A compilation of Modern Soul & Crossover tunes from NYC based
Tuff City label has been released on 11 Jun 2021. It contain tracks
plundered from the vaults of Houston's Ovide label
(owned by Skipper Lee Frazier a DJ on KCOH-AM radio) and New Orleans' Hep' Me (and subsidiaries owned by
Senator Jones), in the main, as well as another NOLA label, Willie
Tee's Gatur label, and several others.
There's at least a few grand's worth of tunes for £12 digital of £28
on CD. I've put a little bit of information about each track along
with guide prices based on the median and high prices from Discogs,
which isn't always very reliable but gives an idea of what the
original vinyl would cost if you could find a copy. There are links to
Discogs entries on the Label / Cat. No.
01 - Willie Tee [1972] - First Taste of Hurt [Gatur #509]
(£300-£400 or £500-£1,500 for the blue label mix)
Disappointingly, this is the organ rather than the rarer blue label
piano mix, but still a great tune which is increasing in
popularity and hence price! It was also released earlier in 1969
on Gatur G-557 as the A side (with a very good B side "I'm Having So
Much Fun") whilst on the 509 issue it was relegated to B side to
"Funky Funky Twist".
02 - Sebastian Williams [1979] - Get Your Point Over [Ovide #249]
(£120-£150)
Roger ('Sebastian') Williams released around eight singles in total,
the first in 1958 as 'The Quarter Notes' who renamed to 'The House
Rockers' who released two 45s in 1963, another with 'His Soul Men' in
1969 and three solo singles, one in 1965 ("Too Much" / "Home Town Boy"
two Northern Soul sides on Sound Of Soul), the others in the early and
mid 70s. This crossover tune was released in 1970 on Ovide.
(£220-£280)
T.S.U. Toronados were the house band for Ovide who released around
ten singles (on Ovide, Atlantic, Volt and Rampart Street), this one
being their last, and one of their best, on another Houston label
Rampart Street in 1971.
(£230-£260)
Flame N King is an alias for Oscar Wayne Richardson Jr. a veteran of
the NYC soul scene who released around four singles between 1964-69.
He re-emerged in the late 70s with this tune picked up by the Northern
Soul scene, but supplies were limited, however, it's popularity was
such that it was released by John Anderson on his UK Grapevine label
in 1979.
05 - The Versatile Gents [1969] - You've Blown My Mind [Linco #LO-001]
(£40-£75)
I've posted info on this group from Greensboro, NC on the blog before
as they were original known as The African Americans then changed
their name to Gin & The Gents when Virginia Massey joined them,
changing it to The Versatile Gents when she left a year later. They
then recorded as Vee Gees in the early 70s.
06 - Norma Jean [1972] - I'm Taking Over Your Love [Hep' Me #108]
(approx. £600 based on Popsike)
A cracking funky/crossover tune and another on Hep' Me released as
both "I'm Taking Over Your Love" and "I've Taken Over" with the same
cat. no. Norma Jean (McDermott) released all of her five singles on
Hep' Me between 1972-74, three of them as part of a duo with Ray J.
(Raymond Jones) who she released an album with ("Raising Hell") in
1974 which contained all of the duet singles as well as this
track.
07 - Masters Of Soul [1969] - Do You Really Love Me? [Ovide #241]
(£120-£200)
Released as a flip side to their version of "By The Time I Get To
Phoenix" on Ovide in 1969. They cut their first disc on Philly's
Guyden label in 1963 as The Royal Masters, later signing with Ovide
and changed their name to Masters Of Houston for their debut single in
1968, thereafter renamed to Masters Of Soul. They cut five singles on
Ovide and then moved to Duke in 1972 releasing another three singles
before disappearing. Their first release on Ovide as The Masters Of
Houston was picked up by Capitol (released as Master Of Soul) who also
released another single by them in 1969. This is one of my favourite
tunes on the compilation and the lead vocalist's voice has hints of
Levi Stubbs (Four Tops).
08 - Mark Putney [1969] - Today's Man [Ovide #237]
(£50-£75)
I remember this getting plays on NS dancefloors back in the day even
though it would probably fit more into the funky crossover slot these
days. It appears to be his only release which got wider national
distribution on Atlantic.
09 - Chuck Simmons [1979] - Don't Send Me No Doctor [F-W #10001-79]
(£65 based on latest of only two sales on
Popsike)
I'm guessing the date as 1979, as the date isn't listed anywhere, on
the basis of the cat. no. suffix and would also guess from the credits
(Wardell Quezergue) that the label was based in New Orleans as well as
Simmons also being from NOLA and most, if not all, of his nine singles
and an album were on NOLA labels.
(£70-£175)
The flip side to the follow up to one of his most popular tunes (of
which there are many - I don't think Wilson Turbinton made a bad
record) "A First Taste Of Hurt" on his own Gatur label in
1972. The A side is the wonderful "A Man That I Am". Prices are all over
the place for this on with the highest price paid on Discogs at £70
but two currently for sale for around £175!
11 - Las Vegas Connection [1981]- Running Back To You [Hep' Me #169]
(£200)
Las Vegas Connection, despite the name, are from New Orleans and this
was the second of two singles released on Hep' Me, the other, released
in 1979, was funky disco stuff as is the flip to this one. Going by the cat. no. it would appear that this would have been
released around 1981 (no date given on either Discogs or 45Cat).
Another that has recently been given a reissue on Cordial in
2017.
12 - The T.S.U. Toronadoes [1967] - A Thousand Wonders [Ovide #223]
(£1,450)
A crossover classic by one-time backing band for Archie Bell &
The Drells as the house band for Ovide. This was their first release
with a song written by lead vocalist/guitarist Cal Thomas and was also
recorded by Archie Bell & The Drells on their debut album "Tighten
Up" in 1968.
13 - The Monticellos [1971] - Plaid Stamps [Cool #2003]
(£125)
I'm not entirely sure whether this is the same group who released a
version of Baby Washington's "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face"
in 1967 on Red Cap (it does sound like them). If it is, one of the
members was Joe Harris who was previously a member of The Fabulous
Peps and Ohio Untouchables (Players) (who backed The Falcons which
included Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett and Joe Stubbs (The Contours, The
Originals and 100 Proof Aged in Soul) as part of it's alumni) and
later Undisputed Truth and Double Exposure.
It was reissued by Funky Delicacies on a look-alike Cool label
in 2011.
(£8-£12)
The only reference I can find for this track is from a 2005
compilation of unreleased tracks "You Are Too Much For The Human
Heart" (Rare & Unreleased Georgia Soul 1961-76) on
Soul-Yay-Shus. The CD also contains his version of the Ohio Players/Sam Williams
Northern Soul classic "Love Slipped Through My Fingers". It looks like Soul-Yay-Shus is owned by Tuff City which would explain it, as is Funky
Delicacies on which many of these tracks have been reissued.
15 - Dennis Lee & Notables [1972] - Sunday Afternoon [Jenmark #104]
(£50-£150)
Their second single released on Hep 'Me subsidiary Jenmark which
released only six singles in 1971-72. Hep' Me/Jenmark owner, Senator
Jones, also recorded himself on another of his labels Shagg which
released the wonderful Guitar Ray tune "You're Gonna Wreck My Life" in
1974. "Sunday Afternoon" was also released on Jenmark 106 credited
only to Dennis Lee but it sounds identical.
(£250-£300)
This appears to be an album only track from a 1980 album "I'll Give
My Heart To You" on Chantilly but reissued by Tuff City in 2017. The
original album sells for around £150-£300
(£250)
One of a handful of singles released by the Richmond, VA, band who
released two albums in 1976 and 1978.
18 - Cynthia, The Imaginary Three [1970] - Many Moods Of A Man [Big Hit #TZ 110]
(£250-£300)
Cynthia Girty with the intended A side to her biggie "That's What I
Am (Without You)" on Johnnie Mae Mathews Big Hit label released in
1970. This is a bonus as I did a discography recently for Cynthia
Girty for the release of her single on
North Broad St, but couldn't find a soundfile for this track, so I can now add
it.
(£20-£30)
Released on a four track 12" in 1981. It was reissued by Funky
Delicacies in 2008 & 2015 on a compilation Gene Anderson & The
Dynamic Psychedelics "Cold Blooded Games In The Ghetto" but the
version on this compilation is 8:25 v 5:55 on the earlier
reissue.
(£1,200)
His only known/listed release from around 1971 on a tiny label Ghetto
for which only four singles are listed all by different artists,
probably run by Leonard and Nelly Williams as they wrote and produced
most releases. No clue on label as to location but they produced
another (rock) record on Lennan which is in Upland, California, so
perhaps from the same area? There are two currently listed on Discogs
for around £1,200. I can think of far better records to spend that
sort of money on!
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