This just popped up on my feed - how can you better a Philly classic
such as this and extend it to nearly 13 minutes and keep the listener
interested. Well the master Tom Moulton has managed just that!
From a compilation album: Tom Moulton [2013] - Philadelphia International
Classics The Tom Moulton Remixes [Harmless #HURTXVINYL 112], this is the
dogs doodahs!
There are another 30 tracks spread over 8 x 12" vinyl
discs and available on CD. There are a few comments about poor mastering
though!
The vinyl copies are selling on Discogs for an median price of £280!
There are only two currently for sale for £390 and £430.
A forthcoming release on Patrick Bickerstaff's Izipho Soul, due 4 Mar
2021, consists of two sides both originally released on Ed Nelson's
Sagittarius label out of L.A. which released 4 singles in 1970-71 by
Nelson and Apples & Three (3) Oranges who he was a member of.
I'd advise you to pre-order now, if you're interested, as it is limited to 300 copies.
Another upcoming release (due the same date and limited to 300 copies) is a three track 45 from Richard Marks. There's not much point in me regurgitating the info here as it's all up on Izipho Soul with YT clips of all three tracks.
Ed Nelson [1970] - I’ll Give You A Ring (When I Come, If I Come)
[Sagittarius #A-ONE]
Originally released in 1970 on Sagttarius. An original now sells for 4
figures.
It featured on a 2013 album
'Free And Easy'
from Now & Again records billed as Apple & Three Oranges, but I
suspect it's the Ed Nelson version on the album.
Probably best described as soul group harmony / crossover.
Apple & The 3 Oranges [1971] - True Love Will Never Die [Sagittarius
#12-5-1]
The Izipho Soul B side was originally released on Sagittarius in 1971 as
the B side to 'Down Home Publicity'. The original sells for around
£400-£500.
It's pretty quiet on the new release front this week, but I came across a
new release from Michael Lington which is a cover of Gerry Rafferty's
'Baker Street' featuring Javier Colon, but I can't get past the
original. But here's a link to it if you want to check it out.
He also released a 'quarantine' version of this featured track which was originally released in 2014 on 'Soul Appeal' album with Chante Moore's ex
Kenny Lattimore.
Keni Burke has announced on his facebook page the death of his older
brother James on 22nd Feb 2021 aged 70.
They were both members of
The Five Stairsteps, a group of four brothers and a sister who were dubbed 'The First Family
of Soul' after a five year chart run beginning on Curtis Mayfield's
short-lived Windy C label in 1966, Buddah and then on Mayfield's Curtom
label. Apparently the group name was created by their mother (Betty) who
thought they resembled stairs steps when were lined up by age.
The original line-up was Alohe (b 1948), Clarence Jr. (b 1949), James (b
1950), Dennis (b 1952), Kenneth (Keni) (b 1953). Their father, Clarence
Sr., managed them, co-wrote songs and also played bass guitar.
They met Curtis Mayfield via a friend and neighbour, Fred Cash of The
Impressions and signed to Windy C in 1966.
For a period the group were named The Five Stairsteps & Cubie (b 1964)
who at the time was their 5 year old brother (the 6th and last member of
the family).
Cubie died in 2014 aged 49 and both Clarence Sr. (2020) and Clarence Jr.
(2013 aged 64) are also deceased.
In 1978 Clarence Jr. formed The Invisible Man's Band and recruited his
three brothers (James, Keni & Dennis) along with Dean Gant (keyboards)
and Steve Ferrone (drums).
The Five Stairstep's biggest chart hit was 'O-o-h Child' which reached #8
on Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, after which they changed the name to just The
Stairsteps.
I think I own all of their Windy C records, which are cheap and easy to
find, and they are all great examples of mid 60s Chicago soul. There were
only 8 releases on the label (#601-#608 between Mar 1966 and Jul
1967) and 7 of them are by The Five Stairsteps, the other (#606) is by
June Conquest.
There's some more info about the group at SoulWalking.
O-o-h Child
Performing live on The Barbara McNair Show 4 April 1971
Clarence Burke Jr. singing a song written by James, 'All Along The Way',
at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar in NY. This would have probably
have been one of his last live performances. The song was recorded by The
Invisible Man's Band on their second album 'Really Wanna See You' in 1981
and also as B side to the album's title track on 45 in 1982.
Rather than adding or embedding links for their discography, I've
created a YT playlist which contains their full 45 Discography with the
exception of one track 'Every Single Way' from 1972 on Buddah which was a non-album single that didn't chart.
Click on link above to listen to A & B sides of all singles in
chronologial order.
Album Discography
Tracks prefixed '##' are album only tracks, all other tracks were issued on
45 (either A or B side) and are featured in the singles playlist above.
The Five Stairsteps [1967] - The Five Stairsteps [Windy C #WC-6000]
All 11 tracks were released as singles and are featured in the 45 playlist.
Originally released in 2002 by Birmingham's Beverlei Brown, this is the Cali Cang Remix for 2021. Not officially available until 26 Feb 2021 but it is up onTraxsource.
