News

The Spontanes from Gastonia, NC ran initially from 1960 to 1968, with a couple of subtle band title changes at various points to include lead singers Joe Ray Dowell and Harley Hogg. In one form or another they have continued to perform pretty much ever since. The group had more than forty members during its history, including about twenty during their 1960s recording period. They played across the south east including Spartanburg SC, Charlotte and Greensboro NC, and at various college venues including the University of Georgia campus in the late 60s. The Spontanes went on to record for Eclipse,...

Texan Don Robey was an entrepreneur, community celebrity; and some report an individual who used threats and violence to get his way. But whether a man of stature, malevolence or elements of both, he followed many business avenues and was successful in most of them. Robey’s entertainment enterprises, including ownership of four of the biggest and most prolific R&B orientated labels in Texas – Peacock, Back Beat and Sure-Shot, has secured his place within web pages of the Texas State Historical Association’s hall of fame. A building carrying his family legacy, the L. Robey Building stands where his recording studios...

My delight at hearing that finally someone had written a book on Wilson Pickett was initially dampened on reading the author's background which appeared predominately pop oriented and very rock orientated slanted; soulless to be frank.  However reading the preface alone won me over. His enthusiasm for the subject was obvious and his summary sounded like he had done his homework. I think all good books should tell a convincing story, including biographies. This book excels in that it tells a number of stories concurrently. The key thread is obviously Pickett’s story and his evolution from cotton picking family to...

One of the biggest and rarest 1960s girl group 45 discoveries with northern soul appeal is without a doubt The Passions for their “If You See My Baby” (Elvitrue & Satelite 177). Elvitrue was an independent record label out of 1108 (1-2) South 7th Street, Wilmington NC. Set up in 1959, it was owned by John Lewis Jones and possibly James Wheeler. It had a most sporadic recording history with around ten releases, with the label closing in 1976. The repertoire included pop, soul, gospel, country and funk. Elvitrue essentially seems to have been a vanity outlet, with its random...

Which floats your boat? I’ve been asked a few times now what the rationale was for selecting the particular artists and recordings in House of Broken Hearts. The purpose of the book was not to be a panacea of Nashville soul history; more a deep dig into the stories of artists and recordings from my world (an underground scene on the ‘wrong’ side of the Atlantic). Even at that though, my immediate guess is that fans of Charlie Romans’ “24 Hour Service” are a different breed - and likely a generation apart – from collectors who would be seeking a...