By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 12:42 pm:

Does anybody know who were the musicians in the Choker Campbell band which backed the Motor Town Revue on the road?

By john lester (213.1.131.25 - 213.1.131.25) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 01:49 pm:

Ritchie

Check out the book the Motown album and you can see a picture of them...............but even better, Harry put that picture inside the Supremes Box set and named as many people as possible.

There are just two musicians unidentified...surely the guys on here can complete them.

Mike Terry is there, plus Pistol, Norris Patterson, Joe Weathers.

Seems like you owe HW a thank you for thinking of you before you even asked the question! LOL

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 01:58 pm:

Actually, I think we're all in debt to Harry already! It looks like that book is out of print. And, if I spend any more on books this month, (after you-know-what) I'll be in deep waters... :o(

By john lester (213.1.131.253 - 213.1.131.253) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 03:23 pm:

I wish I had a scanner Ritchie but I dont...maybe some other kind soul might scan it for you......

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 04:03 pm:

Thanks for the thought, John - but I'd settle for the musoes' names to be going on with. I just received the copies of the two early Motortown Revue "Live" albums that I'd ordered from the States, and it'd be useful to know who the band were on them.

PS - on Volume one - the Apollo, it sounds to me like the "audience" might have been overdubbed afterwards - or were there really only about six people in the crowd? ;o)

By john lester (213.1.131.117 - 213.1.131.117) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 07:04 pm:

Ritchie

Are you suggesting that maybe it is not quite as live as the title suggests.

Ooooo, n-o-o-o...perish the thought... ;-)

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, May 11, 2002 - 08:32 pm:

Oh, no John, no John no....

I'm sure it was a genuine Live recording, but - according to an informed source - the actual Apollo audience was very sparse at the time of the recording. This was of course in Motown's early days, and the first-ever Motor Town Revue - a rapturous reception was not yet guaranteed, as most of the artists were pretty much unknown at the time.

The crowd reaction sounds to me like it may have been overdubbed, to add atmosphere to what may have been a fairly empty recording. (The acoustic on the "crowd" is much more Live, as if artificial reverb was added - that's what suggests an overdub to me.) I wonder if Bob or Mike might have the inside story...?

The second volume is a much better effort all round, suggesting that the lessons of volume one were well-learned!

There were plenty of fake Live albums around. Thankfully, this doesn't appear to ave been one of them. (Remember the O'Jays album on Bell..?)

By Ian W (213.122.14.209 - 213.122.14.209) on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 09:52 pm:

Maybe it was recorded at Ralph's joint TS - the artists & musicians in one room and the crowd in the special 'live crowd' room! Was the Earl Van Dyke album 'Earl Of Funk' enlivened in the same way? The audience seems remarkably quiet while the music is being played, but then the applause is frighteningly similar at the end of each track. A bit like the background chase scenes on Scooby-Doo!

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, May 12, 2002 - 10:42 pm:

Jinkies! That chase music must have been released by Thelma...

By Ian W (213.1.190.223 - 213.1.190.223) on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 06:40 am:

That takes me back Ritchie! Apparently there's a film coming out soon with real people in it - well actors anyway. Rooby-rooooo!

By Ian W (213.1.190.223 - 213.1.190.223) on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 06:51 am:

Talking about Choker, isn't "I'm Going Christmas Shopping" the best ever Christmas record! Any information about Horace Williams out there? Is the H. Williams who wrote "Just Because You've Been Hurt" by Freddy Butler the same chap?

By Flynny (213.1.132.254 - 213.1.132.254) on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 11:29 am:

IanW,

Totally agree with your rating of Horace Williams' "I'm going Christmas shopping" on Magic City, backed by Choker et al! Always gets an airing at the 100 Club once a year, guaranteed!

Flynny