Edwin makes everything seem better again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5-Sp4Geww
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Edwin makes everything seem better again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw5-Sp4Geww
"S.O.S." is a great Motown-sounding record that really jumps out at you. It would have been a huge hit had it gotten any airplay. Our local AM radio station played tons of Motown back in the '60s, but for some unknown reason, "S.O.S." wasn't among them. I love the entire "Soul Master" album. It's my favorite of all of Edwin's Motown LP releases -- especially the title track "Soul Master," on which The Andantes shine!
Love It! Edwin Starr's "Stop Her On Sight [S.O.S.]" is a Classic and the best Motown Record that wasn't initially released on Motown [that is until Berry Gordy purchased Ric Tic Records and placed Edwin Starr on Motown].
Edwin starr at his best, great song.
I had Edwin perform S.O.S on a tv show I did with Arehta. We had the originals and Louvain and Pat backing him up. He had told me on the record, it was actually The Holidays backing him up.
This is great. Edwin is such a wonderful performer.
It charted inside the Top 40 in the UK when initially released on Polydor c/w 'Headline News' in 1966, and it charted again at number 11 in the UK when it was reissued on Tamla Motown in 1968.
An irresistible dance track that is clearly Ric Tic and not Motown in terms of its sound. The drum sound is different and the rhythm is kept by some very bright-sounding blocks or similar, which Motown didn't use IIRC.
There's also unbounded enthusiasm in the way that the track is played and sung that sounds slightly more spontaneous than most Motown recordings of that era. Is this down to Edwin's energy?
S.O.S a great record but played over & over, however check out this one. "I Have Faith In You"
I attended numerous live performances of the legendary Edwin Starr, and met him on a number of occasions, he was a wonderful man and made the UK his home, he lived in Tamworth in the Midlands [[UK). My favourite record from his incredible archive of many, many classics has to this one, it was also recorded by Doni Burdick on the "Sound Impression" Label, both equally Northern Soul Anthems.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myz90ksj3lo
The first release as a single on Tamla Motown wasn't until 1974, prior to that both releases were on Polydor. It did appear, though, on Motown Chartbusters Volume 3 in 1969 and also on the Soul Master LP in the same year.
A: Stop Her On Sight [[S.O.S.) / B: I Have Faith In You Polydor BM53702 1966
A: Stop Her On Sight [[S.O.S.) / B: Headline News Polydor 56753 1968
A: Stop Her On Sight [[S.O.S.) / B: Headline News Tamla Motown TMG905 1974
Edwin loved his Detroit period but he also held a strong place in his heart for his early years in Cleveland.
I asked to interview him about those years & though he turned down many requests for interviews, hew had his manager ring me to set up a meet.
He was really proud to tell me that the group that inspired him in his teenage years was a local Cleveland outfit; the Metrotones [[one of the reasons he named his first group the Futuretones). He told me that the group's lead singer [[Sonny Turner) tutored him vocally & taught him to sing in harmony. Of course, Sonny also left Cleveland; he became the Platters lead singer & they cut many Detroit / Motown inspired tracks in the mid 60's.
Graham, I love this record! And The Andantes are shining bright as ever, too! I thought I was hearing this for the first time, but I KNOW it from somewhere. Damn, I can't put my finger on it. At the moment, my desktop PC which contains my word processing CD list containing every song in my collection is down and inaccessible. However, the Geek Squad is coming this Monday [[the 26th). When he gets me up and running again, I'll search for "I Have Faith In You". In the meantime, it's gonna bug the heck out of me until I remember where I heard it.
There was a stripped vocal version [[so intrumental track) on the CD "In The Snakepit". An instrumental version was also well known on the Northern circuit [[see below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eIhJ0877oY
Attachment 19942
As far as I remember S.O.S. got plenty of airplay in Chicago, L.A., and The S.F. Bay Area, and charted nationally. Where were you that it got no radio airplay?
It was a song just about every UK 'soul' group included in their live act back in the mid to late 60's.
One of these was THE FOUNDATIONS ... they also cut a reworded version [[as did Edwin himself with "Scotts On Swingers") for a UK charity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZABCzz7ac
Attachment 19946
It must have enjoyed some US action, otherwise American cover versions of the song wouldn't exist ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cs0na6WIGM
FEBRUARY 1966 ... Meanwhile up in Cleveland ... ' #12
Attachment 19948
The Finger Lakes area of Western New York State, Robb. WGVA radio in Geneva, NY [[about 45 miles southeast of Rochester, NY.). Honest, I had never even heard of Edwin Starr until Motown advertised his "Soul Master" LP on the inner sleeve of Motown's latest LP releases. [[Those Motown LP inner sleeves were a God-send!)
So it has.
It's still a big song in the UK ... even cabaret acts do it in their shows ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bC08rJEWEQ
A live version recorded by BBC radio back in the day ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk2ZKNEGDJE
Another old UK cover version ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpYWY85FObo
A US cover version ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ud3th7sO1E
I don't remember ever hearing Edwin Starr's version of "Stop Her On Sight [[SOS)" played on the radio in Kansas City, where I was living at that time. The first time I ever heard the song was the version by the blue-eyed soul group Bob Kuban and the Inmen [[who had a big hit called "The Cheater"). Sirius XM's "Carolina Shag Radio" channel plays both Edwin Starr's and Bob Kuban's version of "Stop Her On Sight [[SOS):
BOB KUBAN AND THE IN MEN~STOP HER ON SIGHT S O S - YouTube
Attachment 19951
At least you can console yourself with the fact that Darryl Banks came from Buffalo! But you never heard of Edwin Starr before you saw the advert for his 25 Miles LP on a Motown sleeve? That means they also never played "Agent Double O Soul" on your radio station? Or "Headline News", or "25 Miles" 45 [[which came out long before his LP)? "Agent" was a monster national hit, and was very big in Canada, too. Well, at least you had good hockey in that area.
Snakepit, back at the time, I had never heard that Ric Tic was a threat to Motown. In fact, I had never even heard of Ric Tic. But I can surely see why Berry bought 'em out. Ya know, in a way, however, this IS a Motown recording. I can tell by Mike Terry's baritone sax that the Funk Brothers snuck over to Ric Tic studios for a few extra bucks, as did The Andantes. I can also betcha that this is a classic example of when Berry found out and fined them all for betrayal! [[He could always tell by recognizing Louvain Demps' high Soprano which was a dead give-away! Ha! Funny!
No, Robb, I said, at the time, I had never heard of Edwin Starr until I saw his Gordy LP "Soul Master" shown on the inner sleeve of current-day Motown LP's. As far as radio airplay, the first single of Edwin Starr's I ever heard on WGVA was "25 Miles". After that, I think "War" and also "Time" were all that got airplay. Maybe "Oh How Happy" with Blinky, but that was it. It's a shame because those tracks you mentioned from "Soul Master" were HOT -- classic Motown Sound.
ADDITION: I happened to think, Edwin's "I'm Still A Struggling Man" also got airplay, as did "Take Me Clear From Here" after Motown switched him over to the Soul label. Unfortunately, still nothing from his first exciting "Soul.Master" album.
Bob Kuban is still living as far as I know- but the lead singer with the In Men, Walter Scott, was murdered courtesy of his second wife.
I used to have the Bob Kuban album "The Cheater" - enjoyed his version "The Batman Theme". The sound was a bit of a throwback but I thought the album was interesting.
Philles/Motown Gary,
The Ric Tic / Motown situation is a UK Rare/ Northern Soul thing....not really found in the USA.
Basically, in the early boom of NS, a good selection of Ric Tic/ Golden World tracks were popular amongst collectors, dancers etc.
Over the years, the myth that Berry Gordy HAD to buy out GW because he feared competition [[ which rose to the level of Motown being overtaken) grew amongst these fans.
Detroit was awash with many labels trying to catch whatever was in the Detroit air.
Many great records emerged, and GW/ Ric Tic were the best of the compeition...in quality songs, production values and some artists.
But they were never a serious rival in National/ International terms.
Oh, it was Walter Scott who was murdered? Okay. I'll have to watch for that episode again. I've seen it two or three times over the years. [[Was Walter Scott the lead singer but Bob Kuban was the head of the group, just as Teddy Pendergrass was the lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes?)
Snakepit, I'm now aware of the story behind Ric Tic, although I wasn't at the time. I've recently heard some of their recordings, and I can understand why you Northern Soul fans were so fond of it. I've gotta say I'm impressed -- especially the Ric Tic tracks that include The Andantes.
What tended to happen was a particular record would take off, and collectors would realise that if a record on a certain label had "the sound", they would look for other releases on that label.
Of course , very often it produced "gold"....and certainlabels would be HOT for a period of time [[ Ric Tic, GW, Okeh, Loma, Date, etc)....then when the records had been found, exposed, played....the scene then looked to the next BIG thing.
That's how all those wonderful records were discovered for the UK scene.
Maybe more like The Dave Clark Five as Bob Kuban was a drummer. In the DC5 Mike Smith [[keyboards) handled the bulk of the lead vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-4w7B1TTwY