Legendary bassist James Jamerson
played on several of Emanuel’s Thelma recordings and they both
featured at the Parizian in February 1964. Cornelius Watts
managed this club before opening his own place in the late 60s:
Watt’s Club
Mozambique.
“To live with you my whole life through
fulfils my mission on earth with you”
Lucky To Be Loved (By You)
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Emanuel Lasky
An Introduction by Clay McMurray
Wow...I can't believe I've been in this business more than 40
yrs. During that time I've worked with some of the most creative
and talented people in the music business. I've written,
co-written, engineered and produced more than 150 albums/singles
and CD's etc. I've had a #1, some top tens, a bunch rising and
falling in the charts, and some that were never mentioned much
at all. But what I cherish most is how it all got started and
that handful of very special people that I encountered on my
initial journey. One of those very special people was none other
than Emanuel Lasky.
Why? Because he was a major part in my new beginnings as a
wannabe songwriter/producer. I remember the first time I heard
Emanuel on Detroit radio singing “Welfare Cheese”, “Lucky To Be
Loved” and “Crazy”. Wow… I could only wish that he would take a
look at some of the words and poems I had been writing - there
was something about the way he sounded that I really liked. I
never told anyone but I wanted very much to meet Emanuel Lasky,
this young local singer with a strange voice and some good
songs.
One evening while listening to DJ “Frantic Ernie” Durham, he
announced that Emanuel Lasky, Joe Matthews, The Debonairs and
Eddie Hill would be appearing at the 20 Grand Gold Room for his
Friday nite record hop. I made quick plans to be there to see
them all! That was how I ended up meeting Emanuel and Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Coleman, who were the owners of Emanuel’s Record
label, "Thelma". I heard they were also in-laws to Berry Gordy,
who owned Hitsville USA. I guess you could say that Thelma
Records was like the minor leagues, or community college of
music and Hitsville was the tough University with a specialty of
making songs national hit records from a row of individual
houses located on Detroit's West Grand Blvd.
There were local rumors that if there was ever a writer,
musician, producer or singer who started at Thelma records, got
a local hit and became really good, that they might earn a shot
at working at Hitsville: like Norman Whitfield, Richard Street,
and quite a few others. I never dreamed I would one day get that
same opportunity that started by writing songs for Emanuel
Lasky.
I can remember asking Mrs. Coleman if I could stop by their
office on Grand River and talk to them about writing songs and
producing records for their Thelma label. The first time I
stopped by the label’s office I was introduced to four people:
Emanuel Lasky first and foremost, Don Mancha - who was at the
piano, James Goffine - who was a writer for the label, and a guy
they called Kingfish - a guitarist/writer/producer. It was also
where I officially met Norman Whitfield who had once been a
writer and producer for Thelma Records.
To be honest, I was a bit star struck when I met Emanuel
because, because thru’ some act of luck or fate, I was standing
next to one of my favorite artists who - until that nite at the
Gold Room in the 20 Grand and now at his label’s headquarters -
I had only known from his unusual voice on the radio. I was
beginning to feel that I was somehow getting closer to my dream
of writing songs for one of my favorite singers - Emanuel Lasky.
Thelma Records was a mere storefront with a few rooms in it and
a large upright piano in the back room where all of the artist
practiced, rehearsed potential songs and the writers got
together to write. Mr. Coleman, who they all called Pop, sat in
the corner of the room listening to Emanuel as he rehearsed for
a gig somewhere in Ohio. Mrs. Coleman, who always called me
Mack, initially sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do,
and of course I said I'd like to join Thelma Records and write
songs for Emanuel Lasky. She said here at Thelma Records you
have to earn the right to write for artist like Emanuel Lasky
and she had a lot to say about what was good enough to record
and release on the label.
Mrs. Coleman was also the person who encouraged me to talk with
Don Mancha about listening to some of lyrics I had written. This
new relationship with Don M led to our collaboration of four
songs on Emanuel, starting with "Sweet Lies" and “I'm a Peace
Loving Man", then “I’ve Got To Run For My Life" and "You Better
Quit It". At that time there couldn’t have been anything more
fulfilling than meeting the "Emanuel Lasky" and actually
co-writing songs that he would soon record.
I guess you could say Emanuel Lasky played a major part in my
introduction to the world of Music as a new songwriter. And as
far as I was concerned Emanuel Lasky was the biggest star on the
Thelma Records label from 1962 –1966. He was a main vein at the
start of my career and I am honored to be one of the many
writers whose material he recorded. Here is the life and musical
history of Emanuel Lasky, by Graham Finch.
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