|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Johnnie Mae Matthews
Story
The Distants
|
|
Pre-Temptation recordings
made at the beginning of 1960. The flip side of each of
these three 45s is "Always."
|
Edward Hamilton and The
Arabians also made their recording debut on the Northern
label, as did The Distants - a five-some of Elbridge
Bryant, James "Pete" Crawford, Melvin Franklin,
Richard Street and Otis Williams.
LISTEN
TO
The Distants
sing
"Come on"
|
Johnnie
Mae remembered their first meeting as if was yesterday. "I
was in the kitchen cooking and they just stopped at the
window (singing). They came in and I started playing the
piano - they sang harmony. I said, I'm going to record you
guys." Which she did; and their rocking Come On
was a local hit at the beginning of 1960 due to copious
amounts of airplay from WJLB jock "Frantic Ernie"
Durham. It was soon picked up by Warwick records, which also
released a follow-up disc that has Albert Harrell replacing
James Crawford.
On Come
On you can also hear Albert Williams and the female
voices of The Andantes, a trio that became Motown's key
background singers and who sang on literally thousands of
Detroit records. There's also Jamerson playing bass and
Norman Whitfield shaking his tambourine - which all
contributes to a full sound that impressed Berry Gordy at Motown.
Johnnie Mae proudly told me that he once asked her,
"How did you get that sound?" It was something he
wanted to emulate. It wasn't long, subject to a couple of
personnel changes, before the vocal quintet signed with his
company and had a new name - The Temptations.
Lead
singer Richard Street then formed another set of Distants
with Alphonso Galloway, James Weaver, Albert Harrell and a
singer simply remembered as Johnny; cutting a song titled Answer
Me for a new label called Thelma.
By
the early Sixties Northern had released around twenty
45s, and sister labels, Audrey, Bon and Reel
had also put out records, occasionally using a common
numbering system.
Notes thanks to Graham
Finch
image must not be
reproduced, used or copied photograph
credits at end of webisode
DESIGN AND
GRAPHICS BY
LOWELL BOILEAU
|
|
|
|
|
This website is dedicated to Detroit, Soul Music, 45 RPM, Northern
Soul and the great Motown era of Detroit Musics. It covers Golden
World, Tamla, Wheelsville, Robert West, Darrell Banks, Johnnie
Mae Matthews, Rose Battiste, Tera Shirma, Fred Bridges, Supremes,
Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Funk Brothers, Dennis Coffey, Bob
Babbitt, James Jamerson, Twisted Wheel, Wiggan Casino and many
more Detroit Souls topics. |
|