Following the vinyl release of 94 East, another very worth vinyl release
from Charly are two superb sides from Gene Townsel "I'm Walking Away" / "There's No Use Hiding" which have been
featured on the blog previously.
They are from his "Time Wounds All Heels" album from 1978 and appeared on
a Balance Town 7" (late 90s) which Gene himself never knew about so it's assumed that
it's a bootleg. He did, however, license the tracks to Crazy Beat Record's Gary
Dennis in 2005 for a legitimate reissue on Crazy Beat's own label.
You can read more on a
Gene Townsel feature
done in 2020.
The album is pretty scare on original vinyl as it was released by a loss
making tax shelter company and was withdrawn once they feared that it was
selling! However, It has been reissued several times on CD.
Available to pre-order from Charly for release on 9 Dec '22.
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
If you've not had the pleasure of listening to this album, "Time Wound All Heels" from Gene Townsel, then pour your self a dink, sit down and relax and enjoy this
masterpiece which is not particularly easy to find on original
vinyl, as if you owned it why on earth would you want to part with it?
It is, therefore, very highly sought after on vinyl.
It's been reissued on CD (2003) and digitally at least twice in 2010 (which
appears to be missing one track "If You Were Really My Woman" but I think it's because it's rolled into the first track as it's segued on the original album) and again in 2017.
"There's No Use Hiding" and "Walking Away" are popular modern soul spins. The title track is sublime. In fact "There's No Use Hiding" would possibly be one of my desert island discs!
Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the
artist.
As far as I am aware this is his complete 'secular' output.
Albums
1978 - Time Wounds All Heels [Dobre DR-1054]
45s
197? - There's No Use Hiding / I'm Walking Away [Balance Town BTM 138]
197? - Mr. Boon Tang / Can't Stop A Poor Man Makin' Love [Ah-La-Vi RI-3160]
Gene Townsel was the grandson of a Baptist preacher and got a degree in choral music from Florida A&M university and then performed in churches and teaching music. He turned to secular music and worked as a session musician backing many artists such as Ray Charles, Lou Rawls and Dusty Springfield. This led him to record his first album Time Wounds All Heels in 1975 at Ray Charles' Tangerine studios (although not released until 1978) which has become a rare collector's item. The label states recorded at Gold Star but Gene confirms that it was recorded at Tangerine but possibly pressed at Gold Star hence the 'mistake'. Clydene Jackson (I Need Your Love), who was a friend of Gene's appeared on the album on 'There's No Use Hiding' and 'Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast'.
According to an interview with Gene, unbeknown to him at the time, Dobre was a shelter company for Expression Sound Inc. and when the album started becoming successful in LA it scared Dobre/Expression as the album was not supposed to make money! It is rare because very few were pressed because Dobre never wanted it to be successful from the outset
After this disappointment with recording, Gene concentrated on live performances in the 80s. He left secular music and ran a rehearsal studio in LA for 20 years before returning to Florida in the late 90s where he started a church supply company and founded his own preaching ministry.
Two killer tracks from his highly regarded and sought after solitary album 'Time Wounds All Heels' released on Dobre in 1978. It was thought that these tracks were never released on 45 but copies have turned up on Balance Town. Some seem to think that they were released a long time after the album by Gene himself. I have found a few on Popsike and they have been selling recently sell for around £600-£650.
Gene confirms that he licensed the tracks to Gary Dennis at Crazy Beat in 2005 for both sides to be issued on the first release on Crazy Beat label (CB 001), but he does not know who was behind the Balance Town release and claims that he still has the master tapes ... so go figure? Another highly regarded DJ/collector/soul aficionado Steve Guarnori recalls that he bought the 45 around 1997/98. No one at present seems to know for sure whether the Balance Town release is legit or a bootleg but going by the prices many must believe that is legit.
I found a signed copy on Popsike - so either the signature is a fake or Gene did know about it at some point but has forgotten?
Gene Townsel [197?] - Mr. Boon Tang / Can't Stop A Poor Man Making Love [Ah-La-Vi R-3160]
His only other known 45 release is this one on Ah-La-Vi (the only release on the label). This one also sells for big sums £600-£1000 but I notice that prices are falling so perhaps it was 'in-demand' a few years ago as one sold for £1110 in 2011!
SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.6
Northern Soul / crossover, similar in tempo to the previous tracks but I would guess they are earlier.
Gene Townsel [197?] - Mr. Boon Tang / Can't Stop A Poor Man Makin' Love [Ah-La-Vi R-3160]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.6
Crossover track a bit funkier than his other tracks and sounds earlier certainly not as late as 1978 more 1973/4 to me but only guessing.
NB Both sides on this clip
Gene Townsell [1978] - Time Wounds All Heels [Dobre DR-1054]
The album has seen a reissue on CD in 2012 and is available via Amazon. It was also reissued on Balance Town in 2003 so perhaps that's when the 45 was pressed?
