Mick – Page 4 – Soul Discovery

Sharon McMahan

Sharon Shares

Sharon was born in Sevierville, Tennessee but raised and musically disciplined in Detroit, Michigan.

Sharon began her career, as a teen in Detroit, Michigan. She wrote her first songs at the age of 12. After auditioning her, Ollie McLaughlin launched her writing career by publishing and producing and releasing several of her songs on his own record lables, KAREN, CARLA, MOIRA & RUTH Records. McLaughlin recorded Sharons songs on major artists, Barbara Lewis, Deon Jackson, Gracie Darnell and Johnnie Mae Matthews. He also secured a UK release for Sharon’s song, Someday We’re Gonna Love Again, recorded by the London based group, The Searchers. It charted to #11 in Billboard, in several countries and to #23 here in the United States, in 1964/65. Thus, Sharon has a tremendous fan base in the UK and Western Europe.

SHARON MCMAHAN SONGWRITER / ARTIST / PUBLISHER / PRODUCER

Later, another Detroit based publisher/producer became familiar with Sharons writing skills. He was Don Davis, producer of Johnnie Taylor, executive producer of The Dramatics and many more artists. He recorded Sharons songs on current Hall of Fame artists, Etta James and Mavis Staples. He was also responsible for Sharons song to be recorded and released on The Three Degrees.

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17th February 2024

Rod Dearlove

Voices From The Shadows

Some time in the future…

I had give him his due; he was where he said he would be and he was on time. In fact, he’d been early. I’d staked out the meet a half-hour before and seen two other suckers approach him and make a purchase before scurrying away with that satisfied scuffle that fool who have only recently parted with their money make. He was leaning back again the old Piedmoor Bank building, his ankle length leather coat tails dancing in the cold midnight wind. Occasionally he lifted his head from within the depths of his upturned collar to see if any more prospective purchasers were braving the elements to make a hit. Then, like a praying mantis, he reteat back into his coat. Sheltering from the wind and a fine, misty rain that had given the city streets a slick, polished look, I witness proceeding from a disused shop doorway.

Safe within its reclining darkness I was summoning up the courage to walk across Main Street and to the junction of Mall and Circular to join the illegal to and fro because this wasn’t a part of the city you wanted to spend too long hanging around after dark. Once it had been a bustling financial centre, but now its decaying offices and high rises were the haunt of the night people; pimps, prostitutes and pushers; much like the one opposite whose only signs of life was the slow but regular plumes of breath omitted into the cold night air. Another couple of degrees lower and the fine rain would turn to snow.

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5th February 2024

Ady Croasdell

Finding The First Copy

The 6Ts Rhythm and Soul Society was co-founded in August 1979 by Randy Cozens and Ady Croasdell. The first dance was held in a function room called Henri’s at the Bedford Head pub in Maiden Lane in London’s Covent Garden. The first night was a great success with soul records, dancing, carousing and debauchery.

One more equally splendid night was held there before the management rebuilt the pub and kicked us out. By then we had a solid following and with the help of one of the first club mailing lists that we had established, sent out slightly amusing newsletters before each dance and got the crowd to follow us to our next venue. At this stage, Ian Clark’s graphics for the newsletter and membership card were very much a part of the set-up.

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1st February 2024

Chelly “K”

Michell Latrice Lewis, a.k.a. Chelly K is a native Detroiter who started her career at the age of five with her father (Joseph Norris) who was a Motown Personal sound technician for The Temptations. Chelly’s first performance was at Kennedy square in the Downtown Detroit Area. Her credits include: Background vocals for Melvin Van Peoples, and Luther Ingram. She has also opened hows for Marlena Shaw, Marion Meadows, The Temptations’ Review, and The Spinners. Chelly’s has also performed with Freestyle, The Gordon Camp Band, The V.I.P’s, he Teddy Harris Jr. Band, The Harold McKinney Band and the great Rudy Robinson.

A few of her numerous Detroit nightclub appearances include the Legendary Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, BoMacs Lounge and Bert’s Market Place,The Dirty Dog, The Aretha Franklin Jazz Cafe and many many more. Chelly writes most of her own lyrics and counts Phyllis Hyman/Nancy Wilson as her main musical influences. She is currently working with the legendary, Grammy award winner/songwriter/ producer, John Glover, who’s accomplishments include, Grammy awarded Songs, “You Don’t Have To Be a Star”, “Memories Don’t Leave Like People Do”, “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” and “Songs of The Key of Life”, just to name a few.

“How’z everything in your house” / “My funny valentine” / “Pinch me” / “Stick & stay” / “Thorough it all” /
“Caught up”

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11th January 2024

Eleanore Mills

Eleanore Mills is a versatile New York based recording artist known for her seductive sound, powerful performances, and the uncanny ability to manoeuvre musically through a myriad of genres, including Broadway and jingles. As a child, her exposure to Gospel, Soul, and Jazz fuelled and fostered her natural talent and performing skills. With the release of her album, This is Eleanore Mills, she gained the attention of Jazz/Soul impresario Norman Connors, who asked her to sing lead vocals on his albums, This Is Your Life and Romantic Journey. Mills was also chosen as a background vocalist for the Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway album, which included the revered club staples “You Are My Heaven” and “Back Together Again”

As she began to focus more on dance music, she began working with Next Plateau Records. It was there that she achieved her definitive recording, as the featured artist on “Get Wet,” the electro 12” single produced by John Robie. During this time she also was featured with Larry Woo on C-Bank’s “Good to the Last Drop”, produced by David Cole (C+C Music Factory) mixed by Bruce Forest. She went on to record “Nightmare of a Broken Heart”, produced and mixed by Bruce Forest with edits by Louie Vega. In addition, she scored a chart topping single “Tonite” with Those Guys at MCA Records, which hit #2 on the Billboard Dance Charts. In 2014,

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7th January 2024

Chris Walls

A Marvel in Manchester

Ok ok … Let’s do the Melissa Morgan, Whispers and Patti Labelle gig we agreed over dinner one midweek evening, I will order the tickets now , after all Melissa and Patti were still on our ‘to see ‘ list.We arrived at a very tired Manchester Apollo, attendance was surprisingly light for these world class artists.

Melissa was first up and gave us a great set of the old favourites . This included a walk out into the audience performing Fools Paradise.It was great to meet her too in the lobby area after the performance, she was fab and very friendly and eager to chat about old times.

Next up were the Whispers…They performed a very polished ‘Vagas’ type set lasting 30 minutes with many of the uptempo favesThe Whispers Orchestra truly awesum, they oozed quality and composure Warm , rich , professional harmonies the hallmark of the group rattled around the old concert venue on Manchester’s south side.

At times we had to pinch ourselves we were in the UK and not some suburban theatre in the United States. Then it was time for Patti……. OMG we were treated to a truly outstanding performance, not only vocally, but a unique display of kicking off shoes! She was every bit the way imagined, a real diva , vocals were to die for, powerful, strong and sweet.

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3rd January 2024

Bobby Manuel Stax Records

His mother thought that dancing school would help burn off some of the extra energy he had because in those days he was considered a “hyper child.” It turned out that he loved it and it probably helped him develop his keen sense of rhythm.It also led him to his second guitar teacher, Lyn Vernon, who played and taught a chord melody style that was pretty advanced for kids. He met the Mitchell family who lived in a nearby neighborhood.That’s where he met Willie Mitchell who was already a successful bandleader and recording artist. It was at the Mitchell house where he first heard the blues on radio station WDIA. He was addicted to the groove from that moment on. He is most proud that he was reunited with Willie when asked to play on the last two albums Willie produced, Al Green’s highly acclaimed “Everything’s OK” and Soloman Burke’s “Nothing’s Impossible.”

Bobby joined Stax Records as a staff engineer in late 1967 shortly after the tragic death of Otis Redding and members of the Bar-Kays. Stax had recently dissolved their production/distribution agreement with Atlantic Records and the plan was to build an entire new catalogue. He worked on over twenty-three albums within his first year. One of his first assignments was engineering on the “Home” album by Bonnie and Delany as well as playing guitar on the single “Take A Little Piece Of My Heart.” He engineered and played guitar on the Emotion’s hit album and single “So I Can Love You” as well co-writing songs with the Bar-Kays and many others.

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2nd January 2024

Rod Dearlove

Voices From The Shadows

Perk Of The Job

Little Milton “Don’t Leave Me” / “I’ll Never Turn My back On You” (Checker)
I don’t wheel out ‘incredible’ too often as music is a personal thing and what has me dancing around the warehouse and screaming WTF/OMG/FFS may leave others twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the next Tim Tam & the Turn Ons 45 to come alongThis then is not for all. However, for those who like to face the real roots of soul minus their under armour, come in friend, here’s a live on. “Don’t” is one of those sides that is so good, so soulful, I’ll wager it’s never had an airing at a venue. If it has, well, fair play to anyone who has championed it.

It’s a staggeringly good midtempo side that defies a real terminology being attached as it isn’t Northern, Crossover or funk but just plain fantastic soul. If this had turned up by some unknown on a obscure label, there would be knicker wetting from here to, well, at least Goole. And, just to gild the lily, what do we have on the flip? An incredible (see) Deep opus that is e genre defined. Boy, I envy anyone who has not heard this they’re first toe in the water.

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2nd January 2024

Karl White

Soul Underground

We have digitised magazines in the past, Shades of Soul, Backbeat etc so I thought I’d do Rod Dearloves magazine from the early 80s, Midnight Express.

Issue 1. Rod Dearlove / Soul Sam / Danny Feeney / Ian Clark and so much more…..

Midnight Express Issue 1.PDF39.38 MB · 429 downloads

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25th November 2023

Don E. Brown

U.S.A – Across The Pond

The Exportations (aka Living Proof)
In the early 80’s Anthony Pilgrim, Bernard Gibson, Ernestine Johnson, Rick Gibson, Willie Gibson, from Detroit, Michigan released a couple of singles at VIR-RO Records. One minor hit was “Find Another Day”. The group consisted of the three brothers, Gibson and two other singers. In the mid-1980s, they changed their Name to “Living Proof” and released another album and a handful of Singles.

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24th July 2023

Andy RixShrine

The Rarest Soul Label Vol.2

The story of Shrine Records, from its creation to demise, was told in Volume One. As promised Volume Two will look at those who contributed to the creation of the Shrine sound and the songs that have captured the attention of 60s Soul fans all over the world.

Assembling the team
Eddie Singleton, Raynoma ‘Miss Ray’ Gordy and, her half-brother, Stanley ‘Mike’ Ossman were the nucleus of the company. It was always their intention to surround themselves with individuals who had the potential, and talent to achieve, if given the opportunity. These gifted souls were to become the backbone of Shrine Records.

Harold E Bass was already an established member of the team moving down to D C with Mike in the spring of 1965. Harry had grown up in New York and met Eddie whilst singing in a group called The Toreadors. Impressed with their vocal talent, Eddie signed the group, to his new enterprise, Keith Records in 1962, where they released two singles as The Matadors. Fellow group member Richard Tenryck was to become one of the most respected arrangers in New York; as Richard Tee, his name was to be associated with many of the greats over the next four decades.

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26th March 2023

Rod Dearlove

Voices From The Shadows

Why do we collect records?

Why ask me?

I don’t know. Why do women look into a full wardrobes, sigh, and say ‘I’ve nothing to wear’.

Why do people take cars only couple of years old and in perfect working order and change them for a newer model? Why do people spend millions on a canvas with paint splattered on it?

It’s their money, they do what they want with it. Me? I’m happy buying records. I buy them because I like them. 1962 to 2010 couldn’t care less, as long as the vocal’s there, no problem. Get it in the collection. Photos too, especially the 60s ones, black & white photographs – magic. And the songsheets. And dentures, yeah, false teeth as worn by Sy Hightower.

No, whoah, stop right there. Photos and songsheets. You have to draw the line somewhere

Why do we collect?
It’s totally obsessive isn’t it? Think about it. You buy one record and you play it to death
and it looks pretty dumb doesn’t it, one record. So you buy another and another. Within a short while you may have accumulated 50. That’s quite impressive isn’t it 50 records. All of a sudden, you’re a collector. You’re buying because you like the song, the lyrics, the production, the overall sound and feel of the record. But you’re also buying because it’s compulsive and you’re impressing yourself. We all know people who buy to impress other, but think about it, just for one minute, haven’t you ever bought to impress you? I’ll be honest, I have. I‘ve bought turkeys and I’ve bought gems. The killers always out-weight the losers- the only thing you remember about junk records are never to buy them again.

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5th January 2023

Author: Mick