Mighty Hannibal (l) with Elton John | Getty Images
Singer, songwriter, actor, anti-drugs campaigner and record producer James Timothy Shaw “The Mighty Hannibal” was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 9 August 1939. By 1954 he was a singer in a doo wop group. Two of his friends joined Gladys Knight and The Pips. He moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and began singing with Johnny Otis. He subsequently based himself in New York. His sight deteriorated in 2002 and he died after problems breathing at his home in New York on 20 January 2014.
The Four Jokers | The Doo Wop Blog | Copyright Control
The Four Jokers were formed for a short time in 1958 and were Benjamin Washington (lead vocals) , James Myers (first tenor vocals),Herbert Myers (second tenor vocals) and Charles Holloway (bass vocals). They also recorded (with different configurations) as The Chimes and The Four Pennies.
Mamie Bradley was spotted in a restaurant called Wells in Harlem, New York and was signed to Sue Records of New York in 1958. Chess subsequently purchased the masters of the Sue recordings.
“I feel like a million” was first released on Sue 702. The version issued on Chess 1686 is understood to be a different take.
No photos or biographical details for Ms Bradley are currently available: can anyone help, please?
Johnny Otis (center), shown playing with his band The Johnny Otis Revue | NPR
Singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, and talent scout Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Johnny Otis) was born in Vallejo, California on 28 December 1921 and grew up in Berkeley, California. He began playing drums while a teenager. By 1940 he was playing in swing bands and formed his first band in 1945. He discovered Big Jay McNeely in 1948 and Esther Phillips in 1949. In 1950 Billboard identified Otis as the Rhythm and Blues artist of the year.
The song “Every Beat of My Heart” was composed for The Royals (later called The Midnighters) in 1951, and became one of his most successful songs; the version by Gladys Knight and The Pips was issued on UK Sue ILP 920 “50 Minutes 24 Seconds of Recorded Dynamite”.
Johnny Otis died from natural causes in Los Angeles, California, on 17 January 2012.
Singer and drag artiste Jackie Shane was born in Nashville, Tennessee on 15 May 1940 and became well known in Toronto, Canada’s rhythm and blues scene in the 1960s. A pioneering transgender person, Jackie Shane recorded a number of sides for US Sue, and last performed in 1971.
Jackie Shane died in Nashville, Tennessee on 22 February 2019.
Sylvia Robins is a pseudonym for singer, song writer, guitarist, record producer and record company executive Sylvia Robinson, nee Sylvia Vanderpool, who was born in Harlem, New York, on 29 May 1935. Her song Love Is Strange (Mickey Baker and Sylvia) and Pillow Talk were international hits. She first recorded for Columbia as “Little Sylvia”. She plays guitar on Ike and Tina Turner’s “Its gonna work out fine” (with Mickey doing the talking). Mickey and Sylvia moved to New Jersey in 1966 where they formed All Platinum Records.
Sylvia Robinson died from congestive heart failure in Secaucus, New Jersey, on 29 September 2011.
Eddie and Ernie were William Edgar “Eddie” Campbell and Ernie “Sweetwater” L. Johnson Jnr. They were based in Pheonix, Arizona, and sang in gospel groups and doing background vocals before setting out as a duo.
Eddie Campbell was born in Lodi, Texas on December 23, 1940 and raised in Pheonix. His brother Lloyd introduced him to Ernie L. Johnson Jr. He died in Los Angeles, California on July 10, 1994, age 53.
Earnest L. Johnson Jr. was born in Lubbock, Texas on October 22, 1943 and died in a hit-and-run accident on August 20, 2005.
Singer Ocie Lee Smith (O. C. Smith) was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, on 21 June 1932. After completing university he enrolled with the US Air Force, serving in the US, Europe and Asia. After discharge in July 1955 he concentrated on a career in jazz music. In 1961 he became a featured singer with Count Basie (until 1965). He achieved some success with songs like “Little Green Apples” and “Hickory Hollers Tramp”. He founded a Church in Los Angeles and became pastor there for some sixteen years.
O. C, Smith died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, on 23 November 2001.
“Everybody but me”, Broadway 101, is featured on the Japanese EMI CD 4 988006 701007.
Singer and saxophonist Jackie Brenston was born in Clarkesdale, Mississippi on 24 August in either 1928 or 1930 and became a member of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm band. The famous recording from 1951 of “Rocket 88” is actually of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm featuring Brenston on vocals (commentary?) and saxophone. He had a troubled youth and often ran away from home. He served in the US Army for two years. On return he learned the saxophone and was recruited by Ike Turner for the band.
Unfortunately he was unable to retain the success, gave up music and became a truck driver, and also suffered from alcoholism. Brenston died of a heart attack in Memphis on December 15, 1979.
Available photos of Mr Brenston are unfortunately of poor quality.
“Trouble Up The Road” (US Sue 736, 1961) is included in Japanese EMI CD 4 988006 701007.
Singer, song writer and record company owner Lily Pearl Johnson (Pearl Woods) was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina on 24 September 1933 and moved to New York in 1951. Her songs include “Poverty”, “Somethings Got A Hold On Me” and “Stop The Wedding”. She married song writer Freddy Johnson and became a nurse and preacher in 1973.
Pearl Woods died in Arlington, Texas on 19 March 2010.
“Keep your business to yourself” (US Sue 750, September 1961) was included in the Japanese EMI CD 4 988006 701007.
Singer and song writer Donald James Randolph (Don Covay) was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina on 24 March 1936. In the early 1950s he settled in Washington DC and initially sang in a family gospel quartet. His first break in music occurred in 1957 when he joined the Little Richard Revue. He started recording soon after but his recording career really started in 1964 when he recorded “Mercy” for the Atlantic distributed Rosemart label. That featured a young guitarist called James Hendrix. Atlantic bought Covay’s contract and in 1965 he recorded “See Saw” at the Stax studios in Memphis. His many published songs include “Chain of Fools” for Aretha Franklin and “Letter full of tears” for Gladys Knight and The Pips.
Don Covay died in New York on 31 January 2015.
“Believe it or not” (US Sue 709, November 1958) appears on Japanese EMI CD 4 988006 701007.
Ralph Bass | Kevin Mazur / Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Talent scout and rhythm and blues record producer, artists and repertoire manager and song writer Ralph Basso Jr. was born on May 1, 1911 in The Bronx, New York. As a boy he showed an interest in music and was given music lessons. He grew up listening to blues, jazz and other forms of music but developed a desire to assemble sounds. In the early 1940s he began work as A&R manager at Black And White Records, including T Bone Walker’s landmark recording of “Stormy Monday”. By 1948 he was working for Savoy Records from 1948 to 1951, then King Records of Cincinatti. Extensively touring the southern states, he realised that R&B music appealed to increasing numbers of listeners across social and racial divides. He set up Federal Records and recorded the classics “Sixty Minute Man” (The Dominoes), “Work with me Annie” (Hank Ballard) and others. He signed James Brown but record company owner Syd Nathan hated the first recording, “Please Please Please” so it was issued on Federal. Chess Records poached him in 1959, where he worked until 1976 when he moved to MCA Records.
Novelty song writer, record producer, publicist, autobiography writer and musician Kim Vincent Fowley was born in Los Angeles, California, on 21 July 1939. He attended the University High School, whose other contemporary pupils included Jan Berry and Dean Torrence (Jan and Dean), (Beach Boy) Bruce Johnston, and Nancy Sinatra. In 1957 he developed polio and was hospitalised. When he was released from hospital he became publicist for band The Sleepwalkers, whose line up included Phil Spector and (drummer) Sandy Nelson.
He spent some time in the armed forces, but in 1959 he began working in the music industry for Berry Gordy of Motown and the disc jockey/presenter Alan Freed. The first record he produced was “Charge” by The Renegades. His work at this time introduced him to his collaborator Gary S. Paxton and they produced a million selling hit for The Hollywood Argyles, a studio creation.
In the mid 60s he was working for the controversial singer P. J. Proby and was based for a time in London.
Kim Fowley died regarded as a Los Angeles music legend, after a career in music spanning six decades, from cancer of the bladder in Los Angeles on 15 January 2015. After his death there were allegations of a sexual nature against him.
Tina Turner | Hermann J. Knippertz / Associated Press
The news reached us today that Tina Turner died on Tuesday. Her friend Mick Jagger writes on Twitter: “I’m so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner. She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her.”
Barack Obama writes: “Tina Turner was raw. She was powerful. She was unstoppable. And she was unapologetically herself—speaking and singing her truth through joy and pain; triumph and tragedy.”
Singer, songwriter, author, guitarist, harmonica player, record producer, saxophonist and arranger Don Nix was born in Memphis, Tennessee on September 27, 1941. He recorded under a number of pseudonyms during his career. As a founder member of The Mar-Keys he was involved in the production of their hit “Last Night”. He organised a backing group for the “Concert for Bangladesh” at Madison Square Gardens in 1971. He is associated with George Harrison, John Mayall, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and others. He assisted in the production of recordings for other artists including Albert King, Isaac Hayes and The Staple Singers. His brother Larry Nix became a mastering engineer for Stax Records and subsequently Ardent Studios in Memphis.
This recording was made for the small Pure Gold label of Memphis and features Stax regulars from the Packers and Mar-Keys, and Steve Cropper.
WI 338 was scheduled, but not announced, then was withdrawn after a disagreement with the American owner of the recording.
Thanks to Martin Whitell for his help with this post.
The Kelly Brothers were three brothers, Curtis, Robert and Andrew Kelly, and occasionally their friends Charles Lee and/or Offe Reece. The quartet started off as a gospel quartet and also made rhythm and blues recordings.
Falling In Love Again, Sims 265, 1966. UK Issue on Sue WI 4034, 1966. Chart position data not available.
Crying Days Are Over, Sims 293, 1966. UK Issue on Sue WI 4034, 1966. Chart position data not available.
R&B trumpeter, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, record producer and A&R man for Duke/Peacock Records, Joseph Wade “Joe” Scott, was born in in Texarkana, Texas on December 2, 1924 and settled in Houston, Texas, around 1950.
He wrote and arranged songs for Johnny Ace, Big Mama Thornton, Bobby Bland and Junior Parker, as well as leading their touring bands, and is regarded as the man who created the big horn sound for blues bands. His big bands created the “Duke sound”.
Joe Scott moved back to California in around 1970 and died in Culver City, California on March 6, 1979, aged 54.
Conductor, pianist, composer, arranger and record producer and multi instrumentalist Eugene Edgar “Gene” Page Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 1939. He was one of the most prolific arrangers/conductors of popular music during his time and worked on more than 200 gold and platinum records. Some of the Bob and Earl recordings issued on UK Sue were arranged by Gene Page, who died in Westwood, California of severe alcoholism on August 24, 1998, age 58.
(l to r) Marc Gordon, Marvin Gaye and Gene Page, 1963 | Gene Page
Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard) was born on December 5, 1932 and died on May 9, 2020 after a short illness.
The BBC notes that
“He had his biggest hits in the 1950s and was known for his exuberant performances, shrieks, raspy voice and flamboyant outfits. He sold more than 30 million records worldwide.
Paying tribute after news of his death emerged, former Beatles drummer Sir Ringo Starr tweeted: “God bless Little Richard, one of my all-time musical heroes.”
Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers said it was “the loss of a true giant”, while Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys said his music would “last forever”.”
Little Richard was still performing. Guitarist Charles Glenn told celebrity news website TMZ the singer had been ill for two months and died at his home, with his brother, sister and adopted son present.
Don Robey in his pressing plant | Copyright control | donrobey.jpg
Record label executive, songwriter (under the name Deadric Malone – although others may have sold him the songs), founder of Peacock Records (named after his night club), artiste manager and record producer Don Deadric Robey was born in Houston, Texas on November 1, 1903. He was responsible for developing or managing the careers of many rhythm and blues artists during the 1950s and 1960s.
While he was held in high regard by some of the musicians who worked for him, he was notorious for his alleged business practices.
Robey sold his record labels (and some of their contracted artistes) to ABC Dunhill Records in 1973, while remaining as a consultant. The rights are thought to be now owned by Universal.
Mr. Robey died of a heart attack at St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston on June 16, 1975.
Singer Jean Wells, whose track “If you’ve ever loved somebody” was issued on Ensign Sue ENSUC 3, is understood to have been born on 1st August 1942 at West Palm Beach, Florida.
Music business executive, drummer and vinyl recycling pioneer Sydney Nathan was born in Cincinatti on April 27, 1904. He left school in ninth grade due to health problems and poor eye sight. He played drums in clubs and held a variety of jobs in real estate, pawn shops and amusement stores. He moved back to Cincinatti in the early 1940s, at first opening a record shop selling jukebox records, then in 1943 founded King Records in a disused (and smelly) spice warehouse. It was a self contained independent record company which, unusually, even pressed its own records – and any that didn’t get sold were recycled and re-pressed.
He will always be associated with James Brown but also helped develop other musicians and singers including Earl Bostic, The Five Royales and Lonnie Mack.
He died in Miami, Florida of heart disease and pneumonia on March 5, 1968 and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
King Records was sold to Starday Records in the early 1970s, its back catalogue was also sold on, and the record presses ended up in Jamaica pressing reggae records.
Blues singer, songwriter and businessman Rosco N. Gordon III was born in Memphis, Tennessee on April 10, 1928. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Memphis Blues style of blues music. He was one of the “Beale Streeters” along with Johnny Ace, Bobby Bland and B. B. King. In 1946 he moved to Chicago. He returned to Memphis in 1949 and won a prize at an amateur event on Beale Street in 1950. The event was being compered by Rufus Thomas who invited him to appear on his radio show on station WDIA. Gordon then gained his own show on the same radio station. In 1951 Ike Turner signed him to Modern Records. Some of his recordings of the period were recorded at Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Service and leased to Chess.
In 1962 he quit the music industry and moved to Queens, New York where he purchased a partnership in a laundry business. When his wife died in 1984 he returned to performing in the New York area, and died of a heart attack in Queens, New York City, on July 11, 2002.
“Going home” (Vee Jay 59-1131, 1959) by Rosco Gordon was released by Kent on CDKEND 258.
Instrumentalist, arranger, saxophonist and band leader Noble “Thin Man” Watts was born in DeLand, Florida on February 17, 1926. In his youth he studied violin and trumpet before switching to the saxophone. At Florida’s A&M College he played in the marching band with Cannonball Adderley. On leaving College he was in demand, playing in the bands of Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry, among others.
He is mentioned in the 2012 book “The One – The Life and Music of James Brown” as being a major influence on funk music and especially James Brown.
Mr. Watts died from pneumonia and emphysema in DeLand, Florida on August 24, 2004.
Singer, song writer and electric and acoustic blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims was born on April 30, 1917, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The musician Little Hat Jones taught him to play the guitar and he ran away from home when he was twelve. After four years in the US marines, he returned to his music with renewed focus and by the late 1940s had established himself in the Dallas blues scene. He was a cousin of Lightning Hopkins, and is now seen as an important figure in postwar Texas country blues.
Frankie Lee Sims died in Dallas, Texas, of pneumonia, age 53, on May 10, 1970. At the time of his death he was under investigation for a “shooting incident”.
“What will Lucy Do”, Ace 524, appears on the sampler LP IWP 5 – This Is Blues, and on ILP 919 – Various Artists – Pure Blues Volume 1.
Chart Position: This recording was a regional hit in 1957.
“Rainbow” by Gene Chandler was released in the UK on Sue LP ILP 934 “Soul 66”.
Thank you to Mike Atherton for his help in correcting this track listing.
Gene Chandler | Amazon | 17089
American singer, songwriter, talent scout, music producer and record label executive Eugene Drake Dixon, known as “Gene Chandler” or “The Duke of Earl” was born on July 6, 1937 and is nicknamed “The Duke of Earl” or simply “The Duke”.
He began performing in the 1950s with a group called The Gaytones before joining The Dukays. The recording he became famous for, “Duke of Earl”, is actually by The Dukays but became recredited as being by Gene Chandler.
Gene is a Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee and a winner of both the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers’ (NATRA) “Producer of the Year” Award and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award.
He is one of the few artistes to have enjoyed success spanning the doo-wop, rhythm and blues, soul, and disco musical eras, with some 40 Pop and R&B chart hits between 1961 and 1986. On August 24, 2014, Chandler was inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. In 2016 a street in Chicago was named after him.
In 1968 he formed two record companies, Mr Chand and Bamboo.
“Rainbow” was released in 1962 and reached US Pop No 47 and R&B No 11.
Singer John Alfred “Johnny” Moore (aka Johnny Darrow) was born in Selma, Alabama on December 14, 1934. He is most famous for being a lead singer with long running vocal group The Drifters, joining them in the 1950s, and sings on many of their 1960s and 1970s hits. That’s him singing on “Under the boardwalk” with The Drifters, probably his most famous recording.
His career with The Drifters was interrupted by National Service in the late 50s. After he completed national service he recorded solo under the name of Johnny Darrow until he was invited to rejoin The Drifters in 1964. From 1970 he was based in London, where he died on December 30, 1998 en route to hospital, suffering from pneumonia, age 64.
“Don’t start me talking” (US Sue 728, 1963) was included on Sue music cassette “Maximum R&B” Ensign ENSUC 3, and also appears on the London label LP “The Sue Story” London HAC 8239. No chart data is available for this track.
Songwriter, record producer, singer, session musician and politician Salvatore Phillip “Sonny” Bono was born in Detroit, Michegan on February 16, 1935. The family moved to Inglewood, California when he was seven. In 1957 he became an employee of Specialty Records and in particular, Little Richard’s chauffeur.
He came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher, as the popular singing duo Sonny and Cher. They met while he was working for Phil Spector and can be heard singing background vocals on “Da do ron ron”, “Be my baby” and the Spector Christmas album.
He took acting roles on film and television and appears in the film “Hairspray”.
He was mayor of Palm Springs, California, from 1988 to 1992, and congressman for California’s 44th district from 1995 until his death in 1998 – he was influential in improving copyright laws and the United States Federal Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the term of copyright by 20 years, is now commonly known as the Sonny Bono Act.
Sonny Bono is of interest to Sue UK readers for his production of “Soul Motion” by his long time friends Don and Dewey, which was released on Sue WI 4032.
Sonny Bono died in Stateline, Nevada during a skiing accident on January 5, 1998.
Larry Fallon (left) and Eddie Kramer working in Electric Lady Studios, undated | Experience Hendrix, L.L.C
Composer, arranger and record producer Lawrence James Freaso (Larry Fallon) was born in 1925. He was a composer, arranger and record producer. He is of interest for his production of The Jaybirds’ “Somebody help me” which was issued on Sue WI 4013, and he was also involved in recording “Incense” by The Anglos which was not originally issued on UK Sue but did find its way on to the “This is Sue” sampler LP.
Mr Fallon died in Hoboken, New Jersey, on June 2, 2005.
Musician, song writer and record producer Gary Sanford Paxton was born Larry Wayne Stevens in Coffeyville, Kansas on May 18, 1939. He had poor health in childhood but nevertheless started his first band aged 14, playing country and rock and roll music. In 1989 he was shot by hit men who nearly killed him. In his later years he concentrated on gospel music. Paxton died in Branson, Missouri on July 17, 2016 from complications of heart surgery and liver disease, aged 77.
He was a successful record producer, recording artist, and songwriter. Paxton came to notice as a member of Skip & Flip and The Hollywood Argyles is famed for being producer of “Alley Oop” for The Hollywood Argyles in 1960 and “Monster Mash” for Bobby “Boris” Pickett in 1962.
One of his last compositions was entitled When I Die, Just Bury Me at Wal-Mart (So My Wife Will Come Visit Me).
Sue fans know him as the producer of “Like long hair” for Paul Revere and The Raiders, which was also a pop hit in the US, and was released on UK Sue WI 343.
“Sho know a lot about love” by The Hollywood Argyles was released on the UK Sue LP ILP 933 “The Sue Story Vol. 2”.
Don Talty was a construction engineer who took over the operation of Formal Records of Chicago in 1959.
Robert Pruter’s Chicago Soul notes that Talty was born on 16th August 1911 and had his own excavating business. He gave up the construction company and became a full time record producer, producing mainly rhythm and blues music, which he was keenly interested in.
His production of Willie Mabon’s “Got to have some” was released on Sue WI 320. Other acts he promoted and recorded included Jan Bradley, whose output was released on Chess, The Masquerades, Guitar Red and Chuck Colbert, then a member of a group called The Trinidads. Phil Upchurch’s “You can’t sit down” is another of his productions, which was issued on Sue WI 4005.
Talty was associated with Curtis Mayfield and arranged for Mayfield to work with Jan Bradley, notably on “Mama didn’t lie”.
Talty became a central figure in the 1960s Chicago soul music scene but his contribution seems to be somewhat overlooked. The book “Doowop: The Chicago Scene” By Robert Pruter notes that Mr Talty died in 1979.
Herbert C. Abramson was born on November 16, 1916 and was an American record company executive, record producer, and a co-founder of Atlantic Records. He is one of the key influential record producers involved in post war rhythm and blues music. He was trained as a dentist.
Steeped in rhythm and blues music, he recorded many of the leading R&B artistes of the 1950s and 1960s, including Joe Turner and Billy Eckstein. The Atco label was set up to release his productions. In 1953 he was called up for military service, which he spent doing dentistry!, and Jerry Wexler was recruited to fill his shoes while he was away.
He returned to Atlantic/Atco in 1955 and recorded The Coasters and others. In 1958 he left Atlantic to set up his own company, which recorded “Daddy Rolling Stone” by Derek Martin, released on UK Sue. His most successful production for his own company was “Hi-Heel Sneakers” by Tommy Tucker, released on Checker Records.
Abramson set up his own recording studio, A-1 Sound Studios at 234 West 56th Street in Manhattan, in the early 1960s where he recorded a number of artistes from The Supremes to Muddy Waters – and Barry Manilow.
No reliable information is currently available about Chuck Flamingo, who is credited on some of his singles as “Chuck Flamingo & The Kansas City Playboys”. “Rate your music” thinks Chuck Flamingo is none other than Chuck Jackson, but he doesn’t sound very much like Chuck Jackson to my ears. Can anyone provide further information, please? Thankyou.
His track “Little bit of this, little bit of that” appears on ILP 943 “Dr Soul”.
“You don’t know like I know” by Owen Gray was released on Sue disco single WIP 6599.
Owen Gray | John Skomdahl | 16181su
Singer and song writer and musician Owen Gray was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 5 July 1939 and is regarded as a pioneer of Jamaican popular music. He won his first talent contest aged nine. By twelve he had joined a band, playing drums, guitar and keyboards. He became associated with Chris Blackwell in 1960, and was one of the first artistes to be produced by Blackwell. In 1962 he emigrated to the United Kingdom, toured Europe in 1964, and since 1966 became recognised as a soul as well as reggae singer. In the 1970s he relocated to New Orleans and then back to Jamaica. Since the 1980s he has lived in Miami, Florida. He is still active in recording, and releases ballads and gospel music.
Lawrence Nelson (Prince La La) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana 1936. His father was noted jazz and R&B guitarist Walter Nelson, who played with Smiley Lewis. His elder brother was Walter Nelson who played with Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, as well as working as a session musician for producer Dave Bartholomew. Lawrence Nelson started as a song writer and in 1961 penned “She put the hurt on me” for singer Barbara George. Producer Harold Battiste decided to record the song on Nelson instead.
Prince La La died in New Orleans allegedly of a drug overdose on 27 October 1963, but there were questions and his death was the subject of the song “Who Shot The La La” by Oliver Morgan (1964).
“She put the hurt on me” (AFO 45-301, September 1961) by Prince La La was released on Ensign Sue EP ENS 4 “The Sue Soul Brothers” in 1983. This track also features on a London American label LP HAC 8239 “The Sue Story Vol. 1” which is different to the Sue Story LPs issued by UK Sue, and which was issued in 1965.
Keith Richards, Jimmy Miller and Mick Jagger, 1969 | Robert Altman/Phil Ochs Archive/Getty Images | 15477
Record producer and musician Jimmy Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York on 23 March 1942. He was already playing the drums and writing music aged 8. His most successful productions were those he did with The Rolling Stones, but his work for The Spencer Davis Group and Island Records are equally highly regarded. Miller can be heard playing drums on many of his productions.
Jimmy Miller died in Denver, Colorado on 22 October 1994 from liver failure.
Record producer, song writer, record company executive and music publisher Jerry Crutchfield was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on August 10, 1934 and is well known for his involvement in both country music and gospel music. He is associated with Brenda Lee, Glen Campbell and many other top artistes. His brother Jan Crutchfield (died 2012) was also a song writer. Jerry Crutchfield was associated with MCA Music Publishing for many years, and had also held executive position at Capitol Records. He was a national trustee for The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Over 150 of his songs were published and recorded. Mr. Crutchfield died on 11 January, 2022.
Record producer, disc jockey, band manager and label manager Guy Stevens was born in East Dulwich, London on 13 April 1943. As well as running the Sue Label he also ran the Chuck Berry Appreciation Society and advised Pye International on their Chess release schedule. He brought Mr Berry to the UK for his first tour. He also named bands Procol Harum and Mott The Hoople.
Wikipedia notes on his importance to the UK music scene in the 1960s.
“In 1963, he started a weekly “R&B Disc Night” at the Scene Club in Soho, run by Ronan O’Rahilly, at which Stevens often played obscure Stax, Chess and Motown records, attracting a growing number of mod clubgoers and musicians, including members of The Who, The Small Faces, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.”
In 1964 Island Records’ Chris Blackwell hired him to run the new Sue Record label in the UK.
He died on 28 August 1981 due to an overdose of prescription drugs he was taking to combat his alcoholism.
Pop and R&B singer Rolan Webster Holden was born in Seattle, Washington, on August 7, 1939. Between 1958 and 1965 he toured extensively throughout the U.S. and overseas and with U.S. Forces. He toured the US extensively with many R&B acts of the period from 1960 to 1965 before heading his own band. His only successful recording was “Love you so” (No. 11 Billboard R&B chart, No. 7 Billboard pop chart, April 1960.) He died at Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico, from a heart attack on January 22, 1997.
“My babe” was released in the UK on Sue ILP 933, The Sue Story Volume 2.”My babe” by Ron Holden was previously released on London American 45-HLU 9116 on 6 May 1960.
Sue Records UK 