Groovesville USA Motown, Ric Tic, Golden World

and so much more. Over the years, I have purchased scores of books on soul, Motown, Philly, Stax, and every artist you can mention. So it was a great surprise and pleasure to discover Groovesville USA - the Detroit Soul and R&B Index. It arrived today and is superb. This book is out of stock on Amazon, is £27.50 on ebay, and I sourced mine, brand new from Nickle and a Nail for the greatly reduced price of £9.99. Although it was published 10 years ago, it remains as fresh as if published yesterday. Many photos of the artists are seen for the first time, and it covers artists, producers, composers, arrangers, musicians, labels, you name it. A really comprehensive submersion into Detroit soul and much more than the already heavily documented Motown powerhouse. I can recommend this book highly enough.

Here's the blurb.......
Groovesville USA. The Detroit Soul & R&B Index - Keith Rylatt

BACK IN STOCK AT A NICKEL AND A NAIL- £19.99


[[Now reduced to £9.99..insert by Mike)

Detroit’s soul and R&B scene was not just about Motown. Berry Gordy’s company may have cast a mighty shadow over the city, but there were hundreds of singers, musicians, producers and songwriters who gave the giant a run for its money. Their story has remained a footnote in Detroit’s music history until now, with the publication of Keith Rylatt’s Groovesville USA.

This 320-page paperback is packed with a depth of information Motor City freaks can only dream about. As well as a history of the development of black music in Detroit there is an exhaustive A-Z of the city’s artists and musicians, and an equally detailed A-Z of the area’s myriad labels and record companies. The book is beautifully designed with rarely seen artists’ photographs, press ads, radio station flyers, newspaper clippings, and record labels [[large softback, new).

A great Christmas gift for some.....
Cheers
Mike

Mike
thank you for this notice...a book I've been interested in..and the price is right ....£15 with postage seems reasonable. My order is in .
again thanks

Snake, do let me know your opinion. I was so impressed. Great to see, amongst others, McKinley Jackson, Popcorn Wylie, Ollie Mclaughlin and Don Davis. Ralph and Russ Terrana are in there too

Detroit was to record companies in the 50's and 60's what Battle Creek was to cereal companies at the turn of the century...A entrant on virtually every street corner...

Mike
have you heard my Ollie McLaughlin story?

Stu, the only references I have known to Battle Creek are the connections with Johnny Bristol, Jr. Walker and Al Green and the Creations...
Cheers

Mike

Snake
No, I don't know your Ollie story. I loved his productions on his own labels, and a couple of my favourite albums are compilations of his records licensed on the Solid Smoke label. Bettye Lavette and Percy and Them to name just two.

Do tell!
Mike

Mike, I wholeheartedly agree with your recommendation for others who have an interest in this to buy it. I bought mine through Dusty Grooves in Chicago maybe 8 years ago. I do refer to it often. It is an excellent reference book and includes individual chapters on artists, labels, etc. etc. It was written by Keith Rylatt.

While on the same subject, Keith Rylatt. I have another book by him entitled Hitsville, The Birth of Tamla Motown that I also highly recommend. I have never seen any publicity on this book. It was published by Modus House of Soul copyrighted 2016. There are a great number of never before seen pictures of the various artists and it covers the arrival of Motown in the UK and its development. A lot of in depth background on the TMAS [Tamla Motown Appreciation Society]. I wish I could tell you how to obtain one but if you knew what I went through ordering this from the UK for shipment to the USA, I could write a book. It was a laborious endeavour but I am thankful it had a good conclusion. I high recommend you explore obtaining this. ISBN 978-1-5262-0535-3. They had a website, uncertain if still active: www.house of soul-uk. 192 pages..

[QUOTE=MIKEW-UK;600836]Stu, the only references I have known to Battle Creek are the connections with Johnny Bristol, Jr. Walker and Al Green and the Creations...
Cheers Mike [quote]

Battle Creek was the breakfast cereal capital of the country at the turn of the century Mike, home to Kellogg's [[the Motown of corn flakes)... As Kellogg's became so successful, scores of entrepreneurs [[and scam artists) headed to Battle Creek to set up their own copy cat cereal enterprises, all trying to catch Kellogg's lightning in a bottle for themselves... Quite similar to Detroit and the impact Motown had on many others all trying to duplicate Gordy's massive success... A film I highly recommend called "Road To Wellville" starring Matthew Broderick, Anthony Hopkins [[as the real Dr Kellogg), John Cusack, and Bridget Fonda...If you can find the semi-biographical film, I found it quite entertaining and the connection to the proliferation of record companies to Detroit I think is quite apparent...Must be a Michigan thing...

Hi!

My review of this great book ten years ago:

https://www.soulexpress.net/deep110.htm#groovesville

Best regards
Heikki

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MIKEW-UK

Snake
No, I don't know your Ollie story. I loved his productions on his own labels, and a couple of my favourite albums are compilations of his records licensed on the Solid Smoke label. Bettye Lavette and Percy and Them to name just two.

Do tell!
Mike

---

Mike,

Here Goes...
I had a friend in the mid 80s with whom I swapped Northern/rare Soul tapes.
At some point, we must have discussed the 45s on Karen, Moira, Carla . He told me the story about his travels across several USA cities in the late 70s/early 80s, and of course visiting record shops in Detroit [[ as you would.....looking for cheap 60s Detroit soul 45s which at that time, was still a possibility. Now , that scene will have been exhausted by collectors and dealers).
In one particular shop, he found quite a few Karen, Moira, Carla discs amongst other labels.
He put a pile of 45s that he was interested in on one side.
During his search, a man approached him [[ can't recall if it was "staff" or somebody walking in off the street).
As he proceeded to pile up his "find", the stranger said to him "Those are my records", which my friend ignored. The stranger repeated this several times, at which point my friend had visions of his "find" being taken/stole from him, and he at some point told him " no, these are mine...I've put them on one side to purchase later".
"No you don't understand " said the stranger.....I'm Ollie McLaughlin, I wrote and produced these 45s...these are my records".
A friendly conversation took place....records purchased, and addresses were swapped. At this point I'm not sure if Ollie was tuned into the UK NS scene, but no doubt my friend explained it....and the desire to trawl Detroit record shops was an essential thing to do.
They kept in touch for several years I believe.

Regarding the 2 |Smoke LPS...I had them at this time, but I sent them to my friend as a keepsake of his memorable meeting.

Snake, a very nice anecdote about your friend having the good fortune to meet Ollie. I know Ollie used Tera Shirma and I recall Ralph remembering Ollie with affection.

I always regret not speaking with Levi Stubbs back in the very early 70s when I had the chance. I had just been to Contempo on Hanway Street and was walking down Oxford Street when I ran directly into Levi who was on his own. To my regret I was too shy and respectful to speak with him. I can see him as clearly now as the day I saw him. I saw him later that evening performing at Hammersmith Odeon.

I think I may have reacted to Levi the same way.....shy....not knowing what to say, who knows.....but it was a good story , you should have took him into Contempo ha ha.

They say you shouldn't meet your heroes ....they may let you down. Of the few examples I've had, that might be a good policy.

[QUOTE=StuBass1;600844][QUOTE=MIKEW-UK;600836]Stu, the only references I have known to Battle Creek are the connections with Johnny Bristol, Jr. Walker and Al Green and the Creations...
Cheers Mike

Quote:

---

Battle Creek was the breakfast cereal capital of the country at the turn of the century Mike, home to Kellogg's [[the Motown of corn flakes)... As Kellogg's became so successful, scores of entrepreneurs [[and scam artists) headed to Battle Creek to set up their own copy cat cereal enterprises, all trying to catch Kellogg's lightning in a bottle for themselves... Quite similar to Detroit and the impact Motown had on many others all trying to duplicate Gordy's massive success... A film I highly recommend called "Road To Wellville" starring Matthew Broderick, Anthony Hopkins [[as the real Dr Kellogg), John Cusack, and Bridget Fonda...If you can find the semi-biographical film, I found it quite entertaining and the connection to the proliferation of record companies to Detroit I think is quite apparent...Must be a Michigan thing...

---

Stu...I think it's more of a US thing than a MI thing. Anyways....cost of the book and shipping to MD is about 50 bucks....to quote the late great Otis Redding...."She gives me 22 minutes of love....I had to think about it."

[QUOTE=destruction;601074][QUOTE=StuBass1;600844]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MIKEW-UK

Stu, the only references I have known to Battle Creek are the connections with Johnny Bristol, Jr. Walker and Al Green and the Creations...
Cheers Mike

Stu...I think it's more of a US thing than a MI thing. Anyways....cost of the book and shipping to MD is about 50 bucks....to quote the late great Otis Redding...."She gives me 22 minutes of love....I had to think about it."

---

LOL...Its just the story of an industry that someone has innovated and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams [[Gordy and Kellogg), built an empire, imitators moved in to try to catch their lightning in a bottle [[imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) and dozens set up shop all over town, some legitimate operators, and some outright scoundrels, but quite a collection of characters... It's the SAME story...just different era's and different products... Trust me...

destruction, the book is priced at a highly reduced $13. Is tr really the case that postage for this paperback is quoted at $37? That sounds way off. Don’t know how that cost can be arrived at, unless a dhl / fed ex is not being used.

cheers
Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MIKEW-UK

destruction, the book is priced at a highly reduced $13. Is tr really the case that postage for this paperback is quoted at $37? That sounds way off. Don’t know how that cost can be arrived at, unless a dhl / fed ex is not being used.

cheers
Mike

---

That's what it said and it didn't give me options. If the shipping cost was half the stated amount, I would have ordered it on the spot. Would love to get hands on a copy. I'd even take a used one. Thanks, Mike....hope all has been well with you.

Very well thanks. Seasons greetings and best wishes to you and yours.

Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by destruction

That's what it said and it didn't give me options. If the shipping cost was half the stated amount, I would have ordered it on the spot. Would love to get hands on a copy. I'd even take a used one. Thanks, Mike....hope all has been well with you.

---

I personally have the book in question. Trust me, it is not low grade paper. It is heavy. Although I do not know the exact weight, it is not your normal paper.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by woodward

While on the same subject, Keith Rylatt. I have another book by him entitled Hitsville, The Birth of Tamla Motown that I also highly recommend. I have never seen any publicity on this book. It was published by Modus House of Soul copyrighted 2016.

---

...I was lucky to have been invited to the launch of Hitsville, The Birth of Tamla Motown in London ...meeting its author ...together with Motown fans and friends old and new ...I remember many of the photos and other rare Motown memorabilia were displayed on the walls of the Horse Hospital exhibition centre ...more info here

Grape :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grapevine

...I was lucky to have been invited to the launch of Hitsville, The Birth of Tamla Motown in London ...meeting its author ...together with Motown fans and friends old and new ...I remember many of the photos and other rare Motown memorabilia were displayed on the walls of the Horse Hospital exhibition centre ...more info here

Grape :)

---

Thanks for locating this in the "archives." As I said, it is a great book and well worth obtaining. There are numerous pictures in it that never appeared elsewhere. Thanks again.

Mike

My copy arrived this morning...looks very good.
Will have a go at reading it over Christmas.
Great Photos....and detail looks great.
thanks again for the notice.
Snakepit

snake, glad you like it, one of the best books I have purchased. It is clearly a labour of love, and what wonderful vaue at the greatly reduced price.

Given current covid constraints, have a [[great)/[[acceptable)/[[mediocre)/[[lamentable) -*delete as appropriate- Christmas and a considerably improved New Year!

Mike

Thanks Mike
Several books...3 on Stax and this Detroit book will help keep my busy.
All the best to you for Christmas and hopefully a better New Year.
All the best