Brewerytown Vinyl, CD & Tape 9 Items

This is a story of perseverance. This is a story of how a bandleader and aspiring singer from Philadelphia discovered a young group from Camden NJ, wrote and produced their first single, and then watched the group’s career take off in someone else's stable. There were many lessons learned the hard way; the most poignant was finding out the record business in Philly during the 1960’s and 70's was a hard nut to crack, especially when you're an unknown in the R&B world. Post Barbara Mason (Yes I'm Ready, 1965) and just before The Ebonys (You're The Reason Why, 1971) there was a little known Philadelphia singer, songwriter, and producer named Raymond Waterhouse. Ray was never given his due for discovering one of the biggest groups to come out of the Philadelphia International Records (pir) roster. We will be discussing his group, The Soul Set - Gary Volpe (drums), Jerry Marlo (bass & vocals), Tommy Davidge (guitar & vocals), and Denny Collett (Hammond B-3 organ) as well as the group whose career he launched - The Ebonys, (Clarence Vaughan, David Beasley, James "Bootie" Tuten, Jennifer Holmes) Hailing from Bristol Township, outside of Philly, PA, Ray (known as Ray Sharp while performing) and The Soul Set played every small club from Philadelphia, PA to Somers Point, NJ and up and down the coast from Washington DC to New York. Week in and week out, they played mostly covers of the day, some James Brown and local groups like Chubby Checker, and the mighty Delfonics. The Soul Set was a rough and tumble crew, clean-cut looking, but vicious instrumentalists. After three singles on B.B Records (a subsidiary of Swan) and years of playing around Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, some industry folk started to take notice. In 1968, Ray Sharp and The Soul Set signed a singles deal on the small label Sock & Soul Record Corp. run by Nat Segall & Howard Michaels (respectively producer & manager of the Soul Survivors). Earthquake B/W She Needs Love (h-104) was released in late 1968 and soon gained traction locally. The Soul Set had a hit on their hands. Ray knew he needed a follow-up, and quick. He formed his own label with co-songwriter Paul Prospero and financier Avis S. Joy (Avis Records) and immediately signed The Ebonys. Avis would see two releases in total, a Ray Sharp solo record (avis-1002) but more relative to our story, The Ebonys - Back In My Arms B/W I Can't Help But Love You (avis-1001). Recorded in 1968 and released in 1969 the record failed to chart, or maybe get radio play at all. This was the very first release for Clarence, David, James, and Jennifer as The Ebonys. Written and produced by Ray and arranged by the late, great Roland Chambers, the single seems to have long been forgotten. Perhaps it was overlooked, or overshadowed by the very successful career The Ebonys would go on to have at PIR, under Gamble & Huff. In 1971 The Ebonys single You're The Reason Why was in the ten on the U.S. R&B Charts, a first for PIR. Fifty-five years later, after a seemingly endless effort by Raymond Waterhouse to relive some of that late 1960’s glory with later bands like Waterhouse, Live A Little, Profit, The Four Accents, The Ebonys original reel to reel master tapes from the Avis label sessions have been found and remastered and sound as good today as they did back in 1969. In that original session for Ray at Sigma Sound Studios with Joe Tarsia doing the mix, there were three songs done in total, all of which will finally see a proper release on a 7" / 45rpm for the first time in half a decade.

Not much is known about this early 1970's psychedelic soul group from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. But we do know this record was recorded in 1969 released in 1970 - and one of two records on Michael Nise's (Nise Productions Inc) Philadelphia Round Records (see More Below) Brewerytown Records Label & Insert design by Jeremy Zombie 1984 consists of band members - Gerald Foster, Ronald Hynson, Andrea Johnson, Harold Johnson, Arthur "sly" RAY, Stanley Vurton - From Nise Productions INC: Circa 1970 Audio Magazine, a nationally respected magazine and audio authority, recognizes Nise Productions, Inc. in a special campaign. The promotional director for North American Publishing Company initiates this promotional campaign that utilizes the extended relationship between Frank and Michael Nise with Audio Magazine through the years. "Nise Productions, Inc. is a successful sound production company." Audio Magazin In conjunction with sports announcer Gene Kelly (Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies), Nise Productions, Inc. produces a commemorative audio record highlighting the 20th Anniversary of the 1950 Phillies pennant-winning home run. Wpbs-fm markets and advertises the product. Nise Productions, Inc. moves into corporate audio-visual and multi-track studio production. They establish an entertainment management, publishing and production entity. They sign The Ghetto Children and later, individually, Joy Stamford, who began with The Ghetto Children. Frank and Michael acquire a Sony Superscope dealership and build a two-track audio recording studio, a graphics department and a record mastering facility. They do this while also producing albums for schools and churches on location and produce over 40 albums. The Nise's initiate their first record label, Philadelphia Round Records, with two groups: American Asphalt and 1984.

This is a story of perseverance. This is a story of how a bandleader and aspiring singer from Philadelphia discovered a young group from Camden NJ, wrote and produced their first single, and then watched the group’s career take off in someone else's stable. There were many lessons learned the hard way; the most poignant was finding out the record business in Philly during the 1960’s and 70's was a hard nut to crack, especially when you're an unknown in the R&B world. Post Barbara Mason (Yes I'm Ready, 1965) and just before The Ebonys (You're The Reason Why, 1971) there was a little known Philadelphia singer, songwriter, and producer named Raymond Waterhouse. Ray was never given his due for discovering one of the biggest groups to come out of the Philadelphia International Records (pir) roster. We will be discussing his group, The Soul Set - Gary Volpe (drums), Jerry Marlo (bass & vocals), Tommy Davidge (guitar & vocals), and Denny Collett (Hammond B-3 organ) as well as the group whose career he launched - The Ebonys, (Clarence Vaughan, David Beasley, James "Bootie" Tuten, Jennifer Holmes) Hailing from Bristol Township, outside of Philly, PA, Ray (known as Ray Sharp while performing) and The Soul Set played every small club from Philadelphia, PA to Somers Point, NJ and up and down the coast from Washington DC to New York. Week in and week out, they played mostly covers of the day, some James Brown and local groups like Chubby Checker, and the mighty Delfonics. The Soul Set was a rough and tumble crew, clean-cut looking, but vicious instrumentalists. After three singles on B.B Records (a subsidiary of Swan) and years of playing around Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, some industry folk started to take notice. In 1968, Ray Sharp and The Soul Set signed a singles deal on the small label Sock & Soul Record Corp. run by Nat Segall & Howard Michaels (respectively producer & manager of the Soul Survivors). Earthquake B/W She Needs Love (h-104) was released in late 1968 and soon gained traction locally. The Soul Set had a hit on their hands. Ray knew he needed a follow-up, and quick. He formed his own label with co-songwriter Paul Prospero and financier Avis S. Joy (Avis Records) and immediately signed The Ebonys. Avis would see two releases in total, a Ray Sharp solo record (avis-1002) but more relative to our story, The Ebonys - Back In My Arms B/W I Can't Help But Love You (avis-1001). Recorded in 1968 and released in 1969 the record failed to chart, or maybe get radio play at all. This was the very first release for Clarence, David, James, and Jennifer as The Ebonys. Written and produced by Ray and arranged by the late, great Roland Chambers, the single seems to have long been forgotten. Perhaps it was overlooked, or overshadowed by the very successful career The Ebonys would go on to have at PIR, under Gamble & Huff. In 1971 The Ebonys single You're The Reason Why was in the ten on the U.S. R&B Charts, a first for PIR. Fifty-five years later, after a seemingly endless effort by Raymond Waterhouse to relive some of that late 1960’s glory with later bands like Waterhouse, Live A Little, Profit, The Four Accents, The Ebonys original reel to reel master tapes from the Avis label sessions have been found and remastered and sound as good today as they did back in 1969. In that original session for Ray at Sigma Sound Studios with Joe Tarsia doing the mix, there were three songs done in total, all of which will finally see a proper release on a 7" / 45rpm for the first time in half a decade.

Not much is known about this early 1970's psychedelic soul group from the Germantown section of Philadelphia. But we do know this record was recorded in 1969 released in 1970 - and one of two records on Michael Nise's (Nise Productions Inc) Philadelphia Round Records (see More Below) Brewerytown Records Label & Insert design by Jeremy Zombie 1984 consists of band members - Gerald Foster, Ronald Hynson, Andrea Johnson, Harold Johnson, Arthur "sly" RAY, Stanley Vurton - From Nise Productions INC: Circa 1970 Audio Magazine, a nationally respected magazine and audio authority, recognizes Nise Productions, Inc. in a special campaign. The promotional director for North American Publishing Company initiates this promotional campaign that utilizes the extended relationship between Frank and Michael Nise with Audio Magazine through the years. "Nise Productions, Inc. is a successful sound production company." Audio Magazin In conjunction with sports announcer Gene Kelly (Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies), Nise Productions, Inc. produces a commemorative audio record highlighting the 20th Anniversary of the 1950 Phillies pennant-winning home run. Wpbs-fm markets and advertises the product. Nise Productions, Inc. moves into corporate audio-visual and multi-track studio production. They establish an entertainment management, publishing and production entity. They sign The Ghetto Children and later, individually, Joy Stamford, who began with The Ghetto Children. Frank and Michael acquire a Sony Superscope dealership and build a two-track audio recording studio, a graphics department and a record mastering facility. They do this while also producing albums for schools and churches on location and produce over 40 albums. The Nise's initiate their first record label, Philadelphia Round Records, with two groups: American Asphalt and 1984.

New music from Philadelphia’s recently rediscovered soul powerhouse Ron Aikens and his backing band the Hip Tones is a soon-to-be classic double sider. Following in the traditional “soul 45 rpm” single format, a sweet ballad side with a funk side on the flip. Here is the first physical release from the forthcoming LP “Ron And The Hip Tones”. The lowrider soul feel on “Tear On My Chin '' comes from a brainstorming session with Ron, producer P. Maxwell Ochester, and the two main songwriters Dave Cope & Fred Berman. It tackles heartache, pain, and loss coupled with the slow grinding groove only true heartache can produce. On the flip you will find a nod to Ron’s former band, Power Of Attorney and their breakout single “Changing Man” which inspired the uptempo groove and catchy flute part. Hinting at the classic Philly Soul style, there are lush strings and as an added bonus the impactful and powerful message delivered by Philadelphia poet Ursula Rucker.

New music from Philadelphia’s recently rediscovered soul powerhouse Ron Aikens and his backing band the Hip Tones is a soon-to-be classic double sider. Following in the traditional “soul 45 rpm” single format, a sweet ballad side with a funk side on the flip. Here is the first physical release from the forthcoming LP “Ron And The Hip Tones”. The lowrider soul feel on “Tear On My Chin '' comes from a brainstorming session with Ron, producer P. Maxwell Ochester, and the two main songwriters Dave Cope & Fred Berman. It tackles heartache, pain, and loss coupled with the slow grinding groove only true heartache can produce. On the flip you will find a nod to Ron’s former band, Power Of Attorney and their breakout single “Changing Man” which inspired the uptempo groove and catchy flute part. Hinting at the classic Philly Soul style, there are lush strings and as an added bonus the impactful and powerful message delivered by Philadelphia poet Ursula Rucker.