Hitsville Soul Club is very passionate about the many facets of soul music: the singers, the songs, the record companies and all the little names and details in between. Each article has a great amount of research involved and as many visuals as possible. Every single one of our articles includes at least several scans of record labels. Whenever you see these labels, you should be able to click on them to launch a sound file to listen to the many different songs that are discussed. We feel that the best way to learn about the music is to read, listen, and enjoy!

To read the articles below, click on the picture next to each introduction.

There's That Beat! Exclusive: Pied Piper Productions
In this feature, we cover the many fine recordings that came out of the Pied Piper organization. This was a dream team of some of Detroit's best from the Motown crew and beyond. Names like Mike Terry, Jack Ashford, Joe Hunter, Lorraine Chandler grace many a record label under the Pied Piper name and it all equals quality, so enjoy the article and click the record labels to hear just what we're talking about!
The Carnival Records Story - Introduction
This particular article evolved when I was attempting to catalogue some of my records and realised that I had, over the years, collected quite a number on the label. I scanned the labels for info, and found lots of references to Joe Evans and started wondering just who Joe was and how he came to be on so many records of the same label. Odds were that Joe was the label owner or at least one of main players, so I asked around... - Dave Moore.
 
Ollie McLaughlin: A True Son of Sixties Detroit Soul
An introduction to a man and his musical contribution to the sixties Detroit Soul scene. In addition to Motown there were a number of rival record companies that, although not as commercially successful at the time, went on to become legendary among soul fans and record collectors alike. This is Hitsville Soul Club's homage to a guy who produced some of the finest Northern Soul records to come out of Detroit.
Records to Cut Your Teeth On - Part 1 (Golden World)
Although, during soul musicÕs golden era of the 60s, Berry Gordy was dominating the Billboard charts with his ÒMotown SoundÓ there was a rival record label company snapping at his heels. This article takes a brief look (and offers the chance to sample/listen) to the records that were produced by JoAnne Bratton and Ed WingateÕs record labels. Even though the story of their partnership is well documented, sometimes the actual records they made get lost in the story, so the article looks at the individual records on the labels.
Records to Cut Your Teeth On - Part 2 (Ric Tic)
For many collectors Ric Tic is the archetypal Detroit soul record label. The list of Artists, Songwriters, Producers and Arrangers reads like a "whoÕs who" of 60's soul. Names like Al Kent, Richard Morris, Charles Hatcher (Edwin Starr), JJ Barnes, Don Davis, George MacGregor, JoAnne Bratton, Ed Wingate, Sammy Lowe, Solid Hitbound, Myto Music, Don Mancha, Teacho Wiltshire, Bob Hamilton etc...the list seems endless, roll of the tongue so easily nowadays, but it is back in the 60's on Ric Tic records and other smaller Detroit independents that these people studied and developed their crafts.
Records to Cut Your Teeth On - Part 3 (WinGate)
Concluding this series, we have a look at the third and final label of JoAnn Bratton and Ed Wingate wich was actually named after Ed Wingate. The WinGate label is once again filled with names that conjure up all sorts of appetizers for the vinyl record collector of soul music. As a writer and reviewer it's been a pleasure to present this gathering of music - Records To Cut Your Teeth On, and I hope you enjoy the music as much as I do - Dave Moore.
Motown: A Worldwide Following
This page is dedicated to Picture Sleeves of Mr. Berry GordyÕs company, that that were manufactured beyond the shores of the USA, and that provide not only a pictorial history of the artists, their songs, and careers, but also offer an insight into the record buying habits of 60's/70's soul fans worldwide.
Demos: It's what's in the Groove that Counts!
This is the first of hopefully many articles that will find their ways onto the pages of Hitsville Soul Club in which individual collectors will showcase parts of their collections and share the passion for this great music. A sort of celebration of the records if you will. This article explains a little of the passion for Original Vinyl and Demos (First issues on pre-release, Audition, DJ Copy, etc.) often believed to be the rarest version or a record and originally as trhe term implies Demonstrated the song and singer.