The Trash Company "Come To Me Softly" (Kinky Blu)

Max Monroe's mother told him he was born on the highway somewhere between Baltimore and Richmond. He even has two birth certificates, one issued by Maryland the other by Virginia, to prove his "dual citizenship". After spending the early part of his life shuttling back and forth, Max finally left the Charm City for good in 1973 to settle in Richmond.

In the winter of '75, Max was 19 and residing at the Earle Hotel at 10 West Main Street. One day the desk clerk rang his room to let him know he had some visitors. Waiting downstairs were three guys he knew from the Jackson Ward neighborhood he grew up in, Watusi, Bee and Pop, the Cheatham brothers. The Cheathams had already been in some local bands. Starting as The Naturals, they had played at the legendary Sahara Club (2900 North Avenue). As times and styles changed, the group mutated into something called Rich Gypsy And The Wax Dollar Bills. Now the three brothers were standing in the lobby of The Earle trying to recruit the final piece for their latest brainchild. "What's the name of the band?", Max asked. "The Trash Company!", they announced. The first gig was already set for the following week.

Max was a perfect fit for the concept. Since getting his first guitar at age 11, he had always gravitated towards music that was adventurous, different. He taught himself to play while listening to The Beatles and The Stones alongside Soul music. Sly and The Family Stone, and later Graham Central Station, would have a huge impact. By the time he hooked up with Watusi, Bee and Pop they were all heavily under the influence of Funkadelic. It would be the basis for their partnership and the template for the band, not only in terms of sound, but look and style.

The Trash Company was unveiled on Valentine's Day night at a talent show at their old stomping grounds, the venerable Maggie L. Walker High School. The band's line up was: Max on vocals and guitar, Watusi (Linwood Cheatham) on guitar, Bee (Victor Cheatham) on drums, Pop (Gregory Cheatham) on percussion, Fisto (short for Mephisto, AKA: Tyrone Claude) on keyboards, and Wounded Knee, a guitarist of Native American descent, who liked to call himself "The Chickasaw Buzzsaw". As if the image of this ragtag crew wasn't enough to process, they were joined on stage by their cohort Wolf, a dread-locked free spirit with a black belt in karate as well as a penchant for sleeping under city bridges. As Wolf introduced The Trash Company he emptied a garbage can full of paper into the first few rows of the stunned auditorium. The band launched into a jam they had just written that week, the faculty freaked, the curtains drew closed, and it was over as soon as it had started.

After this inauspicious debut, the band gigged sporadically, rarely or barely getting paid, seldom venturing outside of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, at the eastern edge of Jackson Ward, the Richmond Coliseum was a regular stop for major touring acts. The Cheatham brothers attended their share of those concerts. Watusi was the point man, looking like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Bootsy Collins, he had a charisma and persuasiveness that allowed him and his brothers to make it close to the stage. Once up front, Watusi, Bee and Pop would bust out some dance moves that soon turned into full on routines, entertaining fellow concert goers as well as the performers on stage. This show inside of the show had become a thing of legend. The three would often be invited backstage, becoming friendly with heroes like Larry Graham and Hamilton Bohannon, hanging at after parties on tour buses or at downtown hotels. Rumor has it that George Clinton took such a liking to the Cheathams that he proposed doing a project with them, which, of course, never materialized. Max would tag along sometimes, but he was more interested in devoting time and energy to his own music. He had became more focused on writing songs, and started to assert himself in the direction the band was taking. He wanted it to go somewhere.

In spring of 1979, The Trash Company headed up Broad Street to Alpha Audio to cut a record. The session lasted about six hours, yielding three finished tracks, all written by Max Monroe: "Silly Girl", "Honey Babe" and what would end up being used for both sides of their single, "Come To Me Softly". Max sang, played the guitars and bass, while Bee played drums. Watusi and Pop contributed the eerie chimes, which were actually the sound of a toy xylophone run through a ring modulator by engineer Carlos Chafin (who later became President of In Your Ear Studios). The backing vocals were supplied by Bee's wife Florence Cheatham and Robinette Gravely, niece of U.S. Navy pioneer Admiral Samuel L. Gravely. The tapes from the session were left at Alpha Audio. The whereabouts of those 8 track reels or whether they still exist is unknown. For now, all we have is the 45.

Dark, moody loner folk rendered with soul and laced with surreal imagery, "Come To Me Softly", tells of a fleeting encounter between a drifting man and a mystery woman. He's stirred from sleep to follow her siren call. "Come to me softly / Come to me sweetly... Touch Me." She takes his hand yet remains out of reach. Is she real? Do they know each other? Through the haze there seems to be a history, a checkered past. "Tell me what you need, baby / I won't make you bleed this time / Tell me what you need, baby / I'll show you how to feel this time." There is something very real, deeply personal at the core of what at first blush seems like a fantasy.

The Trash Company "Come To Me Softly"

Despite the psychedelic overtones of "Come To Me Softly", with it's visions of pixies and a purple lady, Max Monroe never experimented with drugs, never even really drank, neither did the Cheatham brothers for that matter. The best explanation for the vividly abstract quality of Max's music is a condition known as synesthesia, which allows Max to perceive words, numbers, and sounds in terms of colors and textures. Jimi Hendrix, Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder are among those also said to have had the same condition. In Max's case, he can even see colored halos or auras around people.

"Come To Me Softly" doesn't sound quite like anything else of it's era, or anything since, really. You could say it was ahead of its time, or maybe its time still hasn't come. A little off-kilter, definitely hard to classify, the uniqueness that distinguishes it, also hurts it on some level, at least in terms of trying to promote or sell it. But even though it doesn't fit neatly into a specific genre, it's one of those records that grows on you the more that you listen to it. All it needs is a chance.

The eye-catching 45 with its swirling "Kinky Blu" QCA label, was sent out to a number of record companies as well as an array of influential producers and artists in the industry. Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire sent back a nice hand-written note of encouragement. Frank Sinatra even replied with a signed letter of thanks. Country star Jerry Reed was not so kind. He felt so strongly about the record that he took the time to mail it back to Max... shattered into pieces.

The new record showed a band that had grown out of trying to be Funkadelic's kid brothers, but it did little to change The Trash Company's fortunes. They seemed snake-bitten, or at least unable to get out of their own way. More often than not Max found himself on a different page from the rest of the band. As the decade of the 80's rolled in, the only thing left to do was to part ways. The Trash Company continued for a while without Max, toning down and mellowing out, even performing at the outdoor family friendly event June Jubilee next to the downtown Marriott. A few years after departing the band, Max received a strange call from Hong Kong, of all places, inquiring about the "Come To Me Softly" 45. To this day, he still doesn't know how someone on the other side of the world heard his record, but a deal was struck and the remaining copies (most of the 500 pressed) were shipped. What became of all of those records remains a mystery. At least someone out there, way out there, appreciated his music.

Looking back on his time with The Trash Company, Max's bond with Watusi seems to mean more to him than anything else that came out of the band. The two were like brothers, they had their differences, but years of shared experiences, good and bad, forged a connection between them that seemed unbreakable. They liked to think of themselves as Mick and Keith. Watusi was Mick, the face of the band, the showman, the ego. Max was Keith, the de facto leader of the band. They were the Glimmer Twins without the excesses. Years after The Trash Company, Max and Watusi reminisced about that February day back in '75 at The Earle when Max joined the band. Watusi confided: "We could tell you were a vampire cutthroat pirate like us... hell, man, you completed the band!"

Although they didn't hang out with the same frequency they did when they were in the band together, Max and Watusi still collaborated occasionally. In the mid-80's Watusi dropped by the old Earle Hotel to help Max with some songs he was working on. One of the tapes that survived from the little Bell & Howell cassette recorder is the haunting "He's Only A Man".  At the time, Watusi was really into the B-52's and even removed strings from his guitar in tribute, although it's kind of hard to clearly make him out through the pulsating waves of reverb.  The result was the stark edge Max had envisioned for The Trash Company. To this day, Max much prefers it to "Come To Me Softly".

Ever since Max knew him, Watusi had a thyroid condition which produced a goiter on his neck. He would cover it with scarves or buttoned up shirt collars, but after well over a decade of not taking care of himself, Watusi's condition had progressed to the point that it could no longer be ignored. Max recalls walking into the emergency room of MCV Hospital with Watusi and seeing the horrified expressions on the nurses' faces. The size of the goiter looked like the extreme type of case you'd only see documented in a medical publication. The nurses made him sit in a wheel chair and immediately wheeled him away to see a doctor. Watusi was very nonchalant about the whole thing, amused by all the fuss, cracking jokes all the while. That was Watusi.

He received treatment, and his condition seemed to be under control, but gradually Max saw a change in Watusi and their relationship. They were spending less and less time together. They had drifted apart. Max attributes it to the toll that thyroid disease had taken on his best friend, physically as well as emotionally. His mood and psyche were altered by the illness. After years of health struggles, Linwood "Watusi" Cheatham left this world at the age of 47, September 3, 1996. He will always be remembered and loved for his larger than life personality and is still greatly missed. "The guy was magic," Max remembers, "I saw him perform hypnotism on people just by walking into a room."

Max never joined another group after The Trash Company, but he continued to make music for decades, behind the scenes. In the years immediately following the band, he diligently created new material and regularly submitted demos in the hopes of making it as a songwriter. A curt response from Capitol Records in the mid-80's contained the message "Some music was never meant to be heard." It was something that stuck with Max, but it didn't stop him. He continued to make his music, whether the world was listening or not. The seemingly endless stash of recordings from this thirty plus year period ranges from poignant acoustic ballads, to cathartic rock caterwaul, to out-there electro-funk and beyond. No matter what the style, there is something about each song that is distinctly Max. His music runs the gamut from vulnerable to abrasive to playful to just plain weird, but it's always genuine, always honest, always real.

A private man, Max enjoys keeping a low profile, but is by no means a shrinking violet. He has been very generous with his time as well as forthcoming with his thoughts and memories in helping us with this piece. As Max enthusiastically opened up his musical archives to us, it soon became evident with each new rough gem unearthed that this music deserved to finally be heard. A new single is due out soon from PPU and Steady Sounds to be followed by a full length LP of unreleased material.

Max Monroe stopped making music a couple of years ago, but he continues to write. He's been writing since childhood, and has two unpublished novels to his credit, Ugly People and Sexy Violence. Both are crime dramas, the former a period piece, the latter takes place in modern day Richmond and Baltimore with characters from his life experiences in those cities. Max still lives in Richmond, where he studies law in his spare time and goes fishing whenever he can.

The Earle Hotel shortly before demolition (1989)Photos courtesy:Joey Harrison.

10 West Main Street, Richmond, VA (1989)
Photos courtesy:Joey Harrison.

Ray T. Jones "That Norfolk Sound" (Wee-Too!)

By the mid 60's, as the U.S. dramatically ramped up its involvement in the Vietnam Conflict, Philadelphia native U.S. Navy Seaman E3 Raymond Thomas Jones, was assigned to duty in Norfolk, VA. In February of 1967, Jones's ship, the USS Barney, was deployed to the combat zone off the coast of Vietnam. The ship would return to Norfolk seven months later.

Like many black sailors stationed in Hampton Roads, Ray found himself drawn to Church Street, the nucleus of African American nightlife in a still heavily segregated Southern city. He spent much of his precious off-duty time taking in live shows at legendary spots like The Eureka Lodge, The Enterprise, and The Plaza Hotel. This vibrant scene had a lasting impact on him.

Ray was just starting a family when he came to Norfolk. In a lot of ways the new life he and his wife Vennel had embarked upon seemed a world away from the North Philly neighborhood where they both grew up. With Ray at sea for as long as nine months at a time, and not much of a support system in place for navy families at the time, the young marriage was under strain. One day Ray came home to an empty apartment to find that Vennel had left him, taking their son Ray Jr. with her. As the split stretched on, Ray was moved to write about the situation, forming what would become the lyrics to his first song. "Cause You're Coming Home" tells the story of heartbreak and separation, but also hope, reconciliation and his wife's eventual return. While back home in Philadelphia visiting family, Ray showed the song to his brother Paul, himself an established bassist who had recorded and toured extensively with Freda Payne, Bo Diddley, Garnet Mimms, Jean Wells, The Coasters and The Platters among others. Paul helped Ray with the arrangement, got some musicians together, and booked time at the legendary Virtue Recording Studio on Broad Street. The resulting 1969 recording captures a young Ray Jones delivering a touchingly personal ballad. The tape would remain safely tucked away and unreleased for the next six years.

Ray T. Jones "Cause You're Coming Home"

Jones's military duty continued throughout the seventies. While serving as First Class Fire Control Technician on the Destroyer USS C.V. Ricketts, he facilitated classes and seminars for fellow personnel regarding race relations. In addition, Ray started singing in the ship's band. The racially integrated group performed at a number of USO functions throughout Europe with a repertoire that ran the gamut from R&B to Rock to Country & Western and everything in between. Ray was becoming a fan of all these types of music, and was incorporating different elements of them into his own emerging style. He was particularly enamored with the story telling nature of Country music. An idea started to form. Why not take his favorite parts of the Country sound and combine them with his Soul roots? The band began working with the "Country Soul" concept.

Back on Church Street, at the corner of East Brambleton, Queen's Lounge was probably the hottest club in town. Norfolk heavyweights The House Rockers were packing them in as the resident band upstairs at Queen's Top Side. In addition to the nightly House Rockers gigs, amateur nights were put on by the club. Adventurous souls would give it their best shot fronting the band and braving the usually merciless audience. After being back in town for a while on shore duty, Ray Jones decided to take the stage, no doubt bolstered by his Navy buddies. He put his USO experience to work, and won the crowd over. It probably didn't hurt that he had packed the place with his fellow servicemen ahead of time.

It took a few more strong showings from Ray to convince the club owner to grant him his own 30 minute slot for a set of popular R&B covers backed by the House Rockers. In order to capitalize on the opportunity, Ray sought out his neighbor, former House Rockers front man Sebastian Williams. He paid Williams $50 out of his own pocket to make a guest appearance during his set. Ray started promoting the show and creating a buzz. Sure enough, on the night of the gig Sebastian showed up at Queen's dressed to the nines. "Ladies and Gentlemen... Sebastian Williams!!!", Ray announced as his special guest stepped up to the microphone. The band launched into a smoking version of Wilson Pickett's "634-5789", and Sebastian proceeded to blow the roof off the place. When he was done with his one song, Seb mater-of-factly turned and exited into the Church Street night. Probably the best $50 Ray ever spent!

Word got around, not only about Sebastian's exploits, but the up and coming Ray T. Jones. Noah Biggs of Shiptown Records took Ray under his wing, acting as a mentor and manager. As much as his naval duties would allow, Ray began doing shows around the region at venues including the Moton Theatre in Newport News, supporting the likes of Barbara Stant and General Johnson.
With guidance and encouragement from Mr. Biggs and even a little coaching from the legendary Frank Guida, Jones decided to start his own label. In 1975, Ray used his connection with bassist Maurice Glass to enlist the mighty 35th Street Gang (AKA: Raw Soul) to back him on a recording date at Lenis Guess Studio. The first single from the self-produced session, "That Norfolk Sound" was paired with his earlier recording of "Cause You're Coming Home" and released on the newly launched Wee-Too. Ray decided to use his family's Philadelphia address on the label.

Ray T. Jones "That Norfolk Sound"

"That Norfolk Sound" is a gritty ode to the sometimes seedy, always exciting Church Street scene. Jones deftly fuses his diverse influences into a unique mixture of sustained psychedelic fuzz and folky acoustic guitar anchored by a stripped down funk rhythm section. Ray's delicate, almost mournful vocal takes us on a tour through a darker side of the seaport city, down Granby Street and even to a rowdy Country/Western bar to see "fists flying in the night". "Come on down to Norfolk and get some ghetto in your life".

"Are We Ready? Are We Together?" The follow up single came in '76. "Beat The Knees" is probably the record Ray Jones is best known for. It was born out of a vamp that Ray and the 35th Street Gang came up with on the spot in the studio. The hard hitting drums of Grover "Groove" Everett and Maurice Glass's beefy bass line lay the foundation for this deadly groove. Irresistible Fender Rhodes keyboard adds a whole other dimension of hip. The guy named Leroy that Ray raps about was actually a shipmate who was quite the ladies' man. You can use your imagination as to what "beating those knees" signifies. Turns out, last Ray heard, "do-it-do-it man" Leroy had become a man of the church, a preacher. These days he's hitting his knees to pray.

Ray T. Jones "Beat The Knees"


The flipside, "Take Me Back To Norfolk Town", with it's twangy slide guitar and tale of longing, sees Ray's vision of Country Soul fully realized. The song is simultaneously a love letter to his woman and the city he calls home. Out at sea, the sailor "left a lot of love, a lot heartache in Norfolk town". Not only does he miss his family, he craves "the smell and the taste of Virginia ham / the taste, the flavor of fresh steamed clams!" "There's no place like that Norfolk town."

Ray T. Jones "Take Me Back To Norfolk Town"

With two records under his belt, Jones approached Norfolk's WAVY with a proposal for a half hour TV special showcasing his Country Soul music. In December of '76 the project was green-lighted. That winter an outdoor show was filmed on a makeshift stage in a lot right next to the old Bishop Grace House of Prayer (AKA: Sweet Daddy G's) at the corner of Princess Anne and Church Street. The show, entitled "That Norfolk Sound", featured live footage of Ray Jones along with Navy bandmates Jerry Potter, Ron Morin (guitar), Mike Terlouw(Keyboards), Robin White (bass), Art Swimp (drums) and Dennis Eaves. The finished program also included interview footage and aired locally on Channel 10 in the Summer of 1977.

Ray had plans to follow this up with a full length LP entitled (what else) "That Norfolk Sound". He shopped the idea around and even struck an informal distribution agreement with Frank Guida, but a deployment to the Mediterranean put the project on hold. In the ensuing years, Ray's military service and growing family took priority over an entertainment career, although he never really fully gave up on his music. In fact, in the later part of the eighties Ray made a little bit of a comeback, re-releasing "Take Me Back to Norfolk Town" b/w "Cause You're Coming Home" on a Wee-Too 45.

After hitting the Cash 5 Lotto for $100,000 in 1995, Ray bought a house in Virginia Beach where he currently lives with his wife of 25 years Judy. A proud father of seven and grandfather of 14, Ray is retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service, having risen to the rank of Master Chief.

Right now Ray is preparing to re-release his classic Wee-Too 45's. Also in the works is an album (on vinyl!), "I'm Going Back To Norfolk", which will contain unreleased tracks, including ones he cut with his Navy bandmates back in the 70's. Ray continues to write and record songs as Ray "2 Beers" Jones (a nickname he got in the Navy). These days his sound draws a lot more from the Country side of the Country Soul equation. You can get a sampling of what he's been up to on his myspace page. Ray also plans to eventually release a collection of his recent Country flavored material.

We would like to thank Mr. Jones for his enthusiasm, generosity and all the great stories (way too many to fit into this piece!), as well as the amazing photos and, of course, the music. Stay tuned for news on Ray's upcoming releases. We'll have them for you here at Funky Virginia as soon as they drop.

Walking Down Church Street & Outside of The Norfolk Scope

Review of "That Norfolk Sound" from Soundings Magazine

Article from Surface Magazine

Sponsorship Letter for TV Special

Approval Letter from WAVY TV

Letter to Frank Guida

Promotional Letter for Album

Promotional Letter for Third Wee-Too Single

Set List for late 70's Show at T-Bird Lounge on Church Street (Near Lenis Guess Studio on 35th St)

Late 70's Show Flyer

Hot Lungs "I Cried One Million Tears" (Pe Pe)

Frank Guida sure had a knack for making music that sounded like nothing else anybody had ever heard before. Drawing heavily from seemingly disparate influences including Afro-Caribean rhythms, classical, gritty R'n'B, and the melodies of his Italian-American upbringing, Guida's compositions had an exotic quality that was alien to top 40 airwaves of the time.
His production style was dense, compressed and very loud, recorded with meters planted firmly in the red, and mastered super "hot", resulting in a delightful distortion that gave everything an electrifying live edge. Get a small but enthusiastic audience to come into the studio to clap their hands and raise a ruckus while the tape is rolling, and you've got a party... and a hit record. It was a sound that leapt from the speakers, and stood out ingeniously on AM radio. The drive to be different served Guida well, as his trademark "Norfolk Sound" routinely held lofty positions on the national charts (including two #1's) throughout the first part of the 60's.
But for every hit Frank Guida had over the years, there were a host of obscure recordings equally as captivating, and in many instances even more unusual. Case in point: the work of a singer known as Hot Lungs. We're not positive if Guida came up with this attention grabbing stage name a la Gary U.S. Bonds or Jimmy Soul, but one thing's for sure, it's definitely fitting.
Our pal Don Harrison, who interviewed Frank Guida in depth and wrote a fantastic article for 64 Magazine in 2001, shed much light on Hot Lungs since this entry was first published. According to Don: "Hot Lungs was none other than Jimmy Moore, who had been singing on Guida recordings since the early '60's, when he was the lead singer for the Sheiks. He also cut two great 45s for Guida on SPQR and Legrand under his own name. 'Church Street Sally' on SPQR is a particular favorite". It's also speculated that Moore was the uncredited lead vocalist on the novelty record "Spanish Cooking" by Chaos Incorporated (S.P.Q.R. 1005). Jimmy's alter ego Hot Lungs had two more singles, "Take Me Back To Virginia Beach" for the Got It label (named for Frank's record store, Frankie's Got It), and "I Cried One Million Tears" the only record we're aware of on Pe Pe. Jimmy Moore did, however, return to cut two singles for Joe Riley the first on the obscure Seagull imprint, the latter on the more familiar Pesante label.
"I Cried One Million Tears" is not so much a reworking, but a total deconstruction of the early Gary U.S. Bonds B-Side "One Million Tears". Whereas Bonds's 1961 reading is a plaintive ballad, Hot Lungs unleashes a throat-shredding howl worthy of his moniker. The whole thing is a weird amalgam of hard driving acid rock and funk. Besides the "double tracked" vocals and overall raucous "live" quality, this one bears little resemblance to the sound that made Guida famous. Nonetheless, the song still possesses the genre bending uniqueness that made so many of Guida's recordings interesting if not great, and very difficult to pigeonhole.
This record illustrates how radically things had changed since the dawn of the 60's. The Norfolk Sound hit machine had slowed considerably, at least on a national level, with the onslaught of the British Invasion. Ironically enough, many of these bands were influenced by Frank Guida's classic recordings. Regardless, Frank generally viewed these new acts and their sound with disdain. In fact, legend has it that in the early 60's Guida received a demo by The Beatles (then unknown stateside). Independent labels like VJ and Tollie jumped at the chance, Guida flatly declined. No doubt a huge business blunder, but a decision he steadfastly stood by until the day he died.
But that was Frank Guida, a guy with a strong vision, who wasn't afraid to (colorfully) express his opinions one way or the other. Although a record like "I Cried One Million Tears" seems odd, it makes perfect sense coming from a character like Frank. It's yet another compelling moment hidden away in the prolific, widely varied and wonderfully strange output of a man who was successful at a business in which he broke so many of the rules. A man who no matter how many gold records he had, still seemed to relish throwing the more than occasional curve to keep us all guessing.

Many thanks to Don Harrison for his invaluable information and all the support!

Hot Lungs "I Cried One Million Tears"

Flip Flop Stevens & His Psychedelic Soul Orchestra "Philly Hump" (Dynamite)

Willie Stephen, better known as Flip Flop Stevens, was legendary in the Tidewater area as a high energy performer. Flip's three known singles offer some insight into just how dynamic his live shows must have been. His first record for Shiptown, 1968's "Come On Let's Do That Thing", even came complete with over dubbed crowd hysteria. In the next two years Stevens went on to release two more 45's, both on Dynamite. "Live Your Own Life" (available on the Ol' Virginia Soul: Encore! CD) was his first for the new label, a 100 MPH funky soul stormer widely regarded as his best.

Here we present the B Side, "Philly Hump" for you approval. Flip Flop grabs a well deserved rest on this one and shines the spotlight on his Psychedelic Soul Orchestra. "Psychedelic" might be a bit of a stretch to describe the band's sound, but the ominous organ that drives this funky instrumental does sort of sound like it was rescued from a haunted castle. Maybe if Iron Butterfly had some soul... Nah, this would still be miles better!

Special thanks to our friend Kevin Coombe of D.C. Soul Recordings for the great photo of Flip Flop!

Flip Flop Stevens "Philly Hump"

The 35th Street Gang "The Dance Of Love" (Guess)

The 35th Street Gang, also known as Raw Soul, did extensive work for Lenis Guess during the 70's. As the house band at the Brockington-Guess Recording Studio on 35th Street in Norfolk, this insanely tight trio appeared (credited & uncredited) on a slew of outstanding tracks. Brent Hosier's Ol' Virginia Soul: Encore! compilation offers a well chosen survey of these recordings, many of which were previously unreleased, as well as some very informative liner notes.

One song that didn't make the cd is "The Dance Of Love", an oddball b-side to the bouncy soul tune "I Spy". "The Dance of Love" is a steamy offering. Backed by an otherworldly chorus, our deep voiced narrator (Lenis Guess) spins the tale of an ancient fertility rite in a far off land. Any good ritual needs strong drums and Grover "Groove" Everett goes above and beyond the call. Bassist Maurice Glass and Guitarist Barry Saunders further flesh out the rhythm with uncanny precision. Then comes the searing fuzz guitar, perhaps supplied by local psych veteran Dean "Gooseberry Pie" Kohler, who Lenis enlisted around the time to give his records more of a rock appeal.

It's hard to imagine that anyone had any aspirations for this song getting any airplay, but stranger things have happened. Maybe it could be viewed as a novelty. Who knows? More than likely it was just a throw away track destined to fill space on a flipside. Simple as that. Regardless of what the thought process was, we're just glad that little pieces of weirdness like this actually make it to wax. Wondering how & why is just part of the fun.

Special thanks to our friend Kevin Coombe of D.C. Soul Recordings for the amazing band photo!

35th Street Gang "Dance Of Love"

Jade "Boodi Shakes Money / Paper Man" (Pesante)

"Paper Man" popped up on most people's radar after its inclusion on Dante Carfagna's deadly Black Rock mix Chains & Black Exhaust. It's a plodding sludge fest of layered guitars that would pummel just about any "hard rock" band of the time into submission. The steady percussion underneath, including an unrelenting cowbell, gives it just the right amount of funk to keep your head nodding.
"Boodi Shakes Money", though not quite as heavy, is equally impressive with the bass making its presence felt along with some infectious vocals. But don't fret; the fuzz guitar and cowbell haven't gone anywhere.
It's hard to believe that this is the same band that is best known for the Modern Soul masterpiece "Music Slave". If you're not familiar with Jade's breath taking album "In Pursuit" check out our pal Kenny Bloggenz's blogspot and give your ears a treat.
These two very distinct phases of Jade's career make them one of the most compelling and enigmatic bands to ever hail from the Commonwealth.
P.S. Special props to label head Joe Riley for using a picture of The Norfolk Scope in the Pesante label design!

Jade "Paper Man"

Jade "Boodi Shakes Money"

Bernard Calvin "Greedy" (Tobacand)

The opening drum break on side 2 of this 45 leaves little doubt why Bernard Calvin was one of the most highly regarded drummers in the Richmond area back in the 70's. But it's the guitar work throughout that makes this one special. A definite touch of Hendrix, and a huge nod to Phelps Collins' astounding style on "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved", whoever the guitarist was on these tracks, was a monster. Released on Hopewell's Tobacand Label, "Greedy" is a definite mind blower, especially towards the end of part two when the dubbed out vocals are in full effect.

Bernard Calvin "Greedy (Part 1)"

Bernard Calvin "Greedy (Part 2)"

The Deceptions "Of All The Hearts / People" (Brooks)

The Deceptions were nothing but the truth! A three piece vocal group formed in 1968 and consisting of Malcolm Mason, Jimmy Williams, and leader Daniel Goldstone, they released three phenomenal singles: "You're Gonna Run To Me" recorded at Brockington & Guess Studios in Norfolk and released on the Peace label, "Of All The Hearts" for Walter Coleman's Brooks Records out of Hampton, and "Success" for Goldstone's own Stone Gold label, located in Newport News at the time.

"Of All The Hearts" appears to have been the more successful of the three outings, meriting two pressings. With it's distinctive harmonies, catchy chorus, moody guitar and up front drums, it's no wonder this uniquely beautiful beat ballad would have caught some ears. Interestingly, there is another version of this song done by the group Black & Blue on the Charlotte, N.C. label Game. The Black and Blue record lists Duke Hall as the song writer, while Daniel Goldstone is credited on the Deceptions version. We still haven't been able to get to the bottom of this discrepancy, and while the Black and Blue version is quite polished and seems to be better known, we prefer the Deceptions' more direct, stripped down approach.

On the flip side "People", we find Goldstone and company attempting to unify the worlds of R&B and Rock stylistically and lyrically. "You might be White/ You might be Black/ But don't let that hold you back/ We all want the same things in life/ So don't be ashamed/ To do it!" "People" reflects the upheaval of the changing times with a heady blend of searing guitars, funky drums and social consciousness. A heavy dose of Psychedelic Soul that serves as an indelible snapshot of a turbulent era, as well as carrying a message that's still relevant in today's world.

Their third single, "Success", as well as being the initial release for the newly formed Stone Gold label, would mark the final record under the name The Deceptions. Shortly after, the group would become Peace, Justice and Equality. PJE released two albums, It's Time (1976) and At The Disco (1978), both on Stone Gold. In fact, the exact same recording of "Success" appears on It's Time as well as reworked versions of "People" and "Of All The Hearts", with "People" evolving into an anti-drug track "Gettin' High".
The prolific Mr. Goldstone has had a hand in nearly every aspect of the music business for decades now, and has recently resurrected Stone Gold Records.
Special thanks to our friends at Virginia's Music Soul for the great group photos and info. Check out one of the web's best kept secrets!

The Deceptions"People"

The Deceptions"Of All The Hearts"

Ray T Jones "That Norfolk Sound" (Wee-Too!)

What is it? Folk-funk? Psych-soul? Well, it's from 1975, but sounds more like '68, a fuzz infused ode to the Norfolk, Virginia club scene, where "fists flying in the night" was nothing out of the ordinary.
Ray Jones is best known amongst funk aficionados for the killer 45 "Beat The Knees", also released on Wee-Too a year later. Despite that track telling the tale of a guy from Norfolk named Leroy, with a flip side entitled "Take Me Back To Norfolk Town", the label shows a Philadelphia address. Turns out that Mr. Jones is a Philly native who relocated to the Hampton-Roads region while serving in the U.S. Navy. Judging by these songs Norfolk made a lasting impact on Mr. Jones. "Come on down to Norfolk, and get some ghetto in your life."

Ray T. Jones "That Norfolk Sound"