NORWICH and THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP

Thinking back to our time in Norwich, around the early Part of 1987, I don't Really have Too many Good Memories, in fact I suppose it would have been Better not to have moved there in the First Place!

Probably the  Best thing was getting the Van (Mobile Shop) and trying too start a Business, things were not going too bad with the Shop, but I was only Selling enough to Buy more Stock, so something Needed too Improve or I would be in Trouble!

I did a Couple of Times at a Horse fair, Selling my Pies and Pasties, this went Well, but I needed more places to go, I also had certain Council Estates I you to Visit nearly every day.

I started getting a few Regulars most days, One Customer I remember, She had Stuff every time I Visited, in fact, she use to get Items through the Week, and Pay altogether on a set Day, this always built up to a fair amount!

I also Visited a Old Peoples Place on the other side of the City, I did Quite well there as well, not to mention when we went back Home on a Saturday, most of my Family had a Few Things!

Whether I would have made enough Money in the Future to carry on with the Mobile Shop was another Question, But after 11 Weeks in Norwich, Something was to  Happen, that was going to Force us to Move back to Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, I shall Post about this next time!  

Just a mention about my Last life Post, If you read it, I Mentioned the Person who we exchanged Houses with and the problems she caused us and how I see Her about once a Year around Our Town Centre, Well you Guessed it, we had the Miss-Fortune of Seeing Her Yesterday, Walking with Her Snout in the air, She thinks She is Something Special, All I thought to Myself was...........what a Tw*t!

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Wattstax (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As for some Music, This Track was never Released as a Single, for The Rance Allen Group, but in 1972 they Performed this Track Live at The Wattstax Concert, (in the Gospel section), it was Entitled "Lying On The Truth"

What a Great Song and a Great Voice, Rance Allen has, it's a Great Track, the Band also Featured 2 of his Brothers, Tom and Steve Allen.

I have included Video of The Wattstax Concert @ 1.53 mins and the Full Length Version @ 3.31 mins.




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GREAT SOUL / FUNK RECORD LABELS # 1

STAX RECORDS

One of the Better Record Labels STAX started life as Satellite Records back in 1957 by a  Brother and Sister Team, by the Names of Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, they were White and from Memphis!

In 1961 they Discovered somebody else  was already using the Name of Satellite so they Decided to Combine the First Two  Letters of their Surnames, Stewart and Axton, and came up with..... Stax. 


They wanted the Music on the Label to be a Mix of the Southern and Memphis Soul Styles!

In them Days, all Record Labels had their Own House Band, as well as doing their Own Music, they use to Play  on other Artists Recordings (on the label) and Stax was no different, their band was the Great  "Booker T and the Mg's"

In 1968 a New Co-Owner came into Stax, it was Al Bell he was a Record Producer, Song-Writer and Record Executive, he was Credited with Helping the likes of Isaac Hayes, Staples Singers, Dramatics and Mel and Tim become Big Recording Artists. 


Later in his Life he would become President of Motown Records!


Some other Great Acts to Record for Stax are:

Jean Knight, Eddie Floyd, Bar-Kays, Shirley Brown, The Soul Children, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus Thomas, William Bell, Mar-Keys, Frederick Knight, Fat Larrys Band, Carla Thomas, Rance Allen, Luther Ingram, Albert King and The Emotions amongst others, even Elvis Presley Released 3 Albums for Stax!

Stax has always been linked with other Great Labels, including Atlantic Records and Volt Records, and with these Labels comes other Great Artists including two of the Biggest in "Otis Redding" and "Sam and Dave"

In 1972 Stax organised one of the Biggest Musical Events in History, with"Wattstax" over 100,000 attended, it was a Memorial to the People who had Died in the Riots, in the Watts District of L.A. seven years Previously.


But by 1975 things started going wrong for "STAX" and the Company went Bankrupt.


In 1977, Fantasy Records brought "STAX" back Catologue, and by 1978 started Signing New Acts and Recording New Material, but this did not last too long, by 1980 all this had Finished and they  started to Re-Issuing some of the Old Recordings again!

By 2004, one of the Original Founders of "STAX" Estelle Axton had Died and Concord Records brought "Stax" back Catologue and by 2006 Started Signing New Acts to the Label, these included Angie Stone, Teena Marie, Lala Hathaway and Leon Ware.

Over the Years "Stax" has Changed the Look of its "Record Label" I have put several different ones on here!


Here's some great Tracks to Download!



and Albums Here and Here!


LOOK OUT FOR A GREAT STAX MIX NEXT WEEK!