Only last week on the post for the forthcoming next single from
Creative Soul by
Centaura
we made mention of a group set up in prison called The Prisonaires
(which included Johnny Bragg and Centaura's producer Bob Riley). The
next release from Soul Junction is another one.
The Mansion were initially a prison group formed by
Charles Lorenzo Blakely in 1970 while serving time in the Green Bay
Reformatory at Allouez, Wisconsin for his part in a street gang
shooting and subsequent car chase by the police.
Whilst rehearsing in the prison chapel, they attracted the attention
of the warden's wife who was impressed and then instrumental in the
group being invited to perform on WBAY, the city’s TV station.
They were later granted permission to perform outside the prison
which brought them to the attention of Al Dunlop (a Milwaukee
neighbourhood program adviser) who became their manager who arranged
the recording of their only single "The Girl Next Door" / "Stop! Let Your Heart Be Your Guide" at Appleton's Golden Echo Recordings for a local Milwaukee label
Gibbs [GB 406] in 1974. The release was held back by label owner Bill Gibbs until
some of the group members were released from prison as they were
unable to sign contract agreements whilst still
incarcerated.
Charles Blakely remained in prison and was later moved to a medium
security prison where he formed a gospel group the
Bell Tones which was regarded as major factor in his
rehabilitation which led to his eventual release in 1976. He then
joined up with Bell Tone member Mayweather Lee, Charles (Sonny) Bryant
and Jimmy Taylor to form a new group Final Chapter who
recorded "Now I Know" / "Get Down For Your Action" for Marvell Love's Milwaukee label New World Records [NM8006] in 1980.
Taylor left to pursue a career as a blues musician with the remaining
three members continuing to perform until they finally disbanded in
1987. Three previously unissued Final Chapter songs, along with "Now I
Know", can be found on Soul Junction Various Artists CD compilation
"We Got A Sweet Thing Going On Volume Two" (2016
SJCD 2011) . Charles Blakely passed away in Oct 2018.
The Mansion's single on Gibbs is now a highly sought after item
amongst sweet and group soul collectors and is being reissued by Soul
Junction available on 7 Nov 2022. The label released both sides on a
CD compilation "We Got A Sweet Thing Going On" (2014 SJCD 5009)
The single isn't listed on 45Cat and only one has ever sold on
Discogs (£352 in Feb 2018) and only three are listed on Popsike, so
it's a pretty scarce recording.
Source: Dave Welding (Soul Junction)
| Rating: | 8.2 |
| Explicit: | N |
| Genre/Style: | Sweet Soul / Reissue |
| Format: | Single |
| Media: | 7" Vinyl |
| Label: | Soul Junction |
| Cat No: | SJ548 |
| Date: | 07/11/2022 |
| Key/BPM: | N/A |
| Price: | £13 |
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