The new three track EP "The 45th Chapter" from Sympli Whitney was posted from promo on 17 Nov 2021 and was
scheduled for release on 4 Dec but was only released yesterday (13 Dec
2021).
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artist.
Another 'unsung' artist celebrating his birthday today is
Ronnie McNeir (70) who I first became aware of from his ultra rare Northern Soul
classic "Sitting In My Class" which was his first recording on De-To in 1966 aged 17 which now
fetches up to nearly £2k (or probably more now if you were lucky enough to
find one). I've had to make do with a 70s 'pressing' to this
day.
I think I'm correct in saying that it has only ever been released on CD
once via Goldmine Soul Supply on "The Essential Northern Soul Story" in 1990 but stand to be corrected if you know otherwise. It has had
various legal, or otherwise, 'reissues' since. The flip side is "Isn't She A Pretty Girl" which received a cover by fellow current Four Tops member Alexander
Morris this year on Izipho Soul (posted in April). What a terrific double-sider of Northern soul 'loveliness'!
Whilst on the subject I noticed that Doc Smallwooddid a pretty good cover of it on Sonic Wax in the last year or so.
Ronnie replaced the legendary Levi Stubbs in the Four Tops in 1999 when
Stubbs became ill and has been a member ever since.
For some reason his next single didn't materialise until 1972 but it was
another gem. "In Summertime" on RCA Victor. It was released twice with two different B Sides, the
first with "Young Girl" (the better of the two) and then again in 1973 with "Keep Your Hands Off My Lady" which was probably originally scheduled as the A side as a same sided
demo exists. Whilst at RCA Victor he released his debut self-titled album
in 1972.
His next single "Wendy Is Gone", another long time favourite, with "Give Me A Sign", appeared on his own label Rising Sun in 1973 and was then reissued on
Motown vice-president Barney Ales' Prodigal label where he released a
further two singles ("For Your Love" / "You Better Come On Down" and "Saggitarian Affair" (as misspelt on label) / "You Better Come On Down") and another self-titled album in 1975 which has a few killer cuts that
didn't make it to 45 such as "I'm Your Lover". Motown artist Kim Weston, who
was a friend of McNeir when he moved to L.A. in 1971, provides backing
vocals.
Through his connection with Barney Ales, his next album, "Love's Comin' Down", was on Motown in 1976. He released just one single for Motown "Selling My Heart To The Junkman" / "Love Proposition".
Thanks to Gary Van den Bussche for highlighting that today would have
been
Linda Jones' birthday and, like Willie Hutch (posted on Sunday), would have been 77
had she not tragically died of a diabetic coma aged only 27 on 14
Mar1972 whilst she was at her artistic peak.
She was was born in Newark, NJ on 14 Dec 1944 and began singing aged
six in her family's gospel group, the Jones Singers. Her first
recording was under the pseudonym Linda Lane which was a cover of the
Jackie Wilson's 1958 hit "Lonely Teardrops" on Cub Records in 1963.
Another two singes were released on Atco in 1965 and Blue Cat in 1966
produced by George Kerr which also failed to make any
impact.
Kerr took her to Russ Regan's Loma label (a Warner Bros. subsidiary)
in 1967. Her first recording for the label became her biggest hit and
the label's best selling record "Hypnotized" reaching #4 R&B #21
Hot 100. The flip side "I Can't Stop Lovin' My Baby" would later be
picked up on by the UK Northern Soul scene, as would several other of
her Loma recordings "My Heart Needs A Break" and "I Just Can't Live My
Life (Without You Babe)" in particular but there were
others.
She released seven singles and an album titled "Hypnotized" on Loma before moving to Gamble &
Huff's Neptune label for two singles in 1969-70 and then on to Sylvia
Robinson's Turbo label in 1971 for four singles in 1971-72 before
switching to another Robinson label Stang for a one with The Whatnauts
before reverting back to Turbo for her last two. The last five singles
were released posthumously. Turbo also released three albums by her in
1972, "Your Precious Love" with the last two "Let It Be Me" and "A Portrait Of" being released
posthumously.
Her catalogue has been fairly extensively covered in several
compilations.
Here's a couple of playlists highlighting most of her best
recordings, split into deep soul and Northern Soul in no particular
order other than chronological. There are two different version of "If Only (We Had Met Sooner)" in the Northern Soul sides playlist.
A slightly belated tribute to Ralph Tavares who died last week (8 Dec)
two days before his 80h birthday. Heaven Is no longer missing an angel!
Ralph is in centre
Tavares were a very successful group in the 70s and consisted of various
combinations over the years of seven of ten brothers from Rhode Island,
Providence, John, Ralph, Arthur (Pooch), Antone (Chubby), Victor, Feliciano
Jr. (Butch) and Perry Lee (Tiny).
When most of us think of
Tavares, their 70s hits spring immediately to mind, tunes like "Heaven Must
Be Missing An Angel", "Don't Take Away The Music", "It Only Takes A Minute"
in particular and possibly "More Than A Woman" which featured in the
Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. However this family group of brothers goes
back much earlier than that. The four older brothers Ralph, Antone (Chubby),
Arthur (Pooch) and their cousin, Peter 'Boo' Nicholaus were in a group The
Del Tios formed by eldest brother John in the late 50s (around 1959). They
often backed a singer called Linda Steele and it was during one of these
shows that they were spotted by the owner of Sue Records Juggy Murray Jones
who signed them to his Crackerjack subsidiary where they recorded just
one single "Come On, Let Me Try" / "I Don't Want To Be Loved (Not By Him)"
as Linda & The Del Rios before disbanding.
Boo left to pursue a solo career, and John and Ralph left and later Ralph
joined the Army.
Chubby (Antone), Pooch (Arthur) and Butch (Feliciano Jr.) formed a new
group called Chubby & The Realities. When Ralph was discharged from the Army in 1964 he joined them. After
gigging for several years they secured a recording contract with Capitol
Records in 1967 and were advised by the label to change their name, as they
thought The Realities was too old fashioned, which they dutifully did to
Chubby & The Turnpikes.
Their first single under the new name "I Know The Inside Story" / "I Didn't
Try" was released in 1967 followed by "Cast A Spell" / "Nothing but
Promises" in 1968 with the addition of another brother Victor to the line-up
and another change of name to simply The Turnpikes. The singles did well locally but not well enough nationally and they were
dropped by the label.
They spent the next few years performing as a show band until 1972 when
they sent some demos to Capitol records. One was a cover of The Friends Of
Distinction B side to "I Need You" single from 1969, "Check It
Out", and another "The Judgement Day" was chosen for their first single
as Tavares and released in 1973. It went to #5 R&B and #35 Billboard Hot
100 and, as they say, the rest is history as nine of their first eleven
singles were all top 10 R&B hits (three were #1)
with the other two just outside at #11 and #14.
Victor left the group after "Check It Out" to pursuer a solo career.
Based on the success of the single they recorded their debut album with the
same title in 1974 produced by Johnny Bristol.
They never achieved a Top 10 pop hit in the US but had four in the UK
between 1976-78 with the three tracks from the introduction above and also
"Whodunit" in 1977 but the hits in the UK dried up by 1978 except for two
reissues/remixes of "Heaven" and "Minute" in 1986.
Their first #1 was in 1974 with a cover of Hall & Oates "She's
Gone" which Hall & Oates re-issued (they originally
released it in 1973 from the their second album, "Abandoned Luncheonette")
after Tavares success and finally had a hit with it themselves
Much of the information above was culled from this very in depth article on
Ripomusic which Ralph Tavares contributed to.
Below I've cherry picked some of their best tracks from what is available
on Spotify including their first release as Linda & The Del Rios and
Chubby & The Turnpikes / The Turnpikes for historical purposes. I've
also included The Friends Of Distinction's original version of "Check It
Out". I also found very good quality footage of The Turrnpikes performing
"Nothing But Promises", Ralph is on the left.
Album Discography
1974 - Check It Out [Capitol #ST-11258] Full Album
HERE
The new single from Cleveland's Nelccia, "Power To The P", was released today (14 Dec 2021) approximately a month since her last single "What You Make It". The video for it premiers on YouTube at 18:00 GMT today.
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artist.
This album "Alive" by Jay Nemor Electrifiedwas posted in August
when it was first available via Bandcamp. As of today it is now available
digitally via the major DSPs at less than half the asking price i.e. £7.99 v £18 on
Bandcamp!
Please follow link above to original post for some background and videos
of another three of the tracks .
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artist.
