FORTUNE RECORDS: DETROIT'S LEGACY OF SOUL

Fortune Records 3942 Third Ave Detroit Michigan

THE FORTUNE RECORDS STORY

Ron Murphy is Detroit’s premier music authority and has worked in the music industry in Michigan for over 40 years. Ron’s story first appeared in a Michigan music magazine called R.P.M. in September of 1983.

The first songs cut in the new (11629 Linwood) Fortune Studio were recorded on a Magnacord tape machine. In 1953, they purchased an Ampex model 350 which was used to record all of the Fortune masters, until the early sixties.

Fortune Records used simple basic recording techniques and just a few mikes that let the quality of the voices, and musicians playing shine through without any gimmicks.

Written by Ron Murphy... posted on Soulful Detroit

The first time I visited Fortune Records was February 1960 and I was going to be a singer, so my best friend and I skipped school to go make a demo record. When we got down to the Fortune studio on Third Street and walked in, a man wearing a hat and an overcoat came out said “Hi boys, are you lost or what?”

Then he laughed and I explained that I had called last week about making a demo, then I asked again about the price just to be sure and he said “that’s right, I’ll give you couple of takes on a tape and then cut the dub for $7.50 – so are you ready? I said yes and gave him the money and we went to the studio in the back.

3942 Third Ave in 2001 just before demolition

I recorded one song and went into the control booth to listen back. While listening the man said, “Well how do you like it?” I told him it sounded pretty good. He replied “What do you mean pretty good? I’m giving you my best sound!”

The Fortune Records story started almost 40 years ago. Devora came to Detroit from Cleveland, Ohio and was introduced to Jack Brown through a blind date set up by a friend. Devora was already writing poems and songs, even though Jack was working as an accountant at the time, he liked her songs and encouraged her to send them to a few music publishers.

Devora Brown: songwriter, pianist, record store owner, producer, engineer, song publisher and co-principal of Detroit-based Fortune Records...Jack Brown: co-principal of Fortune Records with their daughter, Janice

By this time Devora married Jack Brown, and in 1947 after little response from other publishers, they decided to start a publishing company and record the songs themselves.

Jack and Devora Brown set up the publishing company with Devora’s brother helping out. In 1956 the Browns purchased the building at 3942 Third Street and moved into what was to become Fortune’s permanent home.

When Motown Records started to become successful around 1962, I remember asking Devora how come they let Motown get ahead of them. She replied “We had all those people down here but they sure didn’t play that way for us.”

Unlike most record companies of the 50’s, Fortune Records had a sound all of it’s own. You knew it was a Fortune Record without looking at the label. Just like Motown in the 60’s.

Other than the J-V-B record label started by Joe Von Battle in 1945 (which folded in 1968), Fortune has now become the oldest steady record producer from Detroit, Michigan. Out of all the record companies started in Detroit, including Motown who left, Fortune Records outlasted them all.

Ron Murphy

September 1983

Read More About Fortune Records:

The Fortune Records Story by Rick Richards

AL GREEN ATTACK BY EX GIRL FRIEND CAUSED HIM TO WALK AWAY FROM FAME

There can be no question that anyone would have been shaken by the events that transpired in the Memphis, Tennessee, home of singer Al Green in the early morning hours of October 18, 1974, when an ex-girlfriend (groupie) burst in on him in the bath and poured a pot of scalding-hot grits on his back before retreating to a bedroom and shooting herself dead with Green's own gun.

Not everyone, however, would have processed the meaning of the incident quite the way that Green did. Believing that he had strayed from the righteous musical and spiritual course intended for him, Al Green had become a born-again Christian one year earlier. But after the attack by the mentally disturbed Mary Woodson on this day in 1974, he began a process that would eventually lead him to renounce pop superstardom and all that it stood for.

Al Green, widely renowned as one of the greatest voices in soul-music history, was at the absolute height of his powers in 1974. He had seven critically and commercially successful major-label albums behind him that included such timeless hits as "Tired Of Being Alone" (1971), "Let's Stay Together" (1971) and "I'm Still In Love With You" (1972). He also, in the words of Davin Seay, who collaborated with Green on his 2000 autobiography, Take Me To The River, had a "basic animal appeal to women" that attracted many admirers, including the twice-married Mrs. Mary Woodson.

According to her running buddy and longtime friend, Nora Drewery, Woodson liked to use her sex appeal to attract famous musicians. Drewery says “We’d go into Newark to the Continental Ballroom whenever there were stars in town. We would make sure we were visible so the entertainers would notice us. People like James Brown.” Drewery wasn’t as aggressive as her good friend Woodson. “Sometimes she would duck me and go on with the band,” Drewery laughs.

Mary Woodson first made Green's acquaintance after leaving her husband and children behind in New Jersey and attending one of his concerts in upstate New York.

On the night of the attack, Woodson had shown up unexpectedly at Green's Memphis home after he returned from a concert appearance in San Francisco. What exactly prompted her to act is unclear, but her actions not only left Al Green with severe burns that would require a lot of hospitalization, they also left him severely shaken emotionally and spiritually. "He likes to distance the facts of his [religious] conversion from the terrible events of that night," says Seay, "but I think the Woodson incident kind of crystallized his need to move on, to sort of shut down one part of his life and open up another.''

THE QUEEN OF SOUL ARETHA FRANKLIN'S FUNERAL SERVICE DETAILS

Dates announced for Aretha Franklin's 

visitation, funeral services in Detroit

Funeral services to be held Aug. 31 

at Greater Grace Temple

Franklin's body will lie in repose from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which is located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit.

The funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 31 at Greater Grace Temple, which is located at 23500 West 7 Mile Road in Detroit.

Here are more details about the funeral:

It will be a four-day event to celebrate her life.

For two days, Franklin's body will lie in repose at Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History. The viewing will be open to the public.

The funeral will be held at Greater Grace Temple and will only be for close family and friends. Organizers are working on a musical tribute with major recording artists. The venue is still being decided.

Right now, Franklin's body is being held at Swanson Funeral Home in Detroit.

View all Aretha Franklin coverage here.

Aretha Franklin passed away today after a long battle with Cancer. She was my favorite of all women vocalists. Unique beyond words and the energy of a titan. Nothing stopped Aretha... Your music and life force will never be forgotten. RIP Ms Franklin.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MUSIC 

AND LOVE YOU GAVE US

Here is a fantastic tribute from Roger Friedman of  Showbiz-411

Aretha Franklin, the Greatest Singer of Our Generation, Passes Away at 76, Leaves a Towering Legacy

Aretha was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Reverend CL Franklin and his wife Barbara on March 25, 1942. She was one of four children, all of whom are gone now. Her sisters were Irma and Carolyn, and there was a brother, Vaughn.

GREAT PHOTOS OF ARETHA HERE

The family relocated to Buffalo and then to Detroit where Reverend Franklin became a famous preacher at the New Bethel Baptist Church. *In Memphis, among the people he married were the great DJ and R&B star Rufus Thomas, and his wife.)

It was there that Aretha began singing. Aretha’s mother, Barbara, left Reverend Franklin and died in 1952, just before Aretha’s 10th birthday. Aretha was raised after that by her father and a number of women including singer Mahalia Jackson.

Here are my personal TOP 10 favorites 

(no particular order) of Aretha'smultitude of hits...

Chain of Fools
Don't Play That Song (You Lied)
Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)

Aretha Franklin/See Saw
Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer
Aretha Franklin and George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” (1987)
Baby I Love You

Think
Since You Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)

STAX RECORDS #60: WHERE EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING!

A 10-volume CD series celebrating some of the iconic soul label's greatest stars; Isaac Hayes, William Bell, The Staple Singers, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Booker T & The MGs, Sam & Dave and The Dramatics. Each CD includes 12 choice cuts from the artist plus new liner notes, all at a wallet-friendly price. #Stax60

Stax also launched the careers of a who's-who of soul music greats: Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Albert King and Booker T. and the MGs, to name just a few.

Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It was a major factor in the creation of Southern soul and Memphis soul music.

Stax also released gospel, funk, jazz, and blues recordings. While renowned for its output of African-American music, the label was founded by two white siblings and business partners, Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton

Stax featured several popular ethnically integrated bands (including the label's house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s) and a racially integrated team of staff and artists unprecedented in that time of racial strife and tension in Memphis and the South. Full Bio Here

SOUL SINGING LEGEND ALFA ANDERSON PAYS TRIBUTE TO LUTHER VANDROSS!

Former Chic Member Alfa Anderson Celebrates the Life of Music Legend Luther Vandross with
New Single to be Released on the Late Icon’s Birthday

When Luther Sings Available Nationwide April 20

New York, NY (April 18, 2017) – Alfa Anderson, former member of the iconic funk soul band Chic (Le Freak, Good Times, Everybody Dance), will release a new single, "When Luther Sings," in honor of her longtime friend Luther Vandross 66th birthday. The rousing, heartfelt tribute is written by Anderson and co-produced by multi-talented Bert Price. Available nationwide on April 20, When Luther Sings is the first single from Anderson’s long-awaited debut solo album, From My Heart (set for release summer 2017).

“When Luther Sings is my homage to good friend and musical mentor Luther Vandross; the song is autobiographical in many ways,” said Anderson. “As our professional relationship grew, he taught me so much about vocal technique and stage presence. As a matter of fact, Luther is one of the co-creators of the Chic vocal sound. I am forever grateful for the doors he opened for me and for the golden friendship we shared.”

For years, Anderson was an integral member of Vandross' touring band and performed at Wembley Stadium, among many other prestigious venues around the world. Her vocals can be heard on popular Vandross albums such as Give Me the Reason and The Night I Fell in Love, which Rolling Stone Magazine voted as one of the 100 Best Albums of the Eighties.

A chance meeting at a rehearsal studio in NYC led to her introduction to Vandross while rehearsing for a Lou Courtney gig with Ednah Holt. After being introduced to Vandross, a musical bond was formed and Anderson became part of a cadre of in-demand New York session singers. It was Vandross who invited Anderson to a vocal session for Chic with Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson and Norma Jean Wright.



Chic went on to see commercial success with disco songs that include "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979).

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Alfa sang on albums by Bryan Adams, Gregory Hines, Mick Jagger, Teddy Pendergrass, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Squier, Sheena Easton, Jody Watley, Bryan Ferry, and Jonathan Butler.

This full-length album is not Anderson’s first foray as a published musician. In the late-'90s, Anderson and her husband Tinkr Barfield formed and produced Voice of Shalom, a group that explored spiritual themes through uplifting original compositions.

They released two full-length albums, Messages (1999) and Daily Bread (2002), as well as a single called "What A Spirit" (2005), which featured guest vocals by Lisa Fischer and Keith Anthony Fluitt. Meanwhile, she continued introducing the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-nominated group Chic’s music to younger audiences through feature films like Shrek 2, Toy Story 3, Up in the Air, 54, Roll Bounce, Spike Lee's Summer of Sam and The New Edition Bio-Pic.

For more on Ms. Anderson and her upcoming musical endeavors, visit www.officialalfaanderson.com. Also keep up with her on Twitter @alfakanderson and FB: https://www.facebook.com/alfa. anderson.7.

TOP 45 SWEET SOUL RECORDS: KIMMER'S PICKS

I ran into a story today online about the top 45 soul music 45's.  Though it was a valiant effort..I knew the writer was not from Detroit. Here are my top 45 Soul Tunes. What do you think? Add your favorites in the comments ok?

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE A VIDEO AND LISTEN TO THE SONG

Aaron Neville - Tell it Like It Is
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music
Barrett Strong: Money (That’s What I Want)
Ben E King - Stand By Me
Billy Ward and the Dominoes - 60 Minute Man
Chubby Checker - The Twist
Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell
Delfonics - La La Mean I Love You
Dells - Stay in my Corner
Eddie Floyd- Knock on Wood
Eddie Holman - Hey There Lonely Girl
Edwin Starr - Stop Her on Sight (SOS)
Frankie Lymon - Little Bitty Pretty One
Jackie Wilson - Baby Work Out
James Brown - I Feel Good
Ike Turner - Rocket 88
Isley Brothers - This Ol Heart of Mine
Little Anthony and the Imperials - Hurts so Bad
Martha Reeves The Vandellas Nowhere To Run
Marvin Gaye - Aint That Peculiar
Mary Wells - Bye Bye Baby
One Hundred Proof Aged in Soul - Somebody's Been Sleepin
Otis Redding - Love Man
Patty and the Emblems - Mixed up Shook up Girl
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves a Woman
Ray Charles - Mess Around
Royalettes - It's Gonna Take a Miracle
Rufus & Chuka Khan - Ain't Nobody
Sam & Dave - I Thank You
Sam Cooke - Bring it on Home
Sly And The Family Stone – I Want to Take You Higher
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - You Really Got a Hold on Me
Solomon Burke - Cry to Me
Stevie Wonder - I was Made to Love Her
The Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Lovin
The Impressions - We're a Winner
The Impressions - It's Alright
The Main Ingredient - Just Don't Want to be Lonely
The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
The Temptations - Aint too Proud to Beg
Tyrone Davis - "Turn Back The Hands Of Time"
Wilson Pickett - 6345789

EXCELLENT NEWS!! MUSCLE SHOALS COMES TO TELEVISION THIS FALL!!

COMING SOON

Based on the 2013 Muscle Shoals documentary, directed by Greg Camalier

Sir Richard Branson, Jason Felts and Justin Berfield’s Virgin Produced is joining forces with Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated executive producers Joshua D. Maurer and Alixandre Witlin’s City Entertainment (“Georgia O’Keeffe,” “And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself”) and Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski’s Infinitum Nihil to produce a new drama series inspired by the award winning-documentary feature Muscle Shoals.

Greg Camalier, who directed and produced the documentary, will also produce the television adaption. Virgin Produced Executive Vice President of Production Rene Rigal brought the project into the company and will be overseeing with Infinitum Nihil’s Bobby DeLeon.

The series will explore the rich and vast milieu of the tumultuous and often poetically tragic segregated south through its colorful characters, rich cultural and political history and southern gothic settings, which became a unique melting pot of diverse musical & cultural traditions. Weaving a Faulkneresque tale through the stories of Muscle Shoals and the magical and mythical south, the filmmakers will get behind the music to explore the extraordinary stories that birthed this iconic sound.

READ FULL STORY ON COMING SOON

SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA LEGENDS FAMILY REUNION’ AT THE OL’ BALL GAME

PHILADELPHIA – Forty years after releasing the Family Reunion album on the iconic Philadelphia International Records, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The O’Jays were a primary catalyst behind a family reunion of their former label mates June 5 at the 12th Annual Phillies African-American Heritage Celebration, hosted by fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and “Sound of Philadelphia” architects Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff at Citizens Bank Park in honor of Black Music Month.

Gamble & Huff presented The O’Jays and R&B and jazz legend Jean Carne with the Phillies Gamble & Huff Community Partnership Award and were joined in the celebration by fellow PIR greats Billy Paul (“Me & Mrs. Jones”), producer Dexter Wansel, and pop-R&B songwriter Bunny Sigler, who sang the National Anthem. Ms. Carne performed her PIR hit single, “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head.”

With Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with "Back Stabbers" (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Numerous other hits followed for PIR, topped by “For the Love of Money,” “I Love Music,” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.” The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records became the birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound aka “The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP),” a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music.

 With a stable core of artists led by The O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, MFSB and the Three Degrees, Gamble & Huff co-founded Philadelphia International Records and began creating monster hits from nearly the first day of its inception in 1971.

They continued to record, collaborate and produce major hits with a galaxy of stars from the pop, rock, soul and jazz universes, including Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, LaBelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, the Soul Survivors, Laura Nyro, the Trammps, McFadden & Whitehead, Phyllis Hyman, the Dells and many more.

Gamble & Huff created and are credited for launching one of the most celebrated and historic songwriting partnerships that spawned into a sophisticated sound lovingly crafted in the studio by some of the 20th century's most influential producers and studio teams -- including Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Bobby Martin, MFSB Orchestra, Baker, Harris and Young, Joe Tarsia (Sigma Sound) and others – Philly Soul set the stage for disco, smooth jazz, adult contemporary music and more.

Gamble & Huff began celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. The celebration will continue in 2016 with the projected release of their Autobiographical Book and the launch of their Theatrical Play on their historic Life Story and creation of one of America’s great music catalogues, known as “The Sound of Philadelphia.”