Monday, 13 April 2020

Freddie Scott [1971] - I Guess God Wants It This Way [Vanguard VSD-35137]


I'm not even going to try and 'categorise' this as crossover or modern soul, as it's just a great soulful tune, albeit bordering on MOR as you could hear one of those singers singing this e.g. Andy Williams, Jack Jones, Matt Monroe et al but who cares. It's got a Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head feel about it.

Written by M. Gentile & J. Lambert who I take to be Michael (Mickey) Gentile and his wife Jennie Lee Lambert (who recorded 4 45s between 1961-69) who wrote Never, Never Leave Me recorded by Mary Wells and also Geraldine Hunt, Bobby Hill - Tell Me You Love Me and To The Bitter End, Lone, Lonely Town recorded by Three DegreesTammi Terrell and Martha & The Vandellas  Chris Clark - Born To Love You Baby and I Just Can't Forget Him, Charles Hodges - Loving You (Is Beautiful) c/w The Day He Made You, Geraldine  Hunt & Charles Hodges - You And I also done by Tony & Carol, Shirelles - Take Me among many others.


Freddie Scott [1971] - Please Listen [Vanguard VSD-35137]

Deep soul ballad on flip. NB can only find label scan for Brazilian promo!  Sound quality is not great but only one I can find at present


Chuck Cockerham ‎[1969] - Have I Got A Right [Mala M-12.036]


This would appear to be Chuck Cockerham's only 45. Very hard to find and only 11 on Popsike none selling below £1,000 and the latest one in Feb 2018 (only in VG condition) sold for £2,025.

He became a member of (and still is) Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters along with Bill Pinkney, Richard Knight Dunbar (of The Knight Brothers - Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me fame), Russell Henry and Roger Whitehead.

Many consider this modern soul, but it was released in Jan 1969 so surely far too early to be categorised as such, although the sound was way ahead of it's time.  I would class it more as crossover and certainly NOT Northern Soul.  It has a very similar feel to the sort of material Richard Caiton was releasing at the time i.e. I Like To Get Near You.

Written by Fred Tanner who wrote a couple of sides for Patti Austin - (I've Given) All My Love and You're Too Much A Part Of Me on Coral in 1967, and also for Sam & Bill - I'll Try, I Feel Like Cryin' and I Need Your Love To Comfort Me on Decca

Promo

The Nomads [2004] - Have I Got A Right [Ripete  R45-5001]

A 2004 'reissue/bootleg' credited to The Nomads (apparently due to rights issues), which is actually a different stereo take to the Chuck Cockerham original on Mala (he's on lead vocals on this version too), probably released for Carolina beach scene.  It contains Northern Soul track by Ellusions - Didn't Have To Leave on flip.




Chuck Cockerham ‎[1969] - Hey There [Mala  M-12.036]


Chuck Holiday [196?] - Just Can't Trust Nobody [Gloria]


Written by Charles Dillard and Gabriel Garrett Jr. (a member of Twilighters, Technics and Four Voices) and released on his Gloria label, named after his wife.  Gloria released 3 45s all by Chuck Holiday.

Chuck Holiday had one further release, a duet with Timmy Shaw on Johnnie Mae Matthews' Big Hit label in 1968.

I note that all his releases have a writer credit of C. Dillard (Charles Dillard) ... I wonder if Chuck Holiday is a pseudonym for Charles Dillard?

Chuck Holiday [196?] - Just Can't Trust Nobody [Gloria V 113 B]

This song (credited to Garret & Dillard) uses the same backing as The Four Voices - Your Love Is Getting Stronger (credited to Othea George & Willie Ewing) but with completely different lyrics and was released a few years later.

This track was 'discovered' by the Northern Soul scene a few years after The Four Voices was unearthed (c 1979) and was initially covered-up as James Larue & The Detroit Voices - a completely fake / made up artist which would have given it even more 'credibility' as a complete rarity!!!


Chuck Holiday [196?] - I Still Love You [Gloria V 112 A]


Four Tracks [1968] - Like My Love For You [Mandingo MP-1]


A 45 alluded to in the previous post, whose members may or may not have included Othea George Jr. of The Four Voices, which is well worthy of posting as it's a great double-sider.

The only release on Mandingo, an obscure label out of Toledo, Ohio, and for the group (under this name).  The label looks remarkably similar to Four Voices, Voices label ... a coincidence ... or could there be a link between the two groups?

Four Tracks [1968] - Like My Love For You [Mandingo MP-1]


Four Tracks [1968] - Voo Doo Man (You're Gonna Love Me) [Mandingo MP-1]

Four Voices - Discography


The Four Voices were a 4 member soul group from Detroit who emerged from The Technics (Tony & The Technics), Tony being William (Willie) 'Tony' Ewing.  They cut 3 45s on Ewing's Chex label in 1963. The group members were Ewing, Othea George, Gabriel Garrett Jr. and C. Washingtons. They then cut 2 45s as The Four Voices on Voices label in late 60s.  I would guess that the label was again owned by Ewing.

The Technics in turn evolved from The Twilighters with the same line-up except C. Washington replaced Donald Richards in The Technics.  Donald Jenkins had a solo release on Chex in 1962.

Discogs lists name as C. Washingtons, however as The Twilighters, they had a 45 on Spin billed as The Twilighters Feat George Washington - so perhaps a typo?  Could this be Gino Washington (whose real name was George) as he is also credited as writer on Four Voices second 45?  It certainly looks like him on the right of this photo:

Gino Washington

Both Ewing and Othea George also had a solo release each on the Chex label 1008 and 1016 respectively, and Ewing had 2 release on his Spin label in 1960/61, along with Garret in 1961.

Othea George released 3 further 45s, the only 2 releases on Volume (owned by Ewing) and another on Soul, run by Carmen Murphy, the founder of HOB (House Of Beauty) a gospel label. Soul only released around 6 or 7 45s before the name was sold to Berry Gordy Jr. for $1 in 1963. Discogs links Othea George as a member of Four Tracks who released the wonderful 'Like My Love For You', the only release on Mandingo, a Toledo, Ohio label in 1968. I don't know whether this is accurate or not, but I 'suspect' that the group name may have been confused with Four Voices?

Garrett went on to form the Gloria label (named after his wife) on which he wrote/produced 3 45s on Chuck Holiday, one being the great 'Just Can't Trust Nobody' which uses the  same backing as Four Voices - 'Your Love Is Getting Stronger' and was covered-up as James Larue & The Detroit Voices when first played.  The flip side 'I Still Love You' is also a cracker

Discography

1960 - The Twilighters Featuring George Washington - A Possibility 
       c/w The Twilighters Featuring Donald Richards - Yea You Are [000.1X45]
1960 - Tony Ewing - Baby / I Love Everything You Do To Me [Spin 000.2]
1961 - Tony Ewing - I'm Tired / It's Your Turn To Cry [Spin 000.3X45]
1961 - Gabriel Garrett - Faith / Little Mam [Soin 000.4X45]

1963 - Tony & The Technics - Ha Ha He Told On You ‎/ Workout With Your Pretty Girl [Chex 1010]
1963 - The Technics - Cause I Really Love You / A Man's Confession [Chex 1012]
1963 - The Technics - Hey Girl Don't Leave Me / I Met Her On The First Of September [Chex 1013]
1963 - Othea George - Now That You're Gone / What A Good Thing You Had In Me [Chex 1008]
1963 - Tony Ewing - Every Dog Has His Day / Dum Dum Dee Da NB Wylie & Hester [Chex 1016]
1963 - Othea George - Keep On Writtin' / Come To Me [Volume 1110]
1963 - James Underwood & Othea George - Little School Girl / He's Gonna Put You Down [Volume 1111]
1963 - Othea George - What's The Matter With Me / If I Don't Have To Tell A Lie [Soul 5 840]

196? - The Four Voices - Your Love Is Getting Stronger / With A A Lonely Heart [Voice 1112]
196? - The Four Voices - We Live In The Ghetto / Summer Kind Of Love [Voice 1113]

1968 - Four Tracks - My Love For You / Voo Doo Man (You're Gonna Love Me) [Mandingo MP-1]


Four Voices [196?] - Your Love Is Getting Stronger [Voice 1112]

Four figure tune originally covered-up as Luther Ingram. The original is on green label with gold text which was bootlegged on green with black text. it was 'legally' repressed on a gold label around 1977 with group's and Popcorn Wylie's permission, and a later paler gold one with green text (mid/late 90s) is considered to be a bootleg. 

Original
Bootleg
2nd issue
Bootleg

Four Voices [196?] - With A Lonely Heart [Voice 1112]



Four Voices [196?] - We Live In The Ghetto [Voice 1113]


Four Voices [196?] - Summer Kind Of Love [Voice 1113]


COVID-19 13th April 2010


Summary

US saw 2,582 fewer new cases and 303 fewer deaths than previous day and first time new cases have been below 30,000 for 7 days..

Spain had lowest new cases (3,804) since 22 Mar (3,272) and their 'active' case curve is certainly flattening.

Italy continues to see new cases around 4,000 (4,092) but had lowest deaths (431) since 19 Mar (427).

France new cases reduced by almost 2,000 (1,848) and deaths reduced for 4th day.

Germany saw lowest no. of new cases (2,402) since 17 Mar (2,095) and their 'active' case curve, like Spain, shows signs of flattening.

UK new cases stay around 5,000 (5,233) but a few significant 'milestones': 
1/ UK now has more cases (84,279) than China (82,160) 
2/ UK now exceeds 10,000 deaths (10,616)
3/ Death rate has more than doubled in a week 10,616 v 4,934
4/ further confirmation that UK is following the trajectory of Italy
IT 74,386 25 Mar UK 73,758 10 Apr
IT 80,589 26 Mar UK 78,991 11 Apr
IT 86,498 27 Mar UK 84,279 12 Apr
5/ Whilst UK is around 15 days behind Italy's curve the UK death rate is already almost the same UK 12.6% v IT 12.7%

On 31 Mar I posted some stats showing the population density of each EU country which showed that UK had:
a/ highest population density 
b/ highest urban population density. 
This may go some way to explaining why UK looks likely to become the worst affected EU country.
Latest stats from Worldometers

Latest v previous day - increase/decrease

Country
New Cases
12 Apr
New Cases
11 Apr
New Case Increase
 
Deaths
12 Apr
 
Deaths
11 Apr
 
Death
Increase
IT 4,092 4,694 -602 431 619 -188
ES 3,804 4,754 -950 603 525 78
DE 2,402 3,281 -879 151 135 16
FR 2,937 4,785 -1,848 561 635 -74
UK 5,288 5,233 55 741 917 -176
US 27,421 30,003 -2,582 1,527 1,830 -303

Latest v previous days - actuals

Daily 12-Apr 11-Apr
Country New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate% Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
IT 4,092 156,363 19,899 12.7% 152,271 19,468 12.8%
ES 3,804 166,831 17,209 10.3% 163,027 16,606 10.2%
DE 2,402 127,854 3,022 2.4% 125,452 2,871 2.3%
FR 2,937 132,591 14,393 10.9% 125,654 13,832 11.0%
UK 5,288 84,279 10,616 12.6% 78,991 9,875 12.5%
US 27,421 560,300 22,104 3.9% 532,879 20,577 3.9%

Latest v one week ago - actuals

Weekly 12-Apr 05-Apr
Country New Cases Total Cases No. Deaths Death Rate%
Total
Cases
No.
Deaths
Death Rate%
IT 4,092 156,363 19,899 12.7% 128,948 16,523 12.8%
ES 3,804 166,831 17,209 10.3% 131,646 12,641 9.6%
DE 2,402 127,854 3,022 2.4% 100,123 1,584 1.6%
FR 2,937 132,591 14,393 10.9% 92,839 8,078 8.7%
UK 5,288 84,279 10,616 12.6% 47,806 4,934 10.3%
US 27,421 560,300 22,104 3.9% 338,779 9,636 2.8%

Latest v one week ago - percentage rate increase

Daily Weekly
Country
Total
Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate
 Increase Factor
Total
Cases
Increase
Factor
Death Rate
 Increase Factor
IT 102.7% 99.5% 121.3% 99.3%
ES 102.3% 101.3% 126.7% 107.4%
DE 101.9% 103.3% 127.7% 149.4%
FR 105.5% 98.6% 142.8% 124.8%
UK 106.7% 100.8% 176.3% 122.0%
US 105.1% 102.2% 165.4% 138.7%