attempt to date or link into his recording timeline such as the Skylark promo 'Now You're On Your Own'/'Part Crashin' Time'; Leru Records release 'Lonely Nights'/ 'When You Fall In Love Again [[Let It Be Me)' and the Fire Mountain release 'Don't Squeeze The Sherm' / 'I Wish You Would Stay'.

Finally, the release of the single 'Because I Love You'/'Call On Me [[Then You Can)' on the little known L&R Records [[which was only known for releasing Bobby Bloom if it's the same label?) may have coincided with what was a private release of Leon Peterson's only album 'Now' with 8 recordings that had until then been unheard? I've yet to find any info about when this album was privately released, how many copies were pressed or when any of these tracks were recorded? His only album does seems pretty sought after and given it's scarcity, I've seen it mentioned that there is apparently a digitized version of the album rumoured to have been made from the master tape? If true that a master tape is known to exist, one would surely think his album would be picked up and finally given an officially release!

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The Kent CD release WAS THE REASON for my inquiry, in the first place. As far as I remember, we did NOT find any official documentation that Leon Peterson WAS the artist on the uncredited tape. Nevertheless, it was determined that Peterson MUST be the artist, as he was the only artist from that time period who recorded for Brown and Joe Hunter, whose voice sounded reasonably close to the singer on the recording, and that that evidence is strong enough to assume Peterson was the singer, rather than his having a similar voice, and recording for them at that very time would be too much of a coincidence for his NOT being the singer. I agreed with the rest of the listeners that his voice was similar enough to Peterson's that the latter could easily have been the singer on the tape. So, the recording was included in the CD lineup, and listed as by Peterson.

After his Detroit recordings with Carmen Murphy's House Of Beauty Records in 1959, and his recordings with Brown and Hunter in 1960-61, Peterson continued his recording and live appearance singing career back home in St. Louis, for the next few decades. I would guess that the recordings that are on the L&R master tape would come from the late 60s or 1970s. Peterson had several 45s issued on small indie record labels, and had a couple LPs released in the 1970s and 1980s, if I remember correctly. I can't remember their labels or years of release, other than one 45 on N.Y. Skyline Records [[out of New York) from about 1962. He had a few others out on Southern and St. Louis labels. I can't remember the LPs, but that music sounded VERY "modern" to me, so they must have come from the 1970s to 1990s.

Thanks, Robb, for your insight into the track "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" released on Kent and accredited to Leon Peterson having been from the uncredited tape. Your knowledge that Peterson continued his recording and live appearance singing career back home in St. Louis, for the next few decades is also helpful to learn.

In trying to piece together a few things about his subsequent discography, the L&R master tape you mention [[coming from the late 60s or 1970s) has left me wondering if it not only includes 'Because I Love You'/'Call On Me [[Then You Can)' but the tracks that made it onto his privately released album entitled 'Now' on Romer Records ‎that is so scarce? Leon Peterson co-wrote these tracks included with Ruth Clever, Romer Blackmun and Sophia Boosalis.

The only other later recordings I've seen mentioned were on the Leru Records release 'Lonely Nights'/ 'When You Fall In Love Again [[Let It Be Me)' and the Fire Mountain release 'Don't Squeeze The Sherm' / 'I Wish You Would Stay'. Other than his privately released album entitled 'Now, I haven't seen anything documented about him having any LPs released, so any knowledge you might be able to recall about any from the 1970s to 1990s would be especially helpful since most of his discography sadly appears to be so obscure and undocumented! Is there anyone that would know if Leon Peterson is still with us?