Month: March 2018

“AGENT 00 SOUL” (INSTRUMENTAL) * EDWIN STARR * ’65

AGENT DOUBLE 00 SOUL.  A WORD ABOUT THIS SINGLE

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When Ric-Tic Records first released “Agent OO Soul” in Detroit in late 1965, many at first thought this was another Motown single. While it was not — in a sense — it was.

Notice the distinct Motown sound in this instrumental recording. The instrumental backing was pressed on the B-side of the vocal single recorded by Edwin Starr.  

At time not obligated nor legally bound solely to Gordy’s Motown stable, the Funk Brothers, the likes of James Jamerson (bassist), Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin (drummer) Robert White (guitarist), et al, would “moonlight” their talents elsewhere, which included night clubs, jazz clubs in the city’s predominantly legendary ‘Black Bottom’ district (pre-1963), just the same.

Such exposure would pre-empt their eventual path, during that time,  inside the recording studios of Golden World and Ric-Tic Records as well.

Hence, outside the boundaries that was confined within the walls of Hitsville U.S.A., in essence, the Motown Sound was central in having once played a large part for Ed Wingate’s Golden World and Edwin Starr’s Ric-Tic releases.

Just the same, The Funk Brothers plied their trade with several other independently-owned recording studios around Detroit and elsewhere, by 1965 and early-1966.

At one time or another, individually or collectively, many of the early 20 or so members of Motown’s “Funk Brothers” also had sessioned for D-Back Records, Karen Records, Carla Records (both located in Ann Arbor) and the Detroit United Sound Studio.

Motor City Radio Flashbacks