ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD worldwide release on Ruf Records…
May 18, 2012:
Royal Southern Brotherhood...
Cyril Neville and Devon Allman
Mike Zito
Charlie Wooten, Yonrico Scott
Produced by Jim Gaines...
THIS IS SERIOUS GUMBO!
DEBUTS at #5 on the Billboard Blues Chart!
FIRED UP…The RSB (Royal Southern Brotherhood) use the "Legends" studio for reheasals for their 1st tour…
This SUPERGROUPcertainly is
Fired Up and Ready to Go!!!
Coming to a venue in your area in 2012…
THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED
Otis Blackwell first became famous by winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York in 1952...
That led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition "Daddy Rolling Stone"
“Daddy Rolling Stone” also became a favorite in Jamaica where it was recorded by Derek Martin…
Derek Martin: Daddy Rolling Stone
After his initial success with “Daddy Rolling Stone,” more successes came starting in 1956 when Little Willie John's Otis Blackwell-penned R&B hit "Fever"
(which was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee).
Then, "All Shook Up" (first recorded by David Hill on Aladdin) began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley, who, erroneously was credited as co-writer of the Otis Blackwell composition.
Blackwell was one of the leading African American figures of early rock 'n' roll, although he was not well known by the public. His own records never cracked the Top 40, yet he wrote million-selling songs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark and others.
Songs he composed, with the performer who made them famous, include (but are not limited to):
"All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley)
"Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis Presley); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002
"Fever" as "John Davenport" with Eddie Cooley (Peggy Lee inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, Little Willie John, Madonna, The McCoys, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Over the Rhine, and countless other performers).
"Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis); inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998
In 1991, Blackwell was left paralyzed by a stroke. Three years later, Shanachie released Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell. The album features 15 Blackwell-penned tracks recorded by the likes of Kris Kristofferson ("All Shook Up"), Blondie's Debbie Harry ("Don't Be Cruel"), The Smithereens ("Let's Talk About Us"), Graham Parker ("Paralyzed"), and Ronnie Spector ("Brace Yourself")...
(With a heavy dappling of Crispin Cioe, as well as, The Uptown Horns…)
Legacy (From Wikipedia)
Otis Blackwell was one of the greatest R&B songwriters of all time. His songwriting style is as uniquely identifiable as that of Leiber and Stoller, Chuck Berry, or Willie Dixon and helped redefine popular music in America in the 1950s. This is true even though he often collaborated with such partners as Winfield Scott, Eddie Cooley, and Jack Hammer. Blackwell was one of the most important innovators who helped invent the musical vocabulary of rock & roll at its very beginning. Blackwell's works have been recorded into immortality by a host of other major figures in the record field, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, The Who, Johnny Thunders, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, The Judds, Carl Perkins and Peggy Lee, among numerous others. At other times in his career, Blackwell has also been successful as a record producer, having helped turn out hits with artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.
Otis Blackwell died in 2002 of a heart attack and was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee…
R.I.P. OTIS BLACKWELL
THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED
In the fall of 1962, writer/manager/entrepreneur Ronnie Mack took some his songs to a new production team in New York City.
The company Bright Tunes and the producers were Phil and Mitch Margo, Jay Siegel, and Hank Medress a.k.a. The Tokens of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” fame.
"He's So Fine" was one of those songs.
Mack brought The Chiffons in to record the tune and The Tokens not only produced it, but played all the instruments too.
By March 20th "He's So Fine" was the #1 record on both the Pop and R&B charts.
“He’s So Fine”
1968: Otis Redding - Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by soul singer Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper…
It was first recorded by Otis Redding in 1967, just days before his death. It was released posthumously on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968, becoming the first posthumous number-one single in US and UK chart history. (From Wikipedia)
1971: Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Released on the Gordy (Motown) label,
and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group's 1971 album, Sky's the Limit. When released as a single, "Just My Imagination" became the third Temptations song to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100…
The Temptations, OF COURSE!!!
Some Cool Number One Records
on March 28th Through the Years
in
THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'n ROLL...
THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED
March 9. 1963: Jan Bradley hits #14 with "Mama Didn't Lie".
Jan Bradley scored big with the tune in 1963...
Also in 1963, the tune was covered by The Orlons…Another GREAT version...
LP Produced by Curtis Mayfield
Then in 1965: Derrick Harriot covered it for Island Records:
SO, Why's Curtis Mayfield's picture at the top of this page???
Although Curtis Mayfield has left a remarkable legacy for his introduction of social consciousness into R&B and is well known for pioneering the funk style; and it's no secret that many of his recordings with the Impressions became anthems of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and that his most famous album, Super Fly
is regarded as an all-time great that influenced many and truly invented a new style of modern black music—
The fact is that "Mama Didn't Lie" was written by Curtis Mayfield and released on his Mayfield label in 1963 by the Fascinations leads me to believe their version came first. And, it’s not a bad version…
“Mama Didn’t Lie”
was one of Curtis Mayfield's first hits and many folks don't even know that!
R.I.P. CURTIS MAYFIELD
'Cause "Mama Didn't Lie"
Thanks for the Music ~ And Everything Else, Too!!!
THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED
January 3, 1959: Berry Gordy moves all of Motown's operations into a two-story house at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, which he christens "Hitsville"
"Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters. A former photographers' studio located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan
The property was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959 and converted into the record label's administrative building and the photography studio located in the back of the property was modified into a small recording studio, which was open 22 hours a day (closing from 8 to 10 AM for maintenance).
The Gordys moved into the second floor living quarters and Motown had opened up shop as Tamla Records!
"Shop Around", The Miracles' first #1 R&B hit, peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.
It was Tamla's first million-selling record. "
By the mid-1960s, the label,
with the help of songwriters and producers such as Smokey Robinson
A&R chief William "Mickey" Stevenson
Who, incidentally was a writer/producer, as well as “The A&R Man” at Motown. He co-wrote “Dancing in the Streets” and then made it a hit for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas…
Brian & Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier,
and Norman Whitfield,
Norman Whitfield and Barret Strong
was a major force in the music industry
By the end of 1966, Motown would occupy seven additional neighboring houses, Motown had hired over 450 employees and grossed an income of $20 million and the Gordys had moved out of the second floor living quarters:
Berry Gordy, Jr had seven older siblings--all prominent black citizens of Detroit. Young Berry, however, had dropped out of high school in the eleventh grade to become a professional boxer--He'd hoped to become rich quick!!!--That was a career he followed until 1950 when he was drafted by the United States Army for the Korean War. After his return from Korea in 1953, he married Thelma Coleman. He developed his interest in music by writing songs and opening the 3-D Record Mart, a record store featuring jazz music. The store was unsuccessful and Gordy sought work at the Lincoln-Mercury plant, then he met Al Green (not the singer), owner of the Flame Show Bar talent club
That's where Green introduced Berry to Jackie Wilson... In 1957, Wilson recorded Reet Petite, a song Gordy had co-written with his sister Gwen and writer-producer Billy Davis. It became a modest hit but had more success internationally, especially in the UK where it reached the Top 10 and even later topped the chart on re-issue in 1986.
Wilson recorded four more songs co-written by Gordy over the next two years, including "Lonely Teardrops", which topped the R & B charts and got to #7 on the pop chart.
Berry and Gwen Gordy also wrote "All I Could Do Was Cry" for Etta James at Chess Records.
Gordy reinvested his songwriting success into producing. In 1959, at Miracles leader Smokey Robinson's encouragement, Gordy borrowed $800 from his family to create an R&B label, Tamla Records.
After a couple of “near hit” productions, Berry's third release was "Bad Girl" by The Miracles, and was the first-ever release for the Motown record label. "Bad Girl" was a solid hit in 1959 after Chess Records picked it up.
Barret Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" initially appearing on Tamla and then charted on Gordy's sister's label, Anna Records, in February 1960.
The Miracles' hit "Shop Around" peaked at #1 on the national R&B charts in late 1960 and at #2 on the Billboard pop charts on January 16, 1961, which established Motown as an independent company worthy of notice.
Later in 1961, The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" made it to the top of both charts. In 1960, Gordy signed an unknown named Mary Wells who became the fledgling label's first star, with Smokey Robinson penning her hits "You Beat Me to the Punch," "Two Lovers" and "My Guy". The Tamla and Motown labels were then merged into a new company Motown Records--The rest, including the movies, is history...
Gordy's gift for identifying and bringing together musical talent, along with the careful management of his artists' public image, made Motown initially a major national and then international success. Over the next decade, he signed such artists as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, The Contours, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5.
Although Motown continued to produce major hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s by artists like the Jacksons, Rick James, Lionel Richie and long-term signings, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, the record company was no longer the major force it had been previously. Gordy sold his interests in Motown Records to MCA and Boston Ventures on June 28, 1988 for $61 million. He also later sold most of his interests in the Jobete publishing concern to EMI Publishing.
