Numero Group must have access to the vaults of Toledo, OH, label Chanson
as they have previously released a single from the label by
Unlimited Four "I Wanna Be Happy" / "Calling" and have today released the second of their three singles for the label
along with another by Evalene Braden "Somebody Else" / "That's What Soul Is".
The label had two lives, starting in 1959-61 in Tennessee and then being
reactivated in 1970 in Toldeo, OH, when the latest offering "Slow Down" / "Walk Away Lover" was released. The A side being a raw funky number and the flip a mid tempo group harmony tune.
Ironically perhaps, it is their third, and last, single
"Somebody Help, Please" that is in-demand (to the Northern Soul fraternity at least, but the
killer deep soul flip "True Love Is Hard To Find (I Believe In You)" is most likely also highly sought after) which sells for upwards of
£500 with only one currently listed on Discogs for £700. If you're desperate to own the deep soul side, but don't want to shell out £500+, then it was released on a compilation "Sweet Soul Baby 3 - Rare And Hard To Find Soul 45s" in 2022 along with some other gems (you can thank us later!).
All their songs were written by (or at least credited to) label owner
James Monroe Brown, their manager Howard Collins and Mel Harrison with
"Walk Away Lover" also credited to Evalene Braden and their last single adding J.E. Young to credits.
The songs were recorded in Detroit with the backing of The
Kalendars who themselves released just one single in the mid 60s on Tee
Vee (another label owned by Brown) written by Collins under his pseudonym
Skip August which he also used to release two singles on the label. Of interest to rare soulies, he also wrote, arranged and co-produced Ike Noble's in-demand album "Fresh Start" and co-owned the label it was released on Connowill with Ike Noble and Jimmy Williams. The label's name derived from the first letters of their surnames Collins, Nobel and Williams. We did an Ike Noble Discography a few years ago.
An album by The Kalendars, under the name d'Kalendars ("Hotter Than Hot") surfaced in 2008 and contains several of Collins' songs recorded by Ike Noble.
According to Discogs, which isn't always 100% accurate but it has been
corroborated from other sources, the group consisted of lead
singer Joe Butts, Bobby Davis, Willie Vaughn, and Ronnie Foster with Foster being
later replaced by Charles Nelson Jr. Butts went on to become a member
of a group named Magnificent Opinions who released three singles in 1988 on
another Chanson offshoot Skippyophonic Records, the only releases on the
label.
Whilst we're here, for completeness, we'll post all three of their
singles.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
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1 comment:
The 3 singles of this little known group are excellent!!!
Yves
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