By phillysoulman (170.115.179.118 - 170.115.179.118) on Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - 08:24 pm:

An interesting point that I would like to mention
is that most of the "Northern" songs recorded in Philly between the years 1965-1968 were recorded
at either Cameo- Parkway studios or the Virtue Studios. The Cameo-Parkway sessions were :
Prove yourself a lady, At the top of the stairs,
Ain't nothing but a house party, the sixties Bunny Sigler records i.e. Let the good times roll,etc. All with the same rhythm section.That room had a magical vibe much like Motown but they did not know what they had at the time. It had the sixties magic.
All of the Harthon-Weldon Mcdougal things were recorded at Virtue studios. It was a bit more archaic but it had it's own vibe, if you want to call it that.
I would love to recreate that feeling and I think that with the right ingredients it can be done.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - 10:42 pm:

Bobby -

Where would you cut the sessions if you could get it together?

By Weldon A. Mc Dougal III (68.80.164.254 - 68.80.164.254) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 03:09 pm:

Weldon here,you can still recreate the vibes we used to have, here in Philly we have sigma sound, I have recorded "Yes I'm Ready" with my artist Shirley Slaughter about a year ago, and it felt good, like old times.
WELDON

By Eli (170.115.179.117 - 170.115.179.117) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 06:09 pm:

What I want to do is build a room with similar properties to a "sixties" room i.e. acoustically and with "vintage" gear indigenous to the period. In my opinion Sigma lost it some time ago when they remodeled studio A. With the right players and attitudes, and of course the right songs I feel that it can be accomplished.
In time , I will do it in the name of the groove!!

By john lester (213.1.129.141 - 213.1.129.141) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 06:14 pm:

Good on you. Bobby..

QUALITY never goes out of fashion.....

By Phillysoulman (170.115.179.117 - 170.115.179.117) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 06:22 pm:

There is a great "Northern"type record called Without Friends/ New lease on life by the Universals on Open records. It is coming out shortly on a Goldmine compilation. I produced it at the time of James Bounty. Check it out!!

By Eli (170.115.179.117 - 170.115.179.117) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 06:25 pm:

Also recorded at Cameo- Parkway were "This time it's love by the Tymes and You didn't say a word by Yvonne Baker , the 81 by Candy and the kisses. I will post more as soon as I remember them.E

By john lester (213.1.129.141 - 213.1.129.141) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 06:29 pm:

Good on you. Bobby..

QUALITY never goes out of fashion.....

By Carl Dixon London (212.50.179.223 - 212.50.179.223) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 07:14 pm:

Bobby - you know my feelings!! I am in Hull at the moment - my old stomping ground. I am happy to stomp anywhere else.

By Dave f.. (62.253.128.5 - 62.253.128.5) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 10:01 pm:

Hi Bobby,
Talking of Yvonne Baker "You didn`t say a word" on "Cameo Parkway",she was interviewed on a uk
Soul radio station last month,and when she was asked about this 45 she had no knowledge of it and could not remember anything about the record,i think she found it quite strange when she was told it was voted in the top three Northern Soul records of all time,and a prized 45 amongst collectors.
Regards
Dave f..

By john lester (213.122.193.240 - 213.122.193.240) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 10:48 pm:

Dave f

Every US artist that talks about their vists to the UK say..."why are you people so kind to us - in the States, if you are not in the charts, you are forgotten.."

It's said SO many times and in my own little way, I am actually quite proud that us Brits DO tend to put these artists (and that includes musicians, engineers, producers and others) on deserving pedestals...not just for a short while but for years and years and years...

I do believe that US folk feel the same too but maybe the country is so big, the majority overshadow the minority.

I recall Frank Wilson being a bit emotional when he realised that HIS record was THE northern soul record of all time and it hadn't even been issued in the States!!!!

Baby A Go Go and You're Gonna Love My Baby on Barbara McNair are two other HUGE northern records...I often wonder how Barbara might react to the applause of a Northern crowd if she came here and sung just those two songs. Whatever her feelings on the past, surely she would be pleasantly overwhelmed. On the subject of Barbara, wasn't she just another lady that you would call a stunner!!! (Ralph - that means she could eat you for breakfast!!!! Mind you, what a way to die.....lolol!)

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 11:01 pm:

You're Gonna Love My Baby would be with me on my desert island for sure.

Actually, sod the record - can I take Ms McNair instead? ;o)

By Mark Speck (65.57.17.200 - 65.57.17.200) on Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - 11:07 pm:

The Universals record eventually got picked up by Kent/Modern, as did one of Billy Harner's releases on Open ("Irrestistable You"/"Honky Dory"). Did Kent/Modern pick up any more sides from Open?

Also, does anyone have a discography for the Open label? One of my friends from KTF and I were trying to assemble one a while back.

Best,

Mark

By john lester (213.122.198.96 - 213.122.198.96) on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 05:42 am:

Ritchie...

I am sure that what you mean is that you would get more enjoyment from hearing Ms McNair singing it to you live.

Perish the thought that anything else would be on your mind!

LOL

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 07:11 am:

John

Of course

PS - remember her other claim to fame??? ;o)

By Eli (170.115.179.106 - 170.115.179.106) on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 04:00 pm:

Regarding Yvonne Baker. When Dave Brown, Weldon, and myself took Ian's assistant, Ady to meet the Philly artists for the Northern soul documentary,
Ms. Baker was adament on not performing for the camera and reluctant to be interviewed. True, she did not remember You didn't say a word and had a giant chip on her shoulder and came off kind of "churchy".

Also another song that was done at C.P. was Bob Brady's More more of your love. We went to meet him and he was great!!

By john lester (213.1.128.160 - 213.1.128.160) on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 05:20 pm:

Bob Brady.......what a fab record..fab fab fab fab...

Takes me back about 35 years that one..when I had hair on my head!

What a wonderful reminder.....who was that piano player...

By Ian W (213.122.123.118 - 213.122.123.118) on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 09:52 pm:

The daft thing is - I only heard Smokey's version more recently. Ssssssmokin'!

By phillysoulman (170.115.179.106 - 170.115.179.106) on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - 05:51 pm:

I am just reflecting on the great Cameo-Parkway studio-A. I wish that it were around now for the sound that we all know and love could be recreated and nurtured. I also am saddend the Karl Chambers the great "Northern" drummer has left us. His brother ,guitarist Roland Chambers is extremely ill as well.
But life goes on and the groove lives on!!

By Eli (170.115.179.106 - 170.115.179.106) on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - 06:34 pm:

I am not sure if I have ever mentioned that I actually played at The Twisted Wheel, The Blackpol Mecca and the Torch, all with The Vibrations in the late sixties.

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.97 - 195.219.7.97) on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 10:54 pm:

IS THE UNIVERSALS-WITHOUT FRIENDS,MENTIONED ABOVE,THE SAME ONE AS THE ONE ON MODERN RECORDS.IF SO,WHAT A NICE SOUND. MEL(AND THEN SOME)

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.56 - 195.219.7.56) on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 06:55 pm:

I HAVE JUST READ THAT THE UNIVERSALS WAS MENTIONED ABOVE.STATING ABOUT THE MODERN LABEL,SORRY,I WILL OPEN MY EYES NEXT TIME. MEL

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 07:38 pm:

Mel

I took out the end of your message as it was TOTALLY unacceptable.

High standards will prevail on this forum at all times.

David

By Flynny (213.122.202.13 - 213.122.202.13) on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - 03:27 pm:

A few more Open Records releases for Mark:
Billy Harner - She's Almost You/Fool Me - Open 1253
Billy Harner - I Struck It Rich*/Watch Your Step - Open 1255
Persionettes - Call On Me/It Happens Every Day - Open 1256**

*- also recorded by Len Barry
**- also released on Strata

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.112 - 195.219.7.112) on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - 06:53 pm:

PHILLYSOULMAN,THERE IS SO MUCH GREAT DANCERS,FROM PHILLY,WHO I THINK DIDNT REALLY GET THE CREDIT,THAT IT SO MUCH RIGHTLY DESERVED.LOTS OF SUPERB NORTHERN TRACKS,THE LIST IS ENDLESS.ALTHOUGH MOTOWN WAS THE NAME,AND(AT THE TIME,RIGHTLY SO)IN THE 1960S,TO ME,I THINK,THE SOUNDS COMING OUT OF PHILLY AT THE SAME TIME,WERE MOST CERTAINALY ON A PAR WITH THE MOTOWN BOOM.MEL(ANDTHENSOME)