Frankie And The Classicals/WHAT SHALL I DO

[Methuselah2]

There are many questions about this recording--but no matter what you may have heard or read, one thing is absolutely certain: This tune was hugely popular on Bandstand when the show still originated out of Philadelphia. That would date VERSION 1, below, of the record as having been first released no later than 1964.

VERSION 1: Excellent sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42WJUXxF5ww

VERSION 2: Spoken intro; considered fairly rare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRbTM5PFH3Y

[ExGuyParis]

What a fantastic song. I was in high school when this was released... and I don't know if I have heard it since then!I think they played this a lot on Philly radio. Thanks for the link to the longer version.

[roger]

There are many questions about this recording--but no matter what you may have heard or read, one thing is absolutely certain: This tune was hugely popular on Bandstand when the show still originated out of Philadelphia. That would date VERSION 1, below, of the record as having been first released no later than 1964.

Interesting theory Methusalah.

The song was very nearly a chart hit in the U.K. in late 1974 when Pye records issued "What Shall I Do" on their "Disco-Demand" label after it received a lot of attention from the "Northern Soul" scene, and I'm sure that release had 1966 on the label ..

The soulfulkindamusic discography for Calla has the release date of "What Shall I Do" as 1967 ..

http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/callarecords.htm

The recording date of 1966 would fit in with a whole host of other releases that used the same backing track .. which came out as "The World Again" by HONEY TOWNSEND on Mala in 1966 ..



Teddy Van must have had a lot of faith in the tune as the same backing track was used for other recordings such as this version of "Moonlight Music and You" by THE ESSEX ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqopGc11nJ8

Soulfulkindamusic have this ESSEX version also as being released in 1966 ..

http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/essex.htm

There was also a version of "Moonlight Music and You" released by LAURA GREENE on R.C.A. in 1967 ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsQZsnBNIwY

Roger

[nosey]

Wow, Meth, I really remember this from listening to Jerry Blavat!

[Methuselah2]

Interesting theory Methusalah.

The song was very nearly a chart hit in the U.K. in late 1974 when Pye records issued "What Shall I Do" on their "Disco-Demand" label after it received a lot of attention from the "Northern Soul" scene, and I'm sure that release had 1966 on the label ..

The soulfulkindamusic discography for Calla has the release date of "What Shall I Do" as 1967 ..

http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/callarecords.htm

The recording date of 1966 would fit in with a whole host of other releases that used the same backing track .. which came out as "The World Again" by HONEY TOWNSEND on Mala in 1966 ..



Teddy Van must have had a lot of faith in the tune as the same backing track was used for other recordings such as this version of "Moonlight Music and You" by THE ESSEX ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqopGc11nJ8

Soulfulkindamusic have this ESSEX version also as being released in 1966 ..

http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/essex.htm

There was also a version of "Moonlight Music and You" released by LAURA GREENE on R.C.A. in 1967 ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsQZsnBNIwY

Roger

Roger - I have to concede that my take on the '64 release date could be shot through with holes like a slice of Swiss cheese if I've messed up about hearing it on Bandstand while it was still coming from Philadelphia. It's how I remember it--but it's very possible that I'm mis-remembering that part of it. Discogs shows the release date as '66 which also agrees with what you saw on the label:

http://www.discogs.com/Frankie-And-T...elease/2738275

so I've got to entertain the possibility that I heard it on Bandstand from L.A. although I almost never watched it once it had moved to the West Coast. Plus, Nosey recalls hearing it on Jerry Blavat which would link it to Philadelphia and probably later than '64. So, I see now that my original theory hinges too much on something that's easily too iffy at this point--my memory.

I had never heard Honey Townsend's THE WORLD AGAIN, so that was quite a revelation. Thanks very much for posting it.

[roger]

Methusalah2 .. This record has been discussed here a couple of other times over the years and there are [[at least) three other versions of the tune apart from those already mentioned ..

"After The Session" by THE SUBWAY RIDERS on Moonshot ..
"The Beautiful Place" by MARK JOHNSON on Diamond ..
and
"The New World" by THE BURNING EMOTIONS on Bang ..

Here is a thread from 2004 ..

http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/6...tml?1087646373

And one from 2007 ...

http://faac.us/adf/messages/109997/1...tml?1168003690

These threads would predate the time when people started posting the records on youtube, so I've been doing some searching ..

"After The session" by THE SUBWAY RIDERS seems to be merely the rhythm track, with the violins so far back in the mix they are barely audible ..


As far as I can work out "The Beautiful Place" by MARK JOHNSON on Diamond ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-bpnjrvDl4

and "The New World" by THE BURNING EMOTIONS on Bang ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8nNRz3NSz8

are identical instrumental versions with "Animal/Jungle" noises added!!

Anyone care to compare all the strange sounds to be certain .... LOL ..

There is an interesting show about TEDDY VANN by Mike Boone [[a.k.a. known as "The Chancellor of Soul") that has been posted on youtube in which the version by LAURA GREENE [["Moonlight Music and You") gets a mention ..

Here is the show ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxfU7QKRo7U

And here is LAURA GREENE's tune ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HACUzwl8k0o


Roger

[splanky]

I have never heard any of the music mentioned in this thread and missed the discussion of it
in both 2004 and 2007. i don't know how or why-strike that, 2007 was a crisis time for me.
Anywayyyyy, I love the mess outta What Should I Do right now and wish I could find out
something more on the group. Not every single time but 9 times out of 10 I can tell the
difference between the highest male falsetto and a female voice; this sounds like a woman
to me. And BTW, I've known at least two female Frankies. More like this please....

[Methuselah2]

Roger - Thank you so much for all the links and research. I've listened to everything but left the Chancellor of Soul Show for today. Looking forward to watching it. Many thanks again. Very much appreciated.