Numero Group has digitally reissued two rare sweet soul sides by The
Positive Sounds on 6 Apr 2021, originally released on Shiptown in 1971
that sells for around £250 on original vinyl.
Shiptown (and sister label How Big) was a recording studio and label
based in Norfolk, Virginia owned by Noah Biggs based in his Nimrod record
store. The main artist on the label was Barbara Stant (nee Holmes) who was
also a member of The Idets, and appeared on about half of the 16 or so
releases. The Soul Duo (Ida Sands and Joe Webster) accounted for another
three of the releases.
The Positive Sounds were formed in 1962 from a high school jazz band,
initially called The Sounds whose members were James Carver, (alto
saxophone), George Miller (trombone), Hugh Williamson (Tenor saxophone),
Eric Turner (bass guitar), and Charles Amos Hunter, (drums).
In 1967 the group grew to nine members with the additon of Sidney
Buffalow (trumpet), Michael Harris (guitar), Michael Robinson (guitar),
and Alex Boyd (lead vocals).
Their first recording (around 1971) on Shiptown was 'I Almost Blew My
Mind' / 'You're The One I Need' which included Wilson Williams, who
released a couple of singles on sister label How Big, on vocals (I did a
full discography
on him last December). Both sides were written by group member Charles Hunter. Shortly afterwards, in 1972, they would become the house band at Harlem's
Apollo theatre managed by
Ruth Brown
who was Michael Robinson's aunt (and also the aunt of rapper
Rakim
(aka William Michael Griffin of Eric B & Rakim fame).
They also released another two funky singles, 'The Creeper' / 'The Whole
World Is Out To Lunch' on Chelsea in 1973 and 'I'm Fired Up (I Can't Get Enough)' in 1975 on
Mighty Mo, both of which, interestingly, were published by Ken Williams'
A-DISH-A-TUNES and produced by J.R. Bailey, Ken Williams, Mel Kent &
Jerome Gasper (a smaller world than we think) who I
featured a few days ago.
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