Billy La Mont

Sweet Thang is a record famous for the fact that it is genuinely Hendrix playing some blistering guitar that only he can play. Brantley tried later on to cash in on Jimi's fame by getting Lee Moses to copy the style but here is the real thing. This was probably recorded in New York's Abtone Studios circa June 1966.

The song is a rough work out for Billy La Mont's vocals as he screeches over the backdrop of Hendrix's guitar and Brantley's other tell tale use of blaring horns. The song is co-written with Lonnie Youngblood so one can expect that he is on the session because he also co-arranged the song with another Brantley regular T.Staff. The B-side Please Don't Leave is a quieter affair and is a typical ballad which rips off James Brown's Please, Please, Please.

This record has attracted interest from the Hendrix specialists and you can find further information on alternative versions of the record on Hendrix compilations here:-

http://www.earlyhendrix.com/artists/lamont/rec.htm

The above site informs that Sweet Thang also appeared with vocals by Lonnie Youngblood and changed lyrics with the title of Wipe The Sweat and appears on a early Hendrix compilation.

Billy had another 45 out on Brantley's Brant T label (Darlin') Please Come Home which is very similar in style to Please Don't Leave. The song is actually arranged by Lewis and Farmer who usually provided songs for Vidalia Productions. The other side is a version of Jimmy Norman's So Called Friend which has a thick heavy backing of guitar homes for Billy to work his stuff over and broken up with rolling thunder drums as the horns drive it forward. There is some nifty guitar playing in a middle segment with Billy impeaching his lover about her so called friends. The horns build this song up and there is a terrific roll of the drums before it fades. Jimmy Norman arranged the track.

I have no further information on Billy and I don't know whether it is the same guy who had Country Boy on Okeh in 1959 and perhaps also cut the tunes Hear Me Now, Talking Trash and Lookey Dookey in the 50's. There was also an Official label CD out called Billy La Mont meets Chuck Edwards but again I have no further details.

Bobby Brown

A driving piece of bass laden soul with blaring Ohio Player's horns. The lyrics of this song are as desperate as the music - with Bobby screaming why things are so bad? - he wants to know why we suffer? This is not just a plea for justice but also a plea for the decency of being given an answer to why things are so bad. The backdrop to this song was the burgeoning civil rights movement and this is one of the most expressive songs to emerge from that era. The only song of the era which I know which uses the phrase equal opportunities. It was also recorded by the Ohio Players as Tell Me Why on their album of Compass recordings called First Impressions. The song shouldn't be confused with another Johnny Brantley song Why Is It Taking So Long recorded by George Scott and Nate Adams which is a different song.

The B-side is another song used by Johnny on other artists - A Woman And Some Soul which is a party time record based around a peristent guitar riff and contrasts with the intensity of Why. You can also find a version on the Ohio Player's album First Impressions. On the Ohio Players's version the title contains the extra phrase A Little Soul Party which about sums up the song with its 60's party-time noises and good time feel.

I am not sure whether this is the same Bobby Brown who recorded another piece of rough edged soul for Jacklyn - I Gotta Have You/Love Won't You Give Us A Chance which are Jack Daniels productions out of Chicago.

Chosen Few

Chosen Few grew out of an earlier group The Adventurers which released at least 2 Johnny Brantley productions on Music World and Compass and a further 45 on Blue Rock. This group must not be confused with a group of the same name who recorded for Polydor and RCA in the 70's and there are at least a few other groups who used the name.

The Chosen Few had 3 tracks released on 3 different 45's and an album Taking All The Love I Can on Maple which were all issued around 1970.

According to the book Soul Harmony Singles, the group consisted of three singers Gerald Perry and Mac Williams originally from the Adventurers and Roy Handy. This is supported by the above photo from the album featuring 3 singers. However, if you listen to the music on the album it is obvious that they used early Adventurer's songs which don't sound re-recorded and which must feature the original members with some new material and perhaps some previously unissued tracks from the Compass/Blue Rock period

Maple 1000 Taking All The Love I Can/Birth Of A Playboy
Maple 1000 Taking All The Love I Can/I Can't Take No Chances
Canyon 1000 Taking All The Love I Can/Birth Of A Playboy

Maple album Taking All The Love I Can

Taking All The Love I Can

A Freddie Briggs song sounding like the Four Tops with a searing powerful lead vocal.

Something's Bad

This is the same song as the Adventurers on Blue Rock. It has lovely harmonies over a sophisticated backing with a familiar guitar riff which I cannot place! This is very different in style to the other type of Johnny Brantley productions on Hermon Hitson etc. This is written by group members Eddie Johnson and James Wicker.

Birth Of A Playboy

A very old fashioned piano driven beater with a rolling drum intro which has close harmonies before breaking into a thick smokey sax break. This is written by Eddie Johnson and Gerald Perry and the inclusion of Johnson's name suggests an early recording or a song written at an early period for the Adventurers.

I Caught You Cheating

This sounds like a note for note copy or the original Music World recording!!

I Got To Hold On

A Dutch Robinson written song which originally appeared on the Ohio Players Compass recordings album First Impressions. This sounds like the original backing track with the Chosen Few/Adventurers's backing vocals added. The song is a light weight poppish song with rock influenced guitar though there is another guitar higher in the mix which could be Lee Moses or James Wicker. The song sounds similar to the Chamber Brothers.

Trespassin'

This is another Ohio Players song from the First Impressions album. This time it sounds as though it was either remixed or recorded. A driving piece of music similar to the Temps psychedelic outings. Again, the Chosen Few vocals may have been added later.

I Can't Take No More Chances

A gorgeous version of the Lewis/Lewis/Farmer song also recorded by Lee Moses on his Maple album which sounds sweeter than his version with the group harmonies and added strings. This version also has bigger horns which may have been remixed.

Nobody Can Save Me

Another tambourine driven Motownesque sound which was originally on Blue Rock - possibly a re-recording

You Say You Love Me

This is a very early sounding Eddie Johnson song with almost Mereybeat harmonies. It sounds very early 60's with an old fashioned piano and rolling drums reminiscent of early Motown. It also has very close poppy harmonies from the guys.

Love For My Girl

A Gerald Perry and Eddie Johnson song and again is a real throwback sound with a clip clop beat and close harmonies. It would not sound out of place in Chicago and is very similar to Major Lance/Impressions record. It has a sax break and speeds up after the break as was the style circa 64. This must surely have been in the can since Music World?

Crying Shame

The guys put vocals over the Ohio Players driving piece of late 60's soul which was one of their Compass recordings. The guys do an excellent job on the vocal because this is a powerful piece of music and the Players were breaking down barriers with this music.

The Icemen

It was thought for a long time that The Icemen were the Pointdexter brothers Richard and Robert however in 2004, the Early Hendrix website identified them as Gino Armstrong and James Stokes. This identification was apparently made by Jimmy Norman in an unissued interview by a Steve Roby.

According to Soul Harmony Singles, The Icemen had at least four 45's but a possible 5th is identified by Dave Rimmer's website Soulful Kinda Music. They had 2 45's on Samar as detailed below plus How Can I Get Over A Fox Like You/Loogaboo on ABC, It's Gonna Take A Lot To Bring Me Back Baby/It's Time You Knew on Ole-9 and a 5th 45 You've Got A Style Of Your Own/Let The Song Play on Vest.

Samar 111 (My Girl) She's A Fox/I Wonder What It Takes

Both sides were produced by Johnny Brantley. She's A Fox was written by the Poindexter Brothers. Gino and James share writing credits on I Wonder and both sides were arranged by Lonnie Youngblood.

Samar 117 Sugar Baby/Only Time Will Tell

Again both sides were produced by Johnny Brantley

Further research needs to be done on The Icemen

The Adventurers

A search of the Soulful Detroit Forum dug up some discussions about the group's recordings. The consenus seemed to be that this group recorded the Columbia, Music World, Compass and Blue Rock sides and that the Ran Dee side was recorded by another. This is based on writer credits and listening to the singers. There also seems to be a third group with that name on Reading which were a garage band from Pennslyvannia.

The Adventurers recorded an album for Columbia with group members Gerald Perry and Mac Williams who feature on the Music World 45. According to the book Soul harmony Singles, Perry and Williams later formed a group called the Chosen Few with Roy Handy which had an album produced by Johnny Brantley and released on Maple in 1971.

The Adventurers group who recorded with Johnny Brantley recorded the following:-

Columbia LP Can't Stop Twisting

This is discussed in Adventurers Postcript

Music World 110 I Caught You Cheating/Darlin'

This is must be one of the earliest Johnny Brantley productions because it sounds circa 1964/5 and is unlike any of his known recordings. I Caught You Cheating is a singalong uptempo track which has been popular on the UK rare soul scene as a dance record. The song was written by group members Perry and Faulkner.

Compass 7010 A Good Girl Is So Hard To Find/Easy Baby

A Good Girl starts with a distinctive organ intro with a poppy feel and a strong back beat and is quite catchy. However, the B-side Easy Baby written by Perry, Johnson and Wicker is a powerful piece of soul dance music which has been popular on the UK Northern Soul scene since the mid-70's. Perry and Johnson' production is influenced by the mid 60's market leaders Motown as it kicks off with a distinctive blaring horn opening before breaking into a Motownesque call and answer group vocal propelled by bongo drums. It has an atmospheric tom tom drum break with the guys breaking into party type vocal refrains before driving onto the end dominated by the singing of Easy Baby which makes it a memorable piece of dance soul and rightly popular.

Blue Rock 4071 Something Bad/Nobody Can Save Me

These recordings were produced by Perry and Tohnson for Johnny Brantley's Vidalia Productions and arranged by Stick Evans. Something Bad has the same lead as A Good Girl and is piece of harmony soul similar to the Chicago type group sound of the mid-60's. It is written by group members Eddie Johnson and J Wicker. The B-side Nobody is Gerald Perry co-written song with James Wicker and is similar in style to Easy Baby with it's tambourine opening is very Detroit sounding side and is influenced by the Temptations etc with a great guitar break probably played by James Wicker.

Gloria Barnes aka Towanda Barnes

Gloria Barnes is a wonderful soulstress who I know little about except what can be gleaned from the notes on the back of her Maple album Uptown that she came from Harlem. Her first release was Groovy 3003 If I Am Guilty/Oh Darling as Towanda Barnes.

Her first Johnny Brantley related release was the early version of the Ohio Players's You Don't Mean It backed by Lewis/Brantley song Find Someone To Love Me on A&M. However, it is on the Uptown album that her talent shines through with 8 great songs produced by Johnny Brantley with input from Lweis/Lewis/Farmer. Below is a breakdown of each song on the album:-

Old Before My Time

A 7 minute opus to kick the album off as Gloria delivers an aching vocal of pure intensity backed by a Dayton, Ohio group The Hustlers. The song is backed by an atmospeheric organ and mournful guitar which allows Gloria plenty of space to espouse the reasons why she aches so much. She is simply getting old before her time because of her aching heart. This is one of Lewis/Lewis/Farmer's best songs. The backing builds over the 7 minutes plus as she unleashes her passion with wistful sax breaking in after 6 minutes adding to the atmosphere. The picture for me is a small combo in an after hours club with the bartenders clearing up and Gloria just jamming with the band as she tells her story of woe to no one in particular. Her voice seems to echo around the recording - a voice which has practically unique though she does have some similarities to Linda Jones but just odd bits.

I'll Call You Back Later

Hustlers lay a nagging backdrop of guitar riffs, horn lines, punchy bass and high hat similar to the Ohio Players. The song chugs along like a train with the guitar calling out like a whistle as Gloria wails over the Lewis/Lewis/Farmer song saying if he calls back later that she won't be answering! Love the bit where the music drops back and she stutters out her lyrics and she tells her man that she knows the score.

I Found Myself

A third Lewis/Lewis/Farmer song finishes side 1 which starts slowly with almost Western horns and crashing cymbals before the backing drops down to let Gloria enter and take centre stage. This is another strong set of lyrics for Gloria to tear up and the song reminds me of the intensity of Jackie Montrell's Doomed By Jealousy or a Linda Jones song. The Hustlers again do an excellent job allowing her plenty of space for work her stuff.

Gotta Get Away

This uptempo song features the Ohio Players and is written by them and was also recorded by them. It is a typical early Ohio Players song driven by bongos and blasting horns with plenty of breaks and held together by an incessant guitar run.

You Don't Mean It

This is the killer and superior version of the Ohio Players song which is pure primitive excitement with Gloria's haunting echoing vocal making the record deep soul over an uptempo beat. From the start this recording, with its live feel, just ouses pure emotion from the bongo drum opening until Gloria calls out "You Don't Mean These Things You Said". The Ohio Players also supply sparse backing vocals which add to the mood. The song is propelled along by the nagging horns and guitar with one of the most intense vocals you ever likely to hear - you really believe this girl as tells the story and you spin around the ballroom dancing to one of the best ever dancers to grace the UK rare soul scene.

Home

This song features Lee Moses and his group the Deciples and is Bobby Dixon song and sounds similar to some of Lee's recordings with its emotional intensity. Gloria is telling her lover that she is Home and what it means and perhaps she is back after leaving him for another and recognising the error of her ways - she is going to rest her mind, her heart and her soul - but it was his fault she left and wandered in the first place.

She Wants A Stand In

This back to the Hustlers and a Lewis/Brantley song reminding me of a Hermon Hitson. Again full of emotion over a strong mid tempo jerky beat with powerful drumming. The band go over the place but it is all held together with the insistent bass.

I'll Go All The Way

Back to Lee Moses and the Deciples and a second Bobby Dixon song with a very Southernish feel. It almost sounds like Gloria started singing in another room and gradually walks to the microphone. This slow builder again features some nifty guitar work from Lee Moses.

Johnny Brantley Productions

I have not been able to find out too many details about Johnny Brantley except snippets I have picked up off searches of the Net.

Here are some bits and pieces:-

1. Lonnie Youngblood said in an interview that Johnny Brantley was a mover and shaker on the New York soul scene in early 60's working with the likes of Bobby Robinson.

2. Most of his productions are attributed to Vidalia Productions.

3. Most of the song publishing is through Cudda Pane

4. All his productions except for the one release I know on Bran T by Billy La Mont were leased to large labels such as Tower, Atco etc

5. He may have originally had links to Atlanta because he worked with Lee Moses and Hermon Hitson who originated from Georgia.

7. Most of his productions appear to have been recored in New York or New Jersey between 1965 and 1971.

8. According to one website, he was still alive in late 1970's because John Anderson, the UK record dealer, leased material off him for his Grapevine label and also accessed tracks such as Paris Blues by Tony Middleton, Oh Happy Day by Flame N King and Billy Hambric's She Said Goodbye from him as well.

9. He used a songwriting team Edward Lewis, James Tony Lewis and Marion Farmer for many of his recordings though the Ohio Players, Hermon Hitson, Jimmy Norman, Lee Moses, Bobby Fears and Billy La Mont also contributed material.

10. He used Jimi Hendrix on guitar for some sessions and also cashed in on Jimi's later fame by issuing an album called Love Moods. These tracks may or not have had Jimi playing on them. However, they are intriguing for soul fans because Lee Moses and Hermon Hitson may be the voices on the tracks.

11. He used Lonnie Youngblood as a session musician but I cannot discover whether he produced anything on Lonnie. There is an album on Maple 6004 called Jimmie Hendrix and Lonnie Youngblood Two Great Experiences Together which may be one of his productions.

12. He used the same songs over again on different artists which was common in the 60's. John Anderson is quoted as saying he received versions of You Don't Mean It by 10 different people.

Here is a list of his known productions:-

Johnny Brantley Productions: Discography

Nate Adams

Atlantic 2466 Why Is It Taking So Long / I'm Gonna Be Good

The Adventurers

Music World 10 I’ve Caught You Cheatin’/Darlin'

Gloria “Towanda” Barnes

A&M 1141 You Don’t Mean It/ Find Someone To Love
Jomar 1030 Love Slipped Thru My Fingers/I Gotta Get Away (2004 Limited Pressing)
Maple ? Album Uptown

Bobby Brown

Verve 10594 A Woman And Some Soul/Why

Jimmy Castor

Smash 2069 Hey, Leroy Your Mama's Callin' You/Ham Hocks Espanol
Smash 2085 Magic Saxophone/Just You Girl

Marion Farmer

Tower 417 Sophisticated Alabama Soup Bone Pts 1 & 2

Chosen Few

Maple 1000 Taking All The Love I Can/Birth Of A Playboy
Maple 1000 Taking All The Love I Can/I Can’t Take No Chances
Maple Album 6000 Taking All The Love I Can

Jimi Hendrix

Miracle Worker
I'm Gonna Be Good
You Are Too Much For The Human Heart - version 1
You Are Too Much For The Human Heart - version 2
Feel That Soul All Alone
So Called Friend
Girl So Fine Every Little Bit Hurts
You Say You Love Me
A Mumblin' Word
Get Down
Free Spirit
House Of The Rising Sun
Let The God Sing
Suspicious
Bring My Baby Back
Voice In The Wind
Hey Leroy
Good Feeling
Let Me Thrill Your Soul
Something You Got
Hot Trigger
Nightlife
Edda Mae
Be My Baby
Find Someone
Everything You Get
You Got It
It's Gonna Take A Lot To Bring Me Back Baby
Young Generation

Hermon Hitson

Atco 6566 You Are Too Much For The Human Heart/ I Got That Will
Minit 32072 Yes You Did / Better To Have Loved
Minit 32096 Show Some Sign / She's A Bad Girl

The Icemen

Samar 111 (I Wonder) What It Takes/ (My Girl) She’s A Fox
Samar 117 Sugar Baby/Only Time Will Tell

Billy La Mont

Bran T 9929/9930 So Called Friend/(Darlin’) Please Come Home
2oth Century 6707 Sweet Thang/Please Don't Leave

Lee Moses

Dynamo 113 I Need A Woman Of My Own / Your Man
Dynamo 115 If Loving You Is A Crime (I’ll Always Be Guilty)/Never In My Life
Musicor 1227 Day Tripper/Reach Out I’ll Be There
Musicor 1242 Bad Girl Part 1 & 2
Musicor 1263 I’m Sad About It/How Much Longer (Much I Wait)
Front Page 2301 I Can’t Take No Chances/ Time And Place
Maple 1001 Got That Will/?
Gates 1502 She’s A Bad Girl/Dark End Of The Street
Maple Album 6001 Time and Place

Jimmy Norman

Samar 112 You’re Only Hurting Yourself/Lil O'l Groovemaker
Samar 116 Can You Blame Me /This I Beg Of You
Mercury 72727 I'm Leaving (This Old Town)/If You Love Her (Show It)
Mercury ? Family Tree/It's Beautiful
Josie 994 Gangster Of Love (Part 1) / Gangster of Love (Part 2)

Ohio Players

Trip 8029 First Impressions Album (Collected Compass Cuts)
Capitol 192 Observations In Time Album

George Scott

Maple 6008 Find Someone To Love Album

Sam Williams

Tower 367 Love Slipped Through My Fingers/Let’s Talk It Over
Tower 742 Miracle Worker/So Called Friend

In subsequent posts, I will look at each of the productions in more detail.

Bobby Lee Fears

Bobby Lee Fears was one of the lead singers of the Ohio Players in the mid 60's version of the band. You can hear him singing the gruff lead vocals on their Compass sides when they were the label's house band. They backed Helena Ferguson on her lone hit, Where Is the Party, before issuing their solo debut, Trespassin', which hit the R&B charts in early 1968.

You can find the Ohio Players's Compass sides on a package called First Impressons which has been reissued several times over the years. These sides are Johnny Brantley productions and it would be interesting to know how many of his productions they also played on. They certainly appeared on the Gloria Barnes album on Maple with their trademark bottom-heavy, horn-driven sound.

Bobby Fears did go over to Capitol, where 1969's Here Today, Gone Tomorrow was a minor hit; an LP, Observations in Time, soon followed, with covers of Summertime and Over the Rainbow. In 1970 the group disbanded, however; Fears mounted solo career with one 45 on Forward and Let's Get Together for Bell.

There is an article on Bobby which has more details of his life which was published in 2001 by the US magazine called Oxford American. The article has the fascinating tale of him hooking up with Lester Maddox, the racist former Georgia governor and forging a semi-successful musical career as a double act.

You can also see Bobby on a small piece of video posted on the blog below:-

http://andyp.atlblogs.com/archives/002335.html

"Vincent" Lee Moses

While searching around the Net for stuff on Lee Moses, I came across a cover version of his Bad Girl by a group called South Filthy. Interestingly, the song is credited to "Vincent" Lee Moses and Bobby Fears. This is the first reference I have seen to Lee's first name being Vincent.

I also thought the CD cover was pretty funky as well!!

Lee Moses If Loving You Is A Crime Dynamo

Lee Moses

Lee Moses is one of the mystery men of soul music who would appear to have disappeared or passed away because he has not been heard of for years. The nearest I ever got to him was talking to the Mighty Hannibal one night in Harlem back in the early Millennium. Hannibal thought he was still with us and we briefly chatted about Lee working with him on Hannibal’s Aware album “Truth” playing guitar with Hermon Hitson. Hannibal didn’t throw up any biographical details except that Lee and Hermon emerged out of the Atlanta soul scene back in the mid 60’s, which was also Hannibal’s home city.

Lee must have also been close to another cult soul figure Johnny Brantley who we can presume was originally another Atlanta resident who moved to New York in the late 60’s taking Lee with him. Lee was one of several artists including the Ohio Players, Hermon Hitson, Sam Williams, Gloria Barnes, Chosen Few, Bobby Brown, Jimmy Norman, Nate Adams, Freddie Terrell etc who worked with Johnny Brantley during the late 60’s and early 70’s. Lee had a group called Deciples who backed Gloria Barnes on some of the tracks she recorded for her Maple album “Uptown” and it is possible Lee played on other Johnny Brantley productions.

Johnny Brantley is documented as being a mover and shaker on the New York soul scene working with people such as Bobby Robinson etc. This is why Lee’s music appears on several New York based labels such as Dynamo, Front Page and the also the New Jersey label Maple because Johnny was cutting deals where he could to release his productions. Johnny’s Vidalia productions were also picked up by such labels as Atlantic, Capitol, Verve, Josie, Minit etc.

My Adorable One Lee John 618

Lee’s possible first release is a cover of Joe Simon’s Vee Jay classic early 60’s recording. This track sums up Lee’s style of music – raw, gruff vocals with chunky crunching guitar over a backdrop of bass, horns and rolling drums. Freddie Terrell who also worked with Johnny Brantley in New York in the late 60’s arranges the song.

Diana (From NYC) Lee John 618

A biographical tale as Lee’s self-penned song tells the story of him leaving Georgia and meeting a girl up in New York. These songs may have been recorded in Atlanta and released in on the New York label because they sound pretty raw and similar to other Atlanta productions by Grover Mitchell etc with Wendell Parker at Shurefine.


If Loving You Is A Crime (I’ll Always Be Guilty) Dynamo 115

This is possibly from Lee’s first productions with Johnny Brantley from around early 1965. It has been documented that Lee recorded 2 sides for Dynamo I Need A Woman Of My Own / Your Man on Dynamo 113. This is incorrect and the 2 sides are in actual fact Tommy Hunt recordings with I Need A Woman Of My Own appearing on Dynamo 113 and Your Man remaining unissued until Kent's CD The Biggest Man in 1997.

If Loving You Is A Crime is a deep soul classic and owes a lot to the Otis Redding ballads, which it was cashing in on. However, Lee is his own man and no Redding sound alike as he tears the roof off the song wailing that he his “so guilty”. The song has lovely guitar riffs running from the distinctive beginning to the end, which must be played by Lee.

Never In My Life Dynamo 115

Lee penned this with Freddie Terrell and it is a piece of James Brown mid 60’s funk put through a Georgia grind mill with blaring horns which sound like the Ohio Players. Towards the end Lee bursts in with “I Got That Will” which predates the song of that name he wrote for Hermon Hitson.

Bad Girl Part 1 & 2 Musicor 1242

Lee recorded several sides for Musicor including instrumental versions of the Beatle’s Day Tripper and the Four Tops’s Reach Out I’ll Be There.

The instrumentals are throwaway in comparison to the 4 vocal tracks released by Musicor. A raucous early version of the self-penned song covered by Hermon Hitson for Minit. The song is a totally crunching number, which epitomises Lee’s style, which is raw soul music!

I’m Sad About It Musicor 1263

Another self penned opus with Lee pouring out his grief about how he has been wronged and blinded by love. Lee breaks the song down to a repetitive riff, which must have been straight out his stage show where he comes on like James Brown as he tells us how sad he is about it!

How Much Longer (Much I Wait) Musicor 1263

Lee’s music is about power as he puts down layers of sound with strong bass lines and that crunching drumming and he then wails over the top repeating words in a style very reminiscent of his fellow Georgian Hermon Hitson.

I Can’t Take No Chances Front Page 2301

The song starts with a jangling guitar riff as the Ohio Player type horns build up the song into a slow march. Lewis/Farmer/Lewis, a writing team who also wrote several songs for Hermon Hitson and other artists associated with Johnny Brantley, wrote this song. The song is a beautiful one with Lee explaining that he has to concentrate on his girl before someone steals her from him. The killer lines are Lee singing his heart felt feelings with the male backing saying he can’t take no more chances.


Time and Place Maple Album 6001

Lee recorded this 9-track cult album with Johnny Brantley possibly sometime in 1971 in New York or New Jersey for the All Platinum subsidiary Maple. The album has a recut of Adorable One, covers of Womack’s California Dreaming and Hendrix’s Hey Joe. The album also features Time And Place which was also released on Front Page 2301 and written by Lewis/Farmer/Lewis as were Free At last and Would You Give Up Everything were. The album could also include a possibly unaccredited Ohio Players who back Gloria Barnes on her Maple album and Lee’s group at the time – The Deciples. The album also has the only 2 known photos of Lee on the sleeve.

Time And Place

The album kicks off with Time And Place with Lee humming his way over a funky riff with plenty of bongos and bass before the song breaks down to some lovely slightly off key horns.

Got That Will

The album continues with Lee covering Got That Will the song he wrote with Hermon Hitson and which was covered by Hitson on Atlantic and Mighty Hannibal on Aware. Lee runs through a host of soul singers such as Sly Stone, Dionne Warwick and Jimi Hendrix, who he wants to emulate and become a star. The track is dominated by Lee’s guitar, which becomes more freaked out as the track develops which may be influenced by Hendrix.

What You Don’t Want Me To Be

A tortuous song with Lee telling us how difficult it is to be something he isn’t. The song meanders all over the place with the Lee’s guitar leading the whole thing to a climax with the women backing singers telling him to be himself.

California Dreaming

This is like Hendrix meets Womack with Lee giving the song a much rougher interpretation than Womack. It is hard to fathom out what the link is between Hendix and Lee with Johnny Brantley cashing in on Hendrix’s death with an album Jimi Hendrix’s Moods featuring an un-credited Lee Moses on vocals.

Every Boy And Girl

Lee wrote this song, which is a very old fashioned ballad telling the story of him and his girl with lots of screams and almost choir like backing.

Hey Joe

Lee pays tribute to Hendrix on the classic tune and we are left wondering whether the song has a biographical edge especially with Hendrix dying just before the recording of the album. Lee covers the song like only he could giving the song a more funky edge with his guitar dominating the whole song as it builds up to a climax over 6 minutes long.

Free At Last

This memorable song from Lewis/Farmer/Lewis tells of the love between 2 lovers who don’t have to slip around in the shadows anymore. The song chugs along but is uplifted by Lee’s vocals as he tells how they can be together without people talking.

Would You Give Up Everything

A funky and slightly jazzy groover, which would have sounded great in a smoky club in Harlem as Lee, opened up his floorshow.

Adorable One

Lee updates his previous cover of the song on Lee John taken at a slightly slower pace and again this would have probably been part of his show.

She’s A Bad Girl Gates 1502

Lee may have returned to Atlanta in the early 70’s because his last known release is a recut of his Musicor side produced by Johnny Brantley.

Dark End Of The Street Gates 1502

Lee covers the Southern Soul classic in a style typical to him, which is full of his usual guitar and organ however his voice sounds tired and not as strong as previous recordings. He actually covers the song as done by Clarence Carter in his slipping around version.