Detroit sounds

[Kamasu_Jr]

What was the first non Motown or Detroit recorded tune to hit on the national charts?

[stingbeelee]

Hi Kamasu; are you referring to the Rock and Roll era? If not, the first record that came to mind was Boogie Chillen' by John Lee Hooker which I believe was from 1948-49. If you go earlier than that, didn't Bix Beiderbecke record in Detroit? As far as the Rock and Roll era, I am going to take a wild guess and say "All Around the World" by Little Willie John, recorded in 1955

[Kamasu_Jr]

YES, i MEANT TO SPECIFY DURING THE ROCK N ROLL ERA. Was All Around the World recorded in Detroit?

[stingbeelee]

No, after i further researched, all around the world was not recorded in Detroit, looking at the players on the record. One site stated it was recorded in New York. Right now, the earliest I've run across are the records by Marv Johnson on United Artists which were recorded in Detroit circa '59 - '60.

[robb_k]

Duplicate post

[robb_k]

I thought that King/Federal/DeLuxe brought most of their Detroit artists [[Dominoes, Five Jets, Ramblers, Little Willie John, etc.) to their own studios in Cincinnati, to record them. Did they actually do a lot of recording in Detroit?

"All Around The World" was recorded in New York City.

[stingbeelee]

Hi Robb K; yes, I believe King/Federal/Duluxe took their artists to Cincinatti to record.
Kamasu; I am back a little further with the Diablos aka Nolan Strong and The Diablos singing "Way you dog me around" from 1956 on Fortune Records. That record made the national charts. Also Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson and Bacon Fat by Andre Williams were recorded late '56 early '57 and both made the national charts.

[robb_k]

Fortune recorded all their songs in Detroit in their own small, very limited studio. That's why their recordings have such a "primitive" sound. Jackie Wilson's Brunswick recordings were made mostly in New York. I think many of Andre Williams' cuts were made in Detroit [[most at Fortune Studios, some, perhaps, at United Sound. Robert West did a lot of his recording at United Sound. Joe Von Battle [[JVB) recorded locally, in Detroit.

[stingbeelee]

Hi Kamasu; several sources have said "The Wind" by Nolan Strong and the Diablos in 1954-55made the national chart, but I could not find it in any of my Billboard references; perhaps it made the charts in Cashbox or Record World, but I don't have access to all of their charts.
Robb_K: I mentioned "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson because in the book "Before Motown" it mentioned it was recorded in Detroit because Al Green [[Flame Bar owner) wanted Jackie to do some demos, one which was "Reet Petite".

[robb_k]

Yes, Jackie Wilson's demo tape was made in Detroit. But Brunswick recorded the released version in New York [[as they did most of his recordings before late 1965, when they sent him to Carl Davis, in Chicago.