The reason why Jerry Butler really left the Impressions

[tjl]

Adding new full song performances everyday, interviews and now starting to upload my radio archives too....just found this lost interview [[Pt.1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72tLZVVsPb4

[woodward]

Thanks TJL for posting this short video. I learned some facts that I was unaware of. It puzzles me [although not the center of this video] why he was not a success at Motown? Had he formed a group while there he could have reached higher grounds than he actually did at Motown.

[Boogiedown]

begs the question - Why did Jerry get top billing on the 45? He never really explained how that came to be .... and ya naturally the others didn't like it ...

[milven]

begs the question - Why did Jerry get top billing on the 45? He never really explained how that came to be .... and ya naturally the others didn't like it ...

The Spaniels were also a Vee-Jay act, and Vee-Jay wanted to take the lead singer out of the Spaniels because the group was always fighting and breaking up and going through changes. Vee-Jay knew that Pookie Hudson, the lead singer, had such a unique voice that VJ could probably be successful with him as a single artist, but VJ was afraid to mess with the group because there was a strong possibility VJ could lose both of them.

Vee-Jay decided that if they ever get another group with a lead singer with a unique sound, that they should give him billing, and that way they can build his name recognition toward the day that the group breaks up because, historically, groups often do.

They found that unique voice with Jerry Butler when they heard the Impressions and put their plan in motion.

Vee-Jay decided -- without telling the group -- to put out "For Your Precious Love" as "by Jerry Butler and the Impressions," which ensured and accelerated a breakup. When the Impressions saw the label for the first time, naturally that upset the guys in the group, and Jerry left the group to start a solo career.

Seems like an extremely complicated way to get a solo act from a group.

But things worked out well. We got Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions, Jerry Butler, Curtom Records and hits like HE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART written by Mayfield and Butler

[Boogiedown]

The Spaniels were also a Vee-Jay act, and Vee-Jay wanted to take the lead singer out of the Spaniels because the group was always fighting and breaking up and going through changes. Vee-Jay knew that Pookie Hudson, the lead singer, had such a unique voice that VJ could probably be successful with him as a single artist, but VJ was afraid to mess with the group because there was a strong possibility VJ could lose both of them.

Vee-Jay decided that if they ever get another group with a lead singer with a unique sound, that they should give him billing, and that way they can build his name recognition toward the day that the group breaks up because, historically, groups often do.

They found that unique voice with Jerry Butler when they heard the Impressions and put their plan in motion.

Vee-Jay decided -- without telling the group -- to put out "For Your Precious Love" as "by Jerry Butler and the Impressions," which ensured and accelerated a breakup. When the Impressions saw the label for the first time, naturally that upset the guys in the group, and Jerry left the group to start a solo career.

Seems like an extremely complicated way to get a solo act from a group.

But things worked out well. We got Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions, Jerry Butler, Curtom Records and hits like HE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART written by Mayfield and Butler

Wow. Thanks for taking the time to explain that milven. Wild stuff. Did Curtis and Jerry become friendly over time, or work together?

I want to hear Pookie !!

[robb_k]

Wow. Thanks for taking the time to explain that milven. Wild stuff. Did Curtis and Jerry become friendly over time, or work together?

I want to hear Pookie !!

Curtis and Jerry grew up together in The Cabrini-Green Housing Project on The Near North Side of Chicago. They were good friends long before they, together, started to form The Impressions. When it was time for VJ to take up the option to continue the contract with The Impressions, VJ said they wanted to re-sign Jerry, but NOT The Impressions. Jerry agreed, but only if he could bring in Curtis as his songwriter and guitarist. Meanwhile, Curtis looked hard for work for himself, still with The Impressions. He went to New York, and got a couple one-shot record deals with tiny labels before landing a contract for his group with ABC-Paramount Records. The Brooks Brothers left the group, but Curtis brought back an old member of his former group to fill out the group to three. They were all friends, and as far as I remember, there was no animosity between the rest and Butler.

[Boogiedown]

Curtis and Jerry grew up together in The Cabrini-Green Housing Project on The Near North Side of Chicago. They were good friends long before they, together, started to form The Impressions. When it was time for VJ to take up the option to continue the contract with The Impressions, VJ said they wanted to re-sign Jerry, but NOT The Impressions. Jerry agreed, but only if he could bring in Curtis as his songwriter and guitarist. Meanwhile, Curtis looked hard for work for himself, still with The Impressions. He went to New York, and got a couple one-shot record deals with tiny labels before landing a contract for his group with ABC-Paramount Records. The Brooks Brothers left the group, but Curtis brought back an old member of his former group to fill out the group to three. They were all friends, and as far as I remember, there was no animosity between the rest and Butler.

Fantastic. Thanks for the backfill. This is a great story and with a happy ending!

[milven]

Curtis and Jerry grew up together in The Cabrini-Green Housing Project on The Near North Side of Chicago. They were good friends long before they, together, started to form The Impressions. When it was time for VJ to take up the option to continue the contract with The Impressions, VJ said they wanted to re-sign Jerry, but NOT The Impressions. Jerry agreed, but only if he could bring in Curtis as his songwriter and guitarist. Meanwhile, Curtis looked hard for work for himself, still with The Impressions. He went to New York, and got a couple one-shot record deals with tiny labels before landing a contract for his group with ABC-Paramount Records. The Brooks Brothers left the group, but Curtis brought back an old member of his former group to fill out the group to three. They were all friends, and as far as I remember, there was no animosity between the rest and Butler.

Thanks for the backfill robb. They seem to have wanted just Jerry from the start and did not want to deal with a group situation because of the Spaniels in group fighting. I wonder why they just didn't just offer the contract to Jerry right from the beginning. Probably would not sign without his group. Vee-Jay was sneaky to change the name of the group without letting them know. And you needed a magnifying glass to even see the Impressions name on the label. I bought the record as a teen but probably thought I was buying the first of my many Jerry Butler records on Vee-Jay. I don't remember how dee-jays introduced the record

[robb_k]

Thanks for the backfill robb. They seem to have wanted just Jerry from the start and did not want to deal with a group situation because of the Spaniels in group fighting. I wonder why they just didn't just offer the contract to Jerry right from the beginning. Probably would not sign without his group. Vee-Jay was sneaky to change the name of the group without letting them know. And you needed a magnifying glass to even see the Impressions name on the label. I bought the record as a teen but probably thought I was buying the first of my many Jerry Butler records on Vee-Jay. I don't remember how dee-jays introduced the record

As I remember most of the DJs introduced this first Jerry Butler record just as it was listed on the label, as "Jerry Butler and The Impressions". Al Benson did, for sure. And I seem to remember the rest of the Chicago DJs doing that, too. After it became an oldie, after they'd split up, sometimes they introduced it as Jerry Butler WITH The Impressions. After the split up, in 1958 and 1959, the continuing VJ [[Abner) Impressions releases were introduced as "The Impressions, with Curtis Mayfield", or "Curtis Mayfield with The Impressions" or just "The Impressions", or "Now, let's listen to the sweet sounds of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions".

[milven]

Wouldn't it be nice if Ken Burns did a four part documentary on the record industry? I find the history fascinating. I just found something about Vee-Jay on YouTube that I just listened to and it was very interesting and informative from beginning to end. At about the fifteen minute mark they mention giving Jerry Butler top billing on the Impressions records. It was sad that a label can be so successful and loose so much money.

[robb_k]

Wouldn't it be nice if Ken Burns did a four part documentary on the record industry? I find the history fascinating. I just found something about Vee-Jay on YouTube that I just listened to and it was very interesting and informative from beginning to end. At about the fifteen minute mark they mention giving Jerry Butler top billing on the Impressions records. It was sad that a label can be so successful and loose so much money.

I'd like Ken Burns to make documentaries on the record industries of each major US city or Metro Area during the 1940s through 1960s, including Detroit/Toledo/Windsor/Toronto, Chicago/Milwaukee/St.Louis/Indianapolis/Des Moines, New York/N.J., L.A./San Diego, Philadelphia/N.J., New Orleans/Baton Rouge, Memphis, San Francisco/Oakland, Nashville, Boston/New England, Houston/Dallas/San Antonio, Pittsburgh/Cleveland,Akron, Cincinnati, Washington D.C./Baltimore, Miami/Tampa, Atlanta, [[Far West-Seattle/Vancouver/Portland, Denver, Phoenix/Tucson). And I'd also like one for each Major and Major Independent Record Company and related labels [[Atlantic,Chess/Parrot, Chance/VJ/Constellation, King/Federal/Deluxe/Bethlehem, Motown, Modern/Kent, Specialty, United Artists, Aladdin/Imperial/Liberty, Colpix/Dimension, Duke/Peacock, Sun, Cameo-Parkway and other Dick Clark related labels, Bobby & Danny Robinson-related labels, Philles, Lieber-Stoller labels, Sue, Laurie, Old Town, Mercury, Capitol, Columbia, Decca/Brunswick,Warner Brothers, RCA, etc. Too many companies to have each one have a full documentary. Maybe they should be lumped into groups of similar years of operation in the same city? The individual Metro Area's should get one episode per decade. Most of the individual company with related companies would get one episode for their entire history, but the bigger and longer-lasting companies should get one episode per decade, and they could then get into more detail than what would be said about them and shown in their metro area documentary.

[milven]

Wow Robb If they did a documentary that detailed, it would be enough entertainment and information to last me for the rest of my life. These labels have so much history, good and bad. A few that I would love to see are Brunswick, Roulette, Cameo, Vee-Jay and of course Motown. But I would really like to see all that you listed

[mr_june]

Great thread!

[arr&bee]

I remember reading that jerry felt bad about leaving the impressions, but fortunately both went on to become legends.