Soul Strutter: NS559 Moses Dillard & The Dynamic Showmen [1964]

559 Moses Dillard & The Dynamic Showmen [1964] - I'll Pay The Price [Mark V MV-20-66]

b/w:	They Don't Want Us Together (official A side)
Format:	45
Label:	Mark V
Cat No:	MV-20-66
Year:	1964
Value:	£?

Now this has certainly turned up a few surprises. I knew that Moses Dillard, Moses & Joshua Dillard (Joshua (Dillard) being a psedonym for James Moore) (My Elusive Dreams & Get Out Of My Heart - Mala 1967) and The Sons Of Moses (Soul Symphony - Coral 1968 which will be featured at 357) all had tunes played on the scene but not until I found their full discography over at soulfulkindamusic did I realise that they were involved with The Saturday Night Band who had a huge disco hit in 1978 with Come On And Dance. Nor that Peabo Bryson was a member of Moses Dillard & The Tex-Town Display in 1971.

The outing here is his very first secular release (he recorded with The Golden Wings a gospel quartet prior to this) on the flip of 'They Don't Want Is Together' on Mark V out of Carolina. 'They Don't Want Is Together' would also feature as the flip to Get Out Of My Heart on Mala in 1967. The track was first played by Richard Searling at Wigan Casino in Sep 1979 covered up as Eddie Jefferson - 'I Won't Think Twice'. For those new to the scene the policy of 'covering up' a record was to protect its identity so that DJs could retain exclusivity of a track for as long as possible before dealers and other DJs could discover its true identity. This practice was quite controversial because some claim that it was protecting DJs egos rather than promoting artists and the music, however, given that the records were already oldies it didn't really damage sales and was argued that it drew crowds to see DJs who had 'the sounds' ... even way back in the mid 70s Northern Soul pioneered the way for today's DJs!

Moses Dillard was apparently discovered by Otis Redding who liked his guitar playing style, and consequently he played guitar on Fame recordings (such as Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley, and the rest of Conley's early Fame recordings such as Let's Go Steady and Whole Lotta Woman). He later moved to Papa Don Schroeder Productions (staying in Muscle Shoals), becoming Papa Don's vice president, and playing on records by James & Bobby Purify and Mighty Sam among others, released on Bell and Mala.

He also cut a nice crossover track in 1972 with Martha Starr (another legend on the scene) entitled Cheating, Teasing and Misleading on Shout 248 ... see below.

Much more info regarding Moses Dillard on Soul Source.