Poetry and Spoken Word (18)

Featured Discussions

Co Co Brown

Just listen to him. This is what young ones don't have...this will just make me want to give him...a cupcake!

Started by GloriaLatest Reply

Lost Deep Soul Treasures Vol. 1

It's All Wrong (It's All Right) Sam Dees (2:44) Tired of Being Your Fool Nelson Sanders (2:46) No One Else Would Do Clay Hammond (3:29) O…

Started by ToneLatest Reply

Miriam Makeba.........MAMA AFRICA......Gone Home!

The Click Song Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 - 10 November 2008) was a South African singer and civil rights activist. The Grammy Award winn…

Started by Ronn NicholsLatest Reply

Discussions Replies Latest Activity

Stand By Me!

If you're a fan of world music, then you're in for a treat with Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls' Playing for Change: Peace Through Music,…

Started by Ronn Nichols

5 Jun 12, 2018
Reply by Edie Antoinette

Dusties?

Can some one please tell me why we don't have a Dusties radio station here in Chicago? And what can we do to get one started. Call me at 77…

Started by Al Greer

1 Jun 3, 2015
Reply by Edie Antoinette

Steppin'under the Stars

Chi-town or for visiting folks who step.Friday, July 19, 6:00p.m.-9:00p.m. DuSable Museum 740 E. 56th Pl., sponsored by Ald. Willie Cochran…

Started by La Donna Michelle

1 Jul 10, 2013
Reply by Edie Antoinette

The 411 Underground Buzz

  TV Icon/Mogul/Producer Dick Clark, known as “the world’s oldest teenager,” has died at the age of 82 from a massive heart attack. Clar…

Started by Edie Antoinette

0 Apr 26, 2012

Co Co Brown

Just listen to him. This is what young ones don't have...this will just make me want to give him...a cupcake!

Started by Gloria

2 Dec 6, 2009
Reply by Edie Antoinette

For My Men

Beautiful Black Men by Nikki Giovanni (With compliments and apologies to all not mentioned by name) i wanta say just gotta say something…

Started by Gloria

1 Dec 5, 2009
Reply by Shelley "SoleMann" King

Harlem Sweeties by Langston Hughs

Have you dug the spill Of Sugar Hill? Cast your gims On this sepia thrill: Brown sugar lassie, Caramel treat, Honey-gold baby Sweet enough…

Started by Gloria

5 Dec 5, 2009
Reply by Gloria

The American Economy........Whose to Blame??????

The Republican Brand INNER CITY BLUES It should be very clear to all living in The WORLD that the so-called Republican Party, in 2009…

Started by Ronn Nichols

5 Jul 29, 2009
Reply by Ronn Nichols

MJ

anybody looking at tv1

Started by Janie C Edney

1 Jul 3, 2009
Reply by Boo

70's Soul Tour

Hey everybody, Anybody know anything about the 70's Soul Tour going around right now? They're coming this way soon with the Dramatics, Chi-…

Started by Michael McLaughlin

1 Apr 24, 2009
Reply by Shelley "SoleMann" King

RSS

Introspection

Entr'acte

  1. play Norman Brown — Night Drive
  2. play Norman Brown — Feeling
  3. play Norman Brown — Still
  4. play Miles Davis — miles 1
  5. play miles 2
  6. play miles 3
  7. play miles 4
  8. play miles 5
  9. play Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
  10. play Santana — 01 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
  11. play Santana — 02 Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
  12. play Mongo — 02. Afro Blue



The history of the Butlers/Raw Soul is dense, but for all of us music nerds, that's normal. It is not totally clear what year the Butlers actually formed but they released their first single in 1963 on Liberty Records. That single was "She Tried To Kiss Me" and another single followed on Guyden entitled "Lovable Girl." After the Guyden single the Butlers took a break not recording another record until the single "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" was released on the Phila label in 1966. The group also backed Charles Earland and Jean Wells on one Phila single ("I Know She Loves Me"). 


As you might be noticing, the Butlers were doing a fair amount of recording but not achieving much success. The group's recordings sold regionally but never had the promotion to make an impact on the national scene. After the single with Phila, the Butlers moved to the Fairmount label (part of the Cameo-Parkway family) and released a handful of singles, some being reissued singles of the past. The Butlers were with Fairmount for 1966-67 and then moved to Sassy Records. Sassy released the group's greatest single (in my opinion) "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" b/w "If That's What You Wanted." A copy of that 45 sold for just under $500 last summer on eBay. Even though that isn't that much in the world of record collecting--it's still a hefty sum. The Butlers released another single on Sassy ("She's Gone" b/w "Love Is Good") that appears to be even 
harder to come by then the "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" single.

 

The true history become a bit blurred here as the AMG biography states that the Butlers last record was released on C.R.S. in 1974 (". However, between 1971 and that single, Frankie Beverly formed a group called Raw Soul and released a number of singles. Some of the songs recorded by Beverly during this period are "While I'm Alone," "Open Up Your Heart," (both on the Gregor label) and "Color Blind." "Color Blind" was released by the Eldorado label and rerecorded by Maze. Beverly's big break came when Marvin Gaye asked Raw Soul to back him on a tour. Gaye helped Beverly/Raw Soul get a contract at Capitol. Beverly decided to take the group in a different direction, a name change occurred, and Maze was created. 

The above isn't the most complete history of Beverly but hopefully someone will know a way to get in touch with the man or his management because a comprehensive pre-Maze history needs to be done on Frankie Beverly (his real name is Howard, by the way). Below you'll find every Frankie Beverly (pre-Maze) song available to me right now ("Color Blind" will be up soon). 

If you have a song that is not included below, shoot it over to funkinsoulman (at) yahoo.com and it will go up in the next Frankie Beverly post (later this week--highlighting Maze). Also, if you have any more information please share your knowledge. The Butlers material has been comp-ed sporadically (usually imports) but the entire Maze catalog has been reissued and is available. 

Enjoy.  "She Kissed Me" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967) 
 
 "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" (not sure which label or year) "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" (Phila, 1966) "Because Of My Heart" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
   
 "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Sassy, 1967)
   
 "If That's What You Wanted" (Sassy, 1967)
 



Frankie Beverly is one of those cats that has lasting power. He started in the music business doing a tour with doo wop group the Silhouettes and then formed his own group called the Blenders. The Blenders never recorded a single, Beverly wouldn't appear on wax until forming the Butlers a few years later. Along with Beverly, the Butlers included Jack "Sonny" Nicholson, Joe Collins, John Fitch, and Talmadge Conway.

Beverly would later enjoy great success fronting Maze and Conway would become a
well-known penning Double Exposure's
"Ten Percent" and the Intruders' "Memories Are Here To Stay." 
 While Maze is a phenomenal group, Beverly's work before that group will always stand out as his best (imo).

The Butlers produced tunes that most Northern Soul fans would kill for and Raw Soul gave the funksters something to pursue. If, by chance, you know of a way to get in touch with Frankie Beverly or his management, please drop me an e-mail. It would be absolutely great to do an interview with him about his pre-Maze work. He's still playing out, most recently doing a New Year's Eve show in Atlanta.
:: Funkinsoulman ::

Power...Through Simplicity ♪♫♪

Members

About

© 2024   Created by Edie Antoinette.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

"; width="450" />
}