By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.5 - 195.219.7.5) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 05:23 pm:

Can anybody give me any information on The Don Gardner Trio.Is this the Don Gardner that recorded on the Sedgrick Label(ie The Cheating Kind)and Tighten up your Love Bone etc.I Assume it must be,I once saw an album cover with Jimmy Smith and the Don Gardner Trio many years ago on the Crown Label,but never got to hear any of it.Would appreciate any info,cheers.MEL.

By Poly Esther (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 10:28 pm:

Mel my cousin played and sang with The Don Gardner Trio. I know of one record that was very popular it was called "How do you speak to an Angel". My cousins name was Albert Cass, he played the saxaphone and sang. I am to young to remember any of the particulars of the Don Gardner Trio, but I will try to do some research.

By Carl Dixon London (195.153.219.170 - 195.153.219.170) on Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 10:47 pm:

Poly Esther - Too Young!?

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.12 - 195.219.7.12) on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 08:07 am:

Hey Polly,thanks for the reply.I Would really appreciate it,if you could find out some more about your cousin and maybe the trio.It would be great to get the facts regards Alberts work,is he still around,some general items etc.anyway Polly,take it easy and stay in the groove.Appreciated,MEL.

By Poly Esther (152.163.189.167 - 152.163.189.167) on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 07:23 pm:

Mel, as promised here is the information on The Don Garner Trio. The trio consisted of Don Gardner on drums his nickname was "Hideman", Al Cass my cousin on tenor saxaphone and Jimmy Smith on organ. Later the trio had a guitarist named Thornel Schwartz nicknamed "Grid Grind Puts".

They recorded several records at Bruce Records(the same studio the Harptones recorded at) located at 1650 Broadway in New York. The trio performed at many venues in the New Jersey and Phildelphia areas. The trio is most remembered for their recording of "You'll Never Walk Alone", "The Sonnotone Bounce" and "How Do You Speak to a Angel".

The trio's most famous member was Jimmy Smith whose organ playing is legendary. Don Gardner also performed on his own and in later years recorded a duet with singer Dee Dee Ford called "I Need Your Lovin Every Day".

Sadly my cousin Al died on April 15, 1969 at the age of 45. Don is still living in the Philadelphia area.

I will try to get a copy of the record, "How Do You Speak to An Angel" and scan it on to the forum.

By Mark Speck (65.56.62.178 - 65.56.62.178) on Saturday, September 14, 2002 - 01:06 am:

Don should get on the forum. I'm sure he has LOTS of stories, and most of us have lots of questions for him.

Best,

Mark

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.117 - 195.219.7.117) on Saturday, September 14, 2002 - 06:11 am:

Poly,thats absolutley superb,a lot of great info.I Obviously know about Jimmy Smith,and Later things by Don Gardner.And now,thanks to you poly,shall be on the lookout regards anything relating to your cousin Al.(sorry to hear hes no longer with us)but thats the beauty about music,names live on thanks to there talent in the music industry.Thats some nickname grid grind puts of MR.Schwartz.Once again Poly,I appreciate you taking the time to pass on this info.Take it easy,your friend,MEL.

By Dave Rimmer (213.120.108.139 - 213.120.108.139) on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 02:43 pm:

This might be of use to people then, as always with artist discographies, you never know that you've got everything listed, and often the only way you find out that you've missed a record is when someone tells you about it. So, any additions and contributions gladly received.

I've tried to post this as one message, but it's too big, so the first half is the discography up to 1960. The second message is from 1960 onwards.

Don Gardner

Sittin' In With 598 - Seems Like We Met Before / Why Was I Born - 1950 ~ 1951?

Dickie Smith with Don Gardner & His Sonotones (members Dickie Smith, Don Gardner, ................................)

Bruce� - New Kind Of Love /�When You're Gone�- 1954

Don Gardner

Bruce 105 - How Do You Speak To An Angel / Sonotone Bounce - 1954�
Bruce 108 - I'll Walk Alone�/ Going Down Mary - 1954

Don Gardner & The Sonotones

Bruce 127 - It's A Sin To Tell A Lie / I Hear A Rhapsody - 1955

Don Gardner

Cameo 102 - Only Love Brings Happiness /�Sneakin' In�- 1957�
Junior 393 - High School Baby /�Crying All Alone�- 1957�
Junior 394 - Dark Alley / ? - 1957�
Deluxe 6133 - This Nearly Was Mine / A Dagger In My Chest�- 1957�
Deluxe 6155 - There! I've Said It Again / I Don't Want To Go Home - 1958
Kaiser 399 - Ask Anything /�Humility - 1959�

Dave Rimmer
http://members.tripod.com/SoulfulKindaMusic/

By Dave Rimmer (213.120.108.139 - 213.120.108.139) on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 02:46 pm:

Don Gardner discography 1960 onwards

Val-Ue 214 - Glory Of Love / 'Deed I Do - 1960

Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford

Fire 508 - I Need Your Lovin' / Tell Me - 1962 (Red Label)
Fire 508 - I Need Your Lovin' / Tell Me - 1962 (Multicoloured Label)
Fire 513 - Don't You Worry / I'm Coming Home To Stay - 1962
Fire 517 - Lead Me On / T. C. B. (Taking Care Of Business) - 1963
KC 106 - Glory Of Love / Deed I Do - 1962
Red Top 6501 - People Sho' Act Funny / Shake A Leg Baby - 1963
Ludix 104 - Son, Oh Son / You Upset My Soul - 1963

Don Gardner

Jubilee 5482 - Talkin' About You / I Really Love You - 1963
Jubilee 5484 - I Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do / The Bitter With The Sweet - 1963
Jubilee 5493 - I'm In Such Misery / Little Girl Blue - 1964

Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford

M. O. C 654 - I Love You / ? - 1964
Sonet 45 - Shotgun / Heatwave - 1965 (Don Gardner and Dee Dee Ford lived in Sweden for a while, this is a Swedish release)
Flashback 10 - I Need Your Lovin' / Tell Me - 1965

Don Gardner

T'n'T 1040 - Let's Party / There's Nothing I Want To Do - 1965 ~ 1966

Don Gardner & The Checkmates (members Don Gardner, ..................................)

Spectacular 1003 - I Can't Help Myself / ? - 1966

Don Gardner

Tru-Glo-Town 501 - My Baby Likes To Boogaloo / I Wanta Know Where Did Our Love Go - 1966
Tru-Glo-Town 1002 - My Baby Likes To Boogaloo / I Wanna Know Where Did Our Love Go - ?
Tru-Glo-Town 505 - Somebody's Gonna Get Hurt / Ain't Gonna Let You Get Me Down - 1967
Sack ? - Ain't Gonna Let You Get Me Down / ? - 1967
Verve 10582 - I'm A Practical Guy / You Babe - 1968
Mr. G. 824 - Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy / There Ain't Gonna Be No Loving - 1969
Sedgrick 3001 - Cheatin' Kind / What Now My Love - 1969
Cedric 3003 - Is This Really Love / Tighten Love Bone - 1970

Baby Washington & Don Gardner

Master 5 901 - Baby Let Me Get Close To U / I Just Wanna Be Near To You - 1972
Master 5 9103 - Forever / Baby Let Me Get Close To You - 1973

Don Gardner

Master 5 91o8 - We're Gonna Make It Big / ? - 1973

Baby Washington & Don Gardner

Master 5 9110 - Lay A Little Lovin' On Me / Baby Let Me Get Close To You - 1974
People 101 - Forever / Baby Let Me Get Close To You - 1974?

Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford / The Orioles

Oldies 45 ? - I Need Your Loving / Happy Till The Letter .............* - ? *Flip By The Orioles.

Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford

Goldies 2601 - I Need Your Lovin' / I'm Coming Home To Stay - ?

Lp's

Fire 105 - Need Your Lovin' - 1962 Tracks: Need Your Lovin' / Now It's Too Late / Nobody But You / Make The Girl Love Me / You Said / Tell Me /// I Need You / I'm Coming Home To Stay / What A Thrill / Honey Sweet / Don't You Worry.
Sue 1044 - Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford In Sweden - 1966 Tracks: What'd I Say / Twistin' The Night Away / Ole Man River / Bonanza / Excedrin /// Shiny Stockings / Splanky / Last Night / Take Five /Walkin'.
? - Master 5 Stuff With Baby Washington On People - 1974 Tracks:
Collectables 5155 - Golden Classics: Need Your Lovin' - 1982 Tracks:
Collectables 6446 - The Very Best Of Don Gardner And Dee Dee Ford - 1999 Tracks:
Relic 7116 - Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford "I Need Your Lovin" - ? Tracks: 25 in total, including 5 min 43 second version of "I Need Your Lovin"

Dave Rimmer

By Dave Rimmer (213.120.108.139 - 213.120.108.139) on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 02:58 pm:

Just found another !

Gotham 200 - Dearest Darling / September Song - ?

By RJ Spangler (64.12.96.230 - 64.12.96.230) on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 04:12 pm:

Is that the Same "Dearest Darling" that Etta James recorded? -RJ

By Eli (152.163.189.167 - 152.163.189.167) on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 05:45 pm:

I had the pleasure of working on some shows with Don Gardner (and Dee Dee Ford)
In fact Dee Dee lived right in my old neighborhood not far from our family, and they used to rehearse at her house all of the time.
I met Al Cass when Vonnie and I were first dating as teenagers.(It's hard to believe that we were once teenagers)
I believe that Kae Williams was the person who discovered and produced a lot of Don's early recordings.

Eli

By JSmith (194.42.250.98 - 194.42.250.98) on Monday, September 16, 2002 - 07:19 am:

I have written a short bio piece on Don's career (also one on Spyder Turner & I have one to do on Gwen Owen). All of these will be posted on the Prestatyn Weekender web site when it is up & running. If anyone is interested, I could post my piece on Don here for you to read.
There are still a few queries regarding Don's solo recordings (and his Swedish recordings with Dee Dee Ford). I can't explain why a guy who was based & recorded on the east coast (Philly / NJ / NY) should have a mid 60's release on the obscure Chicago (Monk Higgin's related) Sack label. And then at the end of the 60's he suddenly started to record in Chicago for the Sedgrick / Cedric setup. I guess he always based himself in his Philly hometown, although I know he had a spell running night clubs in NY and also running NY based labels such as Botanic Records (Little Charles & the Sidewinders).

By David Meikle (62.6.65.135 - 62.6.65.135) on Monday, September 16, 2002 - 09:42 am:

Hi John

You can post any of these pieces here or provide a link.

Look forward to seeing them.

David

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.19 - 195.219.7.19) on Monday, September 16, 2002 - 10:12 am:

Many thanks to all for there in-put,as always a wealth of information,cheers.MEL.

By Flynn-san! (213.1.135.197 - 213.1.135.197) on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 05:58 am:

Speaking of Spyder Turner...have a look at this super rare picture sleeve at the bottom of this link:
http://www.capitolsoulclub.homestead.com/LabelsGallery3.html

I wonder if Spyder ever toured the Far East?

By David Meikle (213.122.172.242 - 213.122.172.242) on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 08:32 am:

Great scans David.

Thanks

By JSmith (194.42.250.98 - 194.42.250.98) on Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 05:12 am:

Don Gardner was born and raised in North Philadelphia. As early as the late 1940�s he had already started to get up and sing in clubs and after successful engagements in Atlantic City and Washington, he started to make an impression in his hometown. These exploits led to a deal with Gotham Records. He joined Jimmy Shorter�s band but after a 45 for New York based Bruce Records (�How Do You Speak To An Angel� -- 1953) enjoyed some success, he was able to put his own band together. An early member of Don�s band was hammond wizard Jimmy Smith, who was to go on to make his own mark in the music business. Further record releases followed for Don through the 1950�s for labels such as Bruce, Cameo, Junior, Deluxe and Kaiser.

In 1960, New Jersey based keyboard player Dee Dee Ford joined his band and the pairing were signed to a record deal by Fire Records. The duo were soon enjoying a national hit when �I Need Your Loving� was both a R&B and pop hit in September 1962. They followed this up with �Don�t You Worry� which was a smaller US hit and was, in 1968, to become the first release on Dave Godin�s legendary UK record label, Soul City. Further releases on the duo followed on the Fire, KC, Red Top and MOC labels and in 1963 Don enjoyed a solo release, �Son, Oh Son�, on Luther Dixon�s Ludix label. Other solo efforts quickly followed on Jubilee (�I�m In Such Misery�, �I Don�t Know What I�m Gonna Do�, etc) and then he appeared on vinyl with the Alteers for a G-Clef 45. But he was still continuing to undertake both recording and live work in conjunction with Dee Dee Ford. The pairing undertook tours of Sweden in the summers of 1964 and 65. On both occasions they recorded in the country, having albums released on the Sonet label. A Swedish only 45 coupling their versions of �Shotgun� and �Heatwave� reputedly exists but must be a very rare item.

Back in the US, Don covered Titus Turner�s �Dog Eat Dog� which was issued on Tifton Records and he then teamed up with Gloria Toote's New Jersey based Tru-Glo-Town organisation. The 45�s �Lets Party� (T�n�T) and �I Can�t Help Myself� (Spectacular) preceded his first release on the actual Tru-Glo-Town label in 1966, �My Baby Likes To Boogaloo�. This cut enjoyed regional success starting in November 66 and was followed up with �Somebodys Gonna Get Hurt / Ain�t Gonna Let You Get Me Down�. In early 1968, a Tru-Glo-Town production, �I�m A Practical Guy� was leased to Verve Records. Don�s experience and long track record was recognised in other ways as he moved into label management with companies such as Botanic Records (1968). Here he fetched in an old friend, Jerry Williams, to work with the likes of Little Charles & the Sidewinders. His own next release though was on the Mr. G label out of New York, this being the classy �Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy�.

Don was soon to relocate to the Windy City though. I believe this was because �My Baby Likes To Boogaloo� had also been successful there. His profile in the city resulted in him teaming up with local booking agent, Jimmy Vanleer who had just started his Sedgrick / Cedric Record label. Unfortunately Jimmy�s record company was just finding its feet, so although Don�s releases, �Cheating Kind� and �Is This Really Love� were top quality outings, they didn�t enjoy any commercial success. Part 2 to follow. JRS

By JSmith (194.42.250.98 - 194.42.250.98) on Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 05:14 am:

Don Gardner Part 2
By 1972, Don was recording back on the east coast. Here Master 5 Records teamed him up with Baby Washington. Three singles were released on the duo and the second of these gave him his first national hit in almost 11 years, �Forever� entering the charts in May 1973. He also enjoyed a solo release on the label, this being the sought after single that featured �We�re Gonna Make It Big� on the top side. Although the label gathered together a number of the pairs joint and solo efforts for release on an album in 1974, Don was soon afterwards allowed to drift out of the recording business.

Don�s expertise doesn�t just confine itself to the music business, he�s also skilled in the building trade as well as being a master chef. His singing and culinary prowess no doubt assisted him during the periods when he also ran clubs and restaurants. Today he busies himself teaching jazz skills to youngsters with an interest in real instruments and music. His studio exploits have in no way been forgotten though, this was illustrated by the coupling of his old cuts �Cheating Kind / Is This Really Love� for release in the UK on a Grapevine label single earlier this year. J Smith
.........less info on his 50's exploits as the bio is intended for 60's / 70's soul fans

By Ralph (209.240.198.62 - 209.240.198.62) on Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - 10:37 am:

J,
Thanks for the information. I have been enjoying your posts through out the web-site. You seem to have done your homework.