By acooolcat (61.58.180.122) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 06:10 am:

I wonder if anyone here can remember Gino Ramano, who I'm guessing is an Italian-American?
He sang lead with a group called The Calveys that recorded a 45 on the Comma label called, I Need Love / The Wind c. 1962.
The are a few other Italiano-soul groups from Detroit that spring to mind... The Seminoles, The Reflections; But was Tommy Frontera also Italian?

And wasn't there a Detroit recording studio owned by a couple of brothers...

Graham

By paulie3shoes (152.163.252.68) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 11:13 am:

eh dis is paulie(over here)
what am i, chopped livver, eh??#$%^&*(
not fer nuttin wit all due respect
i lived on da east side an i used to go to dat strudio dat my goombas owned and i t'ink dat i got my caddy fixed dere to
i t'ink dat is was gm studio an da guise was paisans (over dere)
i usedta bring my broads (over dere) an i would tellem dat dey wuz gonna make a rekkid an den ,
marrone..you know what came next, capice???@#$%^&*(

By Dennis Coffey (64.12.97.7) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 06:49 pm:

Hi Graham. I played guitar on Street of Shame on Palmer Records for Tommy Frontera. We both went to Mackenzie High in Detroit. I think he was Italian American.

By Marv (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 07:48 pm:

Those foot stomps you hear on the opening of the Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go?" were by none other than Jimmy Valvano! LOL There were /are many talented Italian-American musicians, singers, performers etc that came from the Detroit Area.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 08:11 pm:

Marv,
I think you are refering to my former partner, Mike Valvano.

By STUBASS (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 08:19 pm:

I THINK THAT THE JIMMY VALVANO YOU REFER TO... WAS THE FORMER NORTH CAROLINA STATE BASKETBALL COACH WHO DIED OF CANCER SEVERAL YEARS AGO!!!...STUBASS

By acooolcat (61.58.180.122) on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 09:44 pm:

Hi Dennis
I didn't know you went to school with Tommy. Did you play on any sessions for him?
Here are some of his 45s...

Shy Boy / Dry Your Eyes (Hi-Lite c.1962)
Mary Mary / To Be To You (Hi-Lite c. 1962)
Be Mine / That's All I Want From You (Hi-Lite c.1962)
You're My Leading Lady / I Heard Every Word (Hi-Lite c. 1963)
Street of Shame / Merry-Go-Round (Palmer c. 1967)

I notice on the Calvey's song that "I Need Love" is Vicki publishing - Harry Balk's's company. I wonder if you knew any of the Calvey's too?

Best wishes, Graham

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 01:51 pm:

Here's a couple of scans from Graham.

By Dennis Coffey (152.163.252.68) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 08:41 pm:

Hi Graham, I played on Street of Shame for Tommy.

By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 08:47 pm:

Ok I meant Mike Valvano and you'll admit it was a very long time ago. What is Mike up to these days?

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 08:56 pm:

Marv,
Mke died suddenly of a stroke a short while back. I talked with him on the phone about a week before this happened.

By mhc (172.166.105.9) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 09:50 pm:

I know it's the wrong genre, but let's not forget one of my fave Detroit-based Rock Stars of all time, Jack Scott, whose real last name was Scafone.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 10:13 pm:

Good one Marshall. I knew Jack rather well at one time. A great talent.

By Sue (152.163.252.68) on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 10:16 pm:

That is a good one. Jack Scott will be playing Friday Aug. 15 at Nine Mile and Woodward, during pre-Dream Cruise festivities. I caught him last year at 13 and Woodward, and he's got a tight act. Steve Nardella plays lead guitar in Jack's band, and the rest are young guys.

By Andy Alonzo (69.14.44.202) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 12:19 am:

Hey, what about Nick Marinelli, "The Shades of blue" lead singer

By Marv (205.188.209.109) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 12:45 pm:

Oh no! I am very surprised and sorry to hear that Mike Valvano has passed away. This is the kind of news I do not like to hear but this forum is just about the only place I know where I'd get the information. Although, Valvano was not given much recognition for the success of some of Motown's early releases, his contributions are still being heard around the world at this very moment.

God Bless Mike Valvano and all of the unsung heroes of Motown!!!!

By paulie3shoes (172.133.42.47) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 12:59 pm:

eh, wut about ol paulie(over here) eh, my name is
eh, really paulie3shoes, capice??#$%^&*(
den hows about tellin me dis??

why den did my mudder an fadder name me paulie3shoes, eh??%^&*(
not fer nuttin.. do youse read dese t'reads where i says dat my fadder took on look at me wen i was a baby layin dere in da hospital an he says
"marrone, will ya look at da size o dat t'ing..dat kids gonna need anudder shoe!!!@!#$%^&*() so dats why dey named me paulie3shoes, capice???@#$%^&*(

By Fury13 (12.2.196.17) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 01:05 pm:

Jack Scott and his Top Ranks put on a great show. As Sue said, he'll be performing the night of Friday, Aug. 15 for the Woodward Dream Cruise on the Ferndale stage near the police station.

A side note regarding Italian-American musicians in Detroit: Jack's cousin, Dominic Scafone, played drums on all of Jack's early recordings.

By Eli (172.133.42.47) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 01:07 pm:

by da way, i fergot ta say dat wen i come outta my mudder, my nose wuz alreddy bent, sos dat was eh, autamatic cuz my fadder wuz alreddy made, capice an dat t'ing happens right away wen ya get made an wit me it wuz, how youse say it, eh a gen...eh...genetric t'ing...catch my drift???#$%^&*Sos wen anybody tals bot paulie(over here) dey dont hafta put dere finger on da side of dere nose cuz it is like dat alreddy, capice???@#$%^&*(

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 01:31 pm:

Marv,
Thanks for the kind words regarding Mike. As I mentioned I had just talked with him about a week before he died. We made a habit of staying in touch through the years. Then one morning Harry Balk called me to give me the news. Needless to say it came like a punch in the stomach. Mike was extremely talented and a true pioneer of the early days of Motown.

By Andy Alonzo (69.14.44.202) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 03:38 pm:

Hey Ralph, Mike wrote "My World is empty without you" and many more he didn't get credit for, he wrote for my band The Souls Image and The Act IV.
The last time I talked with him was when we did that thing with Ian Lavin, yes we do and allways will miss Mike. Andy

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 04:40 pm:

Andy,
It was through Mike that I would learn how to survive at Motown. Mike always told me that if you could handle yourself there, you could make it anywhere. Whatever injustices Mike experienced there he never let it show or talked about it. He was always ready to go back into the studio. What a guy.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 04:43 pm:

Speaking of the Italian connection...When Mike and my brother and I were producing together, Harry Balk wanted us to go under the name " The Brotherhood ". We never did though.

By Marv (152.163.252.68) on Saturday, July 19, 2003 - 04:44 pm:

Ralph, Andy is that true? Was it Mike Valvano that wrote "My World Is Empty Without You"? If so I am going to do my part to make sure he gets credit for it. I know it is late now, but I will share this information with people. I also will be seeing Mary in concert next month and she always sings this song. This is very interesting news. Was Mike still a Detroit resident at the time of his passing?

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Saturday, July 19, 2003 - 04:47 pm:

Marv,
I can't verify Mike's writing credits on that paricular song, although it wouldn't surprise me. He was quite involved with a lot of the guys in the company's early yeras. For the past several years before his death Mike was living in Oregon.

By Andy Alonzo (69.14.44.202) on Saturday, July 19, 2003 - 05:14 pm:

Marv, Mike told me he wrote it and played it for me, it may not have his name but as you liston to it, thats him, thats the way he writes,his style, his stamp. Andy

By Marv (64.12.97.7) on Monday, July 21, 2003 - 03:31 am:

My World Is Empty Without You is a classic and one of my favorite songs by The Supremes. I had heard that many writers over at Motown did not get label credit for their compositions. I should mention this to Mary Wilson, she is one for always making sure others get their deserved recognition.