By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 10:17 am:

I think this record epitomises all that is good about the Northern Soul Scene.

One name missing from the cerdits however is Ed Wolfrum.

Thanks a million Ed.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 10:52 am:

I think Babbitt said he played on this.

By ed.wolfrum (165.247.230.15 - 165.247.230.15) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 10:56 am:

Hello Dave:

Thanks for the late credit. I forgot all about that session!! As I remember I did the session, Bob did the OVD with Edwin and both Bob and I mixed it, as I was a young engineer under Bob's instruction then. Although I worked a Motown prior to that I had a lot to learn. I owe a lot to Bob DeOrleans and Mike at Motown. I do remember George McGregor on that session and Horns and Rhythm in the studio. Perhaps, Bob can recollect more.

There are so many records that ALL of the Detroit engineers worked on, at GW, United, Motown, Pioneer, Magic City that they were never credited on. That is just how it was. Danny Dallas is the best example of this. Sadly, he was never credited for much of his work. Same goes for Bob DeOrleans who worked with Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra and many other legends and never was credited on those projects. The same goes for the musicians, although, at last, some recognition is now in place for the Funk Brothers.

Dennis and I were discussing this a few weeks ago and I pointed out that the CREDIT came in the form of the paycheck that fed our families. Far more important!!!

Does anyone on the forum know what became of Richard Parker? I know that Sonny is in Chicago and still somewhat active in music as Chiko Leverette filled me in on him.

Pax,
Ed

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 11:14 am:

Thanks Ed.

This Richard Parker co-production was ginormous on the Northern Soul scene.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 11:21 am:

In 1969 he went to Okeh in Chicago.

In 1973 he was at Brunswick.

In 1976 Richard recorded the Esquires in Detroit.

source Chicago Soul by Robert Pruter.

Ed do recall anything about him?

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 11:25 am:

He seems to have worked at Vee Jay too, in 1966, which is just after the JJ Barnes recording.

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Saturday, August 24, 2002 - 01:27 pm:

David,

The Esquires'd disc that Richard worked on was
"Get On Up '76" on the Motown distrubuted Ju-Par
label,a re-make of their 1967 hit.

Wonder if Richard was the "-Par" in Ju-Par ?

Re his time at VeeJay ( producing Fred Hughes )
I think that pre-dates his time at RicTic.
VeeJay was in serious trouble at the time -
the label collapsed into bankruptcy in early
'66 - I'd guess that he jumped ship to RicTic
when it became obvious that VeeJay wouldn't last.

By acooolcat (211.78.28.80 - 211.78.28.80) on Sunday, August 25, 2002 - 10:07 am:

Edwin Starr has said that the "B Sharpley" who co-wrote "Back Street" and "Agent 0-0-Soul" was actually Lebaron Taylor.
Can you elaborte Ed?
Best wishes,
Graham

By ed.wolfrum (165.247.230.15 - 165.247.230.15) on Sunday, August 25, 2002 - 03:24 pm:

Hello Graham:

By the time the engineers saw the project all of the creative writing was done. I know however that Lebaron was involved with the project, but I did not know that he wrote under the name B.Sharply. Cute name for a music writer though!!

Regarding Richard Parker; He was quite tall and as I remember knew what he wanted from the artist. He did not go on "fishing expeditions" in the studio. Which can wear an artist and an engineer out. This "fishing expedition" was a common production technique that set apart the experienced producer from the novice. I liked working with him. That is why I asked if he was still active.

Pax,
Ed

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 12:46 am:

Hi Ed,
Edwin claims that he wrote "Agent 0-0-Soul" by himself and that Lebaron simply wanted a slice of it, using the name B Sharply. I guess the same goes for "Back Street" too.
Solid Hitbound Productions was owned by Lebaron, Don Davis and George White and seems to have been a collective for various producers and arrangers.
Best wishes,
Graham

By ed.wolfrum (165.247.229.84 - 165.247.229.84) on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 09:02 am:

Hi Graham:

I would not be surprised about the Lebaron situation. He was a businessman and with his DJ connections he could get a record played and knew the market. Edwin was smart to give him a piece of it, that being the case. I was aware of the "SOLID HITBOUND" arrangment, but did not know that George White was part of it. I knew that he and Don were friends though.

Pax,
Ed

By acooolcat (211.78.28.71 - 211.78.28.71) on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 09:37 am:

Hi Ed,
I think George was the News Manager at WJLB and worked there at the same time as Lebaron.
Graham

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 10:47 am:

I did a check on the BMI database for "Back Street" which gave Edwin's co-writer as
"Bill Sharpley"

Doing a check under that name gives you a list
of a dozen or so songs which when you look at the individual songs give various credits : -
L. Taylor, Harold S.Taylor and Lebaron Taylor

I'd guess all the publishing money from these
songs is going to the same individual so that
leaves us with the question of what Lebaron
Taylor's real name was. Was he really a Harold
Taylor who used the named "Lebaron" because it
sounded flashier ? And is he the mysterious
El Baron on Karen ?

By AH (64.159.100.53 - 64.159.100.53) on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 11:25 am:

Bobby Martin, the ex Philly arranger and producer, once told me that he gave up pieces of his songs for business reasons too but always from the publishing end and never the creative. So instead of a piece of the songwriting credit he gave up a slice of the publishing royalties.

By Ian W (62.6.97.223 - 62.6.97.223) on Wednesday, August 28, 2002 - 05:27 pm:

Davie, is Elliott Baron on Golden World the same chap too?

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 12:33 am:

Davie - Lebaron's real name was Harold. Remember that he was a radio DJ and obviously Lebaron has a ceratain ring to it.
Graham

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 01:30 pm:

Graham,

Thanks for the confirmation. I suppose among
all those Kings, Princes and Counts in the sixties
the Baron was just that little bit different.

Ian,

I don't really know. I think we can take it that
El Baron on Karen is the same as Elliott Baron
on Golden World - are "they" Lebaron Taylor is
one of those intriguing mysteries. El Baron
and LeBAron seem to me to be too close to be just
coincidence and it wasn't exactly a rare occurence
for DJ's in the sixties to have records released.

HAs anybody heard these records ? - they've yet to
turn up on any compilations so my guess is
they're either nothing special or downright
awful.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.7 - 62.254.0.7) on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 02:06 pm:

Davie - maybe no-one can find these records. A record sounding "downright awful" appears not to be any deterrent to certain CD compilers I could think of!

By Ian W (213.122.158.76 - 213.122.158.76) on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 05:48 pm:

I had a chat with Tim Brown a few months back about my disappointment at not being able to finish collecting the G-W 45s. I'm missing Patti Gilson, Elliott Baron and Dickie & the Ebb Tides! I know the last item is worth lots of dosh and out of my pocket money's reach but I've never seen the first two for sale. One soul mag (I can't remember which) had a scan of the Elliott Baron 45. Tim happened to have a copy of said record for sale but I (again) couldn't afford the dosh. He told me it was dire - but is a 'must have' if you need to collect the whole label.

By acooolcat (211.78.28.72 - 211.78.28.72) on Thursday, August 29, 2002 - 10:38 pm:

I have Elliot Baron disc on tape - it's mediocre and think it may be a New York recording.
I have the Patti Gilson 45 and it's also nothing to write home about - Ian, if you're interested please contact me off list.
Graham

By Davie G (213.18.222.34 - 213.18.222.34) on Friday, August 30, 2002 - 12:27 pm:

That Dickie and the Ebbtides single isn't a
Detroit recording - it first came out on a
label called Fleetwood which was based in
Massachussets. How it was picked up by Golden
World I've no idea.

Fleetwood was a really strange label they issued
a few discs by New England garage bands but most
of their output was sports and drag racing
albums. I get the impression Dickie and the
Ebbtides were a white post-doo wop group but
have never been able to track down any real info. on them although a google.com search did get me
a link to a website about a high school reunion
somewhere in Maine - apparently a few members
of the group were former students.

Another mystery act on Golden World were Larry
Knight and the Upsetters. They were a garage band
but whether or not they were from Detroit I
can't say. There was a bass player in the
seventies' version of Los Angeles band Spirit
but I don't know if it's the same person.

Re the scan of the Dickie and the Ebbtides disc
- I think it was in "Soul Cargo" the fanzine
Chris Savory started after "Hot Buttered Soul"
bbtides

By Ian W (213.122.74.253 - 213.122.74.253) on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 05:10 pm:

Thanks Davie and Graham,

The Golden World label is indeed a varied label to collect. Is is true that there are two releases of the Dickie & The Ebb Tides 45? I have listed:

One Boy One Girl/You're Following Me
One Boy One Girl/I've Got A Shadow

the second being the 'usual' b-side.