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  1. #1
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    Golden World Corporate Press Release

    I am looking to find a copy of ANY Golden World, Ric Tic, or official press release on any subject. I have never ever seen one anywhere. Certainly one or more must exist.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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    woodward ...you may like this...

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/2009...33235973366256

    Grape

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    ...woodward ...you might also like this...

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/2009...96124720410714

    Grape

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    Thanks, very much appreciated. I wish that more attention were devoted to Golden World-Ric Tic, Wingate, etc. etc. In the beginning they gave Motown some competition. Then Motown won out. It was the forebearer to Motown. Thanks.

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    Name:  av-5.jpg
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    I remember reading the press release in 1962, for the start-up of Golden World and Ric-Tic Records in one of the music industry trade papers, saying that Ed Wingate and JoAnn Bratton were forming Golden World Record Co. and its subsidiary, Ric-Tic Records[[named after her son, Ricky) in Detroit, and planned to build a new, full-service recording studio. But, if I remember correctly, they didn't start building the studio until 1964. During 1962 and 1963, they did most of their recording in New York, and their producers and songwriters worked mostly from there, and their singers came from all over [[Cleveland, Texas, Canada, New York). They didn't start seriously, until early 1964, when they built the studio, and moved their main operations back to Detroit, and started hiring all Detroit people, most of whom had worked for Motown, previously.

    I read LOTS and LOTS of press releases for most of the new records they released, or The Golden World Revue, [[various of their artists appearing in company shows at specific venues for a week or weekend [[Fri-Sat-Sun)), all through late 1964, and especially, 1965, and '66, and a few in '67. I also read many of their press releases about signing new artists, or management-level production staff, in the record business trades [[mainly "Billboard" and "Cash Box, but also "The Hollywood Reporter" and "Variety". They also had one for each of their 2 LP releases. I remember reading an article in 1964 bout them signing Freddie Gorman, and one about Popcorn Wylie, and one about Bob Hamilton [[They didn't call him "Rob Reeco" in that blurb.), and one for Al Kent, too. I don't remember if they called him Al Hamilton or Al Kent in that one. I remember one for Edwin Starr, saying he was a great new talent from Cleveland.
    Last edited by robb_k; 09-01-2021 at 12:27 AM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodward View Post
    I am looking to find a copy of ANY Golden World, Ric Tic, or official press release on any subject. I have never ever seen one anywhere. Certainly one or more must exist.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Attachment 19292
    I would guess your best bet would be to look at digital copies of 1960s "Billboard Magazine", and do a search for "Golden World Records' and Ric-Tic Records' press releases". They should all been digitised, and should be available to the public online, I would think.

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodward View Post
    Thanks, very much appreciated. I wish that more attention were devoted to Golden World-Ric Tic, Wingate, etc. etc. In the beginning they gave Motown some competition. Then Motown won out. It was the forebearer to Motown. Thanks.
    Attachment 19292
    I think you'd get a LOT of objections to that statement above from Motown fans and workers, alike. Just how was Golden World the "forebearer" [[is that an English word?- We were always taught that "forbear" is also the noun, as well as the verb). Back to the subject......Motown already had its own studio in 1959, and it was modified to be highly functional in 1961, and they had a number 1 pop hit [[ALL BEFORE Golden World was founded!) Golden World was NEVER as popular, nor as innovative as Motown, as far as I could tell. The only instance of their being the forebear to Motown was in operating their particular recording studio before Motown took that one over. It is true that they gave Motown some local competition from 1964-66, which upset Berry Gordy for a short while. But he [[many may say, wrongly,) squelched that competition, nipping it in the bud).

    Let us know what you meant by that bolded statement.

  8. #8
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    I love most of the Golden Word recordings from Detroit but as Robb says, it is ridiculous to compare GW to Motown in any way shape of form
    The early years up to 1965 where not Detroit recordings at all.
    The studio that they built in Detroit only lasted about 18 months.
    Virtually no hit records
    only 2 lps
    The Marvelettes alone had more hit records in 61-63 than the entire GW set up.

    The UK Northern Soul scene embraced several of the Detroit 45s and this 'myth' about it being a serious competitor to Motown is overblown
    Would you say LA's Mirwood was as big as Motown...or Loma...because they were just as popular on the UK scene as Ric Tic Golden World for a short period.

    There is a Golden World article on this web site main home page
    Last edited by snakepit; 09-01-2021 at 01:38 AM.

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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by woodward View Post
    Thanks, very much appreciated. I wish that more attention were devoted to Golden World-Ric Tic, Wingate, etc. etc. In the beginning they gave Motown some competition. Then Motown won out. It was the forebearer to Motown. Thanks.
    Golden World-Ric Tic, Wingate has been discussed before, I recall. In fact, I had a lot of curiosity myself about the company when I discovered they existed. Initially, I thought they had some good records and I bought into the thing about them giving Motown some serious competition. But, it didn't take long for me to question that Berry should have been worried at all. Golden World/Ric Tic had good records, but that's all they were. Good. Not ground-breaking or progressive, at least not by much.

    The biggest hole I've always focused on in the "serious competition" thing is how scattershot their releases were. Motown carefully plotted, planned and even strategized their releases. They were thinking in terms of long-term chart presence and what today is called "branding" for their artists and the company itself. Golden World had none of that. You got a record by this artist, a record by that artist, another by that one- but there was nothing consistent about it. Granted, J.J. Barnes and Edwin Starr, then later, The Fantastic Four seemed to have a more consistent stream of releases, but what about albums? Yes, I know it was a singles market back then, but Motown dove heartily into getting albums out on artists as soon as they seemed to be catching on with the public. How many LPs did Golden World- Ric Tic release? Two? Three?

    So I just don't get the "competition" angle that's always thrown out there. Motown "won out" not by a fluke or just because they got bigger; they got bigger because they "won out" be sheer hard work- they had people who were insanely knowledgeable about every aspect of a record company. A&R, recording engineering, writing songs that really connected to audiences across the board in new and exciting and creative ways, people who knew about marketing, artist development, building a stage show instead of just singing a string of hits. Motown worked overtime and then some to build careers for their artists and not just a couple hits here and there.

    Golden World may very well have posed a threat to Motown IF they had even a fraction of the backstage machinery Motown had in place to build up their artists and records. Now, Vee Jay in Chicago- THEY could have posed some competition to Motown but in the end, poor management [[in part) derailed what could have been a substantial recording empire.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by snakepit View Post
    The Marvelettes alone had more hit records in 61-63 than the entire GW set up.
    I love this point of comparison, citing the Marvelettes. They were a third priority behind The Supremes and Martha & The Vandellas and still, because Motown was so good at marketing, The Marvelettes had a fairly healthy career at Motown and a consistent stream of single releases. Also, I'd dare say their name still is fairly familiar. Ric Tic- Golden World really had no household names. It bugs me that Ric Tic had a fantastic record on Laura Lee, "To Win Your Heart" and it did absolutely nothing, nor did Ric Tic do any other singles on her. At Motown, even some of the second-tier artists would get an albums and exposure on the concert circuit opening for Motown's bigger names.

  12. #12
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    The competition "angle" comes from the early fledgling UK Northern Soul scene "discovering" several very good Detroit 45s that a) suited the playlist/ current style at the time and b) were "unknown/ rare" to the UK NS club scene.
    A record on a certain label would go down a storm..ergo there must be more where that cam from.
    Ric Tic
    Golden World
    Mirwood
    Loma
    Okeh
    And many more labels had their period of "fame".
    GW/ Ric Tic had a number of 45s that fit the bill.
    But the myth that Motown had to surpress the competition grew.
    A number of accounts tell us that Ed Wingate actually approached Gordy to sell GW ...he wanted out of.the music business.
    And Motown needed extra studio capacity.
    The myth also exists because of moonlighting musicians....an irritant no doubt but no real threat.

    If Gordy/ Motown did want to rub out competition I suspect that it was to protect the "Detroit Sound" brand that.by 65 the music media was calling it.
    If There was a "Detroit" sound, Gordy wanted to be the " Motown Sound".

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    Another major factor in this was a column written in the UK soul magazine "Blues and Soul" by Dave Godin, the pioneer who promoted and ran the Motown.Appreciation Society in the UK.
    This was essential reading for all UK NS fans.
    He slated Motown for not releasing GW/Ric Tic masters in their ownership...result;
    GW/Ric Tic...good guys
    Motown....bad guys.
    When , due to popular demand by NS fans, Motown did release some tracks, he complained that Motown was "fraudulently" passing off these gems as their own.
    Godin had an agenda with Motown.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by snakepit View Post
    Another major factor in this was a column written in the UK soul magazine "Blues and Soul" by Dave Godin, the pioneer who promoted and ran the Motown.Appreciation Society in the UK.
    This was essential reading for all UK NS fans.
    He slated Motown for not releasing GW/Ric Tic masters in their ownership...result;
    GW/Ric Tic...good guys
    Motown....bad guys.
    When , due to popular demand by NS fans, Motown did release some tracks, he complained that Motown was "fraudulently" passing off these gems as their own.
    Godin had an agenda with Motown.
    Wow, that's all really interesting. Definitely sheds some understanding about the competition theme.

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    A club I visited on a regular basis , around 1971, played Ric Tic tracks repeatedly. It was almost the pass word to gain admission.
    Laura Lee, San Remo, Bob Wilson, JJ Barnes etc. All great records.
    I love them all and the great GW sides and utmost respect for the staff writers musicians etc.
    But NO real threat to Motown....and certainly not the inspiration that drove Berry Gordy. Rather the other way round.

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    I rather liked the tracks by The Adorables, which always seem to be overlooked.

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    "Ooo Boy" is great

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    "Be" sounds very much Marvelettes-inspired.

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    I always had the impression that while Bratton was trying to become a serious player in the Detroit recording scene, to Ed Wingate Golden World and Ric-Tic, like his cab company and motel was little more than a laundry for the massive amounts of cash his illicit businesses were bringing in... Perhaps a bit more cachet, but the business and accounting aspects of the company were often run out of shoe boxes loaded with cash which was how his artists were often paid... That said, for a time, the company was attracting artists and producers second only to Motown around town, but likely had no long term plan or organization like Motown and at some point, selling out became the most logical way to close it out...

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    Fantastic Four and Ric Tic

    http://www.seabear.se/Vault4.html

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    Laura Lee publicity photo for sale on Ebay

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274926596...IAAOSwn4BelfzT

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