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Category: Contributors

Category for contributors’ and guest authors’ posts, articles and recordings.

  • Sharon Shares 

    Sharon Shares 

    Extracts From My Book – The Last Note Book By Sharon McMahan

    I Have No Choice

    Detroit was fully engaged as a music town. It housed some of the greatest jazz musician in the word.
    It is a known fact that most of all the so-called Funk Brothers who were used by Berry Gordy at Motown, originally were jazz musicians and played at Bakers Keyboard Lounge and other jazz venues in Detroit.

    My Aunt Brent who live upstairs, had learned to play the piano, as a young girl. She taught me a couple of songs when I started out writing. They had a piano upstairs too. There was the sounds of pianos upstairs and downstairs. We could hear each other whenever we played songs. Sometimes we would play something and answer each other whenever we played a song. For instance, I would play the left-hand part of a song and Cindy would would answer me with the right-hand. They had a younger brother too, my cousin Paul but he didn’t play.

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  • Chris Huggins

    Chris Huggins

    Soul Shake Sounds

    I started collecting soul music in the very early 80s, sparked by hearing my older brother playing jazzfunk around the house. That early exposure opened the door to a lifelong passion. Before long, I found myself drawn into the modern soul scene, especially after discovering The Backstreet Soul Club in Norwich. It was there that I first met fellow collector Andy Etheridge, who became a longtime friend. Together, we travelled across the country to various allnighters, including the legendary Rock City.
    My first DJ set came on Boxing Day 1987 at the Burnley and Pendle Soul Club, thanks to an invitation from Pat Allen.

    I was fortunate to live close to Soul Bowl and the late John Anderson, and I was a regular visitor, always on the hunt for something special. My all-time favourite soul record is by Ebony Expressions –  ‘Farewell My Love’ (owl), which happened to be the last record I ever purchased from John.
    As the years have passed, my tastes have evolved. I’ve grown to appreciate the slower, deeper side of soul, which has become the main focus of my collection today. These days, I’m more of an armchair collector, but the love for the music — and the memories it carries — has never faded.

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  • The George Semper Music Archives

    The George Semper Music Archives

    Written by Joel Semper Brockman

    The George Semper Music Archives represents the collective works of the late George Semper
    (b. 1.1.1942 t. 1.9.2009) who needs little introduction to soul and funk fans. The Trinidadian-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, publisher and label owner from San Diego. Amongst his achievemnts, Semper is considered a Hammond B3 Hero innovator of the jazz organ, Godfather of Bay Area Funk and influencing the early days of hip-hop notably sampled by Cypress Hill on their classic ‘Insane In The Brain’. George’s talent led him to collaborate with Legendary labels and artists including Mary Love, Jimmy Smith, Merry Clayton, Isaac Hayes, Al McKay, Joe Tex, Johnny Taylor, Swamp Dogg, Brenton Wood, and Donny Hathaway. His 1966 LP Makin’ Waves is considered a Hammond organ essential and his 1977 production The Perfect Circle a cornerstone of Bay Area Funk. As a record label executive, he founded record labels Inner City Records, Inner City Attractions, Parlour Records and was an executive at MoJo Records and Liberty. As a Publisher he founded Sybil Music, Music Forever, Showtime Music.

    George Semper’s professional career began in 1958 as leader of “The Kingsmen” a San Diego, California rock and soul group which released “Monster Walk” George co-wrote with the Legendary H.B. Barnum in 1963. The following year Semper penned several recorded songs including “Better Wach Out Boy” by The Accents Featuring Sandi. Throughout the mid 1960s Semper worked with legendary labels Chess and Imperial Records as a member and producer of The Imperialites and The Chessmen. During this time he was also a Partner in two successful San Diego nightclubs “Jazzville” and “Semper’s Market Street East”. His club’s featured artists including Ramsey Lewis, Cannonball Adderley, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard, The Temptations, Ottis Redding, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ike & Tina Turner, Dave Brubeck and others. Notably, Semper gave a young Frank Zappa his first professional gig opening for Little Richard in 1965!

    Semper’s first solo hit came in 1966 recording his most widely known album “Makin Waves” with Imperial Records. His abilities as a musician, writer, and arranger, producer led to a varied performance and studio career throughout the 1960s and all the way through the 2000s and 120 record releases. He performed diverse venues such as Carnegie Hall with Billy Preston, The Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra with Gil Fuller and James Moody, and Wattstax. Semper was AR and musical director for the Total Experience club and studios, MoJo and Imperial record labels, and artist Brenton Wood. George Semper’s Legacy is survived by his 3 children, five grandchildren, worldwide fans, and the contribution he made to the global urban music we enjoy today!

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  • Paul Tillman Smith

    Paul Tillman Smith

    The History of Paul Tilman Smith, so far…

    When your father hands you a pair of drumsticks at the age of four, chances are you’ll wind up a drummer. Paul Tillman Smith’s father, George Smith (Kansas City Smitty) played drums during the big band era with many well-known bands including Count Basie, Trummer Young and the Harlem Aces. He was also a mentor to singer Pearl Bailey‘s husband drummer Louie Bellson. 

    At age fifteen at the urging of his mother Della, Paul began playing the piano. It was soon after that he began to write simple three chord songs like the ones he would hear on the radio. This love has lasted a lifetime.

    Paul has published over a hundred songs to date including the Pharaoh Sanders and Phyllis Hyman jazz pop classic  “As You Are”, the Norman Connors and Jean Carne  hit  “Stella” featuring guitarist Lee Ritenour, and the tender love ballad  “ Heavenly”, recorded by pianist Webster Lewis featuring vocalist DJ Rogers, saxophonist Benny Maupin. “Heavenly” also featured  strings by Herbie Hancock and  was performed by the Boston Pop Symphony for nationally syndicated TV.  Paul’s album “Sharing” from his middle seventies Buddha Records recording group Vitamin E., featured The Sly Stone & Frank Zappa vocalist Lady Bianca and saxophonist Jules Broussard’s vocalist David Gardener. 

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  • Rob Moss

    Rob Moss

    Detroit Soul / Hayley Records

    Rob Moss has been a dedicated soul fan since his mid teens with a particular penchant for 1960s and 70s Detroit music. In 2000 after many visits to the Motor City he launched his own Hayley Records label, named after his daughter, and dedicated to issuing previously unreleased Detroit gems on vinyl. To date the label has released 39 singles and one album, and is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2025. His present home is in Coventry.’

    The involvement of gangsters in the music business, during the 1950s and 60s in payola scandals and the like, is well known. The opportunity to launder ill gotten money by paying cash for all recording, manufacturing and promotional costs and then receiving legitimate payments for record sales must have been heaven sent for some. One of the first to operate in Detroit in this way in the 1960s was a local huckster called Wilbur Golden. Through the contacts he had developed within the Detroit music scene and a fat bankroll, he set up Correc-tone Records in 1962 and assembled an impressive roster of artists that included Wilson Pickett, Theresa Lindsey, Yvonne Vernee, Danny Woods, Timiko (Jones),Gino Washington, Herschell Hunter’s Moments and the Pyramids amongst others.

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  • Micky Gynn

    Micky Gynn

    Soulful Football

    Heart To Heart  “Tuff” (Raven Records) LP 1982
    Although this once obscure album, was a real, collectors dream, in 2015, it got an official reissue. Why pay £1000 for an original, when you can get it for £50. The original, I would say, always sounds so much better though. Lol.
    A soul group, out of,  Atlanta, Georgia. The standout tune on this 1982 album, Nowhere, To Go, is superb. My type of early 80s midtempo soul. Also, on the album is another mellow tune, Never, make A Believer of Me, which was also released as a 45.
    These fabulous local labels, with this gem, out of Dothan, Alabama keep the soul world ticking along.

    Enlightment  “Faith Is The Key” (New Release Records Inc. ) 1984
    This record, has been my favourite Gospel album for many years. I was fortunate enough to get in touch with the producer Larry. H. Jordan, who produced this wonderful album. He had 6 sealed copies back in 2010, but I only had the one off him, due to the high price.
    In 2011, he auctioned a copy on E-Bay, which went for a lot of money. He did tell me, that it was a very rare album and predicted the French would put out an unofficial version, which they did in 2013, without permission. In 2017, it got an official release, which allows everyone to enjoy this brilliant album.  The production from Larry, is top draw. As good as it gets.

    The best track on the album, is the stunning, UP And Away. The first time I was able to play it out, was on Bob Smith’s Starpoint show, one Sunday night in May 2012. The response was amazing. The whole gospel album, is well worth a listen. As with many groups & artists, this was the only album they released. But what an album !!

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  • Lorraine Feather

    Lorraine Feather

    LYRICIST/JAZZ SINGER

    ESSAY FOR Dr. Robert Riehemannʼs Course
    THE LIFE OF THE MIND, (2010)

    THE LIFE OF MY MIND………Lorraine Feather

    Iʼve been asked to write an essay about my creative life by your instructor, Dr. Riehemann. He has played my musical work for some of you, but otherwise itʼs unlikely that you would know who I am. Iʼve never been featured prominently on TV, or had a big pop hit. I describe myself as a “lyricist/jazz singer.” I put “lyricist” first because I can envision giving up singing at some point, but never writing. Iʼve been involved with some big projects as a lyricist, have been in and out of work, written lyrics for film and TV, done seven solo recordings since the late 1990s. I have what I would call a most interesting career, one that engages me tremendously.

    I donʼt have children and I donʼt know anything about parenting, but Iʼve seen it done. As I understand it from friends of mine with kids in college, thereʼs a fair amount of pressure these days to offer some idea of what you want to do in life by the time youʼre in your late teens or early twenties. The basic point of this essay—to quickly end the suspense as to whether there might be one—is to share a little of my own experience regarding the setting of goals, changing of goals, despairing over whether itʼs possible ever to reach any of them, and lessons Iʼve learned along the way in the course of pursuing my own.

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  • Paul Tilman Smith

    Paul Tilman Smith

    The History of Paul Tilman Smith, so far…

    A lot of people don’t realize why myself and drummer record producer Norman Connors are dear friends today. Firstly, he was with me on my gig when he met his first wife. His self don’t even remember. I remember cause he was lucky to catch her,lol. I was sitting back with nobody.  Also, we were the youngest drummers on the New York Jazz scene right after John Coltrane died. I knew all of John’s drummers and was gonna try and steal their job if John hadn’t died.

    They were both my buddy’s and helped take care of my broke ace.  My buddys drummers Rasheed Ali and Sonny Murry were the last drummers to play with John Coltrane. Well at least I got to play once with John’s wife Alice Coltrane. I don’t know if I could have whipped Elvin Jones ever though,lol. I did sit in on his drums one time. Also, I did get to  play and record with many of Johns predecessors including Pharaoh Sanders, Sonny Simmons and Albert Ayler. I wrote Pharaohs biggest song ever. Norman’s name is on the tune also because he made me write the hook. “AS YOU ARE” written for John Coltrane.

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  • Ady Croasdell

    Ady Croasdell

    Finding The First Copy

    Kenny Carter

    It’s a bitterly cold February ‘94 and I’m in New York City attempting to persuade Tony Middleton to come to Cleethorpes, one of north east Lincolnshire’s premier hot spots, to sing to his UK fans at our inaugural Northern Soul weekender. While I’m there I decide to pop in on Paul Williams, an old friend who used to buy Jackie Moore imports off me in 1974 when I was a West End barrow boy. He had worked his way up in the music business and was then a Vice President at the mighty RCA Records situated on 1540 Broadway, NYC.

    Paul knows my passion for all things Northern from those early 70s days and I had already faxed him with a list of what I consider to be the classiest 60s soul acts on his label. When we meet up on the 30 somethingth floor of this legendary building, I’m invited into a rather (definitely, by Kent standards!) opulent office, and after catching up on each other’s news and record company gossip, I am presented with a complete list of the recordings made at RCA by the acts I have queried Paul about.

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  • Karl White

    Karl White

    Soul Underground

    Richard Caiton on a visit to the UK in 2016, 19th November to be precise where he appeared at The Wilton Ballroom before an ecstatic crowd.

    Debbie Taylor (aka Maydie Myles) Live at The Wilton Ballroom 9th November 2013

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  • Sharon Shares 

    Sharon Shares 

    Extracts From My Book – The Last Note Book By Sharon McMahan

    A Budding Songwriter
    As I was growing up, I Started to take notice of the songs coming from the radio. One day when I came home from school, I was listening to the radio and one of the songs I liked came on. It was called Mother-in-law by Ernie K. Doe. I was twelve years old. I remember sitting at the piano and really talking time to concentrate on the beat and how the singing came in.
    The more I listened, I began to think to myself that I should be able to copy that beat on to the piano. I started out by finding the note in bas and I began to play it with the left hand, to the beat. After playing the bass for a few bars, I tried to find the cord that would match with the right hand.Once I had both the bass and the chord, I started playing them back and forth like a drum and I was able to get the rhythm going as I played along with the song on the radio.

    After the song was over, I sat there and thought about what I had just done. I was very surprised. I asked myself, “what just happened” ? After thinking about it for a minute or two, I concluded that I should be able to make up my own songs.

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  • Ady Croasdell

    Ady Croasdell

    Finding The First Copy

    It was sad to hear of the passing of Tony Middleton this week. It immediately brought back memories of our first Cleethorpes weekender in 1993. Here’s a photo of that trip and the sleevenotes reminscence from the Cleethorpes CD. L to R Tony, Brad Comer, me, Mary Love on the fire escape at Ace Records, Harlesden.

    “There’s nothing like meeting and striking up a relationship with an act to get their full co-operation. I was given Tony Middleton’s number by soul sleuth Andy Rix, and was keen to get him on the first Cleethorpes Northern Soul weekender show as he was quite unknown as a live artist back then. He had a very strong Northern Soul recording history that would sound great live and hopefully draw in the customers. I was due to visit the States on a record-buying mission about six months before the show and arranged to meet up with Tony in a rather swanky Swedish restaurant that he had picked out. I immediately felt out of my depth when he turned up in a sharp suit and a leggy Swedish blonde, who evidently owned and hosted the joint, came up and greeted him as a personal friend.

    The prices didn’t make me feel any more at ease and the conversation was rather one-sided with Tony regaling me with all his achievements as a singer, actor and general man of the world. We got on well though and I think I probably upped my meagre offer for his fee just to save face: I really didn’t think he would go for it. However, he kindly said he would perform at our inaugural event because he liked me and it would be fun, even if the money was below his usual radar. I was extremely grateful and having got his word was happy to pay the sizeable bill and even throw in a tip to the Greta Garbo figure.

    When Tony arrived in England, he was an easy-going and down to earth fellow who spent a memorable night out with myself, soul fan and DJ Val Palmer and a very colourful American punk rocker called Mike Spencer from the Cannibals group, who Tony teased by telling him that his Harlem gang used to kick Mike’s hoodlum friends’ asses all around Central Park.

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