Saturday, 28 March 2020

Eula Cooper Discography



Discography (soulfulkindamusic)

Eula Cooper
1968 - Shake Daddy Shake / Heavenly Father [Tragar 6809]
1968 - Shake Daddy Shake / Heavenly Father [Atlantic 2635]
1969 - Try / Love Makes You Do Foolish Things [Tragar 6814]
1968 - Since I Fell For You /  I Can't Help If I Love You[Tragar 6816]
1968 - I Can't Help If I Love You / That's How Much I Love You [Tragar 6820]
1970 - Let Our Love Grow Higher / Have Faith In Me [Super Sound [Tragar 7002]
1971 - Standing By Love /  I Need You More [Note 7100]
1972 - I Need You More / Mr. Henry [Note 7201]
1972 - Beggars Can't Be Choosy /  I Need You More [Note 7208]
1973 - Standing By Love /  My Man Is More Man (Than You'll Ever Be) [Note 7210]
1984 - Feels So Right / You're The Best [Adventure One A-O-8501] (12")

The Cherry Blend
Eula Cooper, Shari Billingslea & Deborah Tolls
1972 - Warning Of Danger / Love Is Gone [Note 7204]
1972 - Warning Of Danger / Love Is Gone [King 6402]


A nice bio can be found at SoulSource and also at SirShambling so no point me regurgitating it but in summary she was born in Alabama and moved to Atlanta in her early teens and recorded her first single aged 14 on Jesse Jones' Tragar label and continued to record for both Tragar and Jones's Note labels.  Her first 45 was picked up nationally by Atlantic.  In 1972 she formed The Cherry Blend with 2 other members of a choir she was in and they cut one 45 on Note which gained a national release on King.  Jesse Jones' label folded in the late 70 and he moved to LA and Eula went with him and they recorded one last record - 2 hideous 80s synth laden dance tracks on 12" in 1984. She has since returned to live performances and appeared in New York and the UK at Prestatyn weekender in 2009.

Before we get into her 'Discography' here's a clip of her performing at Prestatyn in 2009 with one of me favs by her 'Try'.



Eula Cooper [1968] - Shake Daddy Shake [Tragar 6809]


Eula Cooper [1968] - Heavenly Father [Tragar 6809]


Eula Cooper [1968] - Since I Fell For You [Tragar 6816]


Eula Cooper [1968] - I Can't Help If I Love You [Tragar 6816]


Eula Cooper [1968] - That's How Much I Love You [Tragar 6820]


Eula Cooper [1969] - Try [Tragar 6814]


Eula Cooper [1969] - Love Makes You Do Foolish Things [Tragar 6814]



Eula Cooper [1970] - Let Our Love Grow Higher [Super Sound [Tragar 7002]


Eula Cooper [1970] - Have Faith In Me [Super Sound [Tragar 7002]


Eula Cooper [1971] - Standing By Love [Note 7100]


Eula Cooper [1971] -  I Need You More [Note 7100]


Eula Cooper [1972] - Mr. Henry [Note 7201]





Eula Cooper [1972] - Beggars Can't Be Choosy [Note 7208]




Eula Cooper [1973] - My Man Is More Man (Than You'll Ever Be) [Note 7210]




Cherry Blend [1972] - Warning Of Danger [Note 7204]


Cherry Blend [1972] - Love Is Gone [Note 7204]


El Count Executives


Nothing is known about the El Count Executives who released just one 45 on the Gemini (The Twin Sound) label based in Detroit.  This was the labels only release which may suggest that it was  self-released (?).  The writers were A. Hollman and V. Slaughter on one side and A. Hollman and J. Worthy on the other and it was a Hollman & Nichols production published by Tru-Soul (if that prompts any more info).

The 2017 release on Albertto F Zanini's Italian Cannonball subsidiary label Radar is an unreleased demo from around 1976 which Zanini has speed up and added strings, piano, drums and percussion (by The Cannonballs).  It was dedicated to well known and loved UK soul connoiseur Paul Thrower who sadly died from MND in 2016.

I have included a video recorded by Levanna McLean (Northern Soul Girl) in Nov 2015 with Paul Thrower at the end of this post which shows the knowledge of the guy and what sort of a man he was.

El Count Executives [2017] - I Want To Thank You (Firme) [Radar CBLL07]

Samples of the Sons of The Dancefloor / Firme mix.  I personally prefer the Firme mix but unfortunately can't find a full sound clips of it so will have to do with a 90 second sample in the second half of this clip.


SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.2

Sweet soul group harmony.



El Count Executives [2017] - I Want To Thank You (Sons Of Dancefloor) [Radar CBLL07]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.2

Sweet soul group harmony.  The only release on Detroit Gemini label recorded at Pioneer Studios.



El Count Executives [1971] - Pot Of Gold [Gemini PRSD 2221]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.2

Sweet soul group harmony.



El Count Executives [1971] - Nothing Comes To A Sleeper (But A Dream) [Gemini PRSD 2221]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.0

Sweet soul group harmony.



Paul Thrower Tribute:


Johnny Gill [2014] - Game Changer [JSkillz]


Prior to going solo Johnny Gill was previously a member of 80s group New Edition, replacing Bobby Brown around 1986, and LSG (Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat & Johnny Gill) from 1997.  He released several solo albums in between

Featured in this post is a superb neo soul title track from his 2014 Game Changer album released as a single in 2015 and amazingly sunk without trace not even 'bothering' the US R&B chart!  Perhaps due to it being on his own JSkillz label it didn't have the same promotion behind it of a large label?

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.75


Hard Tymes with Hard Tymes Band [1976] - I Ask A Question 'Answer Simply' [Ruby 38976]


The only known/listed recording by Hard Tymes.  The composer / arranger / producer on this track (by sheer coincidence) is  Roosevelt Matthews mentioned in the previous Hamilton Movement post, who recorded 'Tighten Up' / 'You Got Me Diggin' You' with Billy Ball & The Upsetters. I wonder if it's Roosevelt Matthews on lead?

There are 2 other releases on Ruby, out of St. Louis Missouri, are by Chuck Wallace, and Chuck (Wallace?) & Mac - although I found a post for Chuck & Mac - Powerful Love (which was used in Looper soundtrack) stating that Chuck & Mac is Roosevelt Matthews and Aubrey Wallace.  It was released on Twinight 135 in 1970 and has been reissued (presumably due to being used in Looper?).

Curiously, 45Cat has this 45 listed as Chuck & Mac ... perhaps the poster knew something?

Little did I known when posting this release that it was going to have connections with Roosevelt Matthews, hence I have also posted most of his known material and assumed that he was one half of Chuck & Mac.  If anyone knows otherwise then please leave a comment.

Hard Tymes with Hard Tymes Band [1976] - I As A Question 'Answer Simply' [Ruby 38976]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 9.6

Absolutely sublime deep soul cut.




Chuck & Ray [1972] - You're The One Who Loved Me [Ruby 29799]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.4

Funeral paced southern style deep soul.




Chuck & Ray [1970] - Powerful Love [Twinight 135]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.5

Another funeral paced southern style deep soul cut released on Chicago's Twinight label and featured in the 2012 movie Looper and subsequently reissued by Numero group on Twinight.

As stated above it has been claimed that Chuck & Mac is Roosevelt Matthews and Aubrey Wallace.  If anyone knows otherwise then please leave a comment.

The flip is a funky number called The Bear.





Billy Ball & The Upsetters Feat. Roosevelt Matthews [1969] - Come On Home [S.B.I. 517]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.2

This track is pretty average to my ears, however it has unearthed some interesting info regarding the label.  S.B.I. was based in Nashville, Tennessee and owned by Robert Stanley Riley Sr. who co-wrote 'Just Walking In The Rain' whist in Tennessee State Penitentiary with fellow in-mate Johnny Bragg (who had a NS monster 'They're Talking About Me' on Elbejay) which he recorded with the Prisonaires in 1953 on Sam Phillip's Sun records but was a world-wide hit for Johnny Ray in 1956.

As an aside, amazingly, I have found a live clip of Johnny Bragg & The Sheps (The Prisonaires) performing 'Just Walking In The Rain' live from May 2001.  Bragg died aged 79 in 2004 of cancer.



Only 4 releases listed for S.B.I. circa 1968-69.  One of them being a slower version of The Amazers/The Passion's 'Without A Warning' under a different title 'Turn On Your Lovelight'.




Roosevelt Matthews with Billy Ball & The Upsetters [1968] - You Got Me Diggin' You [King 45-6173]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.7

Great crossover.




Roosevelt Matthews with Billy Ball & The Upsetters [1968] - Tighten Up [King 45-6713]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.2

Speeded up version of Archie Bell & The Drells classic.


COVID-19 28th March 2020


To reiterate what I posted in an update yesterday evening:
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock have tested positive for COVID-19 and the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty is self-isolating after showing symptoms.  Some are critcising them for not practising what they preached ... but imagine the amount of stress they are under and stress severely impacts the immune system.

I have added a new table comparing latest figure against previous day's figures to show rate of growth.

Summary
Both US and Italy now have more cases than China.  The growth in the US is quite alarming given that US is approx 3 weeks behind the Italian trajectory. US has grown from under 20,000 cases to over 100,000 in a week - more cases than total in China in just one week alone.

Italy, Spain and France all had slightly lower cases than previous day.  Hopefully, they are all now reaching their peak and perhaps signs than cases will start to decline.

STOP PRESS Reports from BBC state that large number of new deaths in Spain overnight - 832 and now are 5,690 v 5,138 reported at midnight, and total cases are now 72,248 v 65,719 at midnight.

Germany is slightly behind the curve and their numbers increased a little.

UK and US are at least 2/3 weeks behind the curve and their numbers are growing and I suspect will continue to grow for a few more weeks until the peak is reached.  As I have been projecting for a while now UK is exactly where Italy was on 13th March (IT 14,955 - UK 14,543).

Daily Change in Cases/Deaths

Table below shows the daily increase in new cases and new deaths by country.
i.e difference between latest figures v previous days figures to show whether numbers are increasing or decreasing.

Country
New Cases
26 Mar
New Cases
27 Mar
New Case Increase
Deaths
26 Mar
Deaths
27 Mar
Death Increase
IT 6,203 5,909 -294 712 919 207
ES 8,271 7,933 -338 718 773 55
DE 6,625 6,933 368 61 84 23
FR 3,922 3,809 -113 365 299 -66
UK 2,129 2,885 756 113 181 68
US 17,224 18,691 1,467 268 401 133

Daily Change 

Table below shows latest actual figures v previous day's actual figures

27/03/2020
Daily 27-Mar 26 Mar (-1 Day)
Country New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate% Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
IT 5,909 86,498 9,134 10.6% 80,589 8,215 10.2%
ES 7,933 65,719 5,138 7.8% 57,786 4,365 7.6%
DE 6,993 50,871 351 0.7% 43,938 267 0.6%
FR 3,809 32,964 1,995 6.1% 29,155 1,696 5.8%
UK 2,885 14,543 759 5.2% 11,658 578 5.0%
US 18,691 104,126 1,696 1.6% 85,435 1,295 1.5%


Weekly Change

Table shows actual latest figures v actual figures one week ago.

Weekly 27-Mar 20 Mar (-1 Week)
Country New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
Total
Cases
No.
Deaths
Death Rate%
IT 5,909 86,498 9,134 10.6% 47,021 4,032 8.6%
ES 7,933 65,719 5,138 7.8% 18,077 1093 6.0%
DE 6,993 50,871 351 0.7% 19,848 68 0.3%
FR 3,809 32,964 1,995 6.1% 12,612 450 3.6%
UK 2,885 14,543 759 5.2% 3,983 177 4.4%
US 18,691 104,126 1,696 1.6% 19,367 255 1.3%

Daily/Weekly increase inCase/Death Factor

Table shows the rate of increase as a percentage for actual latest figure v previous day's figures and figures one week ago

Daily Weekly
Country
Total
Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate
 Increase Factor
Total
Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate
 Increase Factor
IT 107.3% 103.6% 184.0% 123.1%
ES 113.7% 103.5% 363.6% 129.3%
DE 115.8% 113.5% 256.3% 201.4%
FR 113.1% 104.0% 261.4% 169.6%
UK 124.7% 105.3% 365.1% 117.4%
US 121.9% 107.5% 537.6% 123.7%