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MUCH LOVE

I JUST WANT TO WISH ALL OF YOU A MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY SAFE NEW YEAR. MUCH LOVE TO MAMA EDIE AND ALL OF YOU WHO KEEP THIS OLD SCHOOL MOVEM…

Started by Old School C in Whatever

2 Dec 26, 2009
Reply by Rebelladyp

GOT ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU

Started by Old School C in Whatever

2 Dec 19, 2009
Reply by Rebelladyp

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 in Poetry and Spoken Word

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 in Poetry and Spoken Word

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 in Poetry and Spoken Word

5 Dec 5, 2009
Reply by Gloria

LARRY BLACKMON OF CAMEO - TRIBUTE TO THE LAKERS LOL!!

BUAAAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!

Started by Old School C in Whatever

3 Nov 24, 2009
Reply by Shelley "SoleMann" King

THIS IS FOR MAMA EDIE LOL!!

BUAHHAHAHAAAA!!

Started by Old School C in Whatever

6 Nov 23, 2009
Reply by Old School C

Smokey Robinson - So In Love (1976) I LOVE THIS DAMN SONG!!

SMOKEY IS THE TRUTH!

Started by Old School C in Whatever

0 Nov 16, 2009

Tell me how you REALLY feel ....

about RAP music. This topic probably have been discussed before, but without a search this site feature, it would be difficult finding it.…

Started by ZeroGravity in Whatever

11 Nov 1, 2009
Reply by ZeroGravity

A Disturbing Observation

(Photo By Lee Bey) I went home over the weekend and was it nice! I noticed a disturbing trend though. Chicagoans, at least the ones I saw…

Started by Edie Antoinette in Whatever

15 Oct 27, 2009
Reply by Edie Antoinette

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Remembering Q

E.FM Radio Spotlight

Quincy Jones is thoroughly entwined in the musical background of my young adulthood. A genius of unique quality. I have been posting blogs and music throughout the years and decided to embark on the arduous but satisfying task of gathering some of it to remember the excellent legacy that he left.
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E.FM Radio Spotlight





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. The Butlers recorded their first single in 1960 titled "Loveable Girl". Left to right John Fitch, T Conway, Frankie Beverly, Sonny Nicholson and Joe Collins. 

Frankie Beverly12/6/46 - 9/10/24

Power...Through Simplicity ♪♫♪

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