Ron Parris & Lou Ragland [2024] - Never Gonna Give It Up / Love Is Real [Numero Group]

In Jan we came across a Numero release on Lou Ragland's Casino imprint (Numero now owns the Casino catalogue) of a previously unreleased song, "Sunday Afternoon", billed as Gigi Copeland & Lou Ragland even though Ragland's voice was not in evidence.

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At the weekend we came across another, this time billed Ron Parris & Lou Ragland with two songs, "Never Gonna Give It Up" / "Love Is Real". We can't be certain, but a Ronnie Paris was a member of The Stereos from Ohio where Ragland originated. 

However, we found a gospel album by The First Light released in 1986 on Spirit Of Nevada (a subsidiary of Casino) on which Ragland and Parris performed with Parris writing two of the songs, so it's possible that these two songs originated around the same time.

Once again there is no indication that Ragland is singing on either song but he is credited as writer on both. Parris' vocals sound remarkably similar to Al Jarreau on both songs.

Cleveland, OH, born Lou Ragland is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, producer and label owner who has been making music since the early 60s. Whilst a breakthrough hit eluded him, several of his recordings have been revered on the rare soul circuit such as "I Travel Alone", "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" (with it's killer deep soul flip "I Didn't Mean To Leave You") along with his "Understand Each Other" solo album and as a member of Hot Chocolate who released a solitary album in 1971 and last, but not least, his 2-stepper "Making Love".

After forming a band, The Monclairs, at high school he released his first recording "Never Let Me Go" / "Party at Lester's" in 1964 on Cleveland's Way Out label as Lou Ragland & The Bandmasters. He spent some time as a member of Billy Ward & The Dominos (past members include Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson) and then became friendly with fellow Clevelander Edwin Starr who's career was beginning to take off after signing to Ric-Tic. Starr helped him secure a deal with Bell Records where he released his next single, "I Travel Alone" / "Big Wheel", on their Amy imprint in 1967. It didn't even dent the R&B chart but was picked up on years later by the Northern Soul scene and is regarded as a classic featuring in the NS all-time Top 500.

His next single was under the name Volcanic Eruption, again on Way Out. Interestingly, the A side was co-written with a R. Parish, could that be a misspelling of R. Parris? He then formed the band Hot Chocolate who released an eponymous album and three singles on his own Co Co Cleveland label in the early 70s.

It would appear that his luck was changing by being signed to a major, Warner Bros., in 1973 and released "Since You Said You Would Be Mine" but, alas, chart success still eluded him. However, yet again, the record was picked up on much later on the UK rare soul scene and is quite an in-demander nowadays, not only for the A side, but as we said previously, for the stunning deep soul flipside.  

Back to the drawing board, Ragland's next venture was forming another label SMH and releasing a single "What Should I Do" / "Understand Each Other" (a popular 2-stepper) in 1974 and in 1977 an album,  "Understand Each Other", which included a longer re-recording of "Since You Said You'd Be Mine". The label released just one other single by a group named Wildfire in 1975, which Ragland was a member of.

Ragland then moved to Las Vegas and formed Great Lakes Orchestra and launched Casino records releasing "Love Moods" in 1985 which produced another song loved on the 2-step scene, "Making Love".

Around the same time he hooked up again with Edwin Starr who was touring the UK with his Ric-Tic Revue and invited Ragland to join him.

In 1986 he joined The Inkspots and later he formed the gospel group The First Light releasing two albums on his Casino imprint. A couple more albums appeared on Great Lakes Records in the 90s.

In 2012 he was approached by Numero Group who released a three CD set of his work spanning several decades, titled "I Travel Alone". It would appear that Numero has either acquired or has licensed access to his material.

We have posted many of Raglands recordings over the years (HERE). An unsung hero for sure apart from the soul aficionado underground scenes.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Previously Unreleased
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/02/2024
Key/BPM:	9B/102 / 8A/114
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Lou Ragland & Great Lakes Orchestra [2022] - Trouble [Numero Group]

Another quality Numero Group digital release, this one is from yesterday by Lou Ragland & The Great Lakes Orchestra with "Trouble". It was originally recorded in sessions in 1982-83 which I believe first appeared on a Japanese album "Lou Ragland & Great Lakes Orchestra" in 2016.

Ragland moved from his native Cleveland, OH, in the early 80s to Las Vegas and, with the lack of record companies there, he set up his own and Great Lakes Records and Casino Records were born. He released an album/EP "Love Moods" (1985) on Casino and a single "This Is The Night For Loving" / "Didn't I Tell You" appeared on Great Lakes in 1982. The 2016 album contained both sides of the singles and seven previously unissued songs, presumably recorded at the same sessions.

Lou Ragland has been known to Northern and rare soul devotees in the UK for decades ever since his 1967 Amy outing "I Travel Alone" hit the decks. He had previously released a single "Never Let Me Go" / "Party At Lesters" as Lou Ragland and The Bandmasters in 1964 on Way Out, although it had been recorded a couple of years earlier. Lester presumably referring to Lester Johnson who was joint owner of Way Out with Bill Branch.

It would be another six years before his next solo single appeared in 1973 (as he was a member of Cleveland group Hot Chocolate) with "I Can't Take It" (on Co-Co Cleveland with Hot Chocolate) and then "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" (on Warner Bros.). The latter belatedly got turntable action far too many years later and with it prices have climbed, but flip that one over and listen to the killer deep soul ballad "I Didn't Mean To Leave You". A great double-sider which thankfully I've owned on UK Warner Bros. from back in the day, picked up for literally pennies (a whole 25 of them!). 

The follow up single in 1974 was "What Should I Do" / "Understand Each Other" with flip being a nice modern soul tune.

His music has been respected by several scenes and the London rare groove scene picked up on his later recordings including "Love Moods" and a couple of tracks on "Is The Conveyor 'Understand Each Other'" from 1978 (which included "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "Understand Each Other") which now sells for big bucks on original vinyl and has subsequently been reissued several times (at least five) on vinyl, CD and digitally.

Ragland was a key player in the Cleveland soul music scene and started out as a recording engineer at Way Out Records between 1965-67. He died in Nov 2020 at his home in Las Vegas aged 78.

A little anecdote picked up from an interview with Lou Ragland is that he was The O'Jays (also from Cleveland of course as was Bobby Womack who used the Way Out studios) road manager between 1968-70 and relayed that their 1966 Mike Terry & Jack Ashford song, "I'll Never Forget You" on Imperial (possibly their finest Northern Soul tune also recorded by The Metros the following year as an album only track), was recorded at Motown who were set to sign them but their contract was sold to Imperial. Now imagine that if they had gone to Motown would we have ever had all their Philly Int. hits, or conversely I wonder how many Motown classics they may have recorded?

I've taken the opportunity of including some of the tracks mentioned above, for any who haven't already had the pleasure, as they are all available on Spotify. In fact a large portion of his back catalogue is available on a 3 disc set "I Travel Alone" released by Numero Group in 2012, digitally, on vinyl and CD.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	20/07/2022
Key/BPM:	9A/97
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Lou Ragland [1973] - I Didn't Mean To Leave You [Warner Bros. WB 7734]

A record I've had since the 70s on UK issue has at last been seeing some action in recent years for the topside, but I'm posting this mainly for the other side which shouldn't be overlooked. Lou is accompanied by an unnamed male group (Hot Chocolate?) making this right up the street for the lowrider scene's love of group soul harmony.

Lou Ragland is best known on the UK soul scene for his 1967 Northern Soul classic 'I Travel Alone' on Amy. This was Lou Ragland's only UK release which was overlooked at the time as it was released before 'I Travel Alone' was discovered by the scene in 1974 so no one knew who Lou Ragland was at the then.

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.8

Group soul harmony/crossover

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Lou Ragland [1973] - Since You Said You'd Be Mine [Warner Bros. WB 7734]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.75

70s Modern Northern Soul

Greate Lakes Orchestra (Feat. Lou Ragland & Devanna) [1982] - This Is The Night For Loving [Great Lakes GLR 101]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.8

80s modern soul

Greate Lakes Orchestra (Feat. Lou Ragland) [1982] - Didn't I Tell You [Great Lakes GLR 101]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.6

80s modern soul

Lou Ragland [1967] - I Travel Alone [Amy 988]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.85

Northern Soul classic Top 500 sound

Lou Ragland [1967] - Big Wheel [Amy 988]

SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.8

Mid-tempo Northern Soul which would have been too slow to play back in the day but perfect for today's dancefloor. Don't know if it's ever been played out but I've heard far worse records played out!