Tag: Savage Lost

Grey Boy on Miami Soul Music & the Human Race

I’m basically happy with the way Savage Lost turned out, but it’s far from a perfect work.  It could desperately use an index.   It could use more pictures.  (My publisher said we had to keep it under 25 to avoid a higher cost.)   I would love to expand the Central Florida coverage, and include Pensacola …

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Leon Russell Meets the Allman Brothers In 1966

One of three covers for the Super Dupers LP, featuring, among others, Leon Russell and Duane & Gregg Allman

Leon Russell came from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but one of his early endeavors featured two Florida legends — in their first-ever record release.  I remember, as a 9-year-old, hearing “Batman And Robin” by the Spotlights on the radio.   It reached #12 on WQAM and #13 on WFUN in my hometown of Miami, during the third week …

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JEMKL Records: Modern Soul and More From Miami

JEMKL 45 by Dewey Knight, whose name was misspelled on the label. Misspellings were common at JEMKL.

    JEMKL? What in the world is a JEMKL? This cryptic Florida record label has baffled collectors for several decades now. In addition to its “initially” baffling name, its musical selections — here, there, and everywhere in between — have proven just as baffling. But where there are questions, often there are also answers. …

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“Whenever You’re Ready” by the Novas — Florida’s Moodiest ’60s Garage 45

"Whenever You're Ready" by the Novas, on Chelle Records

  If you asked me to name my all-time favorite South Florida garage band records, I’d probably rattle off some familiar names – Evil, the Montells, et al.    These bands earned their place in the Miami band hierarchy, and the collectability of their music bears this out.   But that answer is just too easy and …

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Jaco Pastorius’ Funkadelic Sound: A 1971 Session

Little Beaver, around the time of "Funkadelic Sound"

Jaco Pastorius was a big Little Beaver fan. Watching the young guitarist/singer perform around South Florida had a deep, profound influence on the future superstar bass player. We know Jaco enjoyed playing Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman” (which featured Little Beaver’s guitar licks) with both Tommy Strand & The Upper Hand and Wayne Cochran’s CC …

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While We Still Can Reunion #3

The late Johnny Hartigan of the Mor-Loks, having a great time in 2006

“Gettin’ together is better than ever.” – Richie Cordell 150 or so players from South Florida bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s plan to get together in Boca Raton, on September 10, 2012. The event is the third While We Still Can Reunion… and there’s a good reason why its organizer gave it that name. …

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Willie Clarke & Deep City Records: The Movie

Willie Clarke with Jeff Lemlich, 8-16-12

It’s not every day that a living legend walks through your door. If you don’t care about Florida soul music, then the name Willie Clarke probably means nothing to you. But if you love the sound of southern soul, full of energy, emotion, and of course, “that driving beat”, then you understand what I mean. …

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560 Flashbacks #2: Approved Nighttime Oldies

WQAM Approved Night Time Oldies List

Here’s another golden flashback from Dan Chandler’s WQAM archives! It may have seemed that the powerhouse station had an infinite supply of oldies, but in reality the selection was being tightly controlled by the time 1969 rolled around. The torn sheet that you see here makes it clear that only certain oldies could be played …

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The Bougalieu: Let’s Do Wrong in Miami, Florida

1-2 Bougalieu! The cleaner version of this classic 45.

What is an Albany, New York group doing on a blog about Florida bands? Well, for one thing, I love the Bougalieu’s record – both versions of it. Love it a lot! But more importantly, this is a band that relocated to South Florida for a time, ‘til it was clear that the end of …

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560 Flashback #1 – WQAM vs. WFUN

The Miami Radio Wars, heating up in 1966

If ever there was any doubt as to whether the rivalry between radio stations WQAM and WFUN was for real, the following memo should put those questions to rest. The rivalry wasn’t just real – it was intense – and grew to monumental proportions after WFUN’s Morton “Doc” Downey’s dirty tricks on WQAM program director …

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