By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:25 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:28 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:29 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:41 am:

Soulful Roots Sensation Label
(1)To me John Lee Hooker originated "Soul". I'm pretty sure that Joe Hunter played on "Boom Boom" and other sessions that were done at United Sound.
(2)I've read that Kitty Stevenson was the mother of William "Mickey" Stevenson. If that is true,
he probably gained a lot of early exposure to music through her.
(3)Dave Hamilton! What a musician! Being a half#** guitar player myself I admire his jazzy/blues guitar playing. A Motown musician, independent label owner, producer, and soul maestro!

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:44 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:46 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:47 am:

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 01:55 am:

These are some incredible and amazing label scans. Pure history. The cradle of Detroit R&B. Thank you so much for bringing them to the forum.

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:06 am:

Soulful Roots J-V-B label
Pioneer Joe Von Battle!!!!!!
(1)"Queen of Soul" Need I say more?
(2)I believe that Erma Jarrett is Erma Franklin.
Erma was a member and writer of The Cleo-Patrettes
record who went on to record soul records. This would be the sister of Aretha?
(3)I remember reading that James Jamerson got his start with Washboard Willie. If Jamerson was a Super Sud of Rhythm that means that he probably played with HOT blues guitarist Calvin Frazier. The earlier part of the career of Calvin Frazier was spent as a back-up guitarist to ROBERT JOHNSON! How's that for mentors? Roots?

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:08 am:

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:11 am:

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:11 am:

You're blowing my mind here.Where in the hell did you come from???? Where ever....WELCOME TO THE FORUM PAL!!

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:18 am:

Soulful Roots Fortune & HI-Q labels
(1)Choker Campbell - An early effort before that Berry ? guy started up.
(2)The Hi-Fidelities - Pre-Contours! You can barely see it but Sylvester Potts is the writer on this one!
*Note*Plus releases by:Andre Williams, Dave Hamilton, The Royal Jokers, Nathaniel Mayer, NOLAN
STRONG, etc......

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:23 am:

Apparently it's just me and you right now. Everyone is sleeping. Boy is this going to cause a stir tomorrow. Once again...thank you for all of this. i am blown away.

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.215.141 - 67.25.215.141) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 02:40 am:

Hopefully I did not go overboard but I wanted to "Stir The Pot" due to my absence from forum participation due to starting college again, working, and other lame excuses. If this taste is well received I'll continue with some Pre-Motown venture scans and say what I know and don't know. I wish that I could of witnessed Hastings Street, Motown, Independent Soul labels, The MC5, and etc. but unfortunately all I get to hear are the records. I want to thank the providers of the stories, tales, and the creators of this great medium that actually bring the grooves to life! Speaking of tales, my father has a great J-V-B related story that I hope he will share! P.S. Ralph-I come from Detroit! "Where the Action Was and Is"!!!!!!!!!

By Vickie (205.188.200.28 - 205.188.200.28) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 03:04 am:

C.Bell/Eric..
PRETTY DAMM COOL!!!!
I know a little of this history, mainly Motown. I am absorbing so much more, thanks for sharing these..
Vickie

By Glenn (66.73.178.60 - 66.73.178.60) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 03:06 am:

To the Forum,
Here is the story: When Eric was about 2 years old he needed to go to the emergency room at Wayne County General Hospital. I can't remember what it was for, but what I remember most was someone who started singing blues in the emergency waiting room. The guy was beating on a box and singing this really bluesy song and telling a story about being famous. I really just thought he was someone that wanted some attention - but he really was GOOD. I asked him who he was and he said; One String Sam!!!!!!!! Well, at that time I really wasn't into heavy blues music and didn't know if he was for real or what. A few years later on WABX (the ultimate underground radio station in Detroit) they are playing "I need a Hundred Dollars" and IT WAS the same person - EXACTLY that was in the emergency room that day, One String Sam!!! Wow what an experience.
Glenn (Eric's Father)

By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 03:28 am:

Eric and Glenn; thanks for the scans and the story! This site blows me away yet again!
Steve K.

By acoolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 03:34 am:

Hi Eric,
It looks like you've found a treasure trove of 78s: Fantstic stuff - thanks for posting the scans. Hey - Did you come across a box of LaBeat 45s too? LOL
Graham

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.204.219 - 67.25.204.219) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 04:07 am:

Hey Graham,

A quick note before I sleep! I've always collected 78's. 78's are cool! Have you ever heard horns or a harmonica on a 78? The sound is really out front on a lot of them! (Especially Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans stuff). Sorry to report to ya' that the box or boxes of La Beat records keep on eluding me! I did dust off my copy of the Nelson Sanders record on La Beat after I heard a friend's copy. Nelson!!!!!!!********* Well I hope all is well and let's be sure to meet up when you come back in town!

Later,
Eric

By M.McLeanTech (63.212.135.104 - 63.212.135.104) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 04:10 am:

HELLO ERIC!

Now that is what I call a "class entrance!" You are the instant king of the hill! This is what this forum is all about!!!! Or should be! Anybody who knows about Nolan Strong is a friend of mine!

If you search the forum under "Choker Campbell" you will find a story about how I recorded his band, with Marcus Bellgrave on trumpet, at the Graystone Ballroom.

I have made a great deal of fuss about idealistic recording technique in my postings. I recorded that date with a Neumann SM-2 "MS" stereo microphone using pure coincident pair intensity stereo recording technique.

This is probably the only time that Choker was ever recorded in the same manner as was used by Doug Sax, at Sheffield Labs, to record the legendary "The King James Version" direct to disc analog LP.

Can you believe that it was only about three months aqo that I heard my first John Lee Hooker record? It was a two CD set that was loaned to me by the brother of a former lover who is still a close friend. The first selection is "Teaching The Blues."

Instantly, I said: "At last I have found out where all this stuff that I loved, when I first came to Motown, came from!!!!!!!"

You are the man with the wisdom I care about! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Mike McLean

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 04:11 am:

Hi Eric, I fondly remember searching for 78s with you in peoples garages and out-houses. How come we never found anything?
Better luck when I come over in September eh?
Nighty-night,
Graham

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 04:25 am:

Eric,
You stirred the pot just fine here pal as you can tell by all the postings.

By John Lester (213.1.131.24 - 213.1.131.24) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 06:58 am:

BLOODY HELL

WHAT AN EDUCATION!

Gimme a strong coffee and no milk this time!!

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 07:41 am:

Eric

Damn fine pot you're stirring here - the tastiest breakfast I've had in ages!

I wonder just how "unbreakable" they actually are/were...?

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 07:56 am:

I think the 1st version of John Lee's "Boogie Chillin'" was recorded by Bernie Besman in Detroit and released by Modern way back in 1948.
It's on a fine CD called "House Of The Blues" that Chess Records put out in the late 1980s. For me the stand-out track is "The Waterfront" - a folkish song that beautifully unifies John Lee's heartfelt vocal intonation with and some sublime guitar work. The CD is worth getting just for this track alone - recorded in Chicago in 1966.
One song on the CD that connects with another thread (Bob D'Orleans) on this forum is called is "Walkin' The Boogie" - a Detroit recording made in 1952. To quote Leslie Fancourt's CD liner notes "This has double-tracked vocals and an intriguing overdubbed speeded-up guitar."
I have an advert for John Lee appearing at a small bar called The Apex back in 1957. I'll get scanned and posted up here. The Apex is one of the few Detroit old Blues joints that's still standing.
I remember seeing JL in concert when he played in London - twice - but was dissapointed both times as he over-concentrated on boogie woogie tunes.
Does anyone here remember him being featured on the BBC's Desert Island Discs? I was gob-smacked by Sue Lawly's snidy comments and blatant disresect.
Graham

By david, glasgow, scotland (213.122.146.175 - 213.122.146.175) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 08:10 am:

Thanks to Eric for these wonderful images.

To learn more about pre-Motown go to Rick Beall's excellent site at http://www.bluesharp.org/tour/hastingsindex.html
You can also hear many tunes from that era, therein.

Coincidentally Rick had been going around that era's geography at the same time as I was going around the sixties geography. Sadly, very few of the premises he was searching for are still standing.

The entertainment district of Paradise Valley was obliterated in the late fifties early sixties in the name of progress.

But that's for Rick to tell.

One of my favourite images on the tour is http://bluesharp.org/tour/hastings0450.html

Run the cursor over it and you'll see Hastings Street, then and now. John Lee Hooker is standing a couple of blocks north of where Joe Von Battle's shop was. There is also a pic of JVB's shop, front on, in John Lee Hooker's biography.

Boogie Chillin' was recorded in United Sound.

By phillysoulman (64.12.106.26 - 64.12.106.26) on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 08:28 am:

It is four a.m. in NYC and I had to go to the loo and the monitor light in the distance beckoned me as it always does. I logged on and ,voila!!! right before my eyes this is what wlcomes me.
Obviously, I must be dreaming all of this and when I wake up around six thirty it would only be a hazy dream recollection. Oh well, it was a good dream, anyway.

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.194.12 - 195.92.194.12) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 02:05 am:

Hi Eric and everyone. Just got sight of those fabulous early scans - they are fantastic. It's 3 am here in UK, I can't sleep with excitement (Yep, still excited by it all at 52!) because I'm going to Manchester on Sunday to see the legendary Freddie Gorman with the Originals. Freddie gave a great interview on Jazz FM a couple of weeks ago. Jimmy Conwell (aka Richard Temple) is also on the bill. Anyway Eric, that was a treat. I have a book out in October called `The Detroit File` and one purpose is to help open up pre '60 Detroit R&B. Keith.

By Sis (67.25.209.182 - 67.25.209.182) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 02:43 pm:

Thanks David...It was fantastic. I went to the 606 back in the late 80's. When I tried to find it in early 2000, it was gone. So sad. I find myself getting lost in the city I grew up, because the old land marks are slowing disappearing. Thanks again! Luv-u-Ali

By Marilyn (67.217.183.58 - 67.217.183.58) on Saturday, June 01, 2002 - 06:20 pm:

Her's a real mindblower for all of you. I am in the process of BUYING the complete Fortune,Hi-Q,Strate-8 record company,complete with ALL original tapes,& anything else. How's that?!
FOR REAL.
Marilyn

By Mark Speck (65.58.50.191 - 65.58.50.191) on Sunday, June 02, 2002 - 07:27 pm:

Hi Glenn and Eric, and welcome aboard. The JVB 78 of Aretha--is that her first recording?

Marilyn--possibly a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyhow. Is there any chance of the material you're buying coming out on CD?

Best,

Mark

By Ed Wolfrum (165.121.215.39 - 165.121.215.39) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 12:41 am:

Hello Ralph and All:

Good historical information on those labels and where the sessions were recorded can be found in the book "Before Motown" Bjorn, Gallert, 2001, Uof M Press ISBN 0-472-09765-6. This was a Christmas gift from Artie and I could not get my nose out of the book.

Dave, I received the thumbnail shots but I have been so busy I have not had time to work on them with the kind of good data that I know you want.

I have been working with Clay a bit and he is also busy so that is why neither of us have not been able to spend time on this addictive site!!!

Clay wishes you his best too.

Pax,
Ed

By Ed Wolfrum (165.121.215.39 - 165.121.215.39) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 01:03 am:

A bit of personal information. Back in the early 1970's on a slow day at United, Joe Siracuse called me in to the front studio. He said he had something he wanted me to hear. He had threaded up on the Ampex 300 an old reel of Scotch Type 100 audio tape. He said he had the tapes at home. He pushed play and I had the opportunity to hear the session reels, outakes and all of some of those John Lee Hooker sessions. I was stunned by both the feel of the music and wonderful recording, both musically and technically that Joe had done.

When I started reading the "Before Motown" book, it added more insite into my view of those sessions. Joe Siracuse was one HELL of a good engineer and producer.

I just hope those tapes are in good care and have not been "tossed out" by the family and additionally have not deteriorated to dust as Scotch (3M now), Type 100 was an acetate based stock.

By C. Bell/Eric (67.25.208.187 - 67.25.208.187) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 04:52 am:

Mark and Ed,

Mark- I'm pretty sure that was the first solo record she did. Aretha may have backed up her father (Rev. C.L.) who did a lot of recordings for Joe Von Battle that were leased to Chess. I think there was an album of Aretha on J.V.B./Von and also another single on J.V.B.(Precious Lord Parts 1&2).

Ed- "Boogie Chillen" seems to have really put Detroit and John Lee on the map! There is a really great CD that has some very early John Lee Hooker that was recorded at a home in the Detroit area in 1949 that you should check out; "The Unknown John Lee Hooker" (Flyright). The quality is actually really good for the equipment they were using.

By Eli (170.115.179.106 - 170.115.179.106) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 05:22 pm:

Where can I get the Before Motown book??????
Somebody hep me. Good Gawd, uh, hep me!!!!

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 08:39 pm:

Bobby

go to http://www.amazon.com

and type in... before motown...in the search function.

Looks like you can get copies for $12.50 if you live in the States.

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 08:49 pm:

Thanks Loveuali!

By Marilyn (67.217.183.198 - 67.217.183.198) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 10:24 pm:

Yes,we'll be releasing ALL of the sdtuff on CD. There are MANY previously un-released sides by all the artists that will be included in the mix too. We're also putting out a limited number of picture discs (numbered) for collectors. We hope to get started in time for the Christmas season.
Marilyn

By Eli (152.163.197.52 - 152.163.197.52) on Monday, June 03, 2002 - 11:14 pm:

Thanks David!!

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Tuesday, June 04, 2002 - 07:38 pm:

Graham very kindly sent in this advert from 1957.

By david, glasgow, scotland (213.122.177.177 - 213.122.177.177) on Wednesday, June 05, 2002 - 08:03 am:

Hi Ed (Wolfrum)

Thanks for keeping me posted. Once you get finished, let me know and I will upload as next webisode.

I know it will be good.

Thanks for passing on Clay's message. I can picture you two guys in his studio right now.

Best wishes to both of you,
David

By RJ Spangler (152.163.206.192 - 152.163.206.192) on Monday, June 17, 2002 - 09:40 pm:

Joe Hunter told me that he played and arranged "Boom Boom Boom" for John Lee Hooker. Alberta Adams sez the Micky is indeed Kitty's son. Alberta was VERY close with Kitty. It was Kitty that helped Alberta go from a dancer to a singer as Alberta was able to fill in for Kitty when she was ill.
RJ Spangler

By Marilyn (67.217.183.165 - 67.217.183.165) on Wednesday, June 19, 2002 - 03:19 pm:

Since I'm the "old broad" of the group,I definitely knew Nolan Strong. He used to sing at my dances in the fifties. A nice guy. Too bad he had to die so young.

By mhc (172.134.253.67 - 172.134.253.67) on Thursday, June 20, 2002 - 02:55 am:

Marilyn, that's really exciting news about Fortune Records ("For Truly Great Music"). That stuff deserves to be in good hands (and available for public consumption).