We're not sure exactly when this was digitally re-issued but it came up
on our Spotify feed after listening to Frankie Karl & The Chevrons just posted. It's appropriate as it's another Northern Soul classic (broken at Blackpool Mecca) with a great flip
by Morris Chestnut with "Too Darn Soulful" / "You Don't Love Me
Anymore".
In actual fact the titles were reversed for the original release on
Bell's Amy imprint in 1967 as "You Don't Love Me Anymore" was the official A side. It was later bootlegged owing to popularity on a look-a-like
Renfro label which may seem odd until your appreciate that it was
published by Renfro. This is possibly why Numero Group has used the
Renfro and not the Amy label facsimile. We believe that renown
bootlegger Simon Soussan may have been behind the bootleg and would have
opted for Renfro as many other popular sounds were also on the label. It was legally reissued by John Anderson's Grapevine label in 1979 and again by Kent in 2007 and has featured on umpteen compilations over the years.
Numero Group featured both sides on their 2020, 30 track, "Eccentric Soul: The Renfro Label" compilation and "Too Darn Soulful"
earlier this year in July on "Eccentric Northern Soul".
Chestnut was a member of The Vows (with his cousin Ralph Chestnut who was earlier a member of The Cheerios) who released a handful of a singles in the early 60s including one on Motown's V.I.P. imprint in 1965 and then The Sound-Masters and The Attractions all of whom have had records played on the scene. He recorded a doo-wop single as James Washington Lee in 1962 on L&M both sides of which he wrote and The Vows were the backing group. This appears to be his only solo recording as Morris Chestnut. In the 70s he joined up with ex members of The Marvellos and formed Street Corner Symphony who released an album "Harmony Grits" and a couple of singles on Bang which gained them a deal with ABC where they released a further two albums but just one single, "Funk Machine" the title track of the first album "Little Funk Machine".
You 'may' recognise the name as his son, Morris Chestnut Jr, is an actor who made his movie debut the role of Ricky in "Boyz In The Hood" in 1991 along with another singer's son, Cuba Gooding Jr., the son of The Main Ingredient lead singer in the 70s. Morris Chestnut Jr now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as of 2022. It is believed that Chestnut himself did some parts in movies, such as Shaft.
Chestnut was not aware that many of his recordings, both solo and as a member of groups, were popular on the scene until the early 2000s as he had put the music business in his rear view mirror tired of being ripped off, same old story! He didn't even know that "Too Darn Soulful" had been released as he recorded it at Renfro who didn't release it but they must have leased or sold it to Bell for release without his knowledge. He was booked to appear at Prestatyn weekender in 2007, sadly he had a stroke not long before coming over but still came and performed.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
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