By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 08:07 pm:

Richie,

I knew there was a single on Colpix by a group called the Hit Pack but always assumed it was
a different group however .....

Colpix 745 (1964)
SUMMER FEVER (Artie Kornfeld, Robert Staunton,
Robert Walker)
MR. BIG WHEELS ( Kornfeld - Staunton - Walker )


The writer credits which I found from the BMI
database seem to clinch it - this is the same
as the Motown group . I've yet to hear "Never
Say No To Your BAby" but my guess is that they're a white group - the Colpix titles look like
surf / hot rod songs.

Thank God for access to the BMI database - it's
helping to solve lots of mysteries - pity it's
so addictive !

By Ritchie Hardin (62.254.0.5 - 62.254.0.5) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 09:04 pm:

Hi Davie
Thanks for the info... Listening to the Never Say No track (yes, I have got it!) it sounds like an unfinished master - rhythm + backing vocals but no lead. The BVO's are male, and could very well be white. The track is pure Motown, with a nice jangling rhythm guitar, and a bari sax - Mr Terry, one presumes.
The "song" is just the chorus line: "Never say no to your baby", plus the odd interjection: "hey fellas..", "most of the time" - as if there's a song waiting to be put on top! As I remastered this track from a very poor quality b**tl*g CD, maybe we'll never know... Over to you perhaps, John.....??

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 09:56 pm:

Hi Richie,

Going by your description I'm amazed that the track not only got issued in the States but
also over here. If it sounds that incomplete I wonder what (if any !) airplay it had .

What bootleg was it on ? -one of those Marginal
Rare Tracks From Detroit volumes ?

By John Lester (213.1.131.27 - 213.1.131.27) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 10:40 pm:

I laugh...cos I started this..Paul Nixon is putting together a volume 4 of Hard To Find...etc...the Hit Pack are on it and he wanted to know the members of the group......I can't find details of them ........

A MARGINAL release....I don't know WHAT you are talking about.......LOL!

But doesn't the names....Robert Staunton or Robert Walker or Robert Dubyne....mean something to you guys? I asked Brenda (How Many Times Did You Mean It) Holloway about those guys......"naaah, I don't remember them at all..." Clearly they didn't make a lasting impression on our Brenda!

By Ritchie Hardin (62.254.0.5 - 62.254.0.5) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 10:44 pm:

Davie -
I have all the Marginal Detroits, and the Hit Pack wasn't on any volume. Chris could tell you better about the origin of these particular boots - these weren't Marginals, but I understand they were home-made efforts of even more dubious origin!
They were very amateurishly transferred (not by Chris, I hasten to add!) from very poor quality vinyl. The title was Motown Uncovered, and I had a fair job on my hands to rescue the music from the apalling sound. Chris - over to you.... if you care to fill in any more info on the origin.
BTW, we have two volumes of these restored rarities.

By Ritchie Hardin (62.254.0.5 - 62.254.0.5) on Monday, February 04, 2002 - 10:52 pm:

Just thought I'd better make a point, folks, in case anyone gets the wrong idea. I do spend a lot of time digitally restoring rare Soul music and transferring it to CD, but each compilation is a strictly limited edition, and I've never sold a single one... I've frequently given them away to other Soul-heads, yes - but sold one...? Never!

By Chris. Freston (213.1.189.192 - 213.1.189.192) on Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 02:35 pm:

Ritchie- can't add much other than I found the guy (won't give his name here) on the net. He was/is part of the Northern Soul Ring. I think he made C.D copies of the records that had gone through his hands. Must say your cleaning was great.

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 05:56 pm:

John,

I know Staunton and Walker as Motown writers as
well as various other writing credits - including
involvement with Barry White productions on Bronco.

Robert Dobyne - original lead of the Artistics,
a few solo singles, one half of Dobyne & Jones.

Are you inferring that Staunton and Walker are
members of the Hit Pack ? - Could be but I don't
know either way.

Artie Kornfeld - do you want to know about him ?
Wrote for people like the Cowsills and loaaaads
more in the mid - sixties. Not a soulster.

I await Paul's CD with interest.

Marginally yours

By phillysoulman (64.12.101.178 - 64.12.101.178) on Tuesday, February 05, 2002 - 08:56 pm:

Artie Kornfeld was one of the four people responsible for Woodstock

By Chris. Freston (213.122.24.54 - 213.122.24.54) on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 07:47 am:

Many thanks to Mr.Weinger, Nixon, Lester & Hughes
for Vol.4 of Big Hits & Hard To Find C.D. I now realise the Hit Pack track that I've know until now is ,as Ritchie suspected, just the backing track. According to the discography I've read it wasn't the single's B side. Was it on the demo? I guess to be used for P.As. On the same C.Ds. sleeve notes, the Monitors are not mentioned. Is it just a cock up? Looking forward to Cellarful.

By John Lester (213.1.136.211 - 213.1.136.211) on Sunday, May 05, 2002 - 07:58 am:

Err - Chris A mistake...oh no, perish the thought! Err - now let's think...what about THE PROOF READER WAS ON HOLIDAY. Or, IT WAS A LATE ADDITION. But does it matter, I agree it's a really nice little compilation with something for everyone and at £6 a throw (and even less) it should sell enough for another volume.

Hit Pack - that band track was not issued commercially. Produced by Staunton Walker, Andy Rix is supposed to be trying to get these men to come onto the forum and tell us about it.

BTW, Ralph - have you caught up with Johnny Bristol yet?