JOE MACHO -- how macho ?

[jsmith]

I wasn't familiar with this guy's work till I saw a piece about him recently.
Is it known what period he played behind the Supremes ?
Did he play in bands that supported any other Motown acts ?

[danman869]

JSmith, since this article mentioned "Sunny" having been recorded at a session "four years ago," this would've been published in 1970. "Sunny" was recorded in February 1966 and released in June 1966. Presumably, the Supremes he would've played behind when they recorded in New York City or on the road would've been Diana, Mary and Florence [and possibly Cindy]. That's the only question I can deductively answer for you.

[mysterysinger]

Joseph Macho Jr, Joe Macho, Joe Mack - seems something of an unsung hero. His work on Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" and other Dylan tracks seems well documented but there's a lot more to his output than that and he maybe should be mentioned along with the great bassists of the 60s and 70s. Rate Your Music shows he was born in Czechoslovakia in 1920 and died 1977.

It'll be interesting to see what this thread throws up in terms of his Motown involvement [[beyond the Jerry Ross album). Great thread.

[jsmith]

Guess his recordings with the Supremes [[in New York) should be documented somewhere on the net . . . BUT details of his live work [[as a member of the backing band) with the Supremes [[& possibly other Motown acts) are probably lost in the mist of time.

[garyr]

I play bass and only heard the name for the first time a few days ago when I had to learn the Jim Croce song "I've Got A Name". Impressed by the bass I looked it up and found out that Macho apparently was the house bassist at Cameo-Parkway in Philly in the early 60s [[Orlons Dovelles etc), then went to NYC where he worked with Dylan and Simon and Garfunkle among others. However it didn't seem likely he would have done much Motown though I have heard they recorded a little bit in New York. What Supremes tracks are known to have been recorded in NYC?

[jsmith]

Joe Macho was Philly based in the early to mid 60's -- when the Motown acts were touring extensively on the east coast chitlin circuit [[NY, Philly, DC, Atlantic City, Balto, Norfolk, etc).
Perhaps Joe was one of the house band musicians at Philly venues such as the Uptown. If so, he wouldn't have supported Motown acts on Motown Revue Shows [[as they carried their own Detroit band with them on all such shows). But when Motown acts played on 'mixed bills' such as played the likes of the Uptown, Howard, Royal & Apollo, they had to use the venue's house band [[perhaps supplemented by one travelling Motown musician).