The Broadways “Are You Telling Me Goodbye” (MGM 13486-B, 1966) I‘m a sucker for an elegant break-up ballad. Better yet if the singer has a pensive tone to their voice that heightens the melodrama. It seems that Billy Brown, later of The Moments and Ray, Goodman & Brown decidedly had that voice that lifted him…
Author: Laurence Jones
Time Capsule or actual human being, who knows. Laurence Jones has been sifting through ephemera of the past seemingly forever, spinning vinyl for you, taking film photography and entertaining you with instagram posts of the decrepit old cars they own. You can find previous writing by them at djlarsupreme.com and medium.com
Martha & The Vandellas “Can’t Break The Habit” (1965, Unreleased. From Never Released Masters From Motown’s Brightest Stars, 1986)
Martha & The Vandellas “Can’t Break The Habit” (1965, Unreleased. From Never Released Masters From Motown’s Brightest Stars, 1986) We’re finishing our Vacation to 1965 through the feminine eye just in time to celebrate Martha Reeves’s 74th Birthday. And who wouldn’t want to end the trip in Motown Studio A, Circa 1965 with the latest…
Sheila Ferguson “Little Red Riding Hood” (Landa 706-B, 1965)
Sheila Ferguson “Little Red Riding Hood” (Landa 706-B, 1965) Although she would go on to become most famous as one of The Three Degrees, Sheila Ferguson started her career as a soloist. Her solo efforts throughout 1965 were Three Degrees records by proxy, since The Three Degrees handled background duties on most, if not all…
Jackie Ross “You Really Know How To Hurt A Girl” (Chess 1929, 1965)
Jackie Ross “You Really Know How To Hurt A Girl” (Chess 1929, 1965) Jackie Ross is in some weird way, is a tangent in the Mary Wells story. Her big debut record for Chess Records, “Selfish One” sounded more like a sequel to “My Guy” than Wells did herself at 20th Century Fox in the…
Uranus-Pluto and the Girl Group Explosion: The Lecture
Uranus-Pluto and the Girl Group Explosion: The Lecture As you may remember, way back in the mists of time (well, this March Solstice weekend) I did my first ever Astrology lecture on the Uranus-Pluto Conjunction years and the rise of Girl Groups in American Popular Music. Thanks to the tireless work of the wonderful Ian…
Mary Love “Hey Stoney Face” (Modern 1010-B, 1965)
Mary Love “Hey Stoney Face” (Modern 1010-B, 1965) By 1965, the Motown influence reached its arms to both coasts. Not only were the sonic patterns of West Grand Boulevard influential on female soul records, as in the case of Ashford and Simpson in New York, certain songwriters vied for attention from the label. Notable on…
Carolyn Crawford “Lover Boy” (1965, Unreleased, From Finders Keepers – Motown Girls, 2013)
Carolyn Crawford “Lover Boy” (1965, Unreleased, From Finders Keepers – Motown Girls, 2013) Along the lines of my “1965 was a cruel summer” theory for female soul singers: There must have been no worse place to be one than at Motown Records. As The Supremes broke age, race and gender barriers with 5 #1 Pop hits and…
Tina Britt “You’re Absolutely Right” (Eastern 605, 1965)
Tina Britt “You’re Absolutely Right” (Eastern 605, 1965) Speaking of Josephine Armstead’s partnership with Ashford & Simpson, one of the direct benefactors of their efforts was 26 year old Tina Britt. The Florida native found herself in New York recording a version of “The Real Thing.” That effervescent example of how Ashford, Simpson and Armstead…
Deena Johnson (Josephine Armstead) “The Breaking Point” (Wild Deuce 1004, 1965)
Deena Johnson (Josephine Armstead) “The Breaking Point” (Wild Deuce 1004, 1965) I‘ll have you know, I think the pinnacle of 1960’s soul happened in 1965. Following this assertion, I think some of the finest female soul records were released that year too. So as we get to the heart of the Half Century Past that…
Lou Johnson “Park Avenue” (Big Hill 554-B, 1965)
Lou Johnson “Park Avenue” (Big Hill 554-B, 1965) Lou Johnson was perhaps the perfect African American vocalist to hand this chugging and charming aspiring capitalist dream to. Given that he had the vocal capabilities, but not necessarily the chart successes to back up his talents, this soaring ode to unlocking the key to Mainstream American…
DJ Larsupreme 