BlueLight Basement Party

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BlueLight Basement Party

Remember when ...on any given night you could find a blue light shining from somebody's basement, to guide you to the house party? This is that place.

Location: Memory Lane
Members: 34
Latest Activity: Jan 19, 2019

Back in the day, the place to party, other than in the school gym for sock hops, was to get together in someone's basement to dance the night away to great sounds. We'd turn on the blue lights ... make some popcorn ...fill some bowls with potato chips ... make some punch. Folks would always have their own concoctions though, like Ripple or Boone's Farm, White Port and Koolaid. Fond memories, indeed.

Discussion Forum

Chicago Dusties

Started by Edie Antoinette Jul 14, 2016. 0 Replies

Out Of The Past Records

Started by Edie Antoinette. Last reply by Edie Antoinette Jan 5, 2010. 27 Replies

Blue Light Basement Party Classics

Started by Shelley "SoleMann" King. Last reply by Gloria Dec 4, 2009. 9 Replies

Chris Bartley

Started by Edie Antoinette Jun 4, 2009. 0 Replies

Comment Wall

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Comment by Virgo91261 on August 31, 2008 at 2:53pm
I finally made it...lol. Thanks for the invite, E Phi. ♥
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 29, 2008 at 1:10pm
Consider it set off then! lol Now...in unison, the Chris Tucker head roll..5--4--3--2--1--Go!

Awwwww yeah! roflmbo
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 26, 2008 at 3:36pm
The bankhead bounce...rofl! Good! That was a 1962 jam...
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 21, 2008 at 8:55pm
Pat..!! I am so so SO happy to see you precious lady..♥
I wish I could knock that "knock knock" out! Shoot! Messin up your fun! Hmph! Still, I am overjoyed that you came by and joined the group.

More importantly..your love and kindness send me to the MOON!

Thank You...from the depths of my heart ...
Comment by Pat aka Octdremer on August 21, 2008 at 8:12pm
They are singing a segment of my life. I LOVE it!!

It's awesome here! I came to visit, yet my computer has already started with the "knock knock!"

Edie, you are such a beautiful creation!! Don't you ever forget it!! Loving you!

I'm grabbing a glass of lemonade to run. BB again! Muwah!!
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 20, 2008 at 5:30pm
Yes osc...this is the STUFF right'chere. They don't do it like this anymore. Thanks!
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 16, 2008 at 3:40am
They was gittin DOWN..I was a teenager when this came out and it was written by none other than Smokey Robinson..as well as the track You've Got To Earn It...which is led by Eddie Kendricks..
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 16, 2008 at 3:38am
That's Melvin Franklin..and David Ruffin singing lead.
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 15, 2008 at 6:14pm
Sole! Heyyyy Suggah!
Comment by Shelley "SoleMann" King on August 15, 2008 at 12:12pm
Sounds real good up in here....I bought a blue light yesterday...LOL
 

Members (34)

 
 
 

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 ♪♫♪

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