EVD -- Pre-Motown

[jsmith]

We've discussed this topic in the past but never really arrived at a definitive answer.
Earl Van Dyke replaced Joe Hunter as the leader of the Motown studio band in 1962, Joe going off to work for other outfits in Detroit [[Pied Piper, etc).
. . Anyone know why Joe fell out with BG and left Motown ?
From around 1958 to 1962, the Joe Hunter Band had been ever present on Motown recording sessions. When not in the studio, Joe & his guys [[Joe - keyboards, Benny Benjamin - drums, James Jamerson - bass, , Larry Veeder - guitar, Hank Cosby - Saxophone and Mike Terry - baritone sax) would play local club gigs but also would tour on revue packages.
I know they backed up Jackie Wilson on a short tour in July / August 61 -- PERHAPS that was one reason BG wasn't happy with Joe in late 61.
In the late 50's / early 60's, Earl Van Dyke was not in the Motown fold but was playing jazz gigs around Detroit and also taking work as a musician backing acts on touring revue shows. He also spent time in NY cutting jazz tracks for a couple of Blue Note guys in 62.
His main [[known) touring work was as a member of Lloyd Prices Orchestra on long touring stints. In 1958 Jackie Wilson [[then backed by Arnett Cobb Orch) played a lot of shows co-starring with Lloyd Price -- anyone know if EVD was with Lloyd Price at the time ?
Then in 1960, Jackie & Lloyd did shows together again. Lloyd still had his namesake band in tow [[though who all the members were is lost in the mists of time but EVD was almost certainly one of them). At that time Jackie was being backed on his tours by the Crazy Chris Columbo Orchestra. Chris Columbo led the resident band at the famous Club Harlem in Atlantic City most of the time, but was also touring with Jackie quite a bit that year [[61).
So EVD would have spent time in the company of Jackie W, Chris Columbo during the time those shows were being undertaken.
It is highly likely that the keys player on Chris Columbo's 45 "You Can't Sit Down" -- Battle Nov 62 -- was EVD. The sessions that produced those tracks being undertaken that summer and then leased to Battle. The early 45's on Battle [[John Lee Hooker, Bobby Hebb & Sylvia, C L Franklin & Roscoe Shelton all seem to have been 'bought in' tracks. Joe Van Battle being from Detroit and his JVB label had been run out of Detroit, but the Battle label seemed to operate out of NY. The other side of the Battle 45 from Chris Columbo was a cover of "Stranger On The Shore", a hit in the US for a Brit in May / June 62, so the CC version must have been cut around / after then.
If EVD recorded as a member of Chris Columbo's band, did he jump ship from Lloyd Price's outfit and do some road work with Chris before heading up to NY to record. Anyone know ?

[snakepit]

John
Wasn't Joe Hunter around Motown up to 1963?
I think he was on [[love is like a) Heatwave which according to DFTMC was completed June 1963.

[snakepit]

A poster on facebook suggests 1964 for his departure.

[jsmith]

You're right, he was still at Motown in 63 [[maybe even 64), but it seems like he was being eased out. EVD seemed to be pushed into leading the Funk Bros from soon after he joined the Motown family -- is it recorded when EVD's first Motown studio sessions were ?
From 1960 Joe was working with John Lee Hooker for Vee-Jay. He also did sessions that led to releases on Kable [[60); Spartan [[61); MAH's, United Artists [[62); Mickays, Thelma [[63) as well as doing Motown stuff too. So he obviously wasn't content to have all his eggs in Motown's basket for a while before he left the company.
A poster for a Lloyd Price concert in summer 59. EVD was almost certainly touring in his band at the time -- that was around the time that Earl Van Dyke [[while touring with Lloyd Price) met fellow Detroiter James Jamerson [[who was backing Jackie Wilson) in Rockville Centre, NY. Jamerson recommending that EVD start working in the studio at Motown, which he eventually did.

[snakepit]

Not sure John. I've always thought 1963 was the 'handover'. Also I never read any details of a falling out with Berry, but who knows.
I met him briefly...signing autographs..at a "Funk Bros" [[ use the term loosely) just weeks before he died.

[jsmith]

Snakepit, thanks for your input.
We obviously should have been asking all these questions about 20 years ago, when there was much more chance of getting the true facts.

[bradburger]

A nice interview with Joe Hunter on the steps of Hitsville by the late Joe Chambers of the Musicians Hall of Fame : -



Here's a playlist that has all the interviews he did with the surviving Funks :-

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Ub-Kr6IZH7Yhd2

Cheers

Paul

[snakepit]

Snakepit, thanks for your input.
We obviously should have been asking all these questions about 20 years ago, when there was much more chance of getting the true facts.

Yes John...we've probably lost out on a lot of relevant and accurate detail.
BTW...I enjoy your memrobilia pieces here and elsewhere....must take some searching out, but it's appreciated.

[snakepit]

A nice interview with Joe Hunter on the steps of Hitsville by the late Joe Chambers of the Musicians Hall of Fame : -



Here's a playlist that has all the interviews he did with the surviving Funks :-

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Ub-Kr6IZH7Yhd2

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul..and Joe confirms middle of 1963, and that it was personal, not a falling out with Berry.
Of course he returned to play with other Detroit labels.