By Julian (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 04:19 am:

Who produced her stuff?

By Soulpuss (24.102.217.36) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 05:46 am:

The following producers come to mind :

Bert Keyes
Clarence Lawton

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 06:06 am:

Her classic Sue material was mostly produced by Juggy Murray.

Arrangements were by Sammy lowe in 1962, Bert Keyes in 1963, Leroy Glover in 1964.

By Ju (205.188.209.38) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 10:58 am:

That Sammy Lowe name seems familiar.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 11:08 am:

Golden World webisode.

By boynextdoor (67.24.159.235) on Sunday, March 30, 2003 - 08:52 pm:

Where's Baby Washington these days?

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 01:22 am:

Don Gardner told me he had done a gig in Philly with her a few weeks ago (about the 1st week of Feb).

She is still NY / NJ based I believe.

Don confirmed that although he was recording with her in the early 70's (with the Funks at times), they never did any live shows at the time to promote their duets.

In the 70's Don was acting as Curtis Mayfield's road manager & toured all around the world with him.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 01:09 pm:

Two beautiful scans from Graham on Justine "Baby" Washington.

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.42) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 01:35 pm:

Nice scans Graham - I see Chip Taylor's involved
in both of them - wonder if there's an unreleased
Baby Washington version of "Wild Thing" in the
Sue vaults :-)

By boynextdoor (67.24.156.107) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 07:40 pm:

Baby Washington was in the group The Hearts, I believe. Did any other members of that group go solo and make it?

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 08:08 pm:

Justine "Baby" Washington (aka Justine Washington) sang/recorded with the Hearts from 1956 to 1957. She was lead on "Going Home to Stay" and "Disappointed Bridge" on Baton, and "Dancing in A Dreamworld" and "You Needn't Tell Me, I Know" on J&S and "You Say You Love Me" also on J&S in 1957. The Hearts had many different artists as part of their group from 1956 thru 1970. Some of the members with them were Hazel Crutchfield (Anderson), Louise Harris (Murray), Thaddus McLean, Joyce West, Theresa Chatman, Anna Barnhill, Betty Harris, Mandy Hopper, Lezli (Green) Valentine, Ruth Artis, Marie Hood, Cynthia Felder, Yvonne Bushnell, and many more!

The Hearts recorded under many "hats", such as Ena Louise and the Hearts, the Endeavors, Hartsy Maye & Group, Betty Harris (with uncredited back-up group), and of course the subject at hand, Baby Washington who recorded many records on many labels, also with uncredited back-up groups!

(Some of the above discographical info comes from John Clemente's "Girl Groups Fabulous Females That Rocked the World.)

Today Louise Harris Murray has reformed a Hearts group together with her husband Donald & two other ladies. Below is a photo I took of them at a UGHA show August 24, 2002. Louise is on the right.

In harmony,

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 08:24 pm:

I took this picture of Baby Washington at a show appx. three years ago.



A few more labels of Baby's:





Nikki

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 08:57 pm:

I met Justine "Baby" Washington in 1998 at the Roseland Ballroom here in NYC during Felix Hernandez' Rhythm Revue Dance Party. She was a very charming and warm person to everyone there. She didn't perform (*sigh!*) but was there to celebrate the Rhythm Revue's 15th anniversary. A lovely woman indeed.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Mark Speck (65.58.50.124) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 09:30 pm:

She also cut a couple of sides for Cotillion in 1969-70, produced by Dave Crawford.

Best,

Mark

By Soul Sister (65.43.165.66) on Tuesday, April 08, 2003 - 12:24 pm:

Kev.Go; I too was at Felix's Anniversary Party when Justine was there as well as Eugene Pitt, Arlene Smith, Timothy Wilson, etc, etc... But that was not 1998 it was 1997.

By Yan (24.69.255.204) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 05:17 pm:

Does anyone here have the album she did for Veep ("With You In Mind"- I think it was '66); I have heard very good things about at least two of the tracks- "Hurt So Bad" (which got a single release in the U.K on United Artists) and "I Got It Bad". Was Teddy Randazzo involved in this one?

Yan

P.S Nikki- what I've heard from the Hearts was fantastic; did she sing on "Lonely Nights" or "All My Love Belongs To You"??

By RD (63.188.32.211) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 05:57 pm:

I still have a copy of "Dear Abby" by the Hearts, was Baby with them on that one?

By motown-david (205.188.209.38) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 06:13 pm:

Yes, I have that album on Veep with it's gorgeous cover.
You're right about Teddy Randazzo being involved with those 2 tracks. He was the one of the writers of the songs but they were produced by Henry Glover.
Songs are:
All Around The World / I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good / It's All Over But The Crying / I'm On The Outside / I'm Calling You Baby / Take Me Like I Am / Get A Hold Of Yourself / This Old World / People Sure Act Funny / At Last / It's A Hang Up Baby / Hurt So Bad.
Baby has never made a bad record in her life and this one is just excellent. Pity the tracks have never been available on cd.
David.

By Yan (24.69.255.204) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 06:20 pm:

Thanks David-

...you lucky bastard. There have been a ton of rare soul comps (nearly all from the U.K) out from the EMI vaults so it is a shame that this stuff isn't on CD; perhaps the usual problems with lost contracts/masters etc..?? "I Got It Bad" was number one in a great top 30 LP tracks chart that Richard Searling (British Soul DJ) did some years ago- it's one of only two tracks I'm misiing from the chart (dammit!); the other is Willie Tee- "I'm Related To You"- also EMI-owned.

By Beebopman (68.73.25.90) on Sunday, April 13, 2003 - 10:02 pm:

Nikki:

Thanks for such detailed information regarding the Hearts and Baby Washington. I learn so much just reading the posts. This forum just amazes me with the knowledge that ao many of the participants have. Nikki, I'm awestruck with your level of knowledge. Were you or are you in the music industry?

Beebopman

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.42) on Monday, April 14, 2003 - 03:46 pm:

Yan,

That Veep album's from 1968 - Juggy Murray sold
the Sue / Symbol catalogue to United Artists
in late '67. It looks like they took over some of the artists' contracts as well, keeping some
(Jimmy McGriff, Baby Washington, The Poets, Tina Britt, the Soul Sisters) and dropping all the other acts.

Re Baby's "Hurt So Bad" it's a Teddy Randazzo
song but I thinks that's as far as his involvement goes.

Davie

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Monday, April 14, 2003 - 10:49 pm:

I've been out of town for a week, and now just trying to catch up with all the messages and new threads! (I think I need a month of just doing this and nothing else, just to catch up!!)

Yan,
I believe Baby sang lead with the Hearts only on the following:

Going Home To Stay
Disappointed Bride
Dancing in A Dreamworld
You Needn't Tell Me, I Know
You Say You Love Me

Joyce West was lead on Lonely Nights But Louise Murray (in my foto above) did that awesome bridge saying "You Great Big Hunk of Sugar"!!! Louise still sounds great today!!! "All My Love Belongs to You" was also lead by Joyce West.

Beebopman,
Thanks for the compliment! (blush blush)! Mostly I read a lot. Some of the info is directly from the artists I've met and been in contact with. And of course, I learn A TON of stuff from this great forum thru all the mavens of the music here!

In harmony,

Nikki

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Thursday, April 17, 2003 - 02:36 am:

Don Gardner told me that just before he came over to the UK (recently) he had hosted a show in 'his' Philly Jazz Club and Baby was one of the artists.
Although he recorded with Baby for Master 5 back in the 70's, he never performed live with her till about 2002 (in the 70's he was Curtis Mayfield's road manager & so got to see the world).