Barrett Strong - Misery

[marv2]

I am listening to this right now on CKWW 580 out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and thought I'd share this great recording here:

[motony]

Thanks for posting. I love it and would have bought it back then. I wonder if Don Juan Mancha is related to Steven Mancha? Wonder if the backgrounds are the Rayber Singers?

[Quinn]

Thanks for posting. I love it and would have bought it back then. I wonder if Don Juan Mancha is related to Steven Mancha? Wonder if the backgrounds are the Rayber Singers?

Steve Mancha was just a stage name. After leaving Motown to join Don Davis's camp he was told that his real name Clyde Wilson didn't have a commercial sound. Steve was suggested by one of them and they borrowed the Mancha from Don Juan,so that became his industry identity. No relation at all.

[marv2]

Steve Mancha was just a stage name. After leaving Motown to join Don Davis's camp he was told that his real name Clyde Wilson didn't have a commercial sound. Steve was suggested by one of them and they borrowed the Mancha from Don Juan,so that became his industry identity. No relation at all.

Thank you Quinn for that background information. Would you happen to know when this recording was released? I am guessing about 1960.

[Quinn]

Thank you Quinn for that background information. Would you happen to know when this recording was released? I am guessing about 1960.

This was released on June 3,1961. I would think that this was recorded not too long before as it was Barrett Strong's last single for Motown. I can see why many folks would think it was from the previous year as it has a somewhat harsh sound quality. We'll never know for sure though because the original singles master is lost to the ages. Seems Berry Gordy made the mistake many record companies did in the early days,not backing up it's tapes and neglecting to request it to be returned. It wasn't until Fran Heard happened upon the scene that value of it's analog tapes were considered. Without her futuristic outlook Universal would probably be at a loss and the fans disappointed at least in regards to the Detroit era.

Record executives rarely gave thought to what could happen tomorrow. They were in the record business to make money off sales,not keep track of what the records were made from. As a result pressing plants around the country were stuck with miscellaneous tapes that had never been returned to their rightful owners. Sometimes they destroyed or disposed of them or just put them away in safekeeping just in case. That's the reason why sometimes you read about someone buying a pressing facility and a holy grail of master tapes would be discovered within the acquisition. Most of the time they don't bother to look through them to see what they have.

[robb_k]

Steve Mancha was just a stage name. After leaving Motown to join Don Davis's camp he was told that his real name Clyde Wilson didn't have a commercial sound. Steve was suggested by one of them and they borrowed the Mancha from Don Juan,so that became his industry identity. No relation at all.

Steve said in an interview, that he was working with Don Mancha, and Don suggested that Clyde use his last name, after Clyde said it sounded "classy". Don Mancha, like Don Davis, worked for Motown fairly early in his career[[1960-61). Wilson also worked for Motown, having had his contract bought by Berry Gordy, when the latter bought out his sister, Gwen's, and brother-in-law, Harvey Fuqua's Harvey/Tri-Phi Records, in 1963. Clyde was one of the duo: "The Two Friends", together with Wilbur Jackson, for H.P.C. Records, Harvey's 3rd label.

[marv2]

This was released on June 3,1961. I would think that this was recorded not too long before as it was Barrett Strong's last single for Motown. I can see why many folks would think it was from the previous year as it has a somewhat harsh sound quality. We'll never know for sure though because the original singles master is lost to the ages. Seems Berry Gordy made the mistake many record companies did in the early days,not backing up it's tapes and neglecting to request it to be returned. It wasn't until Fran Heard happened upon the scene that value of it's analog tapes were considered. Without her futuristic outlook Universal would probably be at a loss and the fans disappointed at least in regards to the Detroit era.

Record executives rarely gave thought to what could happen tomorrow. They were in the record business to make money off sales,not keep track of what the records were made from. As a result pressing plants around the country were stuck with miscellaneous tapes that had never been returned to their rightful owners. Sometimes they destroyed or disposed of them or just put them away in safekeeping just in case. That's the reason why sometimes you read about someone buying a pressing facility and a holy grail of master tapes would be discovered within the acquisition. Most of the time they don't bother to look through them to see what they have.

Excellent information and commentary Quinn. It does sound a little rough, that's why I assumed it came out a bit earlier. I understand what you said about companies not taking good care of their masters. Many early television programs wiped their tapes to reuse them and a lot of now valuable footage was lost. I remember several years ago that there was a fire at Malaco Records in Jackson, MS where some of their masters were destroyed, some were saved. I remember Motown used a pressing plant up in Oswosso, MI. There is also a new record pressing plant in the Detroit area that went into operation 2 years ago.

[144man]

I always thought this record was ahead of its time. It's got a sort of Marvin Gaye "Grapevine" feel to it.

[marv2]

Steve said in an interview, that he was working with Don Mancha, and Don suggested that Clyde use his last name, after Clyde said it sounded "classy". Don Mancha, like Don Davis, worked for Motown fairly early in his career[[1960-61). Wilson also worked for Motown, having had his contract bought by Berry Gordy, when the latter bought out his sister, Gwen's, and brother-in-law, Harvey Fuqua's Harvey/Tri-Phi Records, in 1963. Clyde was one of the duo: "The Two Friends", together with Wilbur Jackson, for H.P.C. Records, Harvey's 3rd label.

More amazing background information! Thank you Robb.