Mable John in the 70's ...

**jsmith** · 03-06-2023, 12:10 PM

Mable John got her start in the music biz by being BG's driver. From there she was signed [[as the label's 1st female artist) to Motown. After enjoying Motown releases between 1960 & 63, she left the company. She had obviously dev eloped a friendship with Miss Ray though as in 65 she turned up in DC, helping out at Shrine. There she met Al Bell [[of WUST), just before he was hired by Stax. 1966 saw Mable signed to a deal with Stax and enjoying a hit 45. She got no follow up hits and went off to be with Ray Charles in the Raelettes.
BUT by 1973 she obviously wanted to try as a solo artist again.
She was signed to Contempo Records by John Abbey ... HOWEVER, no tracks by her were ever released by the label.
Anyone know the story behind why ??
Contempo in 1973 were mainly licensing in new & old US tracks, but they were making their own stuff as well [[Major Lance, Richie Pitts, Oscar Toney Jnr, etc).
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**woodward** · 03-06-2023, 01:49 PM

Thanks for posting this article on a rarely mentioned Motown artist. I was totally unaware of her involvement with Eddie Singleton and Miss Ray when they began the Shrine Record business in Washington, DC.

**dylan** · 03-06-2023, 04:57 PM

Hi JSMITH,

Off-topic but yesterday I was listening to some interviews and came upon this one with Mable John from Dec. 18, 2020.

Songcraft's 12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 - "That Spirit of Christmas" [Ray Charles]
SHOW NOTES:

We're counting down the 12 Days of Christmas with daily mini-episodes spotlighting a classic holiday song and featuring an interview with the writer. On this fifth day of Christmas, we explore "That Spirit of Christmas" with co-writer Mable John. The first female artist signed to Motown, the sister of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Little Willie John, and a long-time Ray Charles associate, Mable tells us all about the creation of the song that's probably best known as from the attic scene of the hit holiday film Christmas

https://podbay.fm/p/songcraft-spotlight-on-songwriters/e/1608331194
16 minutes / Dec 18, 2020

**jsmith** · 03-06-2023, 08:06 PM

Mable in DC ... May 65 ...
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**woodward** · 03-07-2023, 10:02 AM

What has always intrigued me is if you look at the photos above, you will see two different spellings of her first name. This is very unusual for any Motown release to have releases with two different spellings of the first name. Does anyone know of any other artists like this?

**Graham Jarvis** · 03-08-2023, 05:10 AM

Here's one for Berry! see if you can find it.

**Graham Jarvis** · 03-08-2023, 05:49 AM

Missing the 'S'

**Graham Jarvis** · 03-08-2023, 06:18 AM

Which One ? Peterson or Petersen? There are a number of other records.

**jsmith** · 03-10-2023, 11:34 AM

The John family grew up close to lots of the Motown folk. Willie John's best mate as teenagers was Levi Stubbs. Mable noticed that the Gordy family had a lot going on & were very business savvy. So she got herself a job helping Bertha Gordy & it was Bertha that introduced her to Berry. She was soon driving BG around Detroit & the wider area, helping sell copies of early Motown & Tamla 45's out of the back of a car. It was then that she got to know & be friends with Miss Ray.
She was working for Shrine in DC in May 65. Al Bell was recruited by Stax, with help from Jerry Wexler [[Atlantic distributed Al Bell, Chester Simmons & Eddie Floyd's Safice Record label) at the end of summer 65. Safice's last 45 [[an Eddie Floyd release) was released in August 65 and was getting lots of radio plays in Sept / early Oct 65. Al Bell and Eddie Floyd moved down to Memphis in mid October 65 and went straight to work @ Stax. Mable John was signed to a Stax contract not too long afterwards.
PIC -- the Gordy family, BG & Miss Ray & Mable John ...
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**jsmith** · 03-10-2023, 11:45 AM

The last Safice release was Eddie Floyd's 45 "Make Up Your Mind / No, No, No" [[# 338).
If Al Bell was running Safice in summer 65 and Mable John was working at Shrine Records then, anyone know if there was any link at all between the 2 labels [[using same recording studio, same backing band, etc.).
Harry Bass & Dale Warren [[who did a lot of work for Shrine) had strong Detroit connections and [[of course), so did Eddie Floyd. Chester Simmons [[via Harvey Fuqua) had both DC and Detroit connections.
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**Graham Jarvis** · 03-11-2023, 10:11 AM

Don't forget Mable John's unissued track "I Guess There's No Love" would have been from 1961.

Great CD of a number of "Raw R&B Motown" early artists and a number of unissued tracks. From The CD "Motown's Blue Evolution" Sammy Ward , Amos Milburn, Earl King, Arthur Adams, Luther Allison & Mabel John.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMWg...1_YDOY&index=6

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**144man** · 03-11-2023, 11:58 AM

^^^ Yes, i was pleasantly surprised at just how good this CD was.

**jsmith** · 03-12-2023, 11:16 AM

I have the CD too. Really bought it for the Arthur Adams track. Will have to pull it out & give Mable's cut a listen. Mable said she quit the label as they had totally moved away from a 'bluesy sound'.