Patricia OldSkooler's Groups (13)

Sha Na Na

12 members Latest Activity: Feb 14, 2018 For All Fans Of The Group And Hit Television Show...My Favorite Member Was Johnny Contardo
Slow Jams

24 members Latest Activity: Mar 28, 2014 What would we do without the sweet slow jams from back in the day?

E.FM Hall of Fame

17 members Latest Activity: Feb 14, 2018
Great idea huh....LOL. All i ask is that there be no VIDEOS or MUSIC in this group, PICS ARE WELCOME...We will be honoring music, movie, tv,…
Blues Lounge..♪♫♪

13 members Latest Activity: Jul 17, 2018 ..dedicated to Blues Lovers everywhere.

Rickey Smiley

9 members Latest Activity: Apr 22, 2012 In Progress...
One Hit Wonders

24 members Latest Activity: Feb 14, 2018 This group will focus on mostly one hit wonders from any singer or singing group, it can also include singers or singing groups that most people…

Your City...Past and Present

19 members Latest Activity: Dec 28, 2016 I formed this group, so you can share pictures, stories, etc...of your city, it can be past or present...Group Photo is my City, Downtown…
Black Classic Movies

7 members Latest Activity: Sep 2, 2013 Theatrically released movies, artistically, culturally, or historically significant to the african-american community. Any african- american film,…

Divas

14 members Latest Activity: Sep 26, 2017 Many are gone..*some too soon* but NOT forgotten. I miss Minnie Riperton and Phyllis Hyman. I miss Shirley Horn..This group is put together to…
TV LAND

21 members Latest Activity: Dec 29, 2016 A group set up for Old TV Shows, Commercials, Cartoons, etc...Ya'll know what to do...LOL

Jazz Lounge

21 members Latest Activity: Mar 27, 2020 I went home to Chicago over the weekend and found me some JAZZ! Here it is.
Poetry Corner

10 members Latest Activity: Jul 30, 2015 The mind's intricacies are as diverse as each pattern of a snowflake. Poets are those snowflakes.

Cooley High

9 members Latest Activity: Feb 21, 2013 My favorite movie of all time. Let's share the memories and discuss it.

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Edie Antoinette left a comment for Edie Antoinette

Jun 23, 2020

Tone posted a song

play George Michael - I Can't Make You Love Me (Live)

Jun 10, 2020

Edie Antoinette updated their profile

May 19, 2020

Edie Antoinette replied to Edie Antoinette's discussion WDCB FM Jazz-DuPage Illinois in the group Jazz Lounge

Mar 27, 2020

Introspection

Spotlight | Maze

Maze — 03 Feel That You're Feelin'
Maze — 04 Somebody Else's Arms
Maze — 04 Southern Girl
Maze — Can't Get Over You
Maze — Golden Time Of Day
Norman Brown — Night Drive
Norman Brown — Feeling
Norman Brown — Still
Miles Davis — miles 1
miles 2
miles 3
miles 4
miles 5
Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
Santana — 01 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
Santana — 02 Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
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 ::