Re: More talent from Shadowville

l.com/sounds/blog/billyreed.rm" target="_blank">http://www.georgiasoul.com/sounds/blog/billyreed.rm

From:


Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that. But
the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B windstorm
which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself was
a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information about
him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to put
most of the pieces of this puzzle together.

Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the country.
"The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider where
these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of Georgia
and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a lot
of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the country as
McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney states
that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians working
Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a hard
life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.

Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of the
other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club performances,
Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr. Jive"
Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is reported
to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels (the
other being Peggy Sue).

Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band usually
fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club in
Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel where
local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the bands
style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.

Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked on a
more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as Jimmy
Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was already a
Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It is
entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to other
artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least release
this one single for him!
----

I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
thread will present updats as the become available.

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
Will Dockery wrote:
> Meat Plow wrote:
> >
> > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
>
> Almost missed this thread, but a good idea.
>
> I'll be using this space to showcase some of the many talented artists of
> Shadowville, this time around, some history from the 1960s ,ocal music
> scene:

I think I would like Shadowville,

Re: More talent from Shadowville

> and I don't like the blues.

Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
"Don't Cry Blue"
(cause I'm coming home, to you,
I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
I'll read you all my cards,
so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)

He was from Athens Co. GA
(the other side of Atlanta)

I used to play this album on the guitar.
Never very well, but the girls were impressed...

There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
(at least from the Sat...)



--
-------------------------------------------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)


>
> ----
> "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
>
>
>
> From:
>
>
> Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
> Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
> Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that. But
> the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B windstorm
> which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
> Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
> drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
> producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself was
> a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
> last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information about
> him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to put
> most of the pieces of this puzzle together.
>
> Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the country.
> "The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider where
> these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of Georgia
> and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
> Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a lot
> of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
> indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
> area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
> recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the country as
> McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney states
> that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians working
> Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a hard
> life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
> full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.
>
> Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
> Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of the
> other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club performances,
> Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr. Jive"
> Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
> Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is reported
> to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
> studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
> can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
> evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels (the
> other being Peggy Sue).
>
> Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band usually
> fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
> regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
> Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club in
> Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel where
> local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the bands
> style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
> Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
> guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.
>
> Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
> player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked on a
> more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as Jimmy
> Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was already a
> Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It is
> entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
> signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to other
> artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
> Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least release
> this one single for him!
> ----
>
> I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
> Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
> thread will present updats as the become available.
>
> --
> "Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery
>
>
> Ozone Stigmata the video:
>
>
> 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
>
> Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
> Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)Fred Hall wrote:
> On 20 Jul 2006 16:29:24 -0700, "Slim Jinn" <> wrote:
>
> >Will Dockery wrote:
> >> Meat Plow wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
> >>
> >> Almost missed this thr

Re: More talent from Shadowville

ead, but a good idea.
>

Re: More talent from Shadowville

; >>
> >> I'll be using this space to showcase some of the many talented artists of
> >> Shadowville, this time around, some history from the 1960s ,ocal music
> >> scene:
> >
> >I think I would like Shadowville,
> >and I don't like the blues.
> >
> >Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
> > "Don't Cry Blue"
> >(cause I'm coming home, to you,
> >I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
> >I'll read you all my cards,
> >so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)
> >
> >He was from Athens Co. GA
> >(the other side of Atlanta)
> >
> >I used to play this album on the guitar.
> >Never very well, but the girls were impressed...
> >
> >There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> >(at least from the Sat...)
>
> The *Sat* lies. Georgia lakes are red clay mudholes.


Frankly, they basically look it... But from outerspace...

>
> Wanna have fun?
>
> Take a trip to Northeastern Georgia, Dahlonega specifically and check
> out the crystal clear creeks and rivers.

It was always a MAJOR treat turning into
the American river, in the middle of downtown Sacremento.



....see the dark, (clear, pure, sweet) water flowing
into the green algae water of the Sac....?

It is quite dramatic in a boat.

I spent numerous nights (in 3 different boats) parked
up the American. I've literally spent hundreds of dollars
in gas to travel there from the SF Bay area.
(when gas was cheap.. )

>
> Must be hell living life vicariously through Google Sat images.

Could be worse...
I've exclusively imaged places that I've traveled
with the exception of the Georgia images..

Though I've been to Stone Mtn several times.
And to the top...
And to the rotating restaurant in Atlanta...

>
> Why don't you try a raft ride down the Merced River?

I've rafted both 4 hour trips of the South Fork American river.
No more than Class 3 rapids. Enough for me -- even when
I was healthy. I have a picture that has hung in my bathroom
for a decade...

The North Fork has Class 4's if I blah...

If you have ever been thru a Class 3 rapid
you might know what I mean.

Class 4 is the highest humans are allowed
in californica.

>
> >
> >
>
> --
>
> Ya know
> something? I should wait six days to respond to your inane comments.
> That way, they'll be removed and there won't be anything to respond to.

Gee... I only respond to amuse myself.
I couldn't give a flying fuck if anyone reads it.

Go fuck yourself.

None of you morons has any talent to speak of.

You had no life.

You're a pissant with no anthill. BLOW ME... :)

uNfuckingbelievable...


--
-------------------------------------------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)Slim Jinn wrote:
> Will Dockery wrote:
> > Meat Plow wrote:
> > >
> > > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
> >
> > Almost missed this thread, but a good idea.
> >
> > I'll be using this space to showcase some of the many talented artists of
> > Shadowville, this time around, some history from the 1960s ,ocal music

Re: More talent from Shadowville

/> > > scene:
>
> I think I would like Shadowville,
> and I don't like the blues.
>
> Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
> "Don't Cry Blue"
> (cause I'm coming home, to you,
> I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
> I'll read you all my cards,
> so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)

I remember his hit "Sunshine" well from childhood transistor radio
days:

Sunshine

Sunshine go away today
I don't feel much like dancing.
Someone's come he's trying to run my life
don't believe what he's asking

He tells me I'd better get in line, don't believe what he's saying
When I grow up I'm going to make it mine
but these aren't dues I been paying

Chorus:
But how much does it cost? (I'll buy it)
The time is all we've lost (I'll try it)
but he can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine, Sunshine

Sunshine go away today,
I don't feel much like dancing
someone's come he's trying to run my life
Don't believe what he's asking...

Working starts to make you wonder where
the fruits of what I do are going
He says in love and war all is fair
But he's got cards he ain't showing

[chorus]
Sunshine come on back another day
Pretty soon I'll be singing
This old world, gonna turn around
Brand new bells will be ringing
[chorus]

-Jonathan Edwards

> He was from Athens Co. GA
> (the other side of Atlanta)

A lot of good performers come out of Athens: REM, B52s, at least back
in the 1980s.

> I used to play this album on the guitar.
> Never very well, but the girls were impressed...
>
> There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> (at least from the Sat...)

Beware of the Garfish, though..:



....heh... beware of Ellen, too.

The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.

>

So:

"Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:



What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
Shadowville?

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
whistle-lisp:


> --
> -------------------------------------------
> AJ - e In.
> (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> Usenet Porn.)
>
>
> >
> > ----
> > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> >
> >
> >
> > From:
> >
> >
> > Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
> > Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
> > Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that. But
> > the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B windstorm
> > which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
> > Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
> > drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
> > producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself was
> > a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
> > last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information about
> > him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to put
> > most of the pieces of this puzzle together.
> >
> > Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the country.
> > "The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider where
> > these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of Georgia
> > and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
> > Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a lot
> > of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
> > indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
> > area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
> > recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the country as
> > McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney states
> > that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians working
> > Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a hard
> > life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
> > full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.
> >
> > Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
> > Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of the
> > other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club performances,
> > Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr. Jive"
> > Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
> > Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is reported
> > to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
> > studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
> > can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
> > evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels (the
> > other being Peggy Sue).
> >
> > Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band usually
> > fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
> > regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
> > Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club in
> > Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel where
> > local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the bands
> > style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
> > Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
> > guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.
> >
> > Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
> > player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked on a
> > more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as Jimmy
> > Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was already a
> > Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It is
> > entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
> > signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to other
> > artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
> > Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least release
> > this one single for him!
> > ----
> >
> > I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
> > Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
> > thread will present updats as the become available.
> >
> > --
> >
> > 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
> >
> > Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
> > Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)Will Dockery wrote:
> Slim Jinn wrote:
> > Will Dockery wrote:
> > > Meat Plow wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
> > >
> > > Almost missed this thread, but a good idea.
> > >
> > > I'll be using this space to showcase some of the many talente

Re: More talent from Shadowville

d artists of
> > &g

Re: More talent from Shadowville

t; Shadowville, this time around, some history from the 1960s ,ocal music
> > > scene:
> >
> > I think I would like Shadowville,
> > and I don't like the blues.
> >
> > Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
> > "Don't Cry Blue"
> > (cause I'm coming home, to you,
> > I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
> > I'll read you all my cards,
> > so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)
>
> I remember his hit "Sunshine" well from childhood transistor radio
> days:

Yeah... That is his BIG hit... :)

....not my favorite...

I saw him live, with Bill Withers as the 2nd act..
(...in the very early 70's)

>
> Sunshine
>
> Sunshine go away today
> I don't feel much like dancing.
> Someone's come he's trying to run my life
> don't believe what he's asking
>
> He tells me I'd better get in line, don't believe what he's saying
> When I grow up I'm going to make it mine
> but these aren't dues I been paying
>
> Chorus:
> But how much does it cost? (I'll buy it)
> The time is all we've lost (I'll try it)
> but he can't even run his own life
> I'll be damned if he'll run mine, Sunshine
>
> Sunshine go away today,
> I don't feel much like dancing
> someone's come he's trying to run my life
> Don't believe what he's asking...
>
> Working starts to make you wonder where
> the fruits of what I do are going
> He says in love and war all is fair
> But he's got cards he ain't showing
>
> [chorus]
> Sunshine come on back another day
> Pretty soon I'll be singing
> This old world, gonna turn around
> Brand new bells will be ringing
> [chorus]
>
> -Jonathan Edwards
>
> > He was from Athens Co. GA
> > (the other side of Atlanta)
>
> A lot of good performers come out of Athens: REM, B52s, at least back
> in the 1980s.

My favorite B52 tune was: "Revolution Earth"
which was written by someone else.
Basically, the B52's produce crapola... :)

Better than most crapola, but hey..

>
> > I used to play this album on the guitar.
> > Never very well, but the girls were impressed...
> >
> > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > (at least from the Sat...)
>
> Beware of the Garfish, though..:
>
>
>
> ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.

Cute. :)

>
> The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
> sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.

I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...

A poontoon boat only needs a few inches...

I used to have a twin-engine jet-boat that only needed that,
but I fouled in grass several times...

Fouling a jet with grass is a drag... :)
....and running on one jet (in a twin) is hilarious...

Same is true for airplanes... (as in, most affordable
twins are unmanagable without both engines)

But it is a FUCKEN kick to take-off with twins...

A guy let me do some "touch-and-gos" at Oakland
in a twin, on 27 Right.

A "touch-and-go" is a standard thing, meaning you
land briefly, and take-off again, do it again, etc...

More fun than a barrel of poets.


>
> >
>
> So:
>
> "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
>
>
>
> What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
> Shadowville?

I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
seems out of my time-frame.



--
-------------------------------------------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)



>
> --
> "Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery
>
>
> Ozone Stigmata the video:
>
>
> 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
>
> Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
> whistle-lisp:
>
>
> > --
> > -------------------------------------------
> > AJ - e In.
> > (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> > Usenet Porn.)
> >
> >
> > >
> > > ----
> > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > From:
> > >
> > >
> > > Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
> > > Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
> > > Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that. But
> > > the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B windstorm
> > > which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
> > > Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
> > > drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
> > > producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself was
> > > a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
> > > last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information about
> > > him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to put
> > > most of the pieces of this puzzle together.
> > >
> > > Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the country.
> > > "The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider where
> > > these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of Georgia
> > > and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
> > > Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a lot
> > > of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
> > > indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
> > > area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
> > > recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the country as
> > > McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney states
> > > that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians working
> > > Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a hard
> > > life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
> > > full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.
> > >
> > > Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
> > > Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of the
> > > other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club performances,
> > > Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr. Jive"
> > > Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
> > > Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is reported
> > > to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
> > > studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
> > > can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
> > > evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels (the
> > > other being Peggy Sue).
> > >
> > > Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band usually
> > > fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
> > > regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
> > > Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club in
> > > Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel where
> > > local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the bands
> > > style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
> > > Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
> > > guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.
> > >
> > > Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
> > > player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked on a
> > > more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as Jimmy
> > > Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was already a
> > > Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It is
> > > entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
> > > signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to other
> > > artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
> > > Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least release
> > > this one single for him!
> > > ----
> > >
> > > I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
> > > Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
> > > thread will present updats as the become available.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
> > >
> > > Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
> > > Dearest AJ wrote:
> Will Dockery wrote:
> > Slim Jinn wrote:
>
> > > > > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
> > > >
> > > > Almost missed this thread, but a good idea.
> > > >
> > > > I'll be using this space to showcase some of the many talented artists of
> > > > Shadowville, this time

Re: More talent from Shadowville

around, some history from the 1960s local music
> > > > scene:
> > >
> > > I think I would like Shadowville,
> > > and I don't like the blues.
> > >
> > > Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
> > > "Don't Cry Blue"
> > > (cause I'm coming home, to you,
> > > I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
> > > I'll read you all my cards,
> > > so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)
> >
> > I remember his hit "Sunshine" well from childhood transistor radio
> > days
>
> Yeah... That is his BIG hit... :)
>
> ...not my favorite...
>
> I saw him live, with Bill Withers as the 2nd act..
> (...in the very early 70's)
>
> > A lot of good performers come out of Athens: REM, B52s, at least back
> > in the 1980s.
>
> My favorite B52 tune was: "Revolution Earth"
> which was written by someone else.
> Basically, the B52's produce crapola... :)
>
> Better than most crapola, but hey..

Just a short strp above disco, imo, but pretty good performance artists
in their day. A lot of fun in the very early 80s when they played small
joints in Atlanta, within walking distance of my apartment.

> > > I used to play this album on the guitar.
> > > Never very well, but the girls were impressed...
> > >
> > > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > > (at least from the Sat...)
> >
> > Beware of the Garfish, though..:
> >
> >
> >
> > ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.
>
> Cute. :)
>
> > The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
> > sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.
>
> I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
> navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...

There's some really deep sections, and all types of boats and whatnot
zipping about out there. I suppose this info can be had at the flick of
a Google...

> A poontoon boat only needs a few inches...
>
> I used to have a twin-engine jet-boat that only needed that,
> but I fouled in grass several times...
>
> Fouling a jet with grass is a drag... :)
> ...and running on one jet (in a twin) is hilarious...
>
> Same is true for airplanes... (as in, most affordable
> twins are unmanagable without both engines)
>
> But it is a FUCKEN kick to take-off with twins...
>
> A guy let me do some "touch-and-gos" at Oakland
> in a twin, on 27 Right.
>
> A "touch-and-go" is a standard thing, meaning you
> land briefly, and take-off again, do it again, etc...
>
> More fun than a barrel of poets.
>
> > >
> >
> > So:
> >
> > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> >
> >
> >
> > What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
> > Shadowville?
>
> I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
> seems out of my time-frame.

That's all that's left of Billy Reed, though. Still looking around for
Johnny Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., also from the same era...

--
Backyard Blues, June 24th photos by Walter Mallard:


"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
whistle-lisp:


> > > > ----
> > > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > From:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
> > > > Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
> > > > Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that. But
> > > > the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B windstorm
> > > > which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
> > > > Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
> > > > drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
> > > > producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself was
> > > > a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
> > > > last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information about
> > > > him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to put
> > > > most of the pieces of this puzzle together.
> > > >
> > > > Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the country.
> > > > "The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider where
> > > > these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of Georgia
> > > > and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
> > > > Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a lot
> > > > of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
> > > > indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
> > > > area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
> > > > recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the country as
> > > > McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney states
> > > > that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians working
> > > > Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a hard
> > > > life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
> > > > full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.
> > > >
> > > > Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
> > > > Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of the
> > > > other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club performances,
> > > > Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr. Jive"
> > > > Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
> > > > Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is reported
> > > > to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
> > > > studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
> > > > can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
> > > > evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels (the
> > > > other being Peggy Sue).
> > > >
> > > > Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band usually
> > > > fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
> > > > regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
> > > > Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club in
> > > > Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel where
> > > > local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the bands
> > > > style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
> > > > Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
> > > > guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.
> > > >
> > > > Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
> > > > player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked on a
> > > > more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as Jimmy
> > > > Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was already a
> > > > Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It is
> > > > entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
> > > > signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to other
> > > > artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
> > > > Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least release
> > > > this one single for him!
> > > > ----
> > > > I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
> > > > Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
> > > > thread will present updats as the become available.
> > > >
> > > > 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
> > > >
> > > > Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
> > > > Will Dockery wrote:
> Dearest AJ wrote:
> > Will Dockery wrote:
> > > Slim Jinn wrote:
> >
> > > > > > Very similar style to Will Dockery.
> > > > >
> > > > > Almost missed this thread, but a good idea.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'll be using this space to showcase some of the man

Re: More talent from Shadowville

y talented artists of
> > > > > Shadowville, this time around, some history from the 1960s local music
> > > > > scene:
> > > >
> > > > I think I would like Shadowville,
> > > > and I don't like the blues.
> > > >
> > > > Jonathan Edwards used to do a song called:
> > > > "Don't Cry Blue"
> > > > (cause I'm coming home, to you,
> > > > I'll meet you at the mailbox, and
> > > > I'll read you all my cards,
> > > > so don't cry Blu-oo-oo-oo... ha! :)
> > >
> > > I remember his hit "Sunshine" well from childhood transistor radio
> > > days
> >
> > Yeah... That is his BIG hit... :)
> >
> > ...not my favorite...
> >
> > I saw him live, with Bill Withers as the 2nd act..
> > (...in the very early 70's)
> >
> > > A lot of good performers come out of Athens: REM, B52s, at least back
> > > in the 1980s.
> >
> > My favorite B52 tune was: "Revolution Earth"
> > which was written by someone else.
> > Basically, the B52's produce crapola... :)
> >
> > Better than most crapola, but hey..
>
> Just a short strp above disco, imo, but pretty good performance artists
> in their day. A lot of fun in the very early 80s when they played small
> joints in Atlanta, within walking distance of my apartment.

Course... :)

>
> > > > I used to play this album on the guitar.
> > > > Never very well, but the girls were impressed...
> > > >
> > > > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > > > (at least from the Sat...)
> > >
> > > Beware of the Garfish, though..:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.
> >
> > Cute. :)
> >
> > > The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
> > > sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.
> >
> > I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
> > navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...
>
> There's some really deep sections, and all types of boats and whatnot
> zipping about out there. I suppose this info can be had at the flick of
> a Google...

Gee... I just produced a movie of most of the E. Georgia
waterways, and there were no boats noted. Nada.
In the "Sydney" vid, boats are everywhere.

>
> > A poontoon boat only needs a few inches...
> >
> > I used to have a twin-engine jet-boat that only needed that,
> > but I fouled in grass several times...
> >
> > Fouling a jet with grass is a drag... :)
> > ...and running on one jet (in a twin) is hilarious...
> >
> > Same is true for airplanes... (as in, most affordable
> > twins are unmanagable without both engines)
> >
> > But it is a FUCKEN kick to take-off with twins...
> >
> > A guy let me do some "touch-and-gos" at Oakland
> > in a twin, on 27 Right.
> >
> > A "touch-and-go" is a standard thing, meaning you
> > land briefly, and take-off again, do it again, etc...
> >
> > More fun than a barrel of poets.
> >
> > > >
> > >
> > > So:
> > >
> > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
> > > Shadowville?
> >
> > I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
> > seems out of my time-frame.
>
> That's all that's left of Billy Reed, though. Still looking around for
> Johnny Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., also from the same era...

I'm relatively open, but lazy, and on a short clock.


--
-------------------------------------------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)Dearest AJ wrote:
> Will Dockery wrote:
>
> > > > > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > > > > (at least from the Sat...)
> > > >
> > > > Beware of the Garfish, though..:
> > > >
> > > > http://commo

ns.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ellen_and_the_Gar.jp g
> > > >
> > > > ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.
> > >
> > > Cute. :)
> > >
> > > > The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
> > > > sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.
> > >
> > > I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
> > > navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...
> >
> > There's some really deep sections, and all types of boats and whatnot
> > zipping about out there. I suppose this info can be had at the flick of
> > a Google...
>
> Gee... I just produced a movie of most of the E. Georgia
> waterways, and there were no boats noted. Nada.
> In the "Sydney" vid, boats are everywhere.

You know Shadowville is West Georgia, right?

On the Alabama border.

> > > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
> > > > Shadowville?
> > >
> > > I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
> > > seems out of my time-frame.
> >
> > That's all that's left of Billy Reed, though. Still looking around for
> > Johnny Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., also from the same era...
>
> I'm relatively open, but lazy, and on a short clock.

I'm focused on things Shadowville, at the moment, and digging these
lost heroes of the past.

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
whistle-lisp:


> --
> -------------------------------------------
> AJ - e In.
> (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> Usenet Porn.)Will Dockery wrote:
> Dearest AJ wrote:
> > Will Dockery wrote:
> >
> > > > > > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > > > > > (at least from the Sat...)
> > > > >
> > > > > Beware of the Garfish, though..:
> > > > >
> > > > > http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ellen_and_the_Gar.jp g
> > > > >
> > > > > ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.
> > > >
> > > > Cute. :)
> > > >
> > > > > The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some weed,
> > > > > sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.
> > > >
> > > > I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
> > > > navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...
> > >
> > > There's some really deep sections, and all types of boats and whatnot
> > > zipping about out there. I suppose this info can be had at the flick of
> > > a Google...
> >
> > Gee... I just produced a movie of most of the E. Georgia
> > waterways, and there were no boats noted. Nada.
> > In the "Sydney" vid, boats are everywhere.
>
> You know Shadowville is West Georgia, right?
>
> On the Alabama border.

Yes... The last vid was mostly eastern.

>
> > > > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy Reed of
> > > > > Shadowville?
> > > >
> > > > I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
> > > > seems out of my time-frame.
> > >
> > > That's all that's left of Billy Reed, though. Still looking around for
> > > Johnny Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., also from the same era...
> >
> > I'm relatively open, but lazy, and on a short clock.
>
> I'm focused on things Shadowville, at the moment, and digging these
> lost heroes of the past.


--
-------------------------------------------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)



>
> --
> "Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery
>
>
> Ozone Stigmata the video:
>
>
> 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
>
> Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
> whistle-lisp:
>
>
> > --
> > -------------------------------------------
> > AJ - e In.
> > (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> > Usenet Porn.)Fred Hall wrote:

Note: The author of this message requested that it not be archived.
This message will be removed from Groups in 6 days (Jul 27, 6:40 pm).

> Looks like you fucked yourself once again, Tommy.

Who is this "Tommy"????????????????

The thing that is clear is that you are a moron.


--
----------------------------------

Fred-moron: What could be more clear?

---------
AJ - e In.
(800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
Usenet Porn.)Dearest AJ wrote:
> Will Dockery wrote:
>
> > > > > > > There are some cool-ass lakes in eastern GA.
> > > > > > > (at least from the Sat...)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Beware of the Garfish, though..:
> > > > > >

="_blank"> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ellen_and_the_Gar.jp g
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ...heh... beware of Ellen, too.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cute. :)
> > > > >
> > > > > > The lakes are great from floating a pontoon boat, smoking some
weed,
> > > > > > sipping a beer and strumming some guitar... blues are optional.
> > > > >
> > > > > I can imagine... Amazing system of water. Wonder if it is
> > > > > navigable... The Sac. Delta is quite deep, mostly...
> > > >
> > > > There's some really deep sections, and all types of boats and
whatnot
> > > > zipping about out there. I suppose this info can be had at the flick
of
> > > > a Google...
> > >
> > > Gee... I just produced a movie of most of the E. Georgia
> > > waterways, and there were no boats noted. Nada.
> > > In the "Sydney" vid, boats are everywhere.
> >
> > You know Shadowville is West Georgia, right?
> >
> > On the Alabama border.
>
> Yes... The last vid was mostly eastern.

Yeah, check "Lake Harding" "West Point Lake", maybe "Lake Oliver"...

> > > > > > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > What to you think of doing the blues video for long-lost Billy
Reed of
> > > > > > Shadowville?
> > > > >
> > > > > I think that converting an .RM file that wasn't /miked/ very well
> > > > > seems out of my time-frame.
> > > >
> > > > That's all that's left of Billy Reed, though. Still looking around
for
> > > > Johnny Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., also from the same era...
> > >
> > > I'm relatively open, but lazy, and on a short clock.
> >
> > I'm focused on things Shadowville, at the moment, and digging these
> > lost heroes of the past.

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:

> --
> -------------------------------------------
> AJ - e In.
> (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> Usenet Porn.)
>
> > 10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:
> >
> > Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a
> > whistle-lisp:
> >
> >
> > > --
> > > -------------------------------------------
> > > AJ - e In.
> > > (800 folders. -- kiddie-filtered -- FREE,
> > > Usenet Porn.)
>On another site, I picked up a tidbit on the Shadowville music scene of the
1950s-60s, a part I knew nothing about, bands like Antique Zoo and Johnny
Barfield & The Men From S.O.U.L., so I Googled "Johnny Barfield" and this
came up, a great link with a treasure trove of info on musicians and record
labels... check it out, and note Jo Jo Benson's origins here... he's still
around at the Ho

Re: More talent from Shadowville

use Of Blues over where Coach's Corner/Britania Pub used to
be, and perhaps time to interview him and get his memories of this
fascinating and lost era of Shadowville music:

----


The Ed Mendel Story by Brian Poust

"The clock on the wall says it's 4:05. Jump back and let's have some more
jive!"

So began each day's broadcast of "In the Groove", hosted by WGBA-AM's Ed
"Dr. Jive" Mendel, one of the most influential men in the Columbus GA music
scene from the early 1940s until his death in 1975.

Edwin A. Mendel, Ed Mendel more casually or simply Dr. Jive if you were
anywhere near where his airwaves reached. Born in October of 1919, Ed Mendel
would embark on a radio career that expanded into record stores, concert
promotion, artist management and record labels before his untimely death at
the age of 55 from cancer. More than just a music industry career though,
his groundbreaking involvement in the Columbus music scene touched the lives
of countless people in the area, and the Black community in particular. Dr.
Jive was the first R&B and gospel disc jockey in Columbus, the first stop
shop to buy r&b records, and a highly respected employer.

Following the marriage to his wife Laurie in 1941, Ed shipped off for WWII
service with the Army, though his military stint would last only two years,
when Mendel received a medical discharge due to asthma. Already interested
in radio, Mendel started his broadcast career in Columbus, Georgia, but
quickly made the move to Atlanta with the help of a recommendation letter
written for him by Allen Woodall, Sr., owner of WDAK-AM. Mendel was hired by
WAGA-AM in Atlanta, where he originally worked for free, eventually getting
his own time slot for a short time. In 1946, Mendel moved back to Columbus.
He quickly made a name for himself at WGBA-AM and came to be known as "Dr.
Jive", playing jazz and rhythm and blues records to the Columbus GA and
Phenix City, AL communities through his show "In the Groove" each day from
4:05 to 5:00 pm. Like many radio DJs at the time, Mendel was selling his own
ad time and his pay was dependent on his ability to collect on his
advertising contracts. Due to the popularity of "In the Groove", the show
was eventually re-named "Dr. Jive", after his on-air persona. Every day, Dr.
Jive started his show with his signature phrase, "The clock on the wall says
it's 4:05. Jump back and let's have some more jive!"

By the late 1940s, Mendel was in a good position to take advantage of his
unique standing in the community and helped his parents, Esther and Max,
start a record store called Dr. Jive's Record Shop at 817 8th Avenue in
downtown Columbus. His parents were already running a general store at this
location, when Ed started providing them with a small stock of records to
sell, which eventually took over the entirety of their business. Through his
radio show and feedback from his audience, Ed likely recognized that the
music he was playing was not as available to the community, who were looking
to buy the records they heard on the air each day. While Ed apparently had
no direct or financial dealings with his parents record shop in the
beginning of this venture, we must assume that the advice he gave to his
parents about what to stock was invaluable. Beginning in the late 1950s,
Mendel also started taking further interest in expanding his career beyond
radio when he began working closely with the Columbus Municipal Auditorium
to promote concerts. During the 1960s, Mendel brought in acts such as Sam &
Dave, Jimmy Smith, The Impressions, Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, James
Brown and many more.

Following his stint at WGBA-AM, Mendel moved back over to WDAK-AM where he
continued his Dr. Jive show, continuing to play rhythm and blues as well as
jazz and gospel music. This was still the pre-integration period for the
South and while it is clear that Mendel was a trail blazer in championing
the music of Black musicians, Mendel's wife Laurie says she has very little
recollection of any threats or unusual events coming from the white
community of Columbus, despite Mendel's celebrity and the fact that
segregation was a part of life in Georgia at the time. Mrs. Mendel only
recalls a run-in that Ed had with a local policeman who told him, in no
uncertain terms, that Mendel had better not let that policeman see him
around his part of town again. Mendel then moved over to WOKS-AM (1) which
was owned at the time by Johnny O'Shields and featured programming
specifically catering to Columbus's black community. While at WOKS-AM, late
in 1960, Mendel's father died. Ed took over ownership of Dr. Jives Record
Shop.

By 1962, Mendel opened his second record shop at 1034 Broadway and expanded
his stock. While the 8th Ave. shop continued to focus on jazz, R&B and
gospel music, the Broadway location expanded to also carry more rock & roll
as well as country & western. In addition to records, Mendel also expanded
to selling portable record players, and other odds and ends which would
attract a young clientele. Clearly, Mendel was keeping up with the teen
market! In order to better run his two shops, Laurie Mendel ran the
Broadway location, while Ed remained in charge at the 8th Ave. location.

Mendel ended his "Dr. Jive" show circa 1967 to embark on a new, business
venture. With help from Ben Parsons of Tomahawk Records, Mendel set up the
Men-Del record label and quickly gained local attention with his first two
releases. The first record on the label was Billy Reed's cover of the
well-known Harmonica Fats song "Tore Up", backed with the original "Let Your
Hair Down Baby", an incredible r&b instrumental with pounding drums, horns,
hand claps and bass guitar runs. It's a real shame that it was never picked
up for national distribution. The next release was the debut 45 by a young
man from Phenix City, Alabama named Joseph Hewell, better known as Jo Jo
Benson. Benson's debut 45, "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", parts 1 and 2 garnered
immediate local attention. An August, 1967 article from The Columbus News
announced the new label, running pictures of Mendel and Benson. Within the
next few months, Mendel scrapped his Men-Del label and established his
second label, Peggy Sue, named for his two daughters Peggy and Susan, both
of whom were also working in the Dr. Jive record shops. Susan, by this time,
was also writing newspaper columns geared towards teenagers for The Columbus
Ledger, letting them know what was hip and new in the teen scene.

The Peggy Sue label released at least six 45s from late 1967 to early 1968
(2). The first 45 on the label was by a garage band called The Penny Saints,
"Don't Sell Your Mind" b/w "Was It She" (1001). Following this initial
release, Peggy Sue picked up some steam with singles that became very
popular in the area. The Roy Hill Sextet received local air play with
"Soulful Annie" b/w "I'm Your Puppet" (Peggy Sue 1003) which came
immediately following Johnny Barfield Jr. & the Men from S.O.U.L.'s single
"Mr. Starlight" b/w "Soul Butter" (1002). "Mr. Starlight" was written by
Bobby Moore, a saxophone player from Montgomery AL. Moore had some success
at Chess Records with his band The Rhythm Aces and a hit called "Searching
For My Love" in 1966, as well as some other great records.

Johnny Barfield was a 21 year old mail carrier for the US Postal Service in
Phenix City, Alabama at the time but also had a band with his friends
Frankie Hurst (guitar) and Skip McQuin (drums) with Barfield playing a combo
organ. A November 18, 1967 article appearing in The Columbus Ledger, quotes
Barfield explaining the band's name. "We call ourselves The Men From
S.O.U.L. The letters do not actually stand for anything but refers to 'soul'
music". After quick local success, the Barfield single was picked up for
national distribution by Shelby Singleton's SSS International label. The
single failed to chart. However, Singleton also signed Jo Jo Benson -
managed by Mendel - who had started singing as a duo with Peggy Scott of
Florida. Their first single, "Lover's Holiday" went gold and started a
successful run for the duo who performed together until 1971 on SSS
International and Atco Records. The two got back together sometime in the
80s for an album on the Florida GCS label. Both artists still perform, and
Peggy Scott-Adams has been recording somewhat prolifically since the 1990s
from her home base in southern California.

The aforementioned "Soulful Annie" single by Roy Hill & the Swinging Sextet
was picked up by the Minaret label based on its local strength, but went
nowhere on the national charts. The Swinging Sextet's follow-up, "Us Don't
Sop No Syrup" b/w "Doc, Take Two" (1005) is by far the superior of their two
singles, one side a grinding r&b jam; the flip an upbeat instrumental that
must have driven the kids into a manic frenzy when performed in the night
clubs. This record also flopped. Sandwiched between the two Roy Hill & the
Swinging Sextet singles was a nice deep soul single from Fletcher Flowers,
"Comfort Me Baby" b/w "I've Got To Get Somebody" (1004). Fletcher Flowers
was actually Fletcher Hewell, Jo Jo Benson's brother. In 1969, Mendel
changed the numbering series for his Peggy Sue label, starting back at #1.
That record was Beverly Hammonds's "I Wish It Would Rain" b/w "Darling
Baby". "Darling Baby" is another fantastic Deep Soul 45 which was picked up
for national distribution, released on New York's De-Lite label, #531. Both
songs, by the way, are Motown covers. "Darling Baby" was originally by The
Elgins, while "I Wish It Would Rain" was a Motown standard made a huge hit
by Temptations before everyone else had a turn with it. Beverly had earlier
been a gospel singer and sang lead on a 45 on Columbus's Tomahawk label by
The Dynamic Gospel Gems, "The Storm Will Pass Over" b/w "In My Father's
House" (Tomahawk 192). Hammonds was singing at the big Columbus night club
at the time, The Lavana Club, with an R&B group called The Kayo's when Ed
Mendel first heard her sing, which is very likely how Mendel was also
introduced to Roy Hill and his group, not to mention Jo Jo Benson. As it
happens, Peggy Scott was singing with Roy Hill's Sextet in the same club
around that time shortly before teaming up with Jo Jo Benson.

The Beverly Hammonds 45 was produced by southern soul legend Roscoe
Robinson, who recorded at Muscle Shoals during the 1968/69 time frame
despite living in Chicago at the time. Mendel had at least one other
collaboration with Roscoe Robinson when in 1969, Robinson released a 45 by
The Sextette Unlimited, "Boot That Thang" parts 1 and 2 as the third 45 on
his own label, Gerri. This song was published by Ed Mendel and produced by
Robinson for Ed Mendel Productions. Following their 45s on the Peggy Sue
label, The Roy Hill Sextet broke up, but some members reformed under the new
leadership of drummer Paul Brown, calling themselves The Sextette Unlimited.
Roscoe Robinson had other ties to the Columbus area, as a one time member of
gospel group The Five Trumpets, who recorded at least two singles for the
Tomahawk label, one in 1967, the other circa 1972/3. It is unlikely that
Robinson sang on those specific records, but is interesting trivia
nevertheless.

On the record store front in 1968, Mendel hired store managers for both
locations from the Black community which, again, was a bold step forward for
the time, when African-Americans in Columbus were having a very difficult
time finding good jobs. In addition to showing support to the Black
community, the added staff enabled Mendel to open a third store called Dr.
Jive's Record City at Columbus Square. The Columbus Square location was
quickly followed by a fourth location at Cross-Country Plaza. Mendel bought
a large advertisement in The Columbus News proclaiming "Democracy Works
Here!" showing his proud store managers, Johnny Pittman at Broadway, Rip
Love at 8th Avenue and new employee Willie Harris with daughter Susan Mendel
also at the Broadway location.

With four local record shops by the end of the 1960s, Mendel established
himself as Thee Columbus source for records both new and used, as well as 8
track cartridges of every genre. Now retired from radio, Ed Mendel was able
to fully devote his energies to show promotion and his record shops. Wendell
Parker, owner of Shurfine Records in Atlanta from 1966 to 1972 remembers
that Mendel was an important record dealer at the time. When asked about the
Dr. Jive record shops, Parker said "I remember we had to keep shipping more
copies of Hannibal's 'Hymn No. 5' out there to them. If he sold one copy, he
sold a thousand!" Likewise, Laurie Mendel remembers long lines at the
stores when Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson's "Lover's Holiday" was first
released.

In 1972, Ed Mendel got his first and probably only real competition in the
record store market. Flipside Records was opened by Ronald and Dot Morris in
the Heritage Corner shopping center. Dot remembers that early one morning
while she was making preparations to open the store, she noticed Ed Mendel
and one of his employees peeking through the front window. When she looked
over towards them, Ed darted off as to not be seen. She approached his
employee and asked if she could help him to which he replied "No, I'm just
looking." Dot smiled when recounting that about a week later, Flipside
received a note from Ed saying that he would either run them out of business
or buy them out. Later on, Ronald Morris became good friends with Ed Mendel
and they spoke often before Ed's death in 1975. Ronald passed away in the
early 1990s, but Dot continues to run Flipside Records in it's same location
to this day with her son in law.

Talking to people today who knew Ed Mendel, it is evident that the man made
quite an impact on his community, especially to be remembered so fondly by
so many people, from artists to other record industry people to his own
competition. Mendel's impact on Georgia Soul music was not just limited to
the Columbus area and is a man worth remembering, as are some of the other
great R&B radio DJs who were Mendel's contemporaries. In Ed Mendel's honor,
we also tip our hat to the careers of The Duchess, Hound Dog, The Deuce and
all the rest who brought some great R&B to the airwaves of southwest
Georgia!

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)Meat Plow wrote:
>
> I should have stopped and hooked up with Will when I traveled through Ga
> earlier this month.

That would have been interesting, what days were you passing through?

You could have sat in on drums at either SoHo on Monsday, the Vault on
Tuesday or the Loft on Wednesday.

--
"Hasty Pudding"

Re: More talent from Shadowville

; by Will Dockery

="http://www.myspace.com/willdockery" target="_blank">http://www.myspace.com/willdockery

Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)"Meat Plow" wrote:
> Will Dockery wrote:
> > Meat Plow wrote:
>
> >> I should have stopped and hooked up with Will when I traveled through
Ga
> >> earlier this month.
> >
> > That would have been interesting, what days were you passing through?
> >
> > You could have sat in

Re: More talent from Shadowville

on drums at either SoHo on Mons

Re: More talent from Shadowville

day, the Vault on
> > Tuesday or the Loft on Wednesday.
>
> The 9th

There's not much happening on Sunday (which the 9th fell on, I think) in
Shadowville, but we could have at least got a few people together and jammed
a bit, I guess.

--
"Hasty Pudding" by Will Dockery


Ozone Stigmata the video:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
Meat Plow wrote:
>
> > > Very similar style to Will Dockery.

Just came across some really early history of the music of Shadowville,
excerpted from an essay by an old pal, Jay Vaquer:

----
1966-When Jay turned 18 the Draft Board gave him an option, go into the
army now, as a private, for two years and get benefits, or, go to
college for four years and up

Re: More talent from Shadowville

on graduation, attend Officer's Candidate
School and do three years in the Army as an officer. Jay's father got
orders for Fort Benning, Georgia and the family returned to the USA.
Jay was quick to apply to the local college, Columbus College in
Columbus, Georgia, where he became a full time student. Most of the
students were local and locked into their social norms, Jay's
appearance and attitude were not acceptable-he was a pre-hippie freak.
One night he went to the teen club on post and met two other long
hairs- Herb and Mike Guthrie. These brothers were musicians whose
father had been stationed in Augsburg, Germany just south of Stuttgart.
They were familiar with the European music scene and that night they
made a band called The Bitter End. This was the most progressive group
in the city and became a gathering point for The Alternative Society of
freaks. As the War raged in Vietnam, Fort Benning became active
transporting soldiers from all over the world through Ft. Benning. The
Bitter End played music of Frank Zappa, Love, The Byrds, The Beatles
and some esoteric tunes Mike's dad had taught him.
1967-Jay wanted to branch out musically, the Bitter End did not. Jay
left the group to form Mary's Grave. Power blues, stacks of speakers,
weird lights, the hippies were coming into bloom. Jay worked as a
lifeguard at the officers club pool during the summer, took tennis
lessons from Mr.Ponce, and got back with the Guthries to form a group
called Arnold Bean with Gary Burnett on bass. Everytime a class of
infantrymen would graduate, there would be a party and a live band.
Arnold Bean was finally banned from playing at Ft. Benning after Herb
Guthrie, the drummer, got into a fight with some Major at the Officer''
Club.

Released one record:



* Arnold Bean Cosmic Bean SSS International SSS21 (1968) great melodic
rock with a rural edge. nice mix of frail vocals
and jammy rhythm tracks. beautiful trippy space cover too!

SIDE 1: I CAN SEE THROUGH YOU* THE LONG STRETCH OF BLUE* FORTUNE AND FAME*
DADDY'S GOT THE CLAP* REALLY HAVENT GOT TIME* PENNY DEAR* SIDE 2: INDIAN
SUMMER* LISTENING TO THE RIVER* I'VE GOT THE KEY* CAPTAIN MARVEL* OPEN UP
YOUR HEART NATURE BOY*

1968-Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Cream, were the major musical
influences of Jay's new band called FANE with Manfred Rackow on bass
and Steve Swenson on drums. By now, the underground hits of yesterday
were becoming today's hits and this band worked a lot of night club
dates for dancing until they helped construct The Electric Toadstool- a
psychedelic night club. Fane would walk in at nine o'clock and play
Crossroads for 45 minutes, and then take a break. Improvisation with a
power trio was nearly a religious experience when the crowd and
musicians linked into the same trip. Jay wanted to take the band to
California but they were full time students and if they dropped out of
college, or failed , they would be sent to the war.
1969-Jane Duboc came to the USA from Brazil for Jay's sister Gloria's
wedding to Manfred Rackow . Jane and Jay get married at the Russell
County courthouse. After changing his major a few times, Jay is in his
senior year of college and Vietnam is on the horizon. Jay's musical
tastes shift more towards the Allman Brothers, Brian Auger and heavy
jazz fusion. Jane becomes the vocalist in FANE and John Aiken is added
on Hammond Organ. This group became an immediate success at the
officer's club and played mainly at Ft. Benning.
----

Anyway, you can follow the whole weird story at Jay's website:


> > ----
> > "Let Your Hair Down Baby" by Billy Reed:
> >
> >
> >
> > From:
> >

> >
> > Ever since I first got turned onto this record, I had wondered who Billy
> > Reed was. The A side of this 45 is a version of Harvey "Harmonica Fats"
> > Blackston's classic song "Tore Up", and a pretty decent version at that.
But
> > the flip side, our selection today, is a blazing percussive R&B
windstorm
> > which must have driven crowds wild heard live in a night club setting.
> > Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with Skip McQuinn, formerly the
> > drummer in Johnny Barfield & the Men From S.O.U.L. and now a successful
> > producer and studio engineer, who remembered Billy Reed. That in itself
was
> > a surprise because I've asked a good number of people about him over the
> > last few years and not gotten much in the way of any real information
about
> > him. My initial conversation with McQuinn was exactly what I needed to
put
> > most of the pieces of this puzzle together.
> >
> > Reed has been described as an "old timey" blues guy from out in the
country.
> > "The country" in this context is particularly vague when you consider
where
> > these events took place. Columbus is an Army town on the border of
Georgia
> > and Alabama. Separating Columbus from Phenix City Alabama is the
> > Chattahoochee River. A quick glance at a map will reveal that there is a
lot
> > of rural area surrounding Columbus. McQuinn thought that Billy Reed was
> > indeed from the Georgia side of the border but not exactly sure. Another
> > area musician who factors into this story is Oscar Toney Jr. Toney's
> > recollection is that Reed was actually not from as far out in the
country as
> > McQuinn remembers, but from Phenix City. Of Billy Reed's age, Toney
states
> > that he may not have been much older than any of the other musicians
working
> > Columbus at the time, but may have appeared that way due to living a
hard
> > life. Whatever the case, it seems that we still haven't quite gotten the
> > full story of Billy Reed straight just yet.
> >
> > Reed didn't perform as much as some of the more prominent artists in
> > Columbus at the time, such as Jo Jo Benson, Oscar Toney Jr. and some of
the
> > other local Columbus artists. But through his local night club
performances,
> > Billy Reed met up with WDAK DJ, promoter and record shop owner Ed "Dr.
Jive"
> > Mendel who arranged a recording session with Ben Parsons of Tomahawk
> > Records. Parsons had the only recording studio in the area and is
reported
> > to have built his own recording console back when the nearest recording
> > studio would have been in Atlanta or Nashville. Just how true that is I
> > can't say for sure. Mendel's agreement with Billy Reed and Ben Parsons
> > evolved into the first 45 on either of Ed Mendel's two record labels
(the
> > other being Peggy Sue).
> >
> > Other musicians on this session were members of The Kayos, a band
usually
> > fronted by Oscar Toney Jr. The Kayos were one of the major acts playing
> > regularly in Columbus at the time, The other band being Roy Hill and His
> > Swinging Sextet. These two bands both played at the C'estbon night club
in
> > Columbus which also regularly held talent nights hosted by Ed Mendel
where
> > local singers and musicians would sit in and win awards, battle of the
bands
> > style, by audience applause. Heard on the Billy Reed single were Joe
> > Williams, a "wild" left handed guitar player who played a right handed
> > guitar upside down, and Horace Hughley on drums.
> >
> > Oscar Toney Jr. remembers that Billy Reed was very talented blues harp
> > player and could have gone further with his own career if he had worked
on a
> > more original act. Billy Reed worked very much in the same style as
Jimmy
> > Reed, which seems to be why he didn't cut more records. There was
already a
> > Jimmy Reed, and record labels were looking for more original artists. It
is
> > entirely possible that with a more original act, Reed might have gotten
> > signed by "Papa Don" Schroeder, who had signed Toney, in addition to
other
> > artists in the southeast such as Mighty Sam McClain and James & Bobby
> > Purify. Luckily, Ed Mendel believed in Billy Reed enough to at least
release
> > this one single for him!
> > ----
> >
> > I've read in the archive questions about Johnny Barfield & The Men From
> > Soul, Antique Zoo, and other obscure performers from this era, and this
> > thread will present updates as the become available.

--
"Ozone Stigmata" by Will Dockery


The Ride (Combat Zone) by Shadowville All-Stars
Video by Janis Petersen:


10 years of Mush-Mouth's whining lies, the archive:

Rob "Mush-Mouth" Evans performs with a mouthful of oatmeal & a whistle-lisp:
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