Bought this and other photos recently and wondering who this is. Looks like she's working in one of the Hitsville offices, maybe around '62, '63 judging from the albums.
Bought this and other photos recently and wondering who this is. Looks like she's working in one of the Hitsville offices, maybe around '62, '63 judging from the albums.
I'm proposing it is Iris Gordy, daughter of Berry Gordy's brother Fuller Gordy. Born in 1943, this would make Iris 19 if this photo was taken in 1962. Iris went on to marry Johnny Bristol, co-wrote The Bells, and produced Tata Vega, Debarge, G.C. Cameron, Smokey, Mandre and High Inergy.
Bummer!... Oh well, back to the drawing board.... Marv, any ideas?
Also, intrigued by the Album on the wall. It seems to be entitled, His Sax, His Flute, His Sound. Frank ? Could it be Frank Wess, flautist and saxophonist for Count Basey amongst others. He did contribute to releases on the Workshop label, Berry's jazz label. Any one throw a light on this second enigma in the photo?
Well, the name looks to me like Frank Morelli. I did a search and this came up in the entry for Yusef Lateef:
In April 1956 Lateef formed his first quintet for performances at George Klein's Show Bar in Detroit—an ensemble which stayed together for three years. While the personnel changed occasionally, some of the musicians in the quintet included Ernie Farrow and Will Austin on double bass, Hugh Lawson and Terry Pollard on piano, Louis Hayes on drums, Frank Morelli on baritone saxophone and flute, Curtis Fuller on trombone and Wilbur Harden on flügelhorn.
Also, the On Stage series pictured seems to have been in 1963.
Thom, I think you are correct... could it be an album that never got released?
I guess Keith Hughes would know if anyone does....
Last edited by MIKEW-UK; 08-14-2015 at 05:15 PM.
There were more than a few Workshop Jazz albums that were in the making and never got released, I would bet that was one of them. This is a very cool photo, thanks for posting. I have got absolutely no clue as to who the lady is though.
According to Lars Bjorn's excellent "Before Motown: A History Of Jazz In Detroit", Frank Morelli played baritone and flute with Yusef Lateef's quintet, joining in 1958. There's a picture of him with the band on page 156 of that book. He cut 9 tracks at Hitsville in April/May 1963 [[as already pointed out, the year in which the albums hanging on the wall were released), probably enough for an album given that jazz tracks don't always fit within the 3 minute pop format; however, there's no indication in paperwork that those tracks were ever assigned to a projected album. Interestingly, one of the tunes cut was titled "Defunk Brothers" ... you'll find it listed in Don't Forget The Motor City [[plug) ...
huntergettingcaptured, is there a logo visible in the bottom r.h. corner of the Frank Morelli picture/album sleeve[[?) by any chance ... a Workshop Jazz logo ... ?
Last edited by keith_hughes; 08-14-2015 at 05:35 PM.
It sure looks like it could be the Workshop Jazz logo in the lower right corner of the LP. Wow, what a mystery!
You're right, Kenny. From what little we can see, it sure does look like the Workshop Jazz Logo. Huntergettingcaptured, great historical photo! Thanks! It's odd that the album cover for Mary Wells' "Recorded Live On Stage" is conspicuously missing from the wall collage, as it was part of the same "live" series as Marvin Gaye's, The Miracles', and The Marvelettes'. Still cool, though.
Philles ... I believe the Mary Wells is the album behind the woman.
I can only see a small glimpse of the album behind the young woman's head, but I think it might be Stevie Wonder's 12 Year Old Genius Recorded Live album, which had a different cover design than the others.
I think @reese is correct. The little you can see of the album hidden by the lady's head indeed is likely the Stevie Wonder [["12 Year Old Genius") Recorded Live LP, taking into account what little we can see of it and [[more than likely) because of its placing with the other 3 albums on the wall.
The "Recorded Live" banner on the hidden LP looks a little more like the Stevie Wonder LP to me.
But it's the Frank Morelli album which indeed poses a real mystery!
Last edited by kenneth; 08-14-2015 at 11:30 PM.
Hi Keith, it took some doing but it is indeed a Workshop Jazz logo!
I really appreciate all the replies to this- and sharp eyes! I hadn't even thought about that album cover...
Thanks everyone for your responses! This site is so incredible! I'll keep watching to see if anyone can be our "Columbo" and crack this case...
Nice work, hunter. Most, maybe all, Workshop Jazz album covers contained a NUMBER under the logo in the bottom r h corner ... wanna make an old discographer's day? Maybe a very hi-res scan [[GIF or TIF) would reveal more than the naked eye can see ...
WSJ 208-211 are all "available", and would fit 1963.
Hunter....
Cal Street believes it might be Ann Dozier - Lamont's first wife. I've also copied in William Stevenson
The Live albums are all Tamla label ones.
I agree that the secretary is NOT Iris Gordy. Iris was my colleague, Tom DePierro's boss for much of his time at Motown. She was in charge of Album Covers, for a while in the late '70s, as I remember.
I found a few Frank Morelli acetates in The Motown Vaults, all of which I liked very much. He was a great flute player.
Isn't that jeannie bradford?
I'm always amazed at the way that camera angles can deceive our vision. All four visible lp covers on the walls are the same size; yet in the photo it appears that Recorded Live The Miracles On Stage cover is larger than the Marvelettes cover.
I also wonder if those are the lps themselves in the white jackets in and beneath the desk tray to the young woman's right ? The top one seems to bear a Tamla logo.
Last edited by carole cucumber; 08-15-2015 at 09:26 PM.
Hi Carole, nearly everything I bought is Motown-related, and I bought a lot! The man found them, FOUND them sitting in one of those storage units that was up for auction. He didn't quite know who all the performers were, but he did know many were Motown artists photographed by a local Philly photographer. There were also many Philly artists, many I'm guessing who were more local acts. As I sort through them, I'll share some here. I got some amazing pics of the Marvelettes, and Brenda Holloway. Candid pics of the Tempts and Marvin Gaye. I even have one of Smokey and Claudette posing in front of a house, that I'm assuming was their first or a newer one after the success of the Miracles.
I'll check for any other album covers too. And I agree with Kenneth, you do have some SHARP eyes! You got me doing triple looks at that picture!
This wouldn't by chance be Frances Heard, Motown tape librarian, would it?
HGC - According to this article, Russ Terrana should be able to answer your question re Frances Heard:
http://blog.al.com/mcolurso/2010/09/...rd_labels.html
When this mystery photo was first posted, Fran Heard's name popped up in my mind, because I had just received an email from her asking me if I would update my review of the second edition of her memoir, "I Remember Motown [[When We Were Just Family)." I actually send her a jpg of the photo in question but she hasn't replied as yet.
I just heard from Fran Heard. She cannot positively identify the girl, however, she thinks that she looks to be in the QC office which was Billie Jean Brown's area.
If anyone has a way to get in touch with Billie Jean Brown, that might get the answer. I do not know how to do so.
An address was posted for Billie Jean Brown here:
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/108249
Whether it is current or not, I don't know.
While on the subject of Billie Jean, I chanced upon this:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Yw...motown&f=false
R & B Roundup's [[second column first full paragraph) mentions Saundra Edwards & Billie Jean Brown, although the identification of them as the Beljeans on 'Camel Walk' is not correct and the date is off as well.
Perhaps they were the background vocalists for the b-side, 'The Chaperone' .The write-up in TCMS Vol2: 1962 proposes either the Andantes or Billie Jean's group as providing backgrounds.
Could the Beljeans be Saundra & Brenda on Chaperone???
Last edited by carole cucumber; 08-19-2015 at 07:34 PM.
Does anyone know why the miracles recorded live cover seems reversed, I.e smokey on the left hand side and not the right hand side.... I wondering whether these were proof covers? In which case might not be Stevie?
Bookmarks