The latest release from Alan Kitchener's Soul Direction Origins imprint
(which is the logo for the rare stuff) is a 1968 outing by
The Turbines with "We Got To Start Over" / "What More Can I Say". It will be available from Soul Directions in Aug 2022. No specific date given and they don't appear to be available to pre-order as yet but keep checking the website.
It was originally released on Cenco, a label based in Hollywood, CA, run by
Mike Gradney (Gradny) between 1961-69. It released around 20+ singles
between 1961-62 and started again in 1965-68 with around another 20+ releases, although
there are gaps in the catalogue number sequences in both runs so there could
be some, as yet, undiscovered releases. An interesting thing to note is that
the only album it released was by Ike & Tina Turner "Get It - Get It" in
1966 (which was reissued by Capitol in 1970) from which the title track was
issued as a single on the label in 1967.
I've no idea of the value of an original copy as none are listed on Popsike
(only single-sided Soulwax bootlegs which aren't even listed on Discogs nor 45Cat but from sales dates
may have been pressed around 2018 and I have a fairly good idea who was
behind them but couldn't possibly put it in writing!). Only one original has
ever sold on Discogs in 2019 for £1,100, so I would guess that they are very
hard to come by!
45Cat has The Turbines single dated May 1968 which appears to be the last
release on the label. An M. Davis is credited as one of the writers which
has been attributed to Melvin Davis on Discogs. But why would a Detroit
writer be recording on an L.A. label, although admittedly it does have a
Detroit sound. In fact comparisons have been drawn with the lead singer on
"We Got To Start Over" and David Ruffin!
It is believed that Fred & The Turbins who released "Bernadine" / "Till There Was You" on the label in 1967 is the same group as The Turbines. It is a very rare
and expensive record selling for around the £4.5k mark with only 3
originals coming up on a
Popsike
search, the last selling in Jan 2018 for $4,861 with 37 bids on it. There are only two currently listed for sale on Discogs for £4,600 and £5,000.
The only information on the Fred & The Turbins label is the producer
Ray Jackson who was later a member of
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band as
trombonist.
Another group, Al McKay & The Turbans, also recorded on Cenco in 1966. They later became
The Teen Turbans who released a single on Loma in Dec 1966,
the B side of which was popular on the Northern Soul scene with a Van McCoy
written song "We Need To Be Loved" with the addition of three female vocalists (Source
GarageHangover)
This is where it starts getting interesting as
Al McKay
also later joined The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band and from
1973-81 was a member of EWF (and also
The Chocolate Jam Co). He's on writing credits for many of their hits including "September",
"Saturday Night", "Sing A Song" as well as writing "Best Of My Love" for The
Emotions (all co-written with Maurice White).
Another member, drummer
Ralph Johnson, also joined EWF around 1971. Could this group be the
embryo of The Turbines? Perhaps not as McKay (and Jackson) may have already joined Watts 103rd by 1968 but an interesting aside anyway! I've requested information from Al McKay so watch this space.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
1 comment:
Excellent article and very informative as usual!!!
Yves
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