By George Katsakis (205.188.200.182 - 205.188.200.182) on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 03:15 am:

Please post any questions regarding the Headliners here. Bobby Lewis, one of the original Headliners will be on line soon and will begin answering all questions.

By John Lester (213.122.203.192 - 213.122.203.192) on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 07:11 am:

As a Motown follower...I am particuarly keen to find out about the Motown years with producers Staunton & Walker and Robert Dobyne. Who was in the group and where are they now.

Are there connection with Hit Pack and Tommy Good.....I am just short of suggesting something a bit left field..like similar members!!!

By john lester (213.122.192.246 - 213.122.192.246) on Saturday, April 06, 2002 - 09:47 pm:

Bobby Lewis

Are you seeing this??????

By George Katsakis (205.188.195.183 - 205.188.195.183) on Sunday, April 07, 2002 - 07:18 am:

I don't think Bobby Lewis has seen this posting yet and I will contact him this afternoon and alert him. When I spoke with him last week he was just setting up his first computer and it might take him a while to get rolling. He is aware of the sight and I will make sure he joins in, don't give up.

By bobby lewis (68.41.177.33 - 68.41.177.33) on Sunday, April 07, 2002 - 11:18 pm:

to john lester
hi john iam bobby lewis. i was part of the
band the headliners signed with motown records
in 1964 by berry gordy. iprobably have a wealth
of information for you. let me know what kind
of stuff you would like. our picture is in the
book "heat wave" sold at the motown museum in
detroit. we had 2 records on the v.i.p. label.
one of motown`s subsidiaries.i have much info.


bobby lewis det.

By Ian W (194.75.128.2 - 194.75.128.2) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 06:57 am:

And I've got one of 'em! Thanks Bobby! Wow!

By John Lester (213.122.203.225 - 213.122.203.225) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 08:29 am:

Well Bobby...take it slowly and start at the beginning.....cos TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT

However, let's be courteous first...WELCOME and great to see you here....

How did you get to record at Motown ....who were the members....what was it like.....who was Staunton and Walker and Robert Dobyne....what were your feelings about the way things were going. Tell me about your connection with Tommy Good.....and have you heard of the Hit Pack!

Those few questions should keep you chained to the machine for a few hours...!!! Hee hee...naaah, take your time and write when you can...

Oh and in about 1865, there was a promotional film - we call it the Teen Town film...they showed clips of the Motown studio with Tommy Good and The Headliners performing. Unfortunately, when that film gets copied over, it is so dark, it's hard to see anything....it's in black and white of course...but it really is a great little film. Do you recall that wonderful piece of history. Did you ever back up other artists. like they did in those days?

It's where the more famous clip of the Marvelettes "Please Mr Postman" comes from

I am so pleased you made it here....we all have a great time here and for the fans, like me, it's so heartenign to see folks meet up after so many years...or should I say

WE CALL IT FUN!!!!

(Listen guys, can't I joke sometime!!)

By Marilyn (67.217.183.251 - 67.217.183.251) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 03:01 pm:

I have a copy of the video that came directly from Robin,which is a one-off from the original,but it has time codes. If anyone needs one. I also have the darker one without the time codes.
Marilyn

By bobby lewis (68.41.176.178 - 68.41.176.178) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 07:07 pm:

to john lester
do i sense alittle excitement?
ok here goes i was on the road through the 60s. we had a good following in detroit. somehow, motown got wind of us. at the time,
there were few concert oppurtunities for all the acts. so they did alot of nightclubs. we already had a good nightclub act. allthey had to do was get us a hit record. one night,berry gordy
and diana ross showed up at the club where we were performing. berry signed us a week later.
mickey stevenson produced our first release,
tonights the night backed by youre bad news.
tonights the night was written by earl van dyke.
it was released in oct.1964. the second release
was, we call it fun written for us and produced by staunton and walker. they were from california. idont know if they recorded for themselves or not. the flip side was called voodoo plan. there was no b side song at the time, so about 3 am in the old studio a, the engineer,lawrence horn and the band,wrote voodoo plan. it was a ridiculous song,and we all laughed as we were writing it. but at least we were able to finish the record for release.
as far as tommy good goes, he still is a good friend of mine although, i havent seen him in a few years. the hitpack, as i remember, were the core session musicians at motown. people like
joe messina, james jamerson, pistol allen,earl van dyke and etc. im going to end this for now.
i hope this was a good start.
i am still a full time musician, singer, and
performer and still enjoying it. in the future, iwill give you info on the band members.one in
particular, larrie londin,went on to become the
top session drummer in the nashville recording
industry. i may not check this forum for a week or two at a time because i am still very busy
with my own career. thank you for the interest.
i look forward to more of this.
sincerely, bobby lewis---headliners.

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 07:13 pm:

welcome to the forum bobby...great stuff!

By bobby lewis (68.41.176.178 - 68.41.176.178) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 07:15 pm:

to marilyn
hello i am bobby lewis from the band the
headliners.i am interested in obtaining a copy
of the tape you mentioned. time code would be
no problem. are these clips from the old c.k.l.w. swingin time with robin seymour.
robin was a friend of mine. please let me know
what the procedure would be to get a copy.
what format, and cost. thank you,
bobby lewis

By John Lester (213.122.190.44 - 213.122.190.44) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 08:46 pm:

Bobby........how can you stop there.......

You worked with Ivy Jo Hunter, Clarence Paul, (Wedding Blues) Hank Cosby (This Is Goodbye) and even HDH (what in the worlds' going on). Did you work with Robert Gordy too on a track (The Battle of New Orleans)? Those Staunton Walker tracks were classics....you still ain't mentioned where does Robert Dobyne fit into all this.....!!


Seriously Bobby..thank you SO much.....come back when you can

By bobby lewis (68.41.176.51 - 68.41.176.51) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 02:00 am:

john, im back only have 10minutes.
wrong info on ivy jo.i did a few sessions at
motown,but never knew who the artists were.
sometimes strange things like foot stomps, like
the baby love tracks. no i did not do that one.
i knew clarence paul but only as stevie wonders
onstage partner in the early years. on robert-
dobyne,the name is familiar,but his identity
escapes me. back to the headliners,if you have
not seen a photo,we were one of the first all
white bands signed. im not sure, but tommy good might have been first. the band members were,
besides myself,lonnie londin on base from maine.
ray clayton on piano sax clarinet and flute from
birmingham alabama. larry londin on drums. a
great drummer. now deceased.featured many times
in modern drummer magazine. played with many big
stars,includeing elvis presleys last tour before he died. and myself b.l.from new jersey.now
living in detroit. i have to run. im enjoying this. will be back soon. bobby lewis

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 02:30 am:

Hi Bobby,
The first all white band signed by Motown was Mike and the Modifiers in 1960 or so. There was an all white singing group signed before the Modifiers Can't remember the name....it was discussed on an earlier thread. But the Modifiers were in reality Motown's first white band. You guys were still pioneers though all things considered.Good to see you here.

By bobby lewis (68.41.176.51 - 68.41.176.51) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 02:43 am:

to john lester
hi im back ive got a few more minutes before i go.
im trying to give you what i can. thle headliners
started out in florida in 1961 as the tornadoes.
it was an offshoot of a band called the nu-tornadoes from philly that had a hit record
in the 50s called philadelphia u.s.a.
we went from a rock and roll format to a vegas type act in 1963. we toured all across the country as well as out of country.
what was it like being with motown?
sometimes great and sometimes frustrateing.
it was great hanging with all the 60s artists
back then. all the acts would hang out at the
hitsville studios to do business. you could
go down there at any time, and you would see
marvin gaye, the temptations,four tops,etc.
they would just be sitting okn the front steps
talking to fans. it was very casual.
we did two christmas shows at the fox theatre
with the whole motown roster. you were expected
to show up and perform. no one got payed.
it was a great show. everybody performed.
it was called the motown review. the frustrating
part came when you tried to do business there.
we were on a tight travel schedule,and didn't the luxury of being there everyl day waiting for
appointments that were hardly ever kept.
i look back on it now and realize what a place
in musical history motown has established.
im honored to have been a part of it.
i dont know if you have seen or heard of the book
called heat wave. it is put out by motown and sold at the motown musium which is the old hitsville studioes on west grand blvd. in det.
it is loaded with info, discography, artists
photos,(including ours). its a wealth of information. i did a lot of studio work in the
70s and 80s in detroit.and had the pleasure of
recording with people like david ruffin and
parliment funkadelic.(one nation under a groove)
that was a strange session. i played 5-string
banjo through a flanger and a boogie amp. now
that was a strange sound. but george clinton
loved it. i've got to figure out how to clear
my old messages from this forum. feel free to ask more questions. im sure im leaving out stuff.
but that was a long time ago. i hope you're
enjoying this. i am.
sincerely bobby lewis headliners

By DeAnne (24.234.119.126 - 24.234.119.126) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 03:32 am:

Dear Bobby, When george (Terry) and I came to see you in the sixties (many times) George and I thought you guys were the greatest show band that we had ever seen. Larry your drummer liked Terry a lot, and came to the house to help him with some lessons. He thought the world of Larry. You and I had met a few times over the years, and you always treated me very specially. I am so honored that you have come to the forum to share some of your wonderful stories. Thanks for giving us a lot of great music over the years.

By john lester (213.122.193.2 - 213.122.193.2) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 07:26 am:

Bobby

Let me get my breath back........cos I am overwhelmed .....

On Heatwave.....that book was the end product of detailed research work started by me and (my one and only American pen pal) Paul Haydon (who very very sadly passed away last week) in the 70's. From that work, Reg Bartlette then went on to put out Motown by Master Number. Being a boring old accountant, I always had a fascination with figures but I have to say, at the end of the day..

It's what's in the grooves that count"

By john lester (213.122.193.2 - 213.122.193.2) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 07:35 am:

Ralph

The white singing group was the Valadiers...


You might know them as the Latin Counts...

By John Lester (213.122.193.2 - 213.122.193.2) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 08:08 am:

The Headliners picture is on page 165 of Heatwave.

I am sure Bobby is going to tell us who is who.

That picture must be 40 years old but I bet you haven't changed a bit!

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 02:31 pm:

Thanks John

By bobby lewis (68.41.176.6 - 68.41.176.6) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 01:44 am:

just thought you would like to know,
the latin counts are still together and do
festivals and park concerts around detroit.
hi john, no ideas to add tonight. if you think
of some things, i will try and comment. in
regards to a current photo, i will contact my
friend george katsakis to help me do that.
this is my first week on line and i just dont have the skills. have a good one.

By john lester (213.122.199.77 - 213.122.199.77) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 06:21 am:

Bobby......you done well in your first week...I am gonna give you ten out of ten for your efforts.

LOLOLOL

Any idea what Staunton And Walker are doing these days....

And if Hit Pack are the session guys...who is singing- have we got Benny B or James J singing vocals as well!!!

By recordboyusa (208.61.5.193 - 208.61.5.193) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 10:33 pm:

Hi Bobby,
I have what I believe is your pre-Headliners record, from when you were still in Florida:

Glendale 1012
THE FLYING TORNADOS - Chattanooga Drummer Man/Make Believe Love

The A-side is a Buck Trail song that was recorded by a number of Florida artists; the flip is credited to Londin-Lewis (presumably you and Larrie).

I did have in my notes that there was a band called the Headliners that played a lot in Florida, but I didn't know it was the VIP label group! Where in Florida were you based?

Larrie Londin is very well regarded here in Florida.

Was there also a connection between the Tornadoes and very early Ral Donner... or was that a different Tornadoes? (common name, I know)...

Re: Robert Dobyne... he was a member of the Artistics, and also recorded solo and as part of the duo Dobyne & Jones. His songwriting credits include "Can't Get Along Without You", covered by Maxine Brown, and "To Make You Mine", covered by the Spindles (from Jacksonville, Florida... hey, I can find a Florida connection to just about anything!)

Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com

By BOBBY LEWIS (68.41.176.150 - 68.41.176.150) on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 01:11 am:

TO RECORD BOY,
FROM BOBBY LEWIS
YOU HAVE TRULY BLOWN MY MIND. EVEN I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE "FLYING TORNADOES".
THAT BAND WAS BETWEEN THE TORNADOES AND THE
HEADLINERS. WE WERE CALLED THAT BECAUSE WE WERE
A ROCK AND ROLL SHOW ACT SIMILIAR TO THE WHO
IN TERMS OF THEATRICS, BUT ABOUT 10 YEARS AHEAD
OF THEM . WE EVEN USED A TRAPEZE IN THE ACT.
UNTIL ONE NIGHT IN A CLUB IN MOBILE, ALA.,THE
TRAPEZE PULLED OUT OF THE CEILING AND I WAS THROUN ACROSS THE ROOM AND KNOCKED OUT COLD.
SO MUCH FOR THE FLYING PART. FOR YOU TO MENTION
THE BUCK TRAIL RECORD,WAS A JAW DROPPER. WE
RECORDED THAT TUNE IN A STUDIO IN JACKSONVILLE,
FLA. IN ITHINK, 1960.BUCK PAID FOR THE SESSION.
I SANG CHATTANOGA DRUMMER MAN. ID HAVE TO LISTEN
TO THE B SIDE TO TELL WHO SANG IT. IT COULD HAVE
BEEN LARRIE. HE HAD A VERY GOOD VOICE.
WE WERE BASED OUT OF FT. LAUDERDALE AREA.
LARRIE LIVED IN OPA LOCKA WITH HIS FOLKS.
IN THE EARLY 60'S, WE WORKED ALL OVER FLA.
AND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH. WE HAD SOME GREAT ROCK
AND ROLL STORIES. WE DID SOME OTHER RECORDING
AT CRITERIA STUDIOS IN MIAMI AND CROSSED PATHES WITH STEVE ALAIMO AND ROL DONNER. LARRIE AND RAL
WERE CONNECTED, BUT I DONT REMEMBER HOW NOW.
WE WENT ON TO RECORD OTHER THINGS OVER THE NEXT
YEAR OR SO. ONE OF THE MORE MEMORABLE WAS A RECORD WE CUT AT HOME OF THE BLUES STUDIOES
ON BEALE ST. IN MEMPHIS. OUR ENGINEER WAS
SCOTTY MOORE, ELVIS'S GUITAR PLAYER. WE JUST ABOUT FELL OVER. LARRIE WAS A SUPER FAN OF ELVIS'S AND ENDED UP PLAYING HIS LAST TOUR PRECEDING ELVIS'S DEATH. LARRIE WAS VERY PROUD OF THE T.C.B. MEDAL ELVIS GAVE HIM.
WE PLAYED A LITTLE CLUB IN DANIA FLORIDA FOR
ABOUT 6 MOS. CALLED THE BANYAN CLUB. ATS NO LONGER THERE. YOU ENTERED BETWEEN THE ROOTS OF A
HUGE BANYAN TREE. I'M GOING TO THROUGH SOMETHING OT THERE JUST IN CASE YOU MIGHT HAVE A CLUE ON THIS.... THE TORNADOES WERE IN TWO MOVIES
IN APPROX.1960 OR 1961. ONE WAS CALLED
BANDSTAND IDOL AND THE OTHER, SWITCHBLADE JUNGLE.
NOT EXACTLY ACADAMY AWARD MATERIAL. PRODUCED BY
JOE RODERO PRODUCTIONS. I DONT KNOKW IF YOU CAN
HELP WITH THIS,BUT YA NEVER KNOW UNLESS YOU ASK.
ANYWAY I LOVED GETTING YOUR MESSAGE. IT WAS A
BIG TIME MEMORY JOG. YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK WELL.
BOBBY LEWIS FORMER FLYING TORNADO

By recordboyusa (208.61.5.193 - 208.61.5.193) on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 03:51 am:

Hi Bobby,
I will scan both sides of the Flying Tornadoes label, and post them either here or on my Florida music forum. Did you know Jack (Jackie) Blanchard? He and Misty Morgan had a big hit called "Tennessee Birdwalk", but long before that he was playing R&B in Miami in the Rockin' Impallas. When I interviewed Jack, he mentioned Larrie Londin... I think he said you guys played at a place called "Club 17". Does that ring a bell?

Coincidentally, there is a big band reunion this weekend in Orlando, with 62 - 75 musicians expected to attend (62 confirmed as of now). I just heard last night that members of "The Tornadoes" were expected to attend, and that it was the same Tornadoes that were connected to Ral Donner. When I speak with the organizer again, I'll find out who from the Tornadoes is supposed to be there. The organizer's name is Donnie Henderson -- he was in a bunch of late 50s/early 60s Orlando-area groups, including Don & The Holidays.

I just fired off an e-mail to a guy who has an uncanny knack of finding obscure B-movies. I'll see if he's heard of either of the films your band was in.

As one who has researched Florida music for the past 25 years, it's exciting to make a connection between the Flying Tornadoes and the Headliners. I've had the first Headliners VIP single for years, and had no idea this was the band that was in my notes as having had roots in Florida.

What were some of the other records that the Tornadoes cut (either titles, or the labels, whatever you might remember)?

Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com

By john lester (213.1.137.163 - 213.1.137.163) on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 07:07 am:

Jeff.......

It's amazing what you learn here.....fascinating stuff.

Thank you for that info to on Robert Dobyne....any idea what he is up to these days - can we get him to come on here??

Bobby - still need a picture of the Headliners on this site....can anyone scan that picture in Heatwave so that Bobby can identify who is who

By bpbby lewis (68.41.177.176 - 68.41.177.176) on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 10:40 pm:

to jeff and john,
i wont be able to supply that info for a few
days. after the weekend ill have the time to dig out the records. illgive you labels and dates
as best i can. thanks for the interest.
bobby lewis

By recordboyusa (208.61.5.193 - 208.61.5.193) on Friday, April 12, 2002 - 05:14 am:

Bobby: That will be great! Looking forward to it.

John: I'm not sure where Dobyne is these days... but if you'd like to hear both sides of his Kama Sutra 45, here are links to them.

The A-side, "Can't Get Along Without You", has received a few Northern soul spins, including Ian Levine in the past year. It's a lot poppier than Maxine Brown's cover version:

http://www.limestonerecords.com/robertdobyne.mp3

The B-side, "To Make You Mine", is the side I prefer. This was recorded a few months prior to the Spindles' version. This has a real Chicago-meets-New York sound, in my opinion:


http://www.limestonerecords.com/robertdobyne2.mp3

Jeff Lemlich

By JOHN LESTER (213.122.195.117 - 213.122.195.117) on Friday, April 12, 2002 - 11:57 pm:

I really liked the top side.......

Is it possible to save these tracks..did you get them from a record?

Thank you Jeff.I really appreciate what you did

By BOB BABBITT (152.163.197.177 - 152.163.197.177) on Sunday, April 14, 2002 - 06:28 am:

.HEY BOBBY...WELCOME TO THE FORUM........
YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU ....
IT WAS HERE IN NASHVILLE ON A RECORD DATE WITH LARRY.......I HEARD YOU ARE STILL PLAYING!!! THAT�S GREAT!! SAME HERE.....IT'S TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE NOW....WE ARE TRULY BLESSED........
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS STORY..........
I WAS ON THE ROAD WITH JOAN BAEZ...'89 OR '90
WE HAD 3 GIGS IN FLORIDA SO WE STAYED ON THE BEACH IN SARASOTA FOR ONE WEEK....IT WAS OUR HOME BASE WHILE WE WERE DOING THE GIGS.......
ONE NIGHT WE WENT TO DINNER AND JOAN DECIDED SHE WANTED TO GO DANCING....NOW THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE GROUP WHO COULD DANCE A LITTLE........SO I WOULD HAVE TO DANCE WITH HER WHILE WE WERE DANCING SHE WOULD WATCH THE OTHER DANCERS, POINT TO ONE AND SAY TO ME "I WANT TO DANCE WITH THAT GUY........IT WAS THEN MY JOB TO TELL THE GUY AND THEN GO SIT DOWN WHILE THEY DANCED........WELL THIS PLACE IN SARASOTA
HAD A LIVE BAND AND THE BASS PLAYER WAS ALSO THE ONE WHO ANNOUNCED THE TUNES AND WAS THE FRONT MAN OF THE GROUP........AFTER THE SONG ENDED AND JOAN CAME BACK TO THE TABLE THE BASS PLAYER SAID ON THE MIKE "WE HAVE A CELEBRITY IN THE HOUSE"
NATURALLY WE ALL LOOKED OVER TO JOAN AND YOU COULD SEE HER FACE LIGHT UP AS SHE SEEMED READY TO TAKE A BOW.......THE BASS PLAYER THEN SAID.....
" LETS HAVE A NICE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR......
"BOB BABBITT".......HOLY SHIT...YOU SHOULD OF SEEN JOAN'S FACE.......THE BASS PLAYER WAS SAL GARCIA!!!!!! TAKE CARE BOBBY. .HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE PREMIER THIS SUMMER OF THE MOTOWN FILM
........BOB BABBITT

By Joe Podorsek (205.188.196.46 - 205.188.196.46) on Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 05:08 pm:

I should be the President of the Detroit Chapter of the Bobby Lewis Fan Club. To my mind, he has always been the best band in town. When I worked Ice Shows, Circus, Theatre jobs, I would always bring the 'road group' down to see Bobby and his band. They ALWAYS walked away impressed with Detroit musicianship.....no matter where they were from.

Interestingly enough, I know hundreds and hundreds of musicians BUT, if Bobby ever called me to find a replacement for anyone in the group, I would be at a loss. Where does he find these guys????????????? Joe

By Bob Olhsson (68.53.120.100 - 68.53.120.100) on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 12:12 am:

My barber just told me that the Headliners were probably the best band in Nashville when Chet Atkins began calling Larrie for recording sessions.

By bobby lewis (68.41.160.55 - 68.41.160.55) on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 12:03 am:

hi bob, bobby lewis here. glad to hear that we had a good reputation out there. we put a lot of time and effort into the headliners. as far as chet atkins goes. chet,boots randolph, and floyd
cramer were doing a lot of projects together and as we were ending our band, they recruited larry
londin to stay in nashville to play on their projects and to tour with them on the road. in his last few years before his death, chet atkins
had a guitar built for me by gibson. one of his
solid body classical guitars. he presented it to me and it means a great deal to me as i was a fan of chets in the early days of my guitaring.
thanks for the input. bobby lewis

By recordboyusa (208.61.5.193 - 208.61.5.193) on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 06:25 am:

Hi Bobby,
What were some of the (Flying) Tornadoes' other records besides "Chattahooga Drummer Man"?

I was wondering why I had not been aware of Larrie Londin's death, and then I realized why: he died on August 24, 1992, the same day Hurricane Andrew destroyed much of South Florida. Nothing else was in the news here for weeks, so it probably didn't even make the local papers. What a shame...

Jeff Lemlich
The Florida music forum:
http://pub64.ezboard.com/blimestonelounge

By Pogo (208.153.180.174 - 208.153.180.174) on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 11:47 am:

Bobby,
What is the name of the group you are now playing with?
Tom (Pogo)

By Andy Alonzo (63.96.230.200 - 63.96.230.200) on Saturday, May 18, 2002 - 04:43 pm:

Hey Bobby Lewis and the Cracker jack band the best all around band I know (You can leave your hat on)one of my favorite's when I get out to see them. Keep on kickin ass Bobby, say hi to Big Mike Swade for me. Andy Alonzo

By pogo (208.153.180.29 - 208.153.180.29) on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 01:35 am:

I thought so. Used to catch them at Your Uncle's Moustache ob Ford Rd. and at the Trenton St. fair. Got you on video tape Bobby. What a dynamite group. If anybody gets a chance to see thes cats jam don't miss it for the world!
Tom (Pogo)

By Bob Olhsson (68.53.120.100 - 68.53.120.100) on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 06:54 pm:

Bobby, do you (or anybody else) happen to know anything about Motown's country label during the mid 1960s? I remember Bob Dennis playing a couple 45s to me on my first day working at Motown in the fall of 1965. I think I bought one by Dorsey Burnett and the label name was Mel-o-dy.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, May 19, 2002 - 07:16 pm:

Hi Bob

The Mel-o-dy label ran from July 1962 till April 1965.

#0005 was notable for the Temptations, under the guise of the "Pirates" on Nolan Strong's Mind Over Matter. From release #9 the accent seems to have been Country-ish. Dorsey Burnette had three releases:

#0013 Little Acorn/Cold As Usual

#0016 Jimmy Brown/Everybody's Angel

#0018 Ever Since The World Began/Long Long Time Ago

Bruce Channel also had two releases on the label, in his characteristic style.

By thecount (64.152.152.154 - 64.152.152.154) on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 12:17 am:

Hey Bobby,I caught your group a few years ago at Siscos on the strip.What an enregetic evening.I was amazed, for the accusstics arn't the greatest there,but you guys kicked out the jams(M.F.)Great group Bobby, you always did give a great show and very tight sound,because i remember the days of the Headliners.Went the next week to Siscos to see KO_KO Tayler.WOW.What happened to Big Dave and the Ultrasonics?went to Sullys to see them before Sullys lost their business,and also with Big DAVE was Jason D. Williams.I think he is Jerry Lee, trying to sound like Jason.What a nutso,great entertainer and wonderful person.He had me sit in on drums with him and his band at a Stilletos dance,what a time.Hope to see you soon . Steve "The count"

By bobby lewis (68.41.161.16 - 68.41.161.16) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 02:34 am:

hey all, bobby lewis here
gee, i'm gone a few days and i got lots of mail.
we'll, ill do my best to answer some questions.
starting with jeff 'recordboyusa',besides the tornados chattanooga drummer man, there was a record cut in memphis on home of the blues records. can't remember the flip side. i looked for it but its buried somewhere in my studio. i'll try to find it. the engineer on that session was scotty moore "elvis's guitar player". i guess you can imagine our surprise at that. the coolest thing was that years later, our drummer,larrie londin, who sang lead on that song, ended up playing drums with elvis on his last tour before his death. larrie was doing a drum clinic out in texas, and fell off his drums in a coma. they treated him for a heart attack, but it wasa a diabetic problem. the wrong treatment caused larrie to lapse into a coma until his death in nashville about six weeks later. the only other record i can think of is "back to school again" backed with "traveler traveler". i cant remember the label. it was out of las vegas, which is where we cut it. to tom "pogo",my current band is called,bobby lewis and the crackerjack band.
we have been together since 1975. previous to that, i had a band called, stix and stones. we recorded a record called the "rouge plant blues". it was first released on a local detroit label called "bumpshop records". it was later picked up and re-released by capitol records about 1973.
to andy alonzo, hey andy! i just had dinner with big mike about an hour ago. mike travels with us in the summer as our sound technician.hope to see you at the festivals. to bob olhsson, the country thing threw me. i do remember the label melody, but i couldnt tell you a thing about it.
lastly, to the count, hey steve,wokrd has it that sullys will rise again. i understand he purchased the old post office near military in dearborn.
he had one of the top ten blues clubs in the u.s.a. according to those circles. that should be good for all blues lovers with siscos down the street. i hope i cleared a few things up. i will try and find those records and give you more accuracy on that info. bye for now and thanks for your interest. bobby lewis

By bobby lewis (68.41.161.16 - 68.41.161.16) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 02:38 am:

hey jeff, sorry, i forgot one thing the name of the record cut in memphis. it was called snowflakes. i caught it in the preview, but didnt know how to add it on to the message.o.k thats it for real. bobby

By Dick Stanford (4.33.134.129 - 4.33.134.129) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 01:53 am:

hey Bobby Lewis how are things?havent seen you in years remember the days when we flipped to see who would buy the chocolat milk?ill be in Detroit at Jamies on June 13th and 14th would love to see you then.Call me in L.A 8054986205 see you later

Dick Stanford

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 07:01 pm:

OK Bobby...you're a bonafide star of The Forum. I'm closing this thread down and it will continue on BOBBY LEWIS 2. THIS THREAD IS CLOSED!!!!

By thecount (64.152.152.55 - 64.152.152.55) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 07:58 pm:

Remember this

By thecount (64.152.152.55 - 64.152.152.55) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 08:00 pm:

flip side

By thecount (64.152.152.55 - 64.152.152.55) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 08:16 pm:

Here's the Joe L 45 and here's your 45 of Stix and Stone. I remember seeing you perform this at Your Moustache. I am glad I got these back from Tom Knight but lost so many others to him. Probably $800 worth of rare records. Keep in touch.
Steve the Count

By thecount (64.152.152.55 - 64.152.152.55) on Wednesday, May 22, 2002 - 08:18 pm:

flip side

By Fury13 (64.79.86.65 - 64.79.86.65) on Saturday, May 25, 2002 - 10:04 pm:

Wasn't Jimmy Hunter the drummer with Stix and Stoned?

By bobby lewis (68.41.160.190 - 68.41.160.190) on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 10:09 pm:

hi from bobby lewis. this is to inform all that any future questions will be answered on the new strand entitled "bobby lewis 2" this one got a little long so the access to the second one will be shorter. the jimmy hunter question is answered on the new strand. thanks everyone. bobby lewis

By Shaz (208.59.247.9 - 208.59.247.9) on Saturday, June 08, 2002 - 04:52 am:

Hi Bobby Lewis,

Are you the same Bobby Lewis who had the hit "Tossin & Turnin" in 1961? If so I backed you up on drums one night up in Vahalla NY in the fall of 1992, it was a big oldies show and the management office for my band & Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn bridge gave us all directions that were 40 miles off from where we had to be. Slowly but surely as you were entertaining the audience we all staggered onto the stage from our cars 2 hours late.
But we backed you up on Tossin & Turnin finally and it sounded great, if it was you I was curious if you remembered that-and I want to say it was a pleasure & a honor playing behind you, the original guy who sang that tune, I'm on this page because I'm a motown fanatic and since I last played with you I have switched from drums to bass.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, June 08, 2002 - 10:04 am:

Shaz

If you check out the pic of the Headliners on the Bobby Lewis 2 thread, I think you'll see the answer to your question!

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, June 08, 2002 - 01:46 pm:

The artist on " Tossing and Turning " was Bobby " Mumbles " Lewis.

By thecount (65.56.184.95 - 65.56.184.95) on Sunday, June 09, 2002 - 02:00 am:

DITTO on that RALPH.Glad you got that on the right credits.With all respects to our own Detroit Lengend Bobby Lewis,always did dig the Bobby "MUMBLES" Lewis R&B Mumbles Boogie.(well i got a brand new girl,they call her mumbles mum,she cant speak a word but she sure aint dumb,she go muckity-muk-muc-ke muc,baby you my desire,well you know sweet daddy,you set my soul on fire. I dig you too RALPH. Steve "The Count"