|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jimmy Holland recorded these SYCO and Blue Rock records in
Chicago during 1965.
James Holland
By spring ‘65, The Four Hollidays had shrunk to
one member: Jimmy. The two Barksdale brothers had taken regular
jobs and James Shorter had signed with Lou Beatty’s La Beat
Records.
With his Holliday retail and recording business not doing too
good, Jimmy decided to head back to Chicago:
“After the stint with the record store, I pawned my brother’s
nickel-plated baritone sax for $20. I decided to leave all these
projects and go back to Chicago – the Markie Records guy wanted
to do something with me, Lenny Luffman. I passed myself off as a
Harry Belafonte type, singing 'Matilda' and that stuff down on
Rush Street and a lot of the white clubs.”
When Jimmy visited the Motor City, he’d often gig with Gino
Washington: Armen Boladian, who had a record dealership on
Woodward Avenue, ferried them around. You can see Armen’s
Bridgeport Music has the publishing on the SYCO disc, with Hedye
Boy also getting a mention. Andre Williams took charge of the
session, which featured Alvin Cash and his band, The Crawlers -
he had a hand in writing their first hit, “Twine Time”.
James Holland
INTERVIEW
&
“Sugar Baby”
CLICK^ TO LISTEN |
Although based in Chicago, Jimmy – who isn’t related to Eddie
and Brian - continued doing sessions in Detroit; one of which
was backing Sir Mack Rice on “Mustang Sally” at United Sound’s
studio – with Dale Warren arranging. Again, Andre Williams
produced the song - the original version of Wilson Pickett’s hit
- and in March ’65 sold it to Mercury’s Blue Rock label. With
Andre’s influence, Jimmy managed to get a toehold with the
Chicago-based company:
Andre Williams produced and arranged both sides of Jimmy’s Blue
Rock disc, with Jimmy not coming into the atmospheric “Baby
Don’t Leave Me” until almost a minute of the track. But the
punchy female-led intro’ certainly keeps the listener
entertained. Unfortunately this release didn’t take off – it’s
another 45 that only seems to have been pressed as a promotional
disc. In fact Jimmy didn’t even know it had been pressed at all
until I recently played it to him, but did recall that Mercury
offered him a production deal. He obviously didn’t take it.
These records didn’t make Jimmy any richer and just to rub salt
in the proverbial wound, a new group in Detroit named The
Holidays was about to record a big smash, with his
under-contract Edwin Starr leading the group and Don Davis
producing. |
|
|
|
Researched and written by Graham Finch |
|
DESIGN
AND GRAPHICS BY
LOWELL BOILEAU
|
This website is dedicated to Detroit, Soul Music, 45 RPM, Northern
Soul and the great Motown era of Detroit Musics. It covers the Holidays, Golden
World, Tamla, Wheelsville, Robert West, Darrell Banks, Johnnie
Mae Matthews, Rose Battiste, Tera Shirma, Fred Bridges, Supremes,
Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Funk Brothers, Dennis Coffey, Bob
Babbitt, James Jamerson, Twisted Wheel, Wiggan Casino and many
more Detroit Souls topics. |
|
|