By The 3rd (68.80.164.254 - 68.80.164.254) on Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 09:40 pm:

Hi this is Weldon Arthur. Mc Dougal III
Yes I Did a book with my main man Bill Dahl,
it took use about 2 years to do it, he inderviewed about 52 Motown artiest and I
put a lot of photo's of Motown back in the day.
this book tell about the working of Motown, from
the years 1950s to 1970s,A very thorough presentation of all the motown family,including writers,producers and behind the scenes people and first person insights of the stars I worked with.I think people will love this book, Bill and I had A lot of fun doing it, it has been out since Oct 2001 a Krause publication, the reviews are all good.you can order the book at Krause publications 800-258-0929 offer REA1 or Amazon.com
Weldon A. Mc Dougal III

By Carl Dixon London (195.153.219.170 - 195.153.219.170) on Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 10:18 pm:

Hello Mr McDougal

as you probably saw in another message I intend to buy it !! A number of things are recommended on this forum and already I have spent over £60 on them and it is money well spent!! All directly related to comments from distinguished members who drop in. I look forward to the book.

Thank you

Carl Dixon

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 12:36 am:

welcome to the forum weldon.

i don't have to tell you that your work in sixties philadelphia is greatly lauded by many people in the united kingdom.

an overview for the uninitiated tells us weldon worked extensively with luther randolph and johnny styles on m.r.s./dynodynamic and harthon productions. he sang with the larks/4 larks and irma and the larks.

some of the best music ever played on the northern soul scene came from the victors/eddie holman/the united 4/the larks/bernard williams/larry clinton - all through harthon.

one of my all time favourite beat-ballads is by the intentions 'don't forget that i love you' - the epitome of sixties soul harmony.

oh and one other guy he worked with is one bobby eli, whom is no doubt responsible for weldon's appearance on the forum.

thanks a million to you both.

By PHILLYSOULMAN (152.163.207.196 - 152.163.207.196) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 04:52 am:

HI DAVID, NO DOUBT!! WELDON IS ONE OF THE GREATS AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH MOTOWN AND BEFORE THAT THE HARTHON COLLECTIVE, ET AL IS LEGANDARY. IN FACT, IT WAS WELDON WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY STUDIO BEGINNINGS.

By david. glasgow, scotland (213.123.68.7 - 213.123.68.7) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 10:26 am:

bobby, which studio was your introduction to the music industry?

how many studios did philadelphia have in the mid sixties?

By phillysoulman (152.163.197.49 - 152.163.197.49) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 04:32 pm:

THE VERY FIRST STUDIO THAT I WAS EVER IN WAS HAROLD B ROBINSONS STUDIO WHICH WAS BENEATH AN AUTO DEALERSHIP. YOU HAD TO WALK AROUND CARS TO GET TO THE STAIRWAY DOWN TO THE STUDIO. IT WAS QUITE ARCHAIC ALTHOUGH IT HAD TWO TRACKS, WHICH WAS ONE TRACK MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE HAD AT THAT TIME IN PHILLY. I WAS THRILLED JUST TO SEE THE WONDER OF AN OVERHEAD BOOM MIKE!! I HAD HIT THE BIG TIME. PATTI LABELLE HAD DONE HER FIRST RECORDINGS THERE AS WELL AS THE DREAMLOVERS. IT WAS BASICALLY MOSTLY USED FOR HAROLDS DAILY FIFTEEN MINUTE RADIO SHOW WHERE HE PLAYED RECORDS AND ADVERTISED HIS WARES.
THE NEXT TIME WAS WHEN I MET WELDON ON A STREET CORNER WHILE WAITING FOR A BUS AFTER SCHOOL.
I HAD MY GUITAR WITH ME AND HE ASKED WHETHER I COULD PLAY IT. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD HE SAID THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAS TO A SESSION AND IF I WANTED TO COME AND HE WOULD TRY ME OUT.
I THOUGHT" TRY ME OUT DOING WHAT" " WHAT KIND OF SESSION?"WAS THIS BIG GUY TRYING TO PICK ME UP?? ANYWAY, WE GOT TO THE VIRTUE RECORDING STUDIO WHERE MOST OF THE HARTHON AND JIMMY BISHOP THINGS WOULD LATER BE DONE,AND HE WAS RECORDING A GROUP CALLED THE TIFFANYS.I MUST HAVE PASSED THE TEST BECAUSE SHORTLY THEREAFTER BARBARA MASON CAME ALONG AND I WAS INVITED TO PLAY ON THAT STUFF.THAT IS WHERE I FIRST MET EARL YOUNG WHO WAS A LAST MINUTE STAND IN OR SHOULD I SAY SIT IN FOR THE ORIGINAL DRUMMER WHO DID NOT SHOW UP. EARL WAS NOT REALLY A DRUMMER BUT A BASS SINGER, BUT HE HAD IMPECCABLE METER SO HE BECAME THE DRUMMER. I HAD RECOMENDED BASSIST RONNIE BAKER WHO I KNEW AND I BELIEVE THAT BARBARA MASON KNEW NORMAN HARRIS AND THAT WAS HOW SEEDS OF MFSB WERE SEWN.
SOME OF THE STUDIOS AT THAT TIME WERE VIRTUE, 919, WHICH ALSO DID A LOT OF THE ARCTIC THINGS. ON THE AMBASSADORS ALBUM THAT IS 919 STUDIO WHERE WE WERE PHOTOGRAPHED DURING A SESSION.
THERE WAS SOUND PLUS,WHERE PATTI AND THE EMBLEMS AND THE MAJORS RECORDED AS WELL AS ALL OF THE BEN-LEE AND DON-EL THINGS.SOUND PLUS LATER MOVED TO THE BUILDING WHERE SIGMA IS, WHICH WAS RECO-ART BEFORE SOUND PLUS. IS EVERYONE FOLLOWING SO FAR. ITS ALMOST LIKE A MUSICAL "GENESIS" OF SORTS WITHOUT CAIN AND ABEL!! BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY.
THERE WAS A.M.S., WHERE THE BUTLERS DID THEIR FIRST SIDES AND HAROLD B ROBINSONS OF COURSE.
THOSE WERE THE PRIMARY ONES IN PHILLY. SOMETIMES WHEN A "MORE POLISHED" SOUND WAS DESIRED SOME WOULD TRUDGE OFF TO NYC AND BELL SOUND FOR THAT "PROFESSIONAL"SOUND.
AND SO IT WENT AND SO IT GOES.

CHEERS!!!!

BOBBY ELI

By Rich (162.33.234.165 - 162.33.234.165) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 06:11 pm:

Hey Bobby

Great Stories, MFSB!! Like Dr J, you guys were ambassadors for the City. I grew up down the road in Wilmington & It was such a great feeling in the 70's to know that 30 minutes away, Sigma had it goin' on like Motown had in the sixties. Kind of like this past June when everybody was driving around with those Sixer banners on their cars. Stories like these take it down to the roots. WDAS was there from the beginning. I think 98 WCAU had a Philly Soul format in the 70's. Philly had some Golden Years to call their own. In the early 80's I was livin on Ellet St in Mt Airy for a minute, when came Power 99 came in and things just didn't seem the same after that, radio-wise that is. Thanks for all the music Bobby!!

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 07:06 pm:

Hello Mr. Eli!

My name is Daren Metz and I have been playing drums for about 25 years and I have been in the Philly area since 1987. My Uncle Colt is the MD for BoyzIIMen as well as a lot of other music groups in Philly. I also play with Fred Cooper and the Cooper Bros as well as work at Sony/Studio 4 in Conshohoken! But I grew up in Detroit and graduated from Southeastern High School!

I just came across this site today and wanted to shout out to you and get some advice on some of the history of music in Detroit!

My main question is this: Did Parliament Funkadelic actually do most of their albums at United Sound Systems in Detroit? And if you know, did Bootsy Collins actually play drums on "One Nation under a Groove"?

I am going to Detroit for Memorial Day to do a clinic at the Guitar Center and play with David McMurray as well as see my family!

Thank you for you time and if you need a drummer in the Philly area let me know!

Daren Metz
Noble & Cooley Drums
Sabian Cymbals
ddrum electronics
AKG mikes
Akai Samplers

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 08:11 pm:

welcome daren!

bootsy was one of several drummers on the one nation album.

the first funkadelic album was recorded at tera shirma.

most of the early parliament stuff was done at united sound. can't be specific though.

By phillysoulman (64.12.104.58 - 64.12.104.58) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 08:49 pm:

HI,
ELI HERE. IN ADDITION TO THE P.F. STUDIO QUERY, THEY RECORDED IN BETWEEN UNITED SOUND AND HOLLYWOOD SOUND IN L.A.
WHEN I WAS PRODUCING THE FIRST ATLANTIC STARR ALBUM FOR A&M, I WOULD USUALLY BE IN STUDIO B AND THEY WOULD BE IN STUDIO A . THIS WENT ON FOR THE GREATER PART OF THE THREE MONTHS THAT I WAS THERE. THE OTHER FOLKS THAT WERE RECORDING THERE AT THE TIME WERE EARTH WIND AND FIRE AND OTHER KALIMBA ACTS LIKE KINZMANN-DAZZ, WHO BECAME THE DAZZ BAND. THE STUDIO OWNER SAID THAT THE FUNK MOB WERE USUALLY THERE FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE UPSTAIRS LOUNGE WAS QUITE A HANGOUT PLACE FOR ALL OF US AND A REUNION OF SORTS FOR GEORGE, BERNIE,FUZZY AND MYSELF. I THINK EDDIE WAS NOT THERE ALTHOUGH I USED TO RUN IN TO HIM ON VEVTURA, BUT BY THAT TIME HE WAS NOT DOING TOO WELL. DAREN, DOES BRIAN WILIAMS STILL PLAY WITHB.T.M.? IF SO, SAY HI FOR ME..

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 08:49 pm:

Hello Mr David!

Thank you for your response! I actually went to United Sound Systems when I was 15 years old to do a gospel album back in the 80's and was astounded that I actually was in the same room that Bootsy, George Clinton, Dennis Chambers, Tiki Fulwood, Gary Shider, Roger Troutman and so many other people recorded landmark albums! (I was actually so excited that I felt like I would lose it!)

Hopefully someone will purchase the property and keep it going!

By the way does any know if Superdisc is still going strong? Or is it a memory as well. The last that I have heard, it was called "the Disc"

Lastly, does anyone know what are the opening and closing times for the Motown Museum are? I plan to visit and show my children where "REAL MUSIC" got its start!!

Daren Metz

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 09:07 pm:

Hey Mr ELI!!!

Thank you for your kind response!!! I know Brian,Kern,Freddie ()Stacy and the rest of the bunch! They go through a bunch of changes, but you know this business!

Anyway do you know my big brother Fred Cooper! He worked at Zapfs for a couple of years and was the MD for BIIM before My Uncle Colt! Darren Daughtry knows me as well!

Bill Jolly knows me as well!

Colt is having his Superbowl party on Sunday and they will all be there so I will tell him.

Daren Metz
N&C
dmetz@bioimaging.com

By phillysoulman (64.12.104.46 - 64.12.104.46) on Friday, February 01, 2002 - 11:09 pm:

DAREN,
IS THERE A DOUG THATS WITH BTM BAND??

By Rich (64.12.103.49 - 64.12.103.49) on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 12:40 am:

Daren, Good to have some more Philly up in here. I don't think P-Funk started using United Sounds until after Don Davis bought it in '71. Don's Groovesville Company published a lot of GC's tunes in the 60's. The Mothership was recorded in Detroit but a lot of their '76 & '77 recordings were done in LA like Bobby said. The Clones album, Eddie's solo LP, Parlet, & the Live LP. RE: Bootsy on drums. You're on point. FLASHLIGHT is another one besides One Nation & Knee Deep where Bootsy played drums. On Flashlight, Bernie would play the bassline on synth & Bootsy would drum along. Catfish played the guitar and Daryl Dixon the sax. Thats about it I believe, well except for about 20 vocalists. Junie may have been the one who taught Boosty to multi track and from then on its been more or less a one man show. Like with Let's Play House from Parliaments Trombipulation. Its Bootsy on Bass, Guitar & Drums. Favorite P-Funk drummer Ramon "Tiki' Fullwood !!

By phillysoulman (152.163.197.179 - 152.163.197.179) on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 01:08 am:

" THE PARLIAMENTS" I WANNA TESTIFY AND
"ALLYOUR GODIES ARE GONE" "THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG" ,WERE DONE AT UNITED . BABBITT PLAYED BASS ON THAT STUFF. I CONFIRMED IT LAST NIGHT. OF COURSE IT WAS PRE P. FUNK BUT IT FEATURED THE ORIGINAL SINGING LINE UP.

By Rich (64.12.105.177 - 64.12.105.177) on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 08:47 pm:

Bobby, I'd heard somewhere that The Holidays (JJ Barnes, Edwin Starr & Steve Mancha aka Clyde Wilson) sang on Testify because it was cheaper to use Detroit vocalists than to send everybody up from Jersey. Calvin Simon was in Viet Nam around that time as well and may have been the most gifted vocalist in the group. The story is that Calvin first heard the "recorded" version while he was over there in '67. Did Babbit mention who the rest of the rhythm section was on those sessions? Oh and I forgot, Bootsy drums on Aqua Boogie as well.

By drums (66.54.236.2 - 66.54.236.2) on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 09:19 pm:

Hello again Mr. Eli!!!

I know that the mainstays of the band are Colt, Freddie Holliday, Brian W and I forget the name of the guitarist! They come and go very fast, but I will check for you tomorrow!

If you heard about the MTV Video awards fiasco,then you know how they are! (if you did not hear about it I will email it to you off line!)

The road manager is Brooke Payne and he hires and fires as he sees fit!

Anyway, I didnt know that you produced the DAZZ band and Atlantic Starr! Outstanding!

You may know my fellow labelmate and fellow drummer Frank Briggs! We both endorse Noble & Cooley drums!

Anyway holla back

DM

By drums (66.54.236.2 - 66.54.236.2) on Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 09:31 pm:

Hey again!

My computer is still new to me and I ended my message prematurely!

My other question is:

I have heard that a lot of the Funk Mob tunes were created from free form jams. Supposedly "One Nation" was something that came out of a spur of the moment sit down and that the words were just made up as they went along, with George and Gary Shider doing a "James Brown" impersonation!!! Does anyone know if this is true or was this tune written with beforehand thought!!

The reason that I ask this is because as most people know, a lot of your best ideas come from goofs or "wow, i didnt know that this machine could do this!!"(if you know what I mean!!)

I am recording my first album entitled "Return of the Funky drums" and I get more inspiration from going in with a clear head and playing with feeling than I do with pre-arranging and writing material out!

Just a thought, please elaborate!!

DM

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Sunday, February 03, 2002 - 08:43 pm:

hi daren

motown museum opens
sunday/monday 12to5
tuesday-saturday 10to5

btw i dig gospel too!

By phillysoulman (152.163.204.207 - 152.163.204.207) on Sunday, February 03, 2002 - 09:11 pm:

HEY DAVID,
REGARDING GOSPEL, HAVE YOU EVER COME ACROSS AN ALBUM BY THE THE TOMLIN CHOIR? THEY WERE AN ACAPPELA CHOIR FROM PHILLY, BUT TRAVELLED ABOUT AS WELL. IT WAS PROBABLY LATE SIXTIES.

CHEERS MATE!!
B. ELI

By John Lester (213.122.201.226 - 213.122.201.226) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 12:44 am:

Motown Museum

Telephone first to find out when Mrs Edwards is there..probably Friday...

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 02:24 pm:

Hey Mr. Rich!!

Bootsy played the drums on Aqua Boogie!!! I am so blown away that you will never find me again!!! I played that song so much that my Mom hid the album from me!!! Outrageous!

Was the Aqua Boogie album recorded at United Sound as well?

Also thanks to the person that gave me the hours for the Motown Museum. I am going to enjoy Memorial Day!


DM