Back in the late 60's / early 70's there were a number of London based record labels that specialised in cutting covers of hit tracks & shoving them out on EP's & LP's to catch some of the money spent by 'none discerning' record buyers ...... One of these outfits was Avenue Recordings of Chingford.
Just about their hardest working producer / arranger was Alan Caddy, a guy who had started out in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and the Tornados [[who hit with "Telstar"). He recruited ' starving' London based musicians / singers to perform on the cover versions he cut quickly & cheaply. The performers got a 'one-off' small fee & no royalties from sales of their work which was put out anonymously [[the performers were just identified as 'various artists'). The tracks were laid down to sound as close to the hit versions as was possible with the people involved on each session but a number of singers/ musicians found the work 'rewarding' in that it fetched in steady reliable [[if small) fees.
Also back in the 1960's, one Reg Dwight [[after he and friends had formed a band, the Corvettes, when only 14) joined Bluesology [[he played electric piano for them). The group made a living backing visiting American soul artists such as Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles.
He also auditioned unsuccessfully [[as lead vocalist) for a couple of prog rock bands and then recorded as a solo artist some songs he had written with a new musical partner. After their songs were cut by other artists, Reg released his debut album [[‘Empty Sky’) in 1969 but it failed to sell.
He wasn't making much money, so he would go down to Avenue Recordings and also cut tracks for them. As his old group [[Bluesology) had played soul / Motown songs on the road for a few years & he was a massive soul fan, he knew many of the tracks that he was asked to perform on for Avenue. He sang lead on a number of the soul tracks that were laid down in the Chingford studio & these definitely included "Signed Sealed Delivered", "It's All In The Game" & "To Be Young Gifted And Black".
He also sang on other Motown tracks for the label but which these were is hard to determine now.
Anyway, back in the real world, Reg quickly followed his first album with a 2nd LP, ‘Elton John’ [[1970). After a while a track off this, "Your Song", was a big UK [[February 71) & US hit.
Avenue Records, who's sole purpose for existing was to make money, gathered together a few of their Motown covers & released them. An EP [['Soulbusters') escaped in 1971, followed by an LP [['A Tribute To Motown) in 1972. Reg [[Elton) performed on some of these cuts but they weren't allowed [[at the time) to attribute the cuts to him.
More recently, a number of CD's have been released that include some of the tracks he cut for Avenue back in the late 60's and 1970 and these have been put out under his [[Elton John) name.
I'm trying to determine which other Motown & soul tracks cut by Avenue feature him on them but it's a hard task.
The EP the label released featured -- Tracks Of My Tears; I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose; Harlem Shuffle; Stop Her On Sight; Too Busy Thinking About My Baby & Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday.
......... whilst the track listing of the LP was :- Surrender; I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose; Signed, Sealed, Delivered; Too Busy Thinking About My Baby; Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday; Yesterday's Dreams; We Can Work It Out; Walk Away Renee; Seven Numbers; I'll Be There; Stop Her On Sight & I Was Made To Love Her.
Anyone out there an Elton John fan & can tell me which of the above he played / sang on ???
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