Saturday, October 09, 2004

Johnny:
Bruce Hopper mentioned that the guys who formed The Omen and Their Luv
had been inspired by David. I just wanted to troll the idea out there and see what response I would get. I don't know David Keller and the Preachers from Adam's housecat. Luckily, Ronnie Quarles stuck his picture on the WTBC website and I was able to put together a post.
Here's the way the Tuscaloosa scene is forming in my mind.

There were local country and R & B acts[completely unknown to me] that inspired ya'll along with the big acts like Ray Charles,Little Richard, Fats Domino and James Brown.

Then there was the Mag 7, the Minutes and outsiders drawn to the University crowd like the K-Otics, the Rockin' Gibraltars,Wilbur Walton Jr. and The James Gang, The Candymen, The Swingin' Medallions and toward the tail end Big Ben Atkins and The Nomads.

then come David Keller and the Preachers, The Misfits, Joe Rudd and the Distortions, The Omen And Their Luv, the Gents and This Side Up.

Then the tail end of the local scene came with SouthCamp and Buttermilk. After that everybody who was still in the music business went regional and national.

You were born and bred in this briar patch. I didn't show up until the fall of ' 68 but I know in my heart it would be fun to stand on top of TIME and dissect all this creative activity which went down in T-town and to clearly define the network that produced such great entertainment.

As always, I'm open and ready to serve.

Get me the goods and I'll put it on the Web. It may take the World until 2006 or beyond to find it but once the stuff gets on the Net, all we have to do is wait and the links will form and the truth will emerge.
We're gonna have THE best test case scenario possible soon with this book and CD by Greg Haynes. That work will show everybody the possibilities of this research and how much the OVER 55 crowd of musicians and fans want to answer the questions,
"Who were these cats?"

" What was the purpose?"

"What does it all mean?"
best,
robert
John Townsend wrote:

Hey Gang:
All I know is that a lot uv Tuscaloosa cats were inspired to get into music by David Keller of The Preachers.
So what's the story?
best,
reg http://robertoreg.blogspot.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert,
IMHO, the reverse would be true. David Keller and the Preachers were inspired by bands from T-Town like the Magnificent Rubbers, 5 Minutes etc. That's not being arrogant, just the facts. I do however respect what DK and the Preachers did and I enjoyed them when I saw them. But the chicken came before the egg in this case.
Johnny T.


e: [MFV] David Keller Of THE PREACHERS


roberto ,
i been checking out your site ,
man you got some mega info in there that is a
treasure chest of rock history ,
thanks for sharing so much with us ,

, slugger

Billy,
Chuck got me going with his memories of Ft. Lewis.

In May of ' 73, Greg Wright and I took four weeks off and went out to Vancouver Island on my ' 71 VW bus.
Had that bus tuned up:cassette player, paisley curtains, bed, bicycle rack, and some uv Jamaica's finest export.
Took that interstate along the Columbia River and just past the Dalles we got off on the back roads through the apple orchards and came around this curve and Mt. Hood filled up the entire horizon.[all those slides got burned when The Bitch decided to end her drunk by burning up about 15 slide carousels along with twenty years of my memories in the Bar-B-Que pit one night- I still can't cook on that pit]

We camped at Mt. Hood and drove north to Birch Bay where we left our Jamaican stuff stashed in the state park before crossing over into B.C. Took the Tawwahsin(msp) Ferry over to Victoria and ended up at the University of Victoria. We hung out at these little shops being run by the draft dodgers in downtown by the harbor. Loved the Empress Hotel, the city park, the capitol building and the museum with the totem poles beside the escalator. Ended up in this bank(first time I was ever in a bank that had one line that everyone stood in while waiting for a teller to open up. I thought that was a good idea). While in the bank we met these two beautiful high school girls who were playing hookie from school that day. We made friends. The one who I hooked up with was named Shelley Bugg.Her aunt and uncle ran a fish and chips place so we drove the girls over there for lunch. You ain't gonna believe this but she was like this little Pam Anderson. Pam is from Victoria and she ain't the only beautiful blonde in that town.
Wow, what a flood of memories. I could go on and on.
Anyway, after a couple of days, we drove the VW bus back onto the ferry, returned to Birch Bay for our stash , drove over Deception Pass on the Puget Sound and took another ferry over to Port Angeles.Drove up to Hurricane Ridge. Went through this tunnel and I almost ran over the first two Rockie Mountain goats I'd ever seen. I grew up down near the Florida Line so Hurricane Ridge was my first experience with deep snow. I walked out into the snow a few yards and promptly fell through it and landed about ten feet down. Luckily, I landed on the top limbs of the tree that was covered by the snow so I looked up at the sky through my hole in the snow and carefully climbed up the limbs so I could escape my potentially icy tomb. Hell uv a way to get introduced to snow.
Hiked in the Olympic Rain Forest with all those ribbon maples and moss covered nurse logs and hiked on the wilderness coast portion of the Olympic National Park.
Saw a bunch of sad ass Indians at that Quinalt reservation.
I have some precious memories of Washington State. King County, where Seattle is located, is named after William Rufus King from Selma but I think now they say it's named after MLK because King was slave owner but the fairies protested because they claim William Rufus King as one of their own. Andrew Jackson called King "Aunt Fancy" so I guess he wuz a little elegant. James Buchanan, our bachelor President and the man who signed my Great Grandpa Register's homestead papers for Geneva County land, was King's roommate for a while.
Whatever, thanks for jogging my brain, Billy and Chuck.
best,
robert register http://robertoreg.blogspot.com
http://snakedoctor.blogspot.com
http://cottonkingdom.blogspot.com

From: JDWyker@Charter.net
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 4:25:00 +0000
Subject: [MFV] Magnificent Seven 45 rpm.


Damn....I thought I remembered The Magnificent Seven recording and releasing on our own label....FARMER JOHN...we recorded it at Boutwell's old Black Church studio..

The band drove to Nashville and had 500 or a 1000 copies of a real 45 rpm record made....

seems like the label was yellow...and we put BMI on the record....we had know idea what that meant....but we put it on our record because all of the records that we liked had it on them.

That would be a real collectors item....does anyone have a copy ?

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwyker
MIGHTY FIELD of VISION


http://www.wtbc1230.com/history.html
photo courtesy of WTBC- Tuscaloosa's Big 1230
DAVID KELLER
OF
THE PREACHERS

Hey Gang:
All I know is that a lot uv Tuscaloosa cats were inspired to get into music by David Keller of The Preachers.
So what's the story?
best,
reg http://robertoreg.blogspot.com

Friday, October 08, 2004

From: "Bob Callahan Jr"
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:04:29 -0500
Subject: RE: [chukkernation] Questions About Guy "Hoagy" Huthnance, Jr.


Hoagy's girlfriend was named Carol Seier. Absolutely wonderful person. As was Hoagy. He was tough as nails, he endured unbelievable pain with his kidney disease. His exile and the pain the separation caused him and his family are a sad indictment of those times and the stupidity of marijuana laws then and now. With all he endured he maintained a radiant character and personality, I am saddened to hear of his dad's passing, may they both rest in peace.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Re: Questions about Guy "Hoagie" Huthnance, Jr.

Robert,
Hoagie
was
my best friend
in college.
He was not a draft dodger.
He had
a kidney ailment
that made him
4-f.
He did go to Canada because of the
pot bust.

He took my sleeping bag to Woodstock (I couldn't go because
of gigs that I had to play) and it became part of the mud scene.

Just a
great guy.


His father was assistant dean of the law school and just
died a few weeks ago.

Every thing else is private.
Bruce


Jimi Hendrix performing at the Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, May 7, 1969
courtesy of WTBC
http://www.wtbc1230.com/history.html
Robert,
Ok here is the story.
On May 7th I went to the Hendrix concert at Memorial Coliseum (now
Coleman Coliseum) with my room mate Hoagy (Guy Huthnance) and his
girlfriend who's name time has swallowed. She was the key to this story. Fat
Mattress, Noel Redding's group, opened the show. At the break we all went
to the bathroom. Hoagy's date was a very attractive person and the head
of the University Program Council had the hots for her. During the
break she ran into him and he said " why don't you come with me after the
show. We are taking Hendrix to the Citizen's club for a party." She
said, no thanks and then came and told us what was going on. I had run into
Pete Kinnear and told him of our plans to go to the Citizens Club to
party with Hendrix. The four of us crammed into my Triump Spitfire and
went to the club. This was the old Citizens Club that burned 20+ years
ago and was later moved to a new location. I had been there several times
before with other mixed race bands that I had played with and felt
comfortable being there. When we got there, we were the only white folks
there, but that was OK. We waited and enjoyed the soul band that was
playing there. About 30 minutes later, when we were beginning to doubt that
they would show, here came the entourage. I stood up and shook
Hendrix's hand and told him how much I enjoyed the show. They all sat down at
the table next to us. The British guys from Fat Mattress were seated
next to me and we partied with them that night since Hendrix was
immediately surrounded by groupies. They were a little nervous about being in a
all black club in the south, but loosened up enough to get up and play.
They played a few songs and then left the stage. After their set, I
went to pee and Noel Redding came in. We had a nice chit-chat about music
while we both emptied our bladders. The rest of the night was spent
drinking beers and talking music with new friends. End of story.


Robert,
Here's another one I found in my archives. I'm not sure if it's from
'65 or
'66. Maybe somebody out there could tell us. Seems like Billy Stewart's
"Summertime"
was in '66 so maybe that's it. At the top of the WTBC
charts
that week was the Magnificent Rubber's doin' "Farmer John". Further
down the
list you'll see the Swangin' Medallions and some other folks you might
recognize. Just thought I'd join in the fun.
All the best,
Johnny Townsend
http://www.johntown.com/

SouthCamp: August '69
courtesy of Bruce Hopper
far left,with only head partially showing, Chuck Leavell
Paul Hornsby
on keyboards
Bill "Squirmy" Stewart on drums
Glenn Butts on guitar
Frank Friedman on bass

"Wow the Southcamp photo that was second is very similar to the one I took that afternoon in August of 1969. Same angle. There was a lot of jammin going on that aafternoon. was Townsend the source for that picture? He is mistaken about Mullinex playing. My picture has Squirmy on drums (same shirt as in your pic, but you can see Bill's receding hairline in my pic, definately not Lou. My pic also includes Hornsby and half of Chuck's head. Glen Butts is standing where Charlie is and Frank is playing bass. In your pic, Frank's bassman is on the ground but in by pic it is on the stage. I think that a lot of people played that day on the quad. The neat thing is that there is only a two recepticle plug that came out of the ground next to that big Oak Tree. All the power came from there. You had to be careful about how many amps were pluged in or someone would have to go and replace a fuse in the ROTC building." BRUCE HOPPER

Another shot from the same afternoon

T-TOWN GIG ON THE QUAD- Bill "Squirmy" Stewart on drums, RONNIE SEITEL WHO PLAYED FOR THIS SIDE UP, CHARLIE HAYWARD(now playing for the Charlie Daniels Band) ON BASS AND FRANK FRIEDMAN WHO ALSO PLAYED FOR THIS SIDE UP

THE OMEN AND THEIR LUV: '68

Standing on Left Billy McClain- guitar
seated on left Don McGlamery
seated on right Jeff Neighbors Drums
standing Tommy Stuart and Bruce Hopper
"I also have several pics with different versions of the OMen and Their
Luv
. I would like to get them to the guy that is doing the southern
beach music list. Unfortunately my scanner is down and I don't have a way
to digitize them.I know that he only wants bands that were 50% R&B
which we were when we opened for the Pieces of Eight the summer of '67. At
the end of the summer our drummer Mike Hatchett brought Jimmy Hendrix's
"Are You Experienced" to practice. That changed everything. We kicked
out the horn players (unless they also played something else) and
changed our song list to a more psychedelic mixture. It was during that time
that we recorded our first 45, "Maybe Later" that has been recently put
on the Psychedelic States anthology CD (still waiting for my first
royalty check)." bruce


THE OMEN AND THEIR LUV PLAYING THE PROM AT TUSCALOOSA COUNTY HIGH


Robert,
Thanks for the old Beatle's nostalgia. On Sunday I remembered my time
to see the Beatles on August 15th, 1965. I was working in New York for
my grandfather that summer and my brother was working for our Uncle at
the Worlds Fair. We got tickets to the Shea Stadium concert from
scalpers (the Red Cross). We paid $10 each for 12th row tickets. I did not
hear that concert until it played on TV. There were over 50,000 people
there and at least 49000 were screaming girls. It was the largest outdoor
concert ever done at that time. The girls were so loud that you could
not hear the jets going over from LaGuardia Airport. The sound system
was totally inadequate. I can see my self in the Beatles Anthology video
that I taped off the TV. I now have taken a still out of the video, and
have it blown up so that I am between the Beatles as they walked across
the field to the stage. I have it framed along with my ticket stub from
the concert.
Bruce


Reg at desk: 2004
Hey girl,
Picked up your email today and thought I'd drop you a line. I'm out of teaching and work for Pake Realty in Tuscaloosa. My son Christopher is 16 now and will graduate from high school in 2007. He just inherited $202,000 from his grandmother so he can take care of himself soon,therefore, I plan to restart my life in the spring of 2007.
Regardless of our split, I think of you and your family often and would love to hear from you. Please take a few moments and drop me a line.
Best,
robert http://robertoreg.blogspot.com
http://snakedoctor.blogspot.com
http://cottonkingdom.blogspot.com


Christopher in the fall of 2003


Christopher at the wheel of the tall ship William H. Allbury off Abaco Island,Bahamas: Spring '04


CHRISTOPHER REGISTER - FALL OF 2004

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Subject: Re: [MFV] Those That Came Before


Paul:
I don't know anything about your musicians but I do have a story about a Georgia barndance you might enjoy.
My Grandfather Register laid down on the couch and died on Halloween day 1959. He would have retired from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad at midnight but he had a heart attack after dinner (no "lunch" in ' 59 Dothan). From that moment until I left for college in the fall of ' 68 I stayed most nights at my grandmother's house so I had of plenty of opportunity to listen to her tales from the good old days and I enjoyed her stories and encouraged her to tell them over and over again.
Her father was named George Shepherd and he was born and raised in Cotton Hill, Georgia on the Chattahoochee River north of Fort Gaines. He was born in 1859 and more than one of his brothers served in the Confederacy. He died when I was about 3 but I remember sitting in his lap and playing with his moustache and the hair that grew out of his ears.
After the Civil War, George's family suffered a lot and they were so poor that their only light at night came from tallow candles and those little oil lamps that look like a teapot(my Grandma called them Aladdin lamps).I know this sounds strange but, according to my Grandmother, ALL musicians in the old days who played barn dances around Cotton Hill were black. Maybe it had something to do with Baptists being against dancing but that's what my grandma told me. Anyway, when George was a young man[probably in the early 1870's] he went to a barn dance which was lit by kerosene lamps. George had never seen a kerosene lamp and when someone said, "Turn the lamp down, George.", he turned it upside down and set the barn on fire.
Thought you'd appreciate the story.
Best,
Robert Register http://robertoreg.blogspot.com
http://snakedoctor.blogspot.com
http://cottonkingdom.blogspot.com


Paul Shoffner wrote:
Lest you good folks perceive that Jeehawd is but a
political animal ( like to use the term Patriot ),
please allow me an inquiry concerning a project that I
am currently working on that means a whole lot to me.

The deeper into it, the more fascinated I am by these
remarkable men who dug graves and wells during the
day, and played music for everyone in this area on
weekends, black or white...for over fifty years.

Having heard of this Afro-Cherokee father and son team
all my life, I speculate that they most likely played
my grandparents (family storied) dance at their
farmhouse, where time got away from all, and the
Sunday morning sun broke up the soiree. The late hour
and exhaustion caused them to miss church...an event
that brought stern rebuke from the preacher in that
morning's sermon. The last dance, you could say.

One anecdote from a former (white) neighbor of their's
has the elder (black) musician bringing his late-model
automobile to his parents door and handing his father
the keys, knowing that the funeral for his grandmother
the next day would be twelve miles out in the county,
saving a considerable mid-summer hike for this poor
and bereaved (white) family.

The man that I got this story from is now in his 90's,
and related that as a boy, he ate more cornbread at
these black neighbor's house than his own.

He also called the man "Uncle"...an amazing thing in
1920-30's Georgia.

Andrew and Jim Baxter cut twelve sides for Victor in
1927-28 and were associated with another local (white)
group known as the Georgia Yellowhammers, who gained
considerable success with "Picture On The Wall".

Andrew and Jim were one of the first to record
"KC Railroad Blues" and also recorded "The Moore
Girl", likely mis-named by a studio notation for a
train song supposed to be called "The Mogul",
the term for a certain powerful steam locomotive.

Legend has it that Andrew actually played during the
cutting of the Yellowhammer's "G-Rag", as he was
considered the superior fiddle player.

In the 20's Jim Crow South, this may have been the
first instance of a "mixed" recording.

Harry Smith was obviously a fan of Andrew and Jim, as
he included their "Georgia Stomp" on his seminal
"Anthology of American Folk Music."

My reason for sharing this with you good people is
your obvious interest in such stories, like the recent
posts on 60's-70's race relations in the South, but
also the respect you have for those great musicians
who came before us, some of whom weathered unspeakable
hardship to endure and create this spectacular
heritage we all benefit from in so many ways, and
which now enthralls and enriches the entire planet.

I also have method in my rambling...

There is a story of Andrew and Jim being told by a
(white) man from Alabama that they should come over to
his town the next Saturday to play for a big dance
that he held, and would pay them $20.
(In the depression, it may well have been $10,000, in
current value).


They boarded the train here in Calhoun for
Chattanooga, came back down into Alabama on another,
and got off on the platform at the said town.

A rather suspicious (white) crowd began to form,
curious at first, then growing most unfriendly and
then threatening.

"There ain't no dance 'round here like that"
they were told.
"What'r you doing here? We don't allow no (N's) here,
especially after dark.
Sun's goin' down...How fast can y'all walk back to
Georgia? Har, har har."

A question about what was in their cases by the
ringleader, who was obviously thinking "necktie
party", led to another concerning their ability to
play what was in them.

Andrew related that they opened their cases, quickly
tuned up, and played literally for their lives, with
sufficient skill and passion to win the surly mob
over, moving them to actually pass the hat for their
fares back home.

I am currently interviewing what family and
contemporaries are alive and would appreciate any help
you could offer on this project, and would appreciate
any stories, photographs or published accounts that
you may have come across, by chance...or Kismet.

This project is particularly close to me...literally
... as I reside in a 1936 fishing cabin that was
likely a venue for Andrew and Jim-fueled dances, and
according to the man who built it, occasionally called
by
Henry Ford, a big fan of local music and dance, who
visited Martha Berry in nearby Rome frequently,and
drove over when he heard of a dance.

(Always wondered if one of those trips involved
that famous automobile accident...

With a woman that was not his wife...
...in an automobile that was not a Ford.

Supposedly, this prompted a famous quote by him.)

Jeehawd do go on. Thanks for the forum to share this
passion I have for our local musical history, and I
would be much obliged for any assistance on this
particular effort, as it is a serious undertaking I am
determined to see through and done right.
Andrew and Jim deserve it.


Good Tunes To Ya
~Paul

Subject: [MFV] jackson highway


tommy thanks for sharing that story ,, pete took me to that old studio one night and we hung out there for awhile , it gave me chills just being in that place and knowing the history behind it , pete took me in little office and told me he layed down "mainstreet" and i think "like a rock" in there ? when he told me that the hair on my head stood on ends , ha ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, there is a pic i think dick has it of mick jagger standing on that back porch
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, slugger


Subject: [MFV] Cher 3614 Cat Tale


Awhile back some of you had posted some stuff about the Cher album "3614 Jackson Highway".
One night after one of the Rod Stewart sessions for his "Atlantic Crossing" album here in Muscle Shoals, we all went out to eat. Tom Dowd who was producing the record started telling old Jerry Wexler stories and told us this funny account of the Cher album sessions.
He said although Sonny was there it wasn't a Sonny and Cher record. The rhythm section was running down a song and had a great feel on the tune when Sonny jumped up and said "I have a great idea for this song. Let's put a Tuba on it doing this 'om pa pa' thing". Well this stopped the pickers and the great groove they had going. Everyone looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Wexler told the musicians to run it again while he and Sonny did the 'back porch test'. For those of you not familiar with the old studio on Jackson Highway, we would stand on the back porch and listen to the playback, and if it sounded good out there it passed the test. Wexler led Sonny to the back door, he opened it to let Sonny walk out. As soon as Sonny walked out on the porch Wexler slammed the door behind him and locked it. This left Sonny outside by himself. The band continued to cut the song without the Tuba.
Dowd said "If you listen real close to that song you can hear Sonny beating on the back door trying to get back in the studio" lol.

Another note about that record. You can see on the album cover the sign over the front door of the studio that reads 3614 Jackson Highway.
At that time there was not actually a sign on the front of the building that said that. But after Jimmy Johnson and the guys saw the pic for the album cover with the address over the door, they thought it was cool so they had one painted and put up there.

Thought I would share this with all you Mighty Fieldhands.
Tommy Patterson

Robert,
I don't have a scan of the picture, but I have the album, and I cantell you who they are.From the left, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson, David Hood, Arif Mardin,Sonny Bono, Roger Hawkins, Jerry Wexler, Barry Beckett, Jeannie Greene, Donna Thatcher [later Donna Godcheaux with the Grateful Dead] and Tom Dowd.Dowd, Wexler and Mardin were co-producers, and Dowd was the engineer.
Dick

From Harry Young's liner notes for "3614 Jackson Highway"http://www.geocities.com/marcapreguntas/chernotes.htm

So Atlantic Executive Vice President Jerry Wexler, Atlantic Vice President In Charge of Engineering Tom Dowd and Atlantic A&R director Arif Mardin produced Cher’s ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ album.

Not coincidentally, the same team had recently produced Dusty Springfield’s ‘Dusty In Memphis’ (Atlantic album SD 8214, released 17 January 1969, Cash Box review 1 February 1969, entered Billboard 15 March 1969, #99). According to ‘Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music’ by Jerry Wexler and David Ritz, all vocals on ‘Dusty In Memphis’ were cut in New York.

Regarding Cher’s ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ sessions, Wexler wrote, “I picked up pneumonia and went to the hospital before the actual singing started, so Dowd and Mardin took over. I never made it to the control room.”

Jerry Wexler did select the songs for Cher’s album, including three controversial tunes from Bob Dylan’s just-released ‘Nashville Skyline’ album (Cash Box review 19 April 1969).

The '3614 Jackson Highway' sessions day by day:

Monday, 21 April 1969: Eddie Hinton’s “Save The Children” (strings, French horn, no backing vocals) and Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away” (Soul horns, gospel backing vocals).

Tuesday, 22 April 1969: Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” (Soul horns, no backing vocals).

Wednesday, 23 April 1969: “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” (assertive, at times indignant lead vocal, Soul horns, no backing vocals), “For What It’s Worth” (male and female backing vocals), “(Just Enough To Keep Me) Hangin’ On” (strings, gospel backing vocals) and the unreleased now lost Laura Nyro cut “Wedding Bell Blues” (Master 17005).

Thursday, 24 April 1969: “(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay” (Soul horns, no backing vocals or whistling at end!) and “I Walk On Guilded Splinters” (Soul horns, backing vocals, sizzling organ).

Friday, 25 April 1969: the unreleased and now lost Eddie Hinton-Dan Penn-Wayne Jackson cut “Always David” (Master 17007). Marlin Greene soon produced a hit version of “Always David” by Ruby Winters (Diamond single 265, Billboard review 30 August 1969, Billboard R&B #23). In February 1969 The Sweet Inspirations had recorded "Always David" (Master 16453, 'Sweets For My Sweet,' Atlantic album SD 8225 released 20 June 1969) at FAME with Mardin, Dowd, Johnson, Hinton, Beckett, Hood and Hawkins. The Sweet Inspirations' excellent version of "Always David" (3:26) can now be heard on the Stereo 'Sweets For My Sweets' reissue CD (Spy 46004-2, released 19 November 2002).

Saturday, 26 April to Tuesday, 29 April 1969: Sonny & Cher in California to visit seven-week-old daughter Chastity.

Wednesday, 30 April 1969: “Cry Like A Baby” (Soul horns, restrained backing vocals) and “Please Don’t Tell Me” (strings, no horns or backing vocals). This date also included the unreleased and sadly, now lost Sonny & Cher track “Honey Lamb” (Master 16887).Sonny & Cher then flew to London to appear on ABC-TV’s ‘This Is Tom Jones’ Friday, 2 May 1969. The duo performed “Yours Until Tomorrow” and “Just A Little”, the unreleased Gold Star version of which had been recorded 26 March 1969 (Master 28664). Interviewed by New Musical Express (“Sonny & Cher Kill Old Image”, 10 May 1969), Sonny focused on the ‘Chastity’ film with no mention of Alabama. The couple next traveled to New York for a spot on ABC-TV’s ‘Joey Bishop Show’ Friday, 9 May 1969.

Sonny & Cher returned to Muscle Shoals by Wednesday 14 May 1969 to cut Cher’s “Lay Baby Lay” (“A Whiter Shade Of Pale” organ, no strings, horns or backing vocals).

‘3614 Jackson Highway’ was previewed for Atlantic Records’ promotion and sales departments at the Hilton Plaza Hotel in Miami 23-25 May 1969 and officially presented at summer sales confabs in Chicago, New York and Hollywood 20 June 1969.

Reflecting Atlantic’s high expectations, the vinyl album was unleashed in a Stereo commercial version, an alternate Stereo Promotional version and a CSG (Compatible Stereo Generator) Monaural Sample version. ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ also saw release on cassette, 8-track and reel-to-reel tape. In addition, Atco delivered a seven inch Promotional EP: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” / “(Just Enough To Keep Me) Hangin’ On” / “For What It’s Worth” / “Please Don’t Tell Me” (Atco EP 4537, Stereo and Mono editions).

The commercial fortunes of Cher’s ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ may have been adversely affected by the album’s packaging. For example, the only colour photo of Cher was hidden in the interior of the flimsy UNIPAK gatefold sleeve. And the all-important song titles were not even listed on the exterior of the album cover.And the entire album concept centered on the address of a brand new, completely unknown studio.

Cher’s 21 April 1969 “Save The Children” date was the first session ever held at Muscle Shoals Sound.

The studio did not generate a hit until the Ahmet Ertegun-produced “Take A Letter Maria” by R. B. Greaves (Master 17634 recorded 19 August 1969, Atco single 45-6714, Cash Box review 27 September 1969, entered Billboard’s Bubbling Under 11 October 1969, #2).

Fred Bevis originally converted 3614 Jackson Highway into a four-track recording studio. Various sources claim the location was formerly a funeral home, casket warehouse or casket factory.In early 1969 Jimmy Johnson (guitar), Barry Beckett (piano, electric piano, organ), David Hood (bass) and Roger Hawkins (drums) purchased the building for $14,000 and upgraded to eight-track. The musicians previously served as the house band at Rick Hall’s nearby FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) studio in Muscle Shoals.

"A lot of the artists we worked with, especially at first, thought we were black", Hood told the Times Daily. "I was flattered by that, because most of the artists we liked were black. We loved that music, and we felt we had earned the right to play it”.Before founding Muscle Shoals Sound, varying combinations of Johnson, Beckett, Hood and Hawkins had played on major hits like “When A Man Loves A Woman” and “Take Time To Know Her” by Percy Sledge, “I’m Your Puppet” by James and Bobby Purify, “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)” by Aretha Franklin, “Sweet Soul Music” by Arthur Conley and “Slip Away” and “Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street)” by Clarence Carter. So in terms of session credits, Johnson, Beckett, Hood and Hawkins were highly respected.But the black and white ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ cover photo buried Cher in a hazy sea of unidentified and mostly unfamiliar faces.Front row, left to right: guitarist Eddie Hinton, bassist David Hood, Sonny Bono, CHER, producer Jerry Wexler, background vocalist Jeannie Greene, background vocalist Donna Thatcher and producer Tom Dowd. Back row, left to right: lead guitarist Jimmy Johnson, producer Arif Mardin, drummer Roger Hawkins and keyboardist Barry Beckett. Missing: background vocalists Mary Holiday and Sue Pilkington.

Sonny Bono and Arif Mardin wear t-shirts depicting legendary University of Alabama Crimson Tide coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant walking on water underscored by the slogan “I Believe”.

Many musicians were not shown on the ‘3614 Jackson Highway’ album cover or mentioned in the credits. Cher’s horn section(s) probably involved Andrew Love, Charles Chalmers or Joe Arnold on tenor sax, Floyd Newman or James Mitchell on baritone sax, Wayne Jackson, Gene ‘Bowlegs’ Miller or Ben Cauley on trumpet and Joseph DeAngelis or Earl Chapin on French horn. Cher’s string section would have been directed by Arif Mardin and probably led by Gene Orloff on viola.On 6 December 1968, just prior to the founding of Muscle Shoals Sound, Wexler, Dowd, Johnson, Beckett, Hood, and Hawkins worked with guitarist Duane Allman at FAME on Arthur Conley’s “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” session (Masters 15812-15817, Atco single 45-6640, Cash Box review 21 December 1968, ‘More Sweet Soul’, Atco album SD 33-276, Cash Box review 15 February 1969).Since Duane Allman played on ‘Boz Scaggs’ (Atlantic album SD 8239, recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound 5-10 May 1969, Variety review 10 September 1969) and Lulu’s ‘New Routes’ (Atco album SD 33-310, recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound 10 September and 2 October 1969, released 16 January 1970, Billboard review 7 February 1970, #88), one might also suspect Allman contributions on Cher’s ‘3614 Jackson Highway’, especially “For What It’s Worth”, “(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay”, “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” and “Cry Like A Baby”.

Monday, October 04, 2004

http://www.georgiasoul.com
Found an incredible site tonight put together by an "Old Soul" DJ from Georgia named Brian Poust. It has an incredible Dr. Jive ( Edwin Mendel 1919-1975) jukebox. Dr. Jive was an R & B DJ in the Columbus/Phenix City area and produced records and sold them at Dr. Jive's Record Shop.
Anyway, georgiasoul.com has a list of all these 45s produced in Georgia. There's some Eddie Floyd and Clarence Carter stuff but the label that knocked me out wuz 1-2-3, a Bill Lowery label that had a lot uv records produced by Buddie Buie and James (J.R.) Cobb.
Hey, folks:
Give EL REG some feedback on these 1-2-3 45s-

1700 The Movers- Birmingham/ Leave Me Loose

1703 Wilbur Walton Jr.- Twenty-Four Hours of Lonliness/ For The Love of a Woman
[ http://www.soul4u.net/webspace/13.rm
LIVE FROM THE OLD DUTCH!

[just kidding,tee-hee]THE FABULOUS WILBUR WALTON JR.!!!!
]



1712 Wilbur Walton Jr. & The James Gang- Delicate Woman/ Bed of Roses

1723 Swingin' Medallions- We're Gonna Hate Ourselves In The Morning/ It's Alright(You're Just In Love)

1725 Tommy Stuart & The Rubberband- Your Man Done Gone/ Peeking Through Your Window
1726 The Tams- Too Much Foolin' Around/ How Long Love

1728 R.B. Hudmon- Look At Granny Run Run/ Standing Invitation

1732 The Swingin' Medallions- Rollin' Rollin' River

Sunday, October 03, 2004

http://www.tngennet.org/maps/oldstate.gif
http://www.tngennet.org/tnland/tn2dmap.htm




Examination of the earliest individual tract surveys and the few remaining range and section line surveys prove the southern Tennessee state line and the Congressional line were in fact erroneously placed.


The Southern Tennessee State Line
and
U. S. Congressional Reservation Line

In 1806, the Congress of the United States created U. S. Congressional Reservation as Indian land. Non-Indian settlement on the reservation was forbidden.“Beginning at the place where the eastern or main branch of Elk River shall intersect the [southern] boundary line of the State of Tennessee; from thence running due north, until said line shall intersect the northern or main branch of Duck River; thence down the waters of Duck River, to the military boundary line, as established by the seventh section of an act of the State of North Carolina...thence with the military boundary line, west, to a place where it intersects the Tennessee River . . .”


We find references to surveying of the Congressional line in old individual tract surveys. The surveying of this line is attributed to James Bright, a Deputy Surveyor in the 2nd District. (Survey #158, “ ....the forty mile measure on Congressional line run by Bright from the State line. ” 10 September 1807; Survey #499, “...on Congressional Line run by Bright.” 9 June 1808.)


Because the state line was located too far north, it intersected with the Elk River too far east. Therefore, the Congressional line was placed too far east. The improper surveying of the state line is also attributed to James Bright. (Survey #503, “...on the State line run by James Bright.” 10 May 1808; Survey #1141, “...on State line run by James Bright.” 12 August 1808)


Soon after the establishment of the state line and the Congressional line, the error was discovered (see dates above). According to noted Tennessee historian, Timothy R. Marsh, the Tennessee Assembly rejected Bright’s surveys. We find the lines were re-surveyed and corrected by Thomas Freeman and others. The state line was moved to the south, the Congressional line was moved to the west. We see references to two state lines. (Survey #1383, “...on the true State line.” 30 February 1809; Survey #1389. This tract is south side “of State the line run by James Bright.” 22 January 1809).


Mr. Marsh stated that from his research, he found that James Bright claimed that he had been influenced (perhaps intimidated?) by an earlier survey that had established the state line too far to the north. In defense of James Bright, we need to point out that it is the custom of surveyors to start from predetermined and accepted surveys. James Bright was a well respected surveyor in the 2nd District.

Fort Hampton
(1809 - 1817), near Coxey
A Federal fort located on the Elk River near the Tennessee River, built to protect Indian lands from white squatters. Also known as Fort at Muscle Shoals. Site is now the Harmony Church.

http://www.ngeorgia.com/history/earlyga.html
In 1803 the Cherokee agreed, in principal, to a Federal Highway(Map) to join Knoxville and Savannah meeting in the area of present day Ringgold, Georgia. Road construction started immediately and when the federal government ran out of money in 1804, Georgia contributed $5,000 to its completion. The Cherokee viewed the whites desire to build such a road as a curiosity at the time, but agreed in writing to the road in the Treaty of Tellico, 1805, the year it was finished. In spite of completion of this and other roads, river travel remained the chief form of transportation in Georgia until the advent of a major rail system in the state in the 1830's.
Vann's Tavern Today this tavern sits at New Echota, but during the reign of the Cherokee in Georgia it sat near Vann's Ferry on the Chattahoochee. Vann also had a second home and land near the tavern. Photo courtesy Ken Martin, History of the CherokeeThe Federal Highway ran from Ringgold southeast to Tate, then on a more easternly route to Athens. Portions of the road are still visible, and the keen eye can see the bed even through crops that now overgrow most of the path in northcentral Georgia. Along the road white and Cherokee establishments serviced the needs of the travelers as early as 1804. Chief James Vann, whose home sits near the path of the road, controlled many of these establishments including the ferry across the Chattahoochee River, the start of Indian Territory. As the state of Alabama began to grow after the Creek War of 1814, a second set of roads was developed running west. Although discrepancies exist as to the exact routes and numbers of these trails, three and possibly four routes heading west from the Chattahoochee were called the Alabama Road. The most famous of these followed the route of the Hightower Trail, running from near the present location of Gainesville, Ga. to Cartersville(built on the Cherokee town of Hightower, then west through Euharlee. Gravestones on this route date to 1808. The first United States Post Office was established on the Federal Highway in Rossville(1819) almost 15 years before the Cherokee were forced to surrender northwest Georgia

http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/HistoryPage.asp?ID=89
Treaty of Tellico
October 24, 1804
7 Stat. 228

Articles of a treaty between the United States of America and the Cherokee Indians.

DANIEL SMITH and Return J. Meigs, being commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States, with powers of acting in behalf of the said United States, in arranging certain matters with the Cherokee nation of Indians; and the underwritten principal Chiefs, representing the said nation, having met the said Commissioners in a conference at Tellico, and having taken into their consideration certain propositions made to them by the said Commissioners of the United States; the parties aforesaid, have unanimously agreed and stipulated, as is definitely expressed in the following articles: /A/

ARTICLE 1st. For the considerations hereinafter expressed, the Cherokee nation relinquish and cede to the United States, a tract of land bounding, southerly, on the boundary line between the State of Georgia and the said Cherokee nation, beginning at a point on the said boundary line northeasterly of the most northeast plantation, in the settlement known by the name of Wafford's Settlement, and running at right angles with the said boundary line four miles into the Cherokee land; thence at right angles southwesterly and parallel to the first mentioned boundary line, so far as that a line, to be run at right angles southerly to the said first mentioned boundary line, shall include, in this cession, all the plantations in Wafford's settlement, so called, as aforesaid. /B/

ARTICLE 2d. For, and in consideration of, the relinquishment and cession, as expressed in the first article, the United States, upon signing the present Treaty, shall cause to be delivered to the Cherokees, useful goods, wares, and merchandise, to the amount of five thousand dollars, or that sum in money, at the option (timely signified) of the /C/ Cherokees, and shall, also, cause to be delivered, annually, to them, other useful goods to the amount of one thousand dollars, or money to that amount, at the option of the Cherokees, timely notice thereof being given, in addition to the annuity, heretofore stipulated, and to be delivered at the usual time of their receiving their annuity.

In witness of all and everything, herein determined, between the United States and the Cherokee nation, the parties have hereunto set their hands and seal, in the garrison of Tellico, on Cherokee ground, within the United States, this twenty-fourth day of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and four, and in the twenty-ninth year of the independence and sovereignty of the United States.

Daniel Smith, (L.S.)

Return J. Meigs, (L.S.)

Tolluntuskie, his x mark, (L.S.)

Broom, his x mark, (L.S.)

J. McLamore, his x mark, (L.S.)

Quotequeskee, his x mark, (L.S.)

Path Killer, his x mark, (L.S.)

Tagustiskee, his x mark, (L.S.)

Tulio, his x mark, (L.S.)

Sour Mush, his x mark, (L.S.)

Keatehee, his x mark, (L.S.)

James Vann. (L.S.)

Witnesses:

Rob. Purdy, secretary,

John McKee,

Jno. Campbell, captain, second U.S. Regiment, Com.,

John Brahan, lieutenant, second Regiment, infantry,

Thos. J. Van Dyke, Sur. Mate.,

Wm. Charp,

Hinchey Pettway,

Wm. L. Lovely, assistant agent,

Ch. Hicks, interpreter. A/ Proclamation, May 17, 1824. B/ Cession of land by Cherokees. C/ Useful goods to amount of $5,000 to be paid them as an annuity.

http://www.wsharing.com/WSphotosVannHse.htm

CHIEF VANN HOUSE

http://gastateparks.org/info/chiefvann/


Chief Vann House


Called the Showplace of the Cherokee Nation, this two-story classic mansion is one of the best-preserved Cherokee plantation homes. Built by James Vann in 1804, it was the first brick home within the Cherokee Nation. The mansion is decorated with beautiful hand carvings and features a remarkable floating staircase along with many fine antiques.

Feared by many and loved by few, Vann was both a hero and a rogue, and he was responsible for bringing the Moravian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation to build schools. Yet, he killed his brother-in-law in a duel, fired a pistol at dinner guests through the floor of an upstairs bedroom, and once even shot at his own mother. Vann himself was shot and killed at a local tavern in 1809.

His son, Joseph, inherited the home and went on to become a Cherokee statesman. The Georgia Militia evicted Rich Joe Vann in 1835 for having unknowingly violated a new law making it illegal for Indians to hire whites. Joseph then settled in the Cherokee Territory in Oklahoma and lived there until his death from a steamboat explosion in 1844.
http://gastateparks.org/info/chiefvann/

http://www.ngeorgia.com/people/vann.html
In 1800, while on an East Coast trip that included a visit to Washington, D.C., Vann met a group of Moravian missionaries from North Carolina who desired to spread the Gospel and teach Cherokee children. Vann convinced them to move to Spring Place, south of the soon-to-be-built Vann House, to start their mission and school. He presented his idea to the tribal council, in part so his two-year old son Joseph might attend. That autumn Doublehead tried to delay the council from making a decision about allowing the school. Vann and Hicks drew Doublehead aside and informed him that whether or not he wanted it, the Moravians would have a school. Many of the mixed-blood Cherokee supported Vann. Doublehead let the council vote and the vote was in favor of the Moravians. He took the opportunity to tell Vann to stop criticizing him.

The tribal council had begun to factionalize. Ridge, Hicks and Vann would stand opposed to Doublehead on almost every issue, and Doublehead became jealous as the wealth of the Triumvirate grew. With his skillful handling of the Federal Highway negotiations in 1803, Vann ended up with a tavern, store, ferry and an additional estate on the Chattahoochee, and the highway would run directly past both his new home and the Moravian school at Spring Place. Hicks and Ridge also owned multiple businesses and were gaining in wealth, yet Doublehead was clearly ahead of all three.

The Triumvirate realized that white traders and government agents were willing to do business with Doublehead because he was willing to accept bribes. Benefiting from Hicks' association with Indian Agent Return J. Meigs, for whom Hicks translated papers, Vann learned that on at least three occasions Doublehead had illegally sold Cherokee land to whites, a crime punishable by death. At first, few people would listen to Vann as he exposed Doublehead's activities, but slowly he convinced a majority of the Nation that Doublehead was indeed committing crimes.

Vann, Ridge and Alexander Sauders were selected to kill Doublehead for his betrayal, possibly with the approval of the tribal council. At the appointed time Vann was too drunk to commit the murder. It was the first in a series of botched attempts that eventually ended in Doublehead's death at the hand of Vann's friend Ridge. This was one of a complex series of events led by Vann that would become known as "The Revolt of the Young Chiefs.

Cherokee historian Don Shadburn talked to us about Vann's married life. "His wives included three sisters, daughters of Walter Scott, a South Carolina Indian trader-- Elizabeth Scott (mother of Delilah Vann McNair), Polly Scott, and Peggy Scott. Jennie Foster and Nancy Ann Brown (half-sister of the Scott girls) were also wives. Nancy was Joe Vann's mother."

He was known to beat people, including his wives, for little or no reason, and the Cherokee Nation empowered him as head of part of the Lighthorse Patrol, a loose-knit Cherokee police force. By this time Vann's drinking problem was out of control. He became paranoid about theft. When Alexander Saunders tried to talk to Vann about his problems, Vann told him to leave.

James Vann lived by the sword, James Vann died by the sword. Celebrating at Tom Buffington's tavern northwest of Frogtown a single shot rang out from a partially opened door and James Vann fell dead, holding a bottle in one hand, a drink in the other. His Negro slave quickly picked up his son Joseph and Vann's billfold and spirited the boy back to Spring Place. Vann's body was buried near the tavern. Speculation as to who committed the crime is rampant even nearly 200 years after the act. Was it Alexander Saunders, whom Vann had exiled? Or maybe a relative of Doublehead's, getting revenge for his kin's murder? Most likely it was the relative of a man Vann had recently killed.

In death Vann would have a major effect on the matrilineal Cherokee society. The society was structured around Cherokee women, not men. When a man married he became a member of his wife's clan. Property passed through a wife when a warrior died. Vann, in line with white law of the time, left his inheritance to his son Joseph. The tribal council gave some of the inheritance to his wives and other children, but Joseph got the bulk.

When he died at the age of 43 Vann was one of the richest men not only in the Cherokee Nation but in the United States. His beautiful home along the Federal Highway still bears his name, Vann House, and is a popular stop along North Georgia's Chieftains Trail.

Vann is often dealt with in a negative light by his biographers. Lela Latch Lloyd describes him as "excessively cruel, and sadistic, a domineering demon." Henry Malone says he was "...far-famed, little beloved and greatly feared."

February 21, 1809 Cherokee Chief James Vann is shot and killed at his Chattahoochee Plantation (near Vann's Ferry across the Chattahoochee River)

Subject : The Bicentennial of the 1804-1806 Epidemic Of U.S. Treaties With Southern Indians

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Kahuna:
There are lots of bicentennial commemorations
coming up in the near future. The one I'm working on
right now is the Treaty of Tellico between the
Cherokees and the U.S. which was signed at the Tellico
garrison on October 24, 1804. This treaty ceded the
Wafford tract in N.E. GA to the U.S. and permitted the
building of the Georgia Road from Nashville to
Savannah. I just started the research on this but I
found out this morning that the point where this road
crosses the Chattahoochee is still called Vann's
Ferry.

Mo' to come:

1) November 1804 negotiations between U.S. and Creek
Nation for Ocmulgee lands at Hawkins' Flint agency.

2) The futile Choctaw negotiations at St. Stephens in
June 1805.

3) July 23, 1805 treaty between the Chickasaws and
the U.S. at the agency at Chickasaw Bluffs
(present-day Memphis),

4) November 1805 Choctaw treaty which ceded their land
along the Florida Line to the U.S.

5) The Cherokee treaties at Tellico in October 1805
which ceded the land north of a line between the Duck
and Hiwassee Rivers to the U.S. and authorized the
right of way for a road from Tellico to Muscle Shoals
to the Tombigbee.

6) The November 15, 1805 Creek Treaty at Washington
which ceded land east of the Ocmulgee and authorized
the right of way for the Federal Road to Mobile and
New Orleans.

7) The January 7, 1806 treaty which ceded the Cherokee
land between the Duck and Tennessee to the U.S. This
land included present day Northwest Alabama north of
the Tennessee River.

As far as I can tell there were no more treaties with
the Southern Indians until August 9, 1814 Treaty of
Fort Jackson which was located on the ruins of old Ft.
Toulouse at the junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa
Rivers. This treaty ceded over 20 million acres to the
U.S. as punishment for the Creek War of 1813-1814.
As you can see, we have a lot of important upcoming
bicentennial anniversaries beginning this month.
Beginning today I will be posting information at
CUBA,ALABAMA WEBSITE http://robertoreg.blogspot.com
concerning the events which occurred here in the Deep
South 200 years ago.
best,
reg