The editorial blurb at Amazon has this: "Charles Smith worked with producer Dewey Vandiver in Muscle Shoals, recording at Vandiver's Quad City studio and at other local studios, including Fame. Charles Smith & Jeff Cooper had a big regional seller in 1972 with My Great Loss (Ashes To Ashes) and Smith followed it with three studio singles. This collection features all his released tracks plus alternate versions and previously unissued masters."
Charles Smith of 'Ashes to Ashes'fame was still with us in 2011 (at age 81) He' still alive at 81 and still good friends with Dewey.(source: Gary Cape on Jan 25,2011)
Charles was a member of the Entertainers (of 'Too Much' fame), prior to his solo career, when researching stuff like that at FAME last year. (source: Tony Rounce on Jan 25,2011))
9 comments:
http://www.embedupload.com/?d=2DGQEYIYWX
Thaks for the bonus tracks!
THIS Charles Smith is NOT the guitarist for Kool and the Gang!(NJ 1948-2006)
Charles Smith of 'Ashes to Ashes'fame was still with us in 2011 (at age 81)
He' still alive at 81 and still good friends with Dewey.(source: Gary Cape on Jan 25,2011)
Charles was a member of the Entertainers (of 'Too Much' fame), prior to his solo career, when researching stuff like that at FAME last year. (source: Tony Rounce on Jan 25,2011))
Hello guys, I've done some research and found some info on the Entertainers. They were a group that Dan Penn found and funded a recording of in probably 1965. In 1966 they signed the sides, "Too Much" & "I Tried to Tell You", to Chess Records. This Chess relationship started when The Fairlanes signed to the Chess subsidiary Argo. There was also a track cut on a song called "BLT" that waswritten by Dan Penn and Donnie Fritts. This song was never released. I'm going to see if we have a copy. Chess owns these masters but they were cut at FAME and signed to FAME Recording Co. Inc. The only accounting we have it had sold 1,761 units on 6-30-1966.. the master purchase agreement was 1.3.1966. The groups US form 1099 tax info was filed in 1965..
The Entertainers are: Louis (L.J.) Cooper / Grant Qualls / Roy Lee Pirtle / Charles Smith (Source: Rodney Hall on Oct 22,2008)
THIS Charles Smith is NOT the guitarist for Kool and the Gang! (NJ 1948-2006)
Charles Smith of 'Ashes to Ashes' fame was still with us in 2011 (at age 81)
He' still alive at 81 and still good friends with Dewey.(source: Gary Cape on Jan 25,2011)
Charles was a member of the Entertainers (of 'Too Much' fame), prior to his solo career, when researching stuff like that at FAME last year. (source: Tony Rounce on Jan 25,2011))
Hello guys, I've done some research and found some info on the Entertainers. They were a group that Dan Penn found and funded a recording of in probably 1965. In 1966 they signed the sides, "Too Much" & "I Tried to Tell You", to Chess Records. This Chess relationship started when The Fairlanes signed to the Chess subsidiary Argo. There was also a track cut on a song called "BLT" that waswritten by Dan Penn and Donnie Fritts. This song was never released. I'm going to see if we have a copy. Chess owns these masters but they were cut at FAME and signed to FAME Recording Co. Inc. The only accounting we have it had sold 1,761 units on 6-30-1966.. the master purchase agreement was 1.3.1966. The groups US form 1099 tax info was filed in 1965..
The Entertainers are: Louis (L.J.) Cooper / Grant Qualls / Roy Lee Pirtle / Charles Smith (Source: Rodney Hall on Oct 22,2008)
The Entertainers - Too Much / I Tried To Tell You (Chess 1951)
http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/m0q1ssaG/file.html
Nice info Marc! Also, thanks KC for the music post. Really enjoying this one.
really enjoyed this ,must admit this is wonderful site/blog this blues sounds is new to me i have been a soul fan listen and buying since was 11 years old with the odd hundred or so singles disappearing now and again. i have been listen to the obscure sounds which there call northern soul nowadays. Any way thanks for this
Charles Smith is still living, now 86, In Nashville, TN. Dewey Vandiver Still living in Muscle Shoals,AL.
Charles was born in Townsend, AL. They are still best of friends and communicate weekly. Dewey still does a little writing and producing. These two "should be in the Alabama Hall of Fame.
"Ashes To Ashes" was recorded on a 2 track Ampex recorder, when everyone else was using 8 and 16 track recorders. The sales on Dewey Vandiver's Label Blue Dawn for test purposes sold over 4000 records in the Muscle Shoals area along, Then "John R" signed Dewey as a Producer, and on his label "77 Records" sold over 350,000 and this wasn't counting about 100,000 that was "Bootlegged"
Charles Smith had more Southern Soul than most Artist that Recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. But thru the years he and his Producer have never been given the credit they deserve. Information By Dewey Vandiver, Producer
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