Stanley Mitchell Tribute

It was with great sadness that I read that Stanley Mitchell had died last month. His death follows the sad passing of his buddy Joe Weaver earlier this year who he worked with in the Motor City Rhythm & Blues Pioneers.

Though he didn't record a large body of work, he did record one of those 45s which is forever part of my musical heritage - Get It Baby on Dynamo. In the 70's, this driving piece of Detroit soul pounded out from the speakers at most Northern Soul venues and epitomised the height of the coolness of the scene. I would always jump up to dance to this tune as pounded like a sledgehammer into your amphetamine fuelled brain releasing all those pent up feelings in sheer ecstasy as Stanley repeated the refrain "Get It Baby".

The writer and producer of Get It Baby, Popcorn Wylie, was known and even visited these shores but Stanley was a more mysterious figure and achieved a mythical status on the Northern scene.

Stanley singing solo 2002 Utrecht Blues Estafette

However, he re-emerged in the early part of the 21st Century with 2 other Detroit veterans; Joe Weaver and Kenni Martin to perform as the Motor City Rhythm & Blues Pioneers. It was as part of this show that I eventually had the chance to meet Stanley backstage at the 2002 Utrecht Blues Festival. We briefly spoke and he was happy to share his musical memories. Stanley had sung with Kenni and Joe but he also sang a couple of solo numbers and was still in good voice.

Joe, Stanley & Kenni onstage 2002 Utrecht Blues Estafette

As I found out, there was more to Stanley's story than I realised. Stanley recorded for the Chess label in the 50's and hit #5 on the R&B Charts with "Four O' clock In The Morning" with his group, the Tornadoes. He toured with Billy Ward & The Dominoes, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show. Stanley also toured for one year with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra turning the Tornadoes into Hamp-tones. He also recorded with the Bumble Bee and Gone labels as well as "Get It Baby" for Dynamo and the equally cracking A-side of that 45 "Quit Twisting My Arm". In the mid-60's he joined the Royal Jokers, and ended up staying with them for the next few years. Stanley lead his own commercial band around Detroit for many years playing lounges, private parties and corporate events and he remained in the musical business. He hooked up around 2000 with RJ Spangler, another Utrecht backstage drinking buddy of mine!

RJ Spangler was one of the driving forces behind the Motor City Rhythm & Blues Pioneers and gigged with Stanley, Joe, Kenni and others such as Gino Parkes around Europe as well as US festivals such as Pocanos Blues Festival, the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, the Charleston Downhome Blues Festival, the Low Country Blues Bash (SC) and the Vancouver Jazz Festival.

Joe, Stanley & Kenni backstage 2002 Utrecht Blues Estafette

RJ and the guys also recorded a cracking CD together for Blue Suit back in 2003 and which contains 2 solo cuts from Stanley which are excellent - "Making Up For Lost Time" and "Reconsider Baby".

It is poignant that one of the last gigs Stanley did was the memorial concert for Joe even though he was suffering ill-health but he didn't want to let people down.

I also read that he had signed a contract to perform at next year's Prestayn Weekender as a surprise guest which is a great shame because the fates have stolen a chance for the many admirers of Get It Baby to pay homage to him.

You can read Sue Whitall's obituary at Detroit Free Press.

RIP Stanley Mitchell - thanks for the memories