By CORNBREAD (66.185.84.74) on Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 08:31 am:

What's happening with Mr. Blues & Soul ? Did he sell Ichiban ? Is he still residing in Atlanta ?

By roger (217.35.87.17) on Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 08:45 am:

Hello Everyone.

Cornbread, I don't know the answers to your questions, but he seems involved with THE THREE DEGREES .. see the link below.

http://www.thethreedegrees.com/contactus.html

Roger

By mike s (195.93.34.12) on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 10:13 am:

Last I heard about four or five years ago was that Ichiban went into bankruptcy...strangely it followed the label having a big big rap record. I believe John also split up with his wife, Nina, around the same time.
I can't believe John isn't still involved somehow in the biz.

By Mark (152.163.253.70) on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 10:31 am:

Mike S.... He represents The Three Degrees... He is there manager/agent... check there website www.thethreedegrees.com

By CORNBREAD (66.185.84.74) on Monday, March 22, 2004 - 09:49 pm:

Wasn't John married to Tamiko Jones before Nina Easton ?

By mike s (195.93.34.12) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 12:07 pm:

Cornbread...you are right. I think it was pre-Ichiban days because he formed the label with Nina Easton.

By Spookey (198.81.26.103) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 02:29 am:

Everything went down the tubes when Nina got into the picture!! -- John Abbey and the rest of the ganf (David Nathan and Sharon Davis) will always have a special place in my heart!! I loved Blues&Soul, but SOUL magazine was mine all mine!!

By Heikki (81.17.193.223) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 03:14 am:

Hi!
Usually I don't like to get involved in personal likes/dislikes, but in this case through knowing Nina (she comes from Finland) and some others, who worked with John, there's another story to tell. And this doesn't take anything off the admiration I have for John for his work with Blues & Soul, Contempo, Ichiban etc., but people change.

Best regards
Heikki

By Spookey (198.81.26.103) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 02:41 am:

Tell it like it is ... Heikki!! Wasn't I right when I wrote when Ninba came into the picture everything went down the tubes?

By Heikki (81.17.193.223) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 10:47 am:

Hi Spookey!

As far as I'm told it only coincided. Nina worked mainly on the PR side of things, and didn't get much involved in strategy, marketing etc. Actually I think after Nina came into the picture they had their biggest hit with a rap/hip-hop record (the name escapes me now).

The real reason for "down the tubes" was too much product, too little focusing, spreading their forces on too many areas (genres), and finally non-payments, which today is the main reason for bitter remarks from persons who worked closely with the company. (And I don't want to get into personal relationships.)

But as I wrote, in the 60s John was one of the pioneers, did a great job with Blues & Soul and Contempo (actually his album with Oscar Toney Jr on Contempo is one of my all-time personal favourites)and came up with some wonderful stuff on Ichiban.
When financial troubles stepped in, it all began to change, and according to my knowledge Nina is not the one to blame here.

Incidentally, Spookey, I collected a lot of magazines and fanzines since the late 60s, but I don't have a single copy of Soul magazine. Could you tell me more about it? When was it issued, by whom, what kind of a soul, the time-line etc.?
I used to collect Blues & Soul (of course), Black Music, Black Beat, Hot Buttered Soul, Raunchy Records/Solid And Raunchy, Shout, Soul Survivor and a couple of others.

Best regards
Heikki

By Spookey (198.81.26.103) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 02:10 am:

Heikii,

Where were you in the late 60s? SOUL newspaper was out there with just about every Soul artist on it's cover!! It was a simply newspaper on newsprint and talked just about every single soul act out there big or small!!

I have stacks of Soul since I started collecting them as a teen. I even went to visit their offices in hollywood and met the editor. On one trip Randy J Tarrborrlli was there working; he later wrote Call Her Miss Ross!! I took pictures with us three together!!

I read Soul along with Black Stars, Right On, Blues & Soul, Jet, and I was a member of the Supremes International Fan Club. I later formed the Mary Wells fanclub and later Legendary Ladies of Rock and Roll and now I publish Chicano Magazine!!

By Heikki (81.17.199.27) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 11:13 am:

Hi Spookey!

Thank you for the information. In the late 60s I only knew about European soul and blues publications. The U.S. ones I missed altogether. All we knew here was Billboard (and Cashbox), which we subscribed in turns in order to get the latest lists.
Sounds like Soul would have been great read.

In order to get to know each other, let's exchange our papers. Please email me your address to
heikki.suosalo@netsonic.fi
and I'll send you a couple of copies of Soul Express.

Best regards
Heikki