Showstoppers bits ...
Attachment 14259
Attachment 14260
Attachment 14261
Showstoppers bits ...
Attachment 14259
Attachment 14260
Attachment 14261
More Showstoppers bits ...
Attachment 14262
Attachment 14263
Attachment 14264
Jsmith.....Thank you!
Hi Jim. Just read your informative piece on The Stylistics' first hit, "You're A Big Girl Now". Even though I feel that the group's best work was done with producer Thom Bell from 1971 thru 1974, I've always liked "You're A Big Girl Now" [[the song always reminds me of '50s 'doo-wop' groups). Keep up the fine work.
Hi Eddie,
I strongly agree with you. The Thom Bell collaborations were the best [[I love the Hurry Up This Way Again production quite a lot too). You’re A Big Girl Now got them established and led them to Thom Bell, which is why I featured it.
We’re about to move into Philadelphia International with The Ebonys. JSmith, I was planning to eventually include The Showstoppers in a separate Philly Roots sub-blog. If I can work them in sooner, I will. Please message me.
Thanks,
Jim.
Jim, messaged you.
Attachment 14298
Last edited by jsmith; 06-06-2018 at 06:42 AM.
My latest blog on the Ebonys' "You're The Reason Why" - the only hit on Philadelphia International during its first year in business - is now online. Feedback is welcome.
https://wordpress.com/stats/day/jimb....wordpress.com
Thanks,
Jim.
Thanks for the blog, Jim.
Earlier I also talked with David Beasley about those early days, among others.
http://www.soulexpress.net/ebonys_interview.htm
Best regards
Heikki
Thanks for sharing this, Heikki. The Ebonys were all talented singers and had a unique sound. I wish one member’s personal issues hadn’t derailed the group.
Very cool, Jim! You certainly caught my attention with the mention of "The Horse", one of my first exposures to The Sound Of Philadelphia! Man, I loved that record as a kid. I had my mom play it on repeat on the record player. Not that I think of it, that drummer sounds like Earl Young.
Hi Soulster. The Horse was a huge part of my youth too.
Thanks for it.
Reposting the link. Hope this one works.
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
SEXY WAYS
And the b-side sounds pretty good too, especially the orchestration.
Last edited by Boogiedown; 06-16-2018 at 01:07 AM.
Is anyone else looking forward to the new Jean Carne two CD set Don't Let It Go To Your Head: The Anthology which is being released on Friday. Several of the 32 tracks on this SoulMusic Records release haven't been available on CD in years. It also makes a nice supplement to the single CD Closer Than Close: Best Of which covers highlights of her solo career across several labels. About half of Don't Let It Go To Your Head focuses on Jean's Philadelphia International albums and the other half highlights her guest appearance duets over the years. Most of the tracks on the out of print Collaborations CD are included on the Don't Let It Go To Your Head Anthology. One notable omission is Jean's wonderful duet with Billy Paul on "Good Thing Going On".
Are you planning to get this new Jean Carne double disc set, and why or why not? Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
Jim.
Last edited by JimBagley; 06-21-2018 at 01:42 AM.
I remember the Ebonys from "It's Forever". Weren't they from Camden?
Just checked out your blog, Jim...very nice, but I have to disagree with your choice of "Storm Warning". I think "The 81" by Candy and the Kisses would've been a better choice, but hey, it's not my blog. Maybe an entry on Candy and the Kisses is in order?
Best,
Mark
It is a great compilation Jim. Closer than close is a glaring omission but it is available as you say on the previous compilation as well as the original closer than close album. As regards the duet with Billy Paul, that track will possibly appear on the forthcoming Billy Paul anthology planned for early 2019. It is proving very difficult to licence but we must never give up!
Glad to see another Jean Carne fan out there!
Excuse me for the "off topic". Talking about the great jazz-soul vocalist Jean Carn, I have read in books and in the web about "the poor interest by Gamble & Huff in producing female solo artists" [[!!!!!, ?????). From the begining, in their own labels and as outside producers to the last years in front of PIR and sibsidiaries they have produced DIVAS as Dee Dee Sharp, Jean Carn, Phyllis Hyman, Patti LaBelle, Shirley Jones, Nancy wilson, Leslie Gore, Dee Dee Warwick, Laura Nyro, Dusty Springfield, Carolyn Crawford, Louise Williams & Isaac Douglas... I don't understand where is their lack of capacity to produce female vocalists [[or the music criticals talks without any knowledge!)
Cheers to all
Hi Mark,
My next two blog entries will cover key Philly roots recordings between 1957 and 1970 before I jump into the prime Philadelphia International years with the O’Jays Backstabbers album. Candy & the Kisses Do The 81 will be one of the recordings covered [[in the second entry).
Thanks for your input,
Jim
A Billy Paul Anthology will be most welcome. Will it be two discs? I currently need to play three separate collections to cover all of his highlights! I hope you are planning to include Billy’s “The Whole Town’s Talking”. Even though it wasn’t released as a single in the US, It is probably Billy’s most played recording in Philadelphia after “Me And Mrs Jones”.
I wish you the very best in licensing Billy’s duet with Jean Carne. It deserves to be anthologized among Billy’s best recordings. Jim
Hi Jim. Yes, it will be a 2 disc anthology, and "the whole town's talking" will be on there. The Jean Carne duet is proving to be more of a challenge, but that's what makes life so interesting! I will keep you informed, but we are currently looking at an early 2019 release date. Sales of straight re-issues of classic albums are slowly declining. Some recent releases have sold less than 1000 copies so you can see why record companies are reluctant to licence these albums. Anthologies generally sell more copies, and that is the general focus for the immediate future. Look out for a fab Gladys Knight and the Pips columbia and mca anthology coming soon.
November 64 ...
Attachment 14423
A very good Billy paul anthology was the PIR 1980 duble LP "Best Of Billy Paul". What a great selection! Here I discovered two, IMHO, great songs: "Next To Nature" and "My Old Flame" that I don't have heard before [[in fact I think no one belongs to none album, ?). Is a little sad that for general public Paul's seems a "one-hit-wonder" [["Me & Mrs. Jones") despite the fact his albums collection and the quality of so many songs, from "When It's Your Time To Go", "Where I Belong", "How Good Is Your Game",... or the 80's albums on Total Experience and Ichiban, with "delicatessen" tracks as "Sexual Therapy".
Jumping back to the Showstoppers items talked about earlier in this thread ... came across this Spanish 7" record that has a track credited to the Showstoppers. Daft thing was, the tracks were licensed from a UK based 'cheap cover versions' label [[CANNON) who put out loads of stuff back in the UK. The Showstoppers track however didn't seem to ecape in the UK [[strange). . . . Most of the acts on Cannon were musicians / singers with some history who did these 'quick recording sessions' anonymously to make a bit of beer money on the side [[Elton John did such sessions from the mid to late 60's for instance). Attachment 14488
Before I move on to the O’Jays’ Backstabbers album [[1972) and delve into the Philly Sound during its peak years, I decided to highlight over four blog entries some earlier singles that played a role in the city’s musical evolution. These first five tracks were recorded between 1957 and 1961. Please post in the comments section of the blog [[not here) your favorite Philly songs from this time period. Part 2 will be following shortly covering 1962-63 [[I have already done the write-ups on four of the five singles as I was originally going to do the first two parts as one entry). Thanks again for your support and thanks to the anonymous lurkers from Soulful Detroit who visit the blog. Jim
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
Last edited by JimBagley; 08-06-2018 at 08:50 PM.
I just posted the second entry in my Philly Roots blog series. This entry highlights five singles recorded in 1962 or 1963.
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
Nice work, Jim!
Speaking of Bobby Rydell, as a tangent, in 1976 he re-did his 1960 Top 15 hit "SWAY" in a disco hustle format:
Don't know if he recorded this later version in Philadelphia, sounds more like New York style to me, although there are some Vince Montana type vibes heard in the break.
Last edited by Boogiedown; 08-16-2018 at 02:07 AM.
My favorite Philly artistrY Intruders,Patti and the Emblems,Barbara Mason,The Delfonics,First Choice, Soul Survivors,Three Degrees, any info on them! I was hurt what happened to lol Sonny!
I forget candy and the kisses,they had a kind of Motown sound! Blue Magic! I left the major artists out because they're the best! But was loleatta a Philly or Salsoul artist!
Verajay,
Thank you for posting. Three of the acts you mentioned will be profiled in the third part of Philly Roots. Another one will be in part 4.
Jim's Music Of Philadelphia has a new posting on some of the highlights from 1964-65. I hope you will check it out and add comments on what some of your favorite Philly music tracks were from that two-year period. I have started work on the follow-up Philly roots blog entry. It will either cover five tracks from 1966-67 or seven-eight tracks from 1966-70. Jim
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
The highlighted singles include:
-Mixed Up Shook Up Girl by Patty & the Emblems
-The 81 by Candy and the Kisses
-You Gave Me Somebody To Love by the Dreamlovers
-Yes I’m Ready by Barbara Mason
-1-2-3 by Len Barry
-I Really Love You by Dee Dee Sharp
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
Last edited by JimBagley; 07-27-2019 at 09:43 PM.
good to see you back in the saddle again Jim!
Would it be fair to say Len Barry's 1-2-3 opened the door to the wave of "bubble gum" records that came out in the late sixties?
Also , never knew Kenny Gamble could be heard as part of the male response on YES I'M READY. would love to know how that came about . Will his voice be heard again in the future? [[ I did not know the record was so solidly TSOP )
Barbara seems a very pretty , well poised young girl...seventeen , at most eighteen ... in this video it looks like there are three guys [[ Kenny?)in suits "singing" the male parts , but get no airtime!!!
Jim: One of my all time favorites on the Parkway label was The Conqueror b/w You Done Me Wrong released in 1963 by Tootie & the Bouquets, Parkway 887. I know nothing about the group, and was wondering if this is available on any CD floating around the universe today. Was wondering who the members were and was this the only release they had? How did it get in the top R&B charts [[if at all). Great song. Brings back a lot of great memories.
Bill,
I have never seen either side of that Tootie & the Bouquets single on a CD [[although it may have appeared on a various artist UK collection. Both sides were available at one time as mp3s [[not my format). They really should have included "The Conquerer" on the Cameo-Parkway CD box set [[among many others).
Boogie,
Since Barbara is lipsyncing "Yes, I'm Ready", there doesn't seem to be any need to have the real backup singers present. Plus, Kenny was pretty busy by this point with songwriting and arranging and producing assignments [[and background sessions). Weldon was "wearing a lot of hats" too.
Jim.
I knew Kenny Gamble sang on “Yes I’m Ready”, but I didn’t know Weldon McDougal was involved. Keep up the good work, Jim! Looking forward to the hit making era.
Jim's Music Of Philadelphia has a new posting featuring six singles from 1966-67. I hope you will check it out and add comments on what some of your favorite Philly music tracks were from that two-year period. The highlighted singles are:
*The Intruders - “[[We’ll Be) United” and “Together”
*Lorraine Ellison - “Stay With Me”
*The Showstoppers - “Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party”
*Jay & the Techniques - “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie”
*Ronnie Walker - “Really, Really Love You”
Thank you for checking it out,
Jim
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
Last edited by JimBagley; 08-27-2019 at 01:54 PM.
Great blog! And great thread too! ^
Really good stuff Jim! Thanks!!!!!
APPLES PEACHES PUMPKIN PIE, seem like such unlikely lyrics, I'm not sure why they are teamed up together? but I like the flow of the phrase and its a song I always seem to enjoy. 'Exceptionally catchy' as you put it Jim.
I had no idea it was a mixed race group [[or what race period for that matter) , or that Jay Proctor was the only 'true' member being heard on the release.
Happy Birthday Jim!
You're welcome Jim. Have the best day ever!
PS: You're thread is awesome.
Bookmarks