In 1964, as The British Invasion started to take over the U.S.A., the New Orleans music scene was starting struggle. According to New Orleans legend Deacon John Moore, no one wanted rhythm and blues, or horn players. "Everybody had big amps and guitars, and long hair like sissies." So, many of the great session men were looking for work. Moore, Leo Nocentelli, Jo Jones, Johnny Adams, Smokey Johnson, Earl King, Reggie Hall, George French, and Eskew Reeder, aka Esquerita, accepted an offer from Berry Gordy to go to Detroit and cut some sides, as Motown wanted to add some New Orleans flavor to their roster. Allen Toussaint was asked, as well, but was still in the Army.
If you believe the story that Esquerita told Billy Miller of Kicks Magazine, these musicians went into Gordy's studio and recorded from 9AM to 9PM everyday for weeks, while Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson hung around and watched.
And then, nothing was ever released. Esquerita claims, Gordy simply wanted all of this music to study and steal for his artists. If you notice, this is the year Motown's sound changed, from the cha-cha of Smokey Robinson's "Shop Around" and Mary Wells' "Two Lovers" to the heavy beat and driving rhythms of "Heat Wave" and "Nowhere To Run."
There was no music to prove any of this until 1996 when three Earl King sides appeared on a Motown compilation called "Blue Evolution."
These Earl King tracks sound like classic King recordings that might have appeared while he was signed to Imperial Records, as opposed to anything on the Motown label. But knowing that these New Orleans legends laid down hours and hours of music in the Motor City kinda blows my mind.
9 comments:
I could hear "Nawlins" from the getgo. The biggest difference I hear is they play at the back of the beat. Not behind it. It's all feel.
I certainly wasn't copied on the memo. 8:00 am and I am chasing down interesting music I didn't know existed. That is one of the great things about your site. Thanks so much.
What an amazing story. That said, I am embarrassed to admit that I had no idea Esquerita was a New Orleans cat -- I always assumed he was an LA guy....
Great tracks, and certainly sounds more like NOLA than the Motor City. In Cleveland we heard Motown all the time from across the lake. I discovered James Brown and Otis Redding in 1966 on a visit to my cousins in Columbus, GA. It was much later that I discovered 60s New Orleans, through Imperial records reissues mostly.
Thank you for turning me on to this great music and even greater story. The question is what is still in the Motown vault and will we ever hear them?
Captain Al
And it turns out you were right, as LA is the abbreviation for Louisiana, while L.A. is the abbreviation for The City of Angels.
C in (where else?) California
This story makes me kind of sad - but I enjoyed listening!
I've had that one for awhile. The King cuts are really good. The rest kinda lose their NO flavor.
Great music. And tantalizing story.
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