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Born in Detroit and best known for "You Better Go", please find my interview with Derek - and the complete discography - at
http://www.soulexpress.net/derekmartin_interview.htm
Did you know that Derek sang in the same group with Dionne Warwick?
Best regards
Heikki
Happy to see this, Heikk.
Derek Martin has been one of my most favorite edgy voices since 1965.
I know he also sung with the group The Peals in the 1950's & The Top Notes.
Besides "You Better Go" produced by the great Teddy Randazzo, I love his version of "I Won't Cry Anymore", "You Blew it, Baby", & "Your Daddy Wants His Baby Back". Great stuff!!!
I knew Dave "Baby" Cortez in 1966 when he had a studio on Broadway & 52 Street in Manhattan downstairs from Lloyd Price's club The Turntable [[which used to be the original Birdland). I was then living in the Jive Five crib around the corner on 49th Street which was sub-letted from Gene Pistelli of Manhattan Transfer fame, etcetra...who was working at Columbia Records then. The Jive Five actually all lived in Brooklyn, a Go Go Dancer from D.C. & I shared the cool crib. I went to some of my first recording sessions then. Great times, I was hangin` with singer Sammy Ambrose and going to all the great shows everywhere. :cool: Those were great fun times bu,t my best times were with Jimmy.
Speaking of Jimmy's record "I Won't Cry Anymore" from Roost label in 1951, it was on the air for about two weeks when the radio station removed for Tony Bennett's cover of it , it was a hit for Tony and put him on the map. Tony recalled it to Jimmy decades later, not his call. Tony loved Jimmy.
Keep up the good work, Heikki.
S.S.
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Thank you, Soul Sister.
I remember that you liked "You Better Go."
That was interesting to learn about Dave Baby Cortez and that Jimmy vs. Tony thing. I wasn't aware of that.
Best regards
Heikki
Attachment 10913
Derek was originally from Detroit and grew up with Howard Guyten, who sang with The Five Jets in the early '50s. That group later morphed into The Five Stars, who were produced by Berry Gordy in 1957-58. The Five Stars later morphed into The Voice Masters [[who once had Ty Hunter, Lamont Dozier. David Ruffin, and 3 future members of The Originals).
In the mid-'50s, he and Howie moved to New York and joined The Five Pearls [[Pearls), who had a few other members who were also originally from Detroit or had connections to that city. They recorded for Aladdin, and later, for Herb Abrahamson at ATCO Records, and later, changed their name to The Top Notes. There, with Atlantic, they recorded the original version of "Twist and Shout". In the mid '60s, and as a solo artist with Juggy Murray's Sue and Crackerjack Records [["Count to Ten" before hitting it big for Roulette, with "You Better Go". He later had a minor hit with "Sly Girl" on Detroit's Tuba Records.
Thanks Heikki. I have his greatest hits CD and there are some really good songs there. Especially the songs with the female background singers. Their style of singing is haunting and beautiful. I wonder if the same ladies are on each song?
Hi "mr_june"!
Thank you! As far as I know, there were different background singers at different times. Sometimes there were former Cookie/Raelettes ladies, then there were Barbara Wells and Dionne Warwick, who were all actually group members, and on You Better Go there was Leslie Miller. I don't know who else Mr. Teddy Randazzo was using on Derek's solo recordings.
Hi Robb!
Nice hearing from you. I specifically asked Derek about the Five Jets and he said he never was a member. Of course, I couldn't go against that. On the other hand, I don't think he was yet singing in a group at 14-15, meaning the years 1952 and '53. He joined the Pearls in 1954.
I did a research on the Five Jets/Five Stars/Voice Masters for my Spinners Story, and more in detail when interviewing C.P. Spencer. When C.P. joined [[late '55/early '56), there were Joe Murphy [[his real nime was Joe Charles -> later part of Loe & Joe), Joseph von Battle, Walter Gaines and Billy Davis.
Incidentally, where are staying over Christmas, Robb?
Best regards
Heikki
Thankyou Heikki...always very informative and interesting read...Derek Martin sang 'You Better Go' on American Bandstand 1965...is he aware that it still exists? :DAttachment 11824
Hi Soulpassion!
He asked me to help him in compiling a sort of "Best Of" CD, but since I'm not a specialist in that field [[picking up tracks from multiple record companies and getting clearance for all of them) I had to decline. I also told him that practically all of his music throughout the years is available on the Internet, in YouTube etc.
Best regards
Heikki
Attachment 11827Quote:
Originally Posted by heikki
Hi Heikki,
Sorry I didn't see your reply for a long time. I never meant to imply that Derek sang with The Five Jets - only that Howie did. I read that in a few places. But, it seems that was incorrect. He was with The five Pearls in his earltest portion of his career, as you stated. Maybe the bloggers got The Five Pearls and Five Jets mixed up.
I usually spend Christmas at my sister's house in Winnipeg, or my other sister's house in Los Angeles. I rarely spend Christmas in Europe, although I have spent a few in The Netherlands, and one in Munich, Germany, and one in England.
Do you know if any of Derek's Tuba recordings were made in Detroit? Or were they all made in New York. Did Derek ever move back to Detroit, or did he stay in New York for all his singing career?
Hi Robb!
Nice hearing from you.
I suspected that you spend some of your Christmases in Canada. Somehow that seems logical... or the two just go together.
Derek said that Soul Power/Sly Girl was recorded in New Your and leased to Tuba in Detroit.
When tracking down Derek's whereabouts throughout the years it seems that after New York he went to Canada, came back to New York, then to Morocco and finally to Paris. He didn't mention anything about Detroit in between.
Best regards
Heikki