(469) STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN : MOTOWN "WRECKING CREW" CALLED THE FUNK BROTHERS

A very interesting documentary IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN is.

About ten years ago this DVD came out, and as I watched it, I was reminded that musicians who back stage performers and studio musicians are often responsible for a "Sound." 

Motown's definitive sound when it was Detroit based in the very early days of the label were called THE FUNK BROTHERS, and like the Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles, who listeners heard without knowing the names, this is the story of some unsung song heroes.

The funk brothers included Percussionist Jack "Black Jack" Ashford,  Bassist, Bob Babbitt,  Keyboardist, Joe Hunter,  Drummer Uriel Jones, Guitarist Joe Messina,  Guitarist Eddie "Chank" Willis,  Drummer Richard "Pistol" Allen, Drummer William "Papa Zita" Benjamin, Percussionist Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Keyboardist Johnny Griffith,  Bassist James "Igor" Jamerson, Keyboardist Earl "Chunk of Funk" Van Dyke, and Guitarist Robert White.  (We tried to list all these names in our labels but it didn't fit!)

The DVD features some re-creations of the tunes you know as Classic Motown and some interviews with those who were alive and well to tell the tale a decade ago.  There is also a nice little booklet included that tells you some of the songs these artists played on.  Most played the Blues and Jazz before Motown and brought that feel, as well as (you can tell from all those drummers and percussionists) a beat that was unique.

"They played on more #1 records than the Beatles, The Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley combined..."

Christine Trzyna

"HARMONY" EXPLAINED BY ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANICCA

BRITANICCA HARMONY link

"Harmony, in music, the sound of two or more notes heard simultaneously. In practice, this broad definition can also include some instances of notes sounded one after the other. If the consecutively sounded notes call to mind the notes of a familiar chord (a group of notes sounded together), the ear creates its own simultaneity in the same way that the eye perceives movement in a motion picture. In such cases the ear perceives the harmony that would result if the notes had sounded together. In a narrower sense, harmony refers to the extensively developed system of chords and the ... "  (If you subscribe to the encyclopedia there are another 10,000 words or so to define the word!)

We're bringing this up because HARMONY was an important aspect to the music of the early to mid 1960's.   Think BACKGROUND SINGERS. Think Everly Brothers,  Righteous Brothers, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young...

THE ROSES : BUDDY HOLLY and the CRICKETS BACK UP SINGERS : ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME LINK!

Back on May 10, 2010, post (308) we posted a link to the Roses ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME page.  Here it is again : THE ROSES : ROCKABILLY HALL   Robert Linville, tenor; Ray Rush, baritone; and David Bigham, bass.

To quote the page, "In March of 1957, "The Roses" traveled with Roy Orbison to Clovis, New Mexico to record at the Norm Petty Recording Studio. At this time, they met Buddy Holly and the Crickets. "The Roses" got an opportunity to work with Buddy and the band when another group didn't show for the session. Norman Petty liked their work and asked "The Roses" to move to Clovis to be available as a staff vocal group. During 1957, "The Roses" did vocal back-up for numerous artists."

These included, Buddy Knox: "Somebody Touched Me," "To Be with You," "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself"

Well, friends, I was there when Buddy recorded those songs with the Roses backing him, and I recorded with them backing me too!

Thanks to our friend Arne who posted this YouTube video you can hear The 1957 era Roses (and me!)

(389) JERRY COLE ON SHINDIG : THE SHINDOG

SHINDIG first premiered September 16, 2011. It was the Rock and Roll television show that some of my friends, like Jerry Cole, worked on. Jerry was part of the show band called The SHINDOGS! The band started the show out with an intro composed of a selection of hit songs, just to get the audience warmed up. They threw a few Beatles songs in there and various guests took their turn at singing four bars.

Jerry was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000 and was considered to be a charter member of the LA "Wrecking Crew," one of the best studio musicians around town.

Jerry Cole was a great friend of mine who we've blogged about before. Here he is on Shindig singing an intro to the show song called "Welcome To My Place." Oh those background singers are The Blossoms!



Wes says : Delaney Bramlett and Joey Cooper (who recorded a song I wrote called"I'm A Fool") were singers of the Shindogs. Most of the guys played their own instruments. Joey played the guitar....

(369) JOHNNY MANN SINGERS : BACKGROUND SINGERS OF IMPORTANCE

Like the Ray Charles Singers, the Johnny Mann Singers have recorded for years and sometimes the two groups recorded the same songs, popular music that appealed to three generations. The Johnny Mann Singers covered some of the songs Elvis recorded and songs recorded by the Beatles too. My friend Buddy Knox had them for his whole album that the song he and I wrote, "All By Myself", was on. Snuffy Garret was the producer on that album Buddy Knox on Liberty Records.



In this video the Johnny Mann singers record commercial music for KEARTH 101, a popular radio station in Los Angeles with a rock and oldies format.

(368) RAY CHARLES SINGERS : BACKGROUND SINGERS OF IMPORTANCE 1964 HIT

From our archives post (91) THE RAY CHARLES SINGERS

from Saturday, December 15, 2007

I had a connection with Perry Como. He worked with the Ray Charles Singers as his background singers. They worked on most everything he recorded and on television.

When I recorded "Lonesome Love," at a giant studio in New York, RCA Victor, right on Broadway, the Ray Charles Singers were my background singers. I was scared to death. They came over. They didn't put on any aires. One of the guys put his arm around me and said, "Now just relax a little bit." They were Regular Joes, and helpful to me.

Now, a few years later, when I had the song "I Feel Like Crying," that Red West and I wrote in Elvis' den on Bellagio in Bel Air, and Pat Boone bought it for Cooga Mooga, Jack Spena, Pat's manager, pitched the song to Perry. Perry was doing an album and Jack and Pat thought it would be a great cut. But Perry listened to Pat Boone's version and he chuckled. "I can't do it as good as Pat can," Perry said.

UPDATE! Linking to the RAY CHARLES SINGERS SITE (Yes they are still working!)

PS. "He is sometimes known humorously as "The Other Ray Charles" to distinguish him from the great soul musician of the same name."

NEW VIDEO The Ray Charles Singers had a top ten hit in 1964 with this recording of a song that was so popular it was recorded by at least a half a dozen other artists, Love Me With All Of Your Heart.

WE'RE MOVING OUR STORY FORWARD THROUGH 1964!

Friends, we've decided to move forward in our story while continuing to update. We've kind of been doing that over the last couple weeks anyway, and though we like the smooth flow of the story, we also don't mind interrupting that with posts such as the recent ebay auction of old photos of me and records that I wrote songs on.

We are always open to finding pennies from heaven right on the pavement we walk on!

We'll be inserting some older posts with great stories from our archives between new ones.

Back when we started blogging Youtube was a brand new thing and we were not sure of it and didn't know if we should include videos in our blog - even though this is a MUSIC BLOG - and the whole INTERNET was burgeoning; we were just learning. Well, we're still learning. And in the process of updating we've been realizing we forgot a few artists along the way!

Some of these people should really be included in this blog because if I met them, knew them, worked with them, became friends with them, or was inspired by them, they belong here!

If these artists are still with us, I hope to hear from them, and if they aren't this blog serves to give them the honor they deserve!

Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna

(351) DARLENE LOVE : A LOVELY PERSON TO WORK WITH : CHRISTMAS 1963

CHRISTMAS 1963

DARLENE LOVE worked a bit for me in the studio and I was lucky to have her because she had success of her own before, after, and during the period that she was a studio background singer! Like many studio singers she went uncredited for much of her work but she still has many noteworthy accomplishments. (I'm proud of my daughter Hollie and the professionalism she brings to studio work as well.)

Darlene sang lead on some of the CRYSTALS songs, produced by PHIL SPECTOR, including "He's a Rebel." She did background vocals for JOEY COOPER'S "I'm a Fool," (A song I co-wrote that we posted a Youtube video of recently). In 1968 she worked with ELVIS PRESLEY on his Welcome Back television special.

We're linking to the HISTORY OF ROCK page for DARLENE LOVE (click on the title) and here is the link for the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME; Darlene has been nominated for induction in 2011: GO TO THE LINK FOR DARLENE ON OUR SIDEBAR!

Though studio musicians and singers are behind the scenes and many never earn the fame of stage and concert performers, they truly contribute to the sound track of our lives. They are often more professional in their attitudes and abilities than some of those who do achieve fame. I come from a time when recording took place quickly and without all the computer equipment that can help turn a mediocre performance into a better one. Darlene is one of those whose voice stood the test of immediacy and of time.

(308) THE ROSES - ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME BACKGROUND SINGERS

The ROSES were a background singing group who worked on my recording with Norman Petty as producer. We're linking to the ROCKABILLY HALL article and pictures of the men. They worked with Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Buddy Knox, Waylon Jennings, and me - to name a few.

UPDATED JANUARY 2013 with link renewal:
ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME : THE ROSES

March 2014 - Link added to side bar