Joe Towns - Down and Out World - Top Dog 106

[MarieRoseSauce]

http://www.sirshambling.com/artists_...owns/index.php

How many people are aware of this late 60s Detroit beauty from Joe Towns?

It appeared no less than three times on various Top Dog 45 releases. I just love the intensity of the emotion and the false ending. I have all three issues and whilst the top sides can't compete I really like the Richard Drapkin penned 'Take Momma Out of The Shack' on Top Dog 106[[1969).

I can see from the label [[which I can upload if someone wants me to) that Top Dog was owned by that venerable music man Artie Fields.

Joe Towns seems to have cut just four sides all for Top Dog and then not recorded. His voice is so good that surely there must be more to his story. Any one know what happened to him?

[MarieRoseSauce]

I've just noticed that Joe Towns did the original of The Spinners' VIP/Motown song 'Together we make such sweet music'. I presume that Motown got hold of it when Top Dog closed around 1970.

[robb_k]

I've just noticed that Joe Towns did the original of The Spinners' VIP/Motown song 'Together we make such sweet music'. I presume that Motown got hold of it when Top Dog was absorbed into the Motown empire.

What leads you to believe that Top Dog Records was absorbed into the Motown Empire? Did Artie Fields or Joe Towns ever work for Motown? I think rather that Motown [[Fuqua and Bristol) just wantedto record that [[non-Jobete) song, and that Artie Fieldsjust closed up shop when Top Dog stopped operations.