Soul Strutter

Tuesday, 4 January 2011

NS543 Martha Starr [1966] - Love Is The Only Solution [Thelma T-112]

543 Martha Starr [1966] - Love Is The Only Solution [Thelma T-112]

b/w:	I'm Lonely
Format:	45
Label:	Thelma
Cat No:	112
Year:	1966
Value:	£?

Martha Starr had the final 3 consecutive releases on Detroit's now legendary Thelma label. This release along with 111 'No Part Time Love For Me' have been huge sounds on the scene over the years.

111 - Martha Star - No Part Time Love For Me / It's Too Bad Baby
112 - Martha Star - Love Is The Only Solution / I'm Lonely
113 - Martha Star - I Wanna Be Your Girl / Sweet Louie

The mainstay on the label was Emanuel Laskey who had no fewer than 7 of the label's 24 releases. Other notable acts on the label included Joe Matthews ('Ain't Nothing You Can Do' fame), Rose Batiste and Will Hatcher.

Thelma Discography @ soulfulkindamusic

Martha Starr [1966] - Love Is The Only Solution [Thelma T-112]

Martha Starr [1966] - No Part Time Love For Me [Thelma T-111]

Martha Starr [1966] - It's Too Bad Baby [Thelma T-111]

Martha Starr [1966] - I Wanna Be Your Girl [Thelma T-113]

Martha Starr [1966] - Sweet Louie [Thelma T-113]

Moses Dillard & Martha Starr [1972] - Cheating, Teasing And Misleading [Awake AK101]

Moses Dillard & Martha Starr [1972] - You Can't Laugh It Off [Awake AK101]

Martha Starr [1968] - Sweet Temptation [Charay C-35]

Played by Butch in early 90s covered up as Tobi Lark. This is quality mid-tempo / crossover 'right up my street'!

This labels cataloging system leaves a lot to be desired as there are no less than 3 C-35 's and 2 C-34's and 6 C-33's!!!! But I would guess this was released around 1968/69.

Cressa Watson [1986] - Sweet Temptation

It turns out that 'Sweet Temptation' was also recorded on Charay by Cressa Watson who also recorded as Carolyn Sullivan on Philips. I think this version just edges it for me over Martha Starr's ! This 'version' was released on a 1986 compilation '20 Great Unknown Soul Classics of The 60s and 70s'

Ward Burton [1966] - Sweet Temptation [Panther PAN 5A]

Ward Burtons' real name was George (not Ward). He passed in 2015. The writer of the song Will Hammond claims his name was Heyward which he later shortened to Ward when working in Vegas, Reno and Tahoe in 1966.

This record was bootlegged in 2017.

Now here's an interesting anecdote left by the writer/producer Will Hammond to a posting of this track on YouTube.
He says: "Martha Starr is the original. I wrote the song for Mary Wells in the same vein as 'My Guy'".
In another comment he states: "Martha Starr and Cressa Watson are the same. It's the same record with just a different artist name. I don't know where the Cressa Watson thing came from, but listen closely and you will hear they are exactly the same. I actually gave her (Carolyn Sullivan) the name 'Martha Starr'. I wrote and produced the Ward Burton and Martha Starr versions..... but have no idea why the Cressa Watson version came out. Just crooked 'hanky panky' that goes on in the record business. Ther is NO Cressa Watson.

... So now does that mean Caroyln Sullivan is Martha Starr? To confuse things further Carolyn Sullivan's Dead has been credited to Carolyn Summers and Carol Summers

Friday, 17 December 2010

NS559 Moses Dillard & The Dynamic Showmen [1964] - I'll Pay The Price [Mark V MV-20-66]

559 Moses Dillard & The Dynamic Showmen [1964] - I'll Pay The Price [Mark V MV-20-66]

b/w:	They Don't Want Us Together (official A side)
Format:	45
Label:	Mark V
Cat No:	MV-20-66
Year:	1964
Value:	£?

Now this has certainly turned up a few surprises. I knew that Moses Dillard, Moses & Joshua Dillard (Joshua (Dillard) being a psedonym for James Moore) (My Elusive Dreams & Get Out Of My Heart - Mala 1967) and The Sons Of Moses (Soul Symphony - Coral 1968 which will be featured at 357) all had tunes played on the scene but not until I found their full discography over at soulfulkindamusic did I realise that they were involved with The Saturday Night Band who had a huge disco hit in 1978 with Come On And Dance. Nor that Peabo Bryson was a member of Moses Dillard & The Tex-Town Display in 1971.

The outing here is his very first secular release (he recorded with The Golden Wings a gospel quartet prior to this) on the flip of 'They Don't Want Is Together' on Mark V out of Carolina. 'They Don't Want Is Together' would also feature as the flip to Get Out Of My Heart on Mala in 1967. The track was first played by Richard Searling at Wigan Casino in Sep 1979 covered up as Eddie Jefferson - 'I Won't Think Twice'. For those new to the scene the policy of 'covering up' a record was to protect its identity so that DJs could retain exclusivity of a track for as long as possible before dealers and other DJs could discover its true identity. This practice was quite controversial because some claim that it was protecting DJs egos rather than promoting artists and the music, however, given that the records were already oldies it didn't really damage sales and was argued that it drew crowds to see DJs who had 'the sounds' ... even way back in the mid 70s Northern Soul pioneered the way for today's DJs!

Moses Dillard was apparently discovered by Otis Redding who liked his guitar playing style, and consequently he played guitar on Fame recordings (such as Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley, and the rest of Conley's early Fame recordings such as Let's Go Steady and Whole Lotta Woman). He later moved to Papa Don Schroeder Productions (staying in Muscle Shoals), becoming Papa Don's vice president, and playing on records by James & Bobby Purify and Mighty Sam among others, released on Bell and Mala.

He also cut a nice crossover track in 1972 with Martha Starr (another legend on the scene) entitled Cheating, Teasing and Misleading on Shout 248 ... see below.

Much more info regarding Moses Dillard on Soul Source.