Barney Ales was promoted to Motown’s Executive Vice-President and General Manager in 1969, from which position he ensured Motown’s success as a business for a few more years. Then, when Berry Gordy took the decision to move the company headquarters to Los Angeles in 1972, Ales left and stayed in Detroit. He formed a new record company in 1974 with support from Gordon Prince, who had been National Director of Sales and Promotions at Motown and who had gone to Los Angeles with Motown in 1972. The new label was called Prodigal Records, possibly a reference to their return to the record business in Detroit.
The label’s first release, on December 2nd 1974, was Shirley Alston’s “I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing” and “Chapel Of Love” on the A-side and “I Do Love You” on the B-side. The single was also released in the UK on Decca’s London label. The style of the three tracks is reminiscent of the Shirelles; Shirley had been that group’s lead singer, prior to going solo. 1975’s follow-up single was “I’d Rather Not Be Loving You”/ “Can’t Stop Singin’ (‘Bout The Boy I Love)”. The B-side and the tracks on the first single are all included on Shirley’s Prodigal album “With A Little Help From My Friends”. The two B-sides from the singles are Shirley singing solo. The remaining tracks on the album are a collection of well-known songs (“Save the Last Dance”, “Our Day Will Come” etc.) sung by Shirley along with her “friends” (The Drifters, Ruby & the Romantics etc.). It is aimed at fans of romantic ballads.
The label’s other 1974 release was a single by Ronnie McNeir, “Wendy Is Gone”/ “Give Me A Sign”, which was first released in 1973 on McNeir’s own Rising Sun label. The B-side, co-written by McNeir and Harvey Morrison, has a strong Soul feel to it. Both tracks were included on the subsequent album “Ronnie McNeir” which Prodigal issued in 1975. Interestingly, all but one of the album’s eleven tracks were recorded at H-D-H Studios. The odd one out “Wendy’s Gone” was recorded at United Sound Systems.
Of the small number of singles produced in 1975, one stands out. “Body Chains”, produced by Funk Brother Jack Ashford and co-written by him, Wanda Crawford and Lorraine Chandler. It was recorded by Eddie Parker and is an excellent track, among the best of Detroit Soul singles. Also released in 1975 was “After You Give Your All (What Else Is There To Give)” sung by the vocal quartet SofTouch. The song is a funky dance track, co-written by Ashford, Sandra Richardson and George Rountree, taking the Detroit sound in a new direction.
Towards the end of 1975, Berry Gordy contacted Ales to offer him his old job back. This time, Ales gave in and moved out to Los Angeles. Gordy also wanted to buy Prodigal, to use as a label for newer material that wouldn’t be a good fit for the Motown label, and the deal was done. Gordon Prince went too. The Prodigals had returned and then left again! Ales later became President of Motown. He left again in 1979 and went on to work at Elton John’s Rocket Records. Prodigal Record Company was active in Detroit for less than a year, but several tracks on the label are classics.
Awake, Ashford, Giant, Sepia, and Triple ‘B’ Records
“Body Chains” was not Jack Ashford’s first foray into record production. When he left Motown’s payroll in 1965 along with Mike Terry due to the poor levels of pay, in his opinion, he and Terry found work at Golden World, before moving to Philadelphia, Ashford’s home town, to work on tracks for the Sensations and Joe Douglas. In 1966, they returned to Detroit to set up Pied Piper Productions. Sadly, despite attracting some talented artists such as Lorraine Chandler and Rose Batiste and using moonlighting Funk Brothers on their recording sessions, Pied Piper was not commercially viable. It ceased trading in 1967.
Ashford then formed a new production company, Just Productions, and established a number of small record labels, producing songs (often with Lorraine Chandler) for artists at Awake, Ashford, Giant, Sepia and Triple ‘B’ labels over the following years. He also freelanced as a session musician at Motown and elsewhere.
Giant Records was Ashford’s first record label. Only five singles were issued, all in 1966.
Only three singles were issued on Ashford’s Awake label between 1967 and 1968. The best of them was “I’m Gone”, co-written by Ashford and E. Lewis, (a.k.a. Lorraine Chandler) and arranged and conducted by the ex-Motown Studio Band leader Joe Hunter. The song was performed by Eddie Parker, whom Ashford later worked with at Prodigal. He infuses the song with drama and feeling.
Eddie Parker was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He came to Detroit in search of a breakthrough into the music industry and signed up with Jack Ashford’s Pied Piper Productions. He made a few singles, including 1980’s “She” on Lorraine Chandler’s RJ label, but none sold well in America. Parker was nevertheless a popular artist on the local Detroit circuit. His name was also well-known in the Northern Soul clubs in the UK, where his songs were rated highly. The UK’s Grapevine Records added to his popularity with the re-issue of his single “Love You Baby” in 1979, which prompted Parker to visit the UK on several occasions.
Ashford Records, his third company, released just two singles, one in 1968 and one in 1975, which had probably been recorded during the Pied Piper days. The 1968 single is another Northern Soul classic from Eddie Parker, co-written by Ashford (who arranged the song), L. Chandler and J. Coleman, entitled “Love You Baby”. The session musicians on the recording were credited as Billy Sha-Rae’s Soul Congress Band.
Billy Sha-Rae’s Soul Congress Band
Photo: Trade Ad
Originally from Pittsburgh, they came to Detroit in 1967 to work as the house band for Ashford’s Just Productions Studio. Members were Mike Oposki (bass), Al Gordon (drums), James Pavlack (guitar), Gary Pittman and Billy Sha-Rae (vocals). Ashford joined them on tambourine and also played piano on the track. Lorraine Chandler sang backing vocals and produced the song. The band moved back to Pittsburgh in the early seventies.
Sepia Records was Ashford’s next label, with three singles released during 1968/9. The B-side of the Four Sonics Plus One single, “Lost Without You”, would certainly have suited Dusty Springfield. The best of the bunch, however, is Al Gardner’s “I Can’t Stand It”, on the B-side of his 1968 single “Sweet Baby”. It is a slow, sizzling Soul ballad of real quality.
Al Gardner (Alonzo Gardner) was born in Selma, Alabama. He made one single for Lu-pine Records in Detroit in 1961, and one for Groovesville in 1962. Both are light and Pop-orientated. He came into Jack Ashford’s orbit six years later in 1968, when Ashford supervised the recording of a new Gardner single for Andrew Harris’ Sir-Rah label. “Just A Touch Of Your Hand”/ “Watch Yourself” is an absolute classic that shows Gardner in a completely new light. The B-side is a mid-tempo dance track with strong horns, conga drums and tambourine driving the rhythm in true Detroit style. The A-side is slower, a genuine Soul ballad, which could have been recorded in Memphis. Together, they are well worth a listen.
Triple ‘B’ Records was the final Ashford-owned label. He set it up in partnership with Lorraine Chandler and Ernest Kelly, releasing just four singles, two in 1969 and two in 1970. Eddie Parker takes the honours again with his single “I Need A True Love”, co-written by Ashford, Chandler and Rufus Harris, and produced by Chandler.
Ashford also worked with his roster of artists at other small labels further afield. Jay-Walking Records issued another Eddie Parker single, “Can’t You See (What You’re Doing To Me”, in 1972, written by Ashford and produced by Chandler and Ashford, with an arrangement by Paul Riser. It is an up-tempo dance track, quite different from his early Southern Soul songs, but he has no problem delivering the vocals to great effect. Jay-Walking was a subsidiary of Soulville Records in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, well-known to Ashford, no doubt. Another Parker track surfaced in California in 1976/77 on both the MAM label and Miko Records. “But If You Must Go” is another Deep Soul ballad, co-written again by Ashford and Chandler and with an arrangement that sounds as though Paul Riser might have been involved. The B-side is a powerful version of the Triple ‘B’ song “I Need A True Love”. It is an excellent single that sadly barely made a ripple. The most likely explanation is that these tracks were cut in Detroit and offered to other Soul labels. (Jack Ashford moved to Angeles around this time). The limited marketing meant that the records failed to sell, but they have become very sought-after by collectors.
Ashford and Chandler were also responsible for writing and producing another single issued by Jay-Walking, “Don’t Leave Me Baby”, sung by Ray Gant and Arabian Knights. It is a bouncy, Soul ballad with a good arrangement by Ashford, credited to Black Jack, his Motown nickname.
Jack Ashford and Barney Ales both made an important, probably vital, contribution to Motown, which is generally well-known. But they also added significantly to Detroit’s non-Motown music output. There are some wonderful songs issued on their various short-lived record labels.
