Edie Antoinette's Blog – January 2008 Archive (14)

Have You Wondered-Where Are They Now?

Jerome Benton is a performer, backup dancer and lender of comedic antics to various musical acts. He is the inspiration for today's "hype man." He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is mostly known for his association with The Time.

Benton is the half brother to Time bassist, Terry Lewis and worked closely with the band behind the scenes in its initial stages.

During one performance, lead singer Morris…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 25, 2008 at 7:30pm — 16 Comments

The Velvelettes

The Velvettes were a 60's femal vocal group founded in 1961 by sisters Carolyn and Millie Gill with cousins Bertha Barbee-McNeal and Norma Barbee (both from Flint, Michigan) on the Western Michigan University campus, where they were students.



The group signed to Motown Records, but weren't given top priority, as other female vocal groups were attracting audiences and recording hits. While the group awaited their chance at stardom, they recorded…
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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 24, 2008 at 3:55pm — 3 Comments

Cotton Comes To Harlem

Cotton Comes to Harlem was Emanuel Gerard's third feature film released in 1970. Ossie Davis made his directorial debut with this action packed crime comedy set in Harlem, N.Y. This film, based upon the novel by Chester…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 24, 2008 at 3:00pm — 6 Comments

Stoned-A Look At Sly & The Family

Sly Stone vanished into rumor in the 1980s, remembered only by the great songs ("I Want to Take You Higher," "Dance to the Music") he left behind. What's become of the funky leader of the Family Stone since he forsook his Woodstock-era utopianism for darkness, drugs, and isolation? After a few sightings—most notoriously at the 2006 Grammys—the author tracked the last of the rock recluses to…
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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 21, 2008 at 11:00pm — 9 Comments

Your Smile-The Rene' & Angela Story

I took my walk

around the square today

feeling a sense of renewal...and ease

I noticed the children as they ran and played

as I strolled holding hands with the breeze.

My thoughts sauntered lazily…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 21, 2008 at 11:00am — 9 Comments

Moanin' For Love-A Look At Al Green

..around 4 a.m., October 17, 1974, when the last, great, sweet falsetto soul singer of the South eased into a bath after a long night of recording, he got a pan of boiling-hot grits poured on him by a spurned lover. The woman who chose grits as her revenge was 29-year-old Mary Woodson, just another notch in a long line of ladies, and not even the one who occupied the greater portion of Al Green's erotic…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 18, 2008 at 9:30am — 13 Comments

Abdul Wadud

..father of Raheem DeVaughn

Abdul Wadud

An outstanding cellist, Abdul Wadud has concentrated solely on the instrument since the age of nine, and never decided to double on bass. His plucking and bowed solos have been featured in jazz and symphonic/classical settings, and Wadud's easily the finest cellist to emerge from the '60s and '70s generation. He studied at Youngstown State and Oberlin in the late…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 17, 2008 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Memorable 70's Album Covers Pt 3

ADC BAND - BROTHER LUCK - LP AL JOHNSON - BACK FOR MORE - LP ASHFORD & SIMPSON - STREET OPERA - LP BAR KAYS - LIGHT OF LIFE - LP BLUE FEATHER - FEATHER FUNK - LP BOOTSY BOOTY PEOPLE - BOOTY PEOPLE - LP BOULE NOIRE - 2 - LP BOULE NOIRE - IL ME FAUT UNE FEMME - LP BUMBLEBEE UNLIMITED - STING LIKE A BEE - LP CAMEO - STYLE - LP CARESS - SAME - LP CHARLES EARLAND - EARLAND CHOCOLATE MILK - BLUE JEANS - LP CHOCOLATE MILK - HIPNOTISM - LP COMMODORES - HEROES - LP CON FUNK SHUN - SPIRIT OF LOVE - LP D TRAIN - SOMETHING DAMON HARRIS - DAMON - LP DARNELL WILLIAMS - PURE SATISFACTION - LP DOUBLE EXPOSURE - LOCKER ROOM - LP DR HOOK - SOMETIMES YOU WIN - LP EBONEE WEBB - SAME - LP EDDIE KENDRICKS - SOMETHING MORE - LP ENCHANTMENT - ENCHANTED LADY - LP ENCHANTMENT - UTOPIA - LP FAZE-O - BREAKIN FIESTA - SAME ( 1978 ) - LP FIRE - SAME ( 1978 ) - LP FRED PARRIS AND THE SATINS - SAME - LP FREDA PAYNE - HOT - LP FUNKADELIC - ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE - 33T Gatefold GENE CHANDLER - WHEN YOU HEAVEN AND EARTH - THAT HI GLOSS - SAME - LP HIGH FASHION - MAKE UP YOUR MIND - LP HOT - SAME ( 1977 ) - LP HOT - STRONG TOGETHER - LP INVISIBLE MAN JERRY KNIGHT - LOVE KELLEE PATTERSON - AL THE THINGS YOU ARE - LP KELLY MARIE - FEELS LIKE I

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 17, 2008 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Memorable 70's Album Covers Pt 2

DELEGATION - THE PROMISE OF LOVE - LP LOU COURTNEY - IM IN NEED OF LOVE - LP ORIENT EXPRESS - A DESERT FANTASY - LP KAIN - THE BLUE GUERRILLA - LP LEON HAYWOOD - BACK TO STAY - LP LEROY HUTSON - CLOSER TO THE SOURCE - LP LEROY HUTSON - FEEL THE SPIRIT - LP LINDA LEWIS - NOT A LITTLE GIRL ANYMORE - LP LOU COURTNEY - IM IN NEED OF LOVE - LP MACEO & ALL THE KINGS MEN - FUNKY MUSIC MACHINE - CD MANDRILL - BEAST FROM THE EAST - LP MANDRILL - MANDRILL - LP MANDRILL - THE BEST OF - CD MELTING POT - FIRE BURN CAULDRON BUBBLE - LP MER-DA - LONG BURN THE FIRE - LP MIGHTY JOE HICKS - SAME - LP MOTHER EARTH - STONED WOMAN - CD MS SHARON RIDLEY - FULL MOON - LP NEW BIRTH - LOVE POTION - LP O C SMITH - LOVE IS FOREVER - LP O C SMITH - TOGETHER - LP OHIO PLAYERS - PAIN - LP ORIENT EXPRESS - A DESERT FANTASY - LP OSCAR BROWN JR - BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU - LP PARLIAMENT - THE CLONE OF DR FUNKENSTEIN - CD PARLIAMENT - UP FOR THE DOWN STROKE - CD PLEASURE - FUTURE NOW - 33T Gatefold RAMP - COME INTO KNOWLEDGE - LP RASPUTIN STASH - RASPUTIN RENEE GEYER BAND - REALLY REALLY LOVE YOU - LP ROY AYERS - VIRGIN UBIQUITY - CD SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - FRESH - CD SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - SMALL TALK - LP SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - STAND! - CD SOUL - CAN YOU FEEL IT - LP SOUL PATROL - FUNKY HOT PANTS - VOLUME 21 - LP SOUL PATROL - THE PLAYERS - LP SOUL SPECTRUM - VOLUME 1 - 2 LP SOUND EXPERIENCE - DON SPINNERS - SAME 1973 ( INCL I STRUTT - TIME MOVES ON - LP TERESA GRAVES - SAME - LP

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 17, 2008 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Memorable 70's Album Covers

SOUTH SHORE COMMISSION - S/T - LP ANN PEEBLES - THE HANDWRITING IS ON THE WALL - LP BAD BASCOMB - BLACK GRASS MUSIC - LP BARBARA ACKLIN - SOMEONE ELSE TOM BROCK - I LOVE YOU MORE & MORE - LP BARBARA MASON - LADY LOVE - LP BARRABAS - HEART OF THE CITY - LP DENISE LASALLE - SECOND BREATH - LP BARRY WHITE - ANT BARRY WHITE - JUST ANOTHER WAY TO SAY I LOVE YOU ( ORIGINAL US ) - LP BETTY WRIGHT - DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE - LP BLOODSTONE - DO YOU WANNA DO A THING - LP BOHANNON - INSIDE OUT - LP BT EXPRESS - NON STOP - LP CAROLINE PEYTON - INTUITION - LP CHUCK JACKSON - NEEDING YOU WANTING YOU - LP CITY STREETS - LIVIN CLEA BRADFORD - HER POINT OF VIEW - LP COMMODORES - NATURAL HIGH - LP COPELAND DAVIS GROUP - SMOULDERING SECRETS - LP DEXTER WANSEL - VOYAGER - LP DONNY GERRARD - SAME - LP DONNY HATHAWAY - EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING - CD DORIS DUKE - I DOROTHY MOORE - SAME ( 1977 ) - LP ESTHER PHILLIPS - ANTHOLOGY - CD FABULOUS COUNTS - JAN JAN - LP FAITH HOPE & CHARITY - SAME - LP FATBACK BAND - PEOPLE MUSIC - LP GALLIANO - IN PURSUIT OF THE 13TH NOTE - CD GALLIANO - THE PLOT THICKENS - CD GAP BAND - MAGICIANS HOLIDAY - LP GEORGE SEMPER - MAKIN GIL SCOTT HERON - FREE WILL - CD GRADY TATE - SHE IS MY LADY - LP GWEN MC CRAE - SOMETHING SO RIGHT - LP HAMILTON BOHANNON - GITTIN

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 17, 2008 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

Out Of The Past..and into the Future

Raheem DeVaughn is finally back with a new album that's inspired equally by the gospel sounds of the church as the street funk of hip-hop. The DC native built a devoted following on the independent scene, touring and releasing mixtapes before being introduced to a wider audience in 2005 with the release of his debut disc The Love Experience, a success that…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 17, 2008 at 6:30am — 3 Comments

Cherokee and Choctaw

Solemann's ancestors are Cherokee

and mine on my mother's side, Choctaw..

This is to Sole, with love.

*paintings by George…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 16, 2008 at 6:00am — 18 Comments

Vintage 45's

FUNK 45 A FASCINATING MUSICAL EXPERIENCE - THE MONSTER - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 B.W. SOULS - MARVINS GROOVE / GENERATED LOVE - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 BABY HUEY - MIGHTY MIGHTY PEOPLE PT 1 / 2 - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 BOBBY BYRD - TRY IT AGAIN / I FUNK 45 CAUTION - LOVE RAY / DON FUNK 45 EARL GAINES - IF YOU WANT WHAT I GOT - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - BROTHER RAPP PT 1 & 2 / BEWILDERED - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - COLD SWEAT PART 1 / 2 - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - GET ON THE GOOD FOOT PART 1 / 2 - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - I GOT YOU ( I FEEL GOOD ) / I CAN FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - PAPA FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - TALKING LOUD AND SAYING NOTHING PART 1 / 2 - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN - WORLD PT 2 / I CRIED - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 JAMES BROWN & LYN COLLINS - WHAT MY BABY NEEDS NOW IS A LITTLE MORE LOVIN FUNK 45 JESSE GRESHAM PLUS 3 - BUST OUT / GET IT WHERE YOU FIND IT - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 PIGMEAT MARKHAM - SOCK IT TO FUNK 45 ROBERT RON & EDDIE - LOVE POTION 9 / I AIN FUNK 45 ROYAL SHOWBAND - PANAMA RED - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 SAMMY GORDON & HIPP HUGGERS - JUNGLE BUMP - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 THE PARLIAMENTS - I WANNA TESTIFY - 7inch (SP) FUNK 45 THE PROJECTIONS - GROOVIN NORTHERN SOUL 45 BARBARA & BRENDA - NEVER LOVE A ROBIN / SALLY SOUL 45 BILLY BUTLER AND INFINITY - I DON THE MALCOUNS - WATOU / BROKEN RIBS - 7inch (SP)

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 14, 2008 at 12:00pm — 4 Comments

There's No Place Like Home

What a week! My beloved Momma had to have surgery, which neccessitated my going to the land of my birth for a week. The surgery went well and Mom is on the mend.…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on January 12, 2008 at 10:50am — 3 Comments

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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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