LONNIE YOUNGBLOOD

Solo recordings
The following "solo" Lonnie Youngblood tracks featuring Jimi are known to exist:

Soul Food (That's A What I Like)
Goodbye, Bessie Mae
Go Go Shoes
Go Go Place

These tracks all feature vocals by Lonnie and unlike the backing track -recordings there are no known versions with vocals by other artists, they appear to have truly been recorded and mixed as Lonnie Youngblood solo recordings and indeed were first released as such on two Lonnie Youngblood 45s issued by Fairmount Records in 1966 and 1967. All of the songs were also produced by Lonnie and licensed to Fairmount which suggests that he probably also paid for the sessions out of his own pocket.


Soul food (That's a What I Like)
Composers: Lonnie Thomas (aka Lonnie Youngblood) - Napoleon Anderson (aka Hank Anderson)
Recorded at: Allegro Sound Studios, New York City?
Engineer: ?
Producer: Lonnie Youngblood
Date: February / March 1966, possibly 2 March 1966 1
Vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
Percussion: ?
Drums:?
Bass: Napoleon Anderson (aka Hank Anderson) ?
Organ: ?
Guitar: Jimi Hendrix
Horns: Lonnie Youngblood

Originally released by Fairmount Records as a single A-side in April 1967. Here's the copyright office registration for this track (the single B-side, "Goodbye, Bessie Mae" was registered on the same date with the next consecutive registration number, EU990672): 2

SOUL FOOD (THAT'S A WHAT I LIKE): m
Lonnie Youngblood & Hank Anderson.
1 p.  © Merlin Music, Inc. & Nujol
Music Co.; 11Apr67; EU990671 .

The tapebox for the mono mix used by Fairmount to press the single has the date 2 March 1966 on it. 1 This is probably the date when the mix was created, it could have been done at the end of the recording session or at a separate later date. In any case it seems likely that the mix was done close to the date of the actual session.

The track was then left in the can for a year before finally getting released in April 1967. Several sources confirm the release date: a copy of the 45 exist with a "APRIL 3 1967" date stamp on the label, who stamped the disc is unknown but a radio station employee / DJ seems likely. The song's copyright registration is dated 11 April 1967 2 (It is curious that the dj stamp date predates the copyright registration, oddly the same thing occurs with the "Go Go Shoes" 45) and finally, the single was mentioned in the 15 April 1967 Billboard issue under "Spotlights - Predicted to reach the R&B SINGLES Chart" meaning it had just been released. 3

Although "Go Go Shoes" was the first single released by Fairmount the master mix tapebox date for "Soul Food (That's A What I Like)" predates the mix of "Go Go Shoes" so in the absence of confirmed recording session dates one has to assume that "Soul Food (That's A What I Like)" and "Goodbye, Bessie Mae" were recorded before "Go Go Shoes" and "Go Go Place".

All four tracks could also have been recorded during a single session and just mixed on different dates but the fact that one single credits Hank Anderson and the other Ace Hall, both bass players, suggests that there were (at least) two separate sessions with different line-ups of musicians present.

Soul Food (That's A What I Like) - Take 1 (2.46)
Mono mix, this take has never been (officially) reissued from the master tape.
Available on: 7" Lonnie Youngblood: Soul Food (That's A What I Like) / Goodbye, Bessie Mae (Fairmount Records F-1022).

Soul Food (That's A What I Like) - Take 2 (3.28)
Stereo mix. This is a very different version to take 1. Drums are lower in the mix, only one of the two guitar parts is present here, take 1 has an unaccompanied intro sung by Youngblood whereas this version starts directly with music and runs much longer. Less vocal parts & different lyrics. First issued on the lp "Two Great Experiences Together!" the vocal may be a 1970 re-recording as several tracks on the lp were not only remixed but had new overdubs added.
Available on: Cd "The Early Years" (Classic Rock CDCD 1189)

A version of take 2 released on the cd "The Collection" (Object OR0071) has been said to be an alternate stereo mix, but it sounds like the same mix to my ears. On this cd the sound quality is a bit worse than usual, and the track has been altered with the channel that has the congas lower and the stereo image much narrower. Either this has been done on purpose or it's a consequence of using a poor quality tape for the mastering of this cd, in any case it's not really a different mix.

Soul Food Riff
"Soul Food (That's A What I Like)" by Lonnie Youngblood and  "(I Wonder) What It Takes" by the Icemen both feature the same riff. It seems to have been borrowed from the instrumental "Hot Potato part I & II" by the Rinkydinks (Enjoy Records 1010), released on a 7" single circa 1963. The track was composed by King Curtis who at the time was recording for Enjoy. Opinions about whether King Curtis himself plays on the Rinkydinks recording vary since there is no sax on it but the composition was definitely his and the track has also been included on King Curtis compilations under his own name, for example on the cd "Soul Twist : The Complete Enjoy Sessions (Charly CPCD 8195).

Listen below for samples of the riff, three short segments from the three tracks one after another:
1 Soul Food (That's A What I Like)
2 (I Wonder) What It Takes
3 Hot Potato


Of course we can't be sure that it was King Curtis who originally came up with this riff (as he might also have borrowed it) but it's highly likely that the Rinkydinks track is where Lonnie and/or Jimi picked it up. King Curtis was an influence on Lonnie and Jimi of course played with King Curtis in 1966 when both the Lonnie Youngblood and the Icemen tracks were recorded. You can listen to the Rinkydinks recording of Hot Potato on YouTube.


Goodbye, Bessie Mae

Composer: Lonnie Thomas (aka Lonnie Youngblood)
Recorded at: Allegro Sound Studios, New York City?
Engineer: ?
Producer: Lonnie Youngblood
Date: February / March 1966, possibly 2 March 1966 1
Vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
Backing vocals: ?
Drums: ?
Bass: Napoleon Anderson (aka Hank Anderson)?
Tambourine: ?
Piano: ?
Guitar: Jimi Hendrix
Horns: Lonnie Youngblood

Originally released by Fairmount Records as the B-side of the "Soul Food (That's A What I Like)" -single in April 1967. The copyright office registration for this track: 2

GOODBYE, BESSIE MAE; w & m Lonnie
Youngblood. 1 p.  © Merlin Music,
Inc. & Nujol Music Co.; 11Apr67;
EU990672.

Like "Soul Food (That's a What I Like)" the tapebox for the mono mix used by Fairmount to press the single has the date 2 March 1966 on it. 1 Again, this either indicates the date of the mixing or it could also be the actual recording date for this track, the mixing could have been done at the end of the session.

Goodbye, Bessie Mae - Mix 1 (2.31)
Original single mix, in mono.
Available on: 7" Lonnie Youngblood: Soul Food (That's A What I Like) / Goodbye, Bessie Mae (Fairmount Records F-1022).

Goodbye, Bessie Mae - Mix 2 (2.24)
Mono mix. Tambourine mixed up, backing vocals mixed out, shorter than the single version as it fades out c. 6 seconds earlier just as Youngblood starts to says "go ahead Jimmy play the blues baby" and Hendrix goes into a solo.
Available on: Cd "The Early Years" (Classic Rock CDCD 1189)


Go Go Shoes
Composers: words: May Thomas - Ace Hall, music: Lonnie Thomas (aka Lonnie Youngblood)
Arranged by: Lonnie Youngblood
Recorded at: Allegro Sound Studios, New York City?
Engineer: ?
Producer: Lonnie Youngblood
Date: April / May 1966, possibly 11 May 1966 1
Vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
Backing vocals: May Thomas
Drums: ?
Bass: Ace Hall?
Tambourine: ?
Guitars: Jimi Hendrix
Horns: Lonnie Youngblood

Originally released by Fairmount Records as a single A-side on 23 May 1966. The B-side, "Go Go Place", is actually a continuation of "Go Go Shoes" (though there is a short piece of music missing between the two). There wasn't a copyright office registration done for "Go Go Place", only one for "Go Go Shoes" can be found so the two tracks were considered to be one song: 4

GO GO SHOES; w M.Thomas & A.Hall,
m L. Youngblood.  © Cameo-Parkway Pub.
Co., Inc. & Nujol Music Pub. Co.;
1Jun66; EU941039.

The tapebox for the mono mix used by Fairmount to press the single is dated 11 May 1966. 1 This is likely to be the date when the mix was made but it could also be the date of the recording session.

The single was released on 23 May 1966 as reported in Record World 14 May 1966: 5
"Fairmont Label Reactivated
NEW YORK —Neil Bogart, Sales manager, announces that Cameo/Parkway is reactivating its long-dormant Fairmont label and has added Marty Thau as Regional Promotion Manager.

Bogart revealed that Cecil Holmes, in addition to his duties as National Promo Manager, will head up the new Cameo/Parkway affiliate which will release its first two singles, "False Alarm" by Tarri Stevens and "Go Go Shoes" by Lonnie Youngblood on May 23. Fairmont will concentrate on issuing R & B product with a pop appeal."

The copyright registration for the track is dated 1 June 1966, as was the case with the "Soul Food (That's A What I Like)" it seems that the single was released before the copyright registration was completed. Perhaps Cameo-Parkway had a habit of not bothering to wait for copyright registrations to be finalized instead putting (promo) records out immediately once they had been pressed?

Go Go Shoes - Mix 1 (2.34)
Original single mix, in mono.
Available on: 7" Lonnie Youngblood: Go Go Shoes / Go Go Place (Fairmount Records F-1002).

Go Go Shoes - Mix 2 (2.49)
Mono version only. This runs c. 13 seconds longer than the single mix which is cut just before Youngblood says "play some more". This is a different mix compared to the single version, tambourine mixed down, some of the backing sax parts are mixed out, and some guitar parts are different. Easy to hear when comparing the guitar part around the point when Youngblood says "come on and let me see you work" at c. 1.30. There is a "stereo" mix which is only a mono track mixed into one channel and echo on the other one.
Available on: "Stereo" version - Cd "The Early Years" (Classic Rock CDCD 1189)
Mono version - Lp "For real!" (DJLMD 8011)


Go Go Place

Composers: words: May Thomas - Ace Hall, music: Lonnie Thomas (aka Lonnie Youngblood)
Arranged by: Lonnie Youngblood
Recorded at: Allegro Sound Studios, New York City?
Engineer: ?
Producer: Lonnie Youngblood
Date: April / May 1966, possibly 11 May 1966 1
Vocals: Lonnie Youngblood
Drums: ?
Bass: Ace Hall?
Guitars: Jimi Hendrix
Horns: Lonnie Youngblood

This track is more a continuation of "Go Go Shoes" than a different song, it didn't even receive it's own copyright registration.

Go Go Place - Mix 1 (1.48)
Original single mix, in mono.
Available on: 7" Lonnie Youngblood: Go Go Shoes / Go Go Place (Fairmount Records F-1002).

Go Go Place - Mix 2 (2.02)
A "stereo" mix, which is only a mono track mixed into one channel and echo on the other one. This runs c. 14 seconds longer than the single mix which is cut a few seconds after Youngblood says "blow your horn Youngblood, blow your horn". This is a different mix compared to the single version, some of the backing sax parts are mixed out, and some extra guitar parts added. Easy to hear when comparing to the last few seconds before the single version fades out.
Available on: Cd "The Early Years" (Classic Rock CDCD 1189)

 

SOURCES
1 email from John McDermott 31 May 2012: "I have been able to reference the original tape boxes delivered to Fairmount Records.  Granted, these are just the final mono mixes delivered to Fairmount and not the underlying multi-track masters but they have some information that can help fill in some details. "Soul Food" and "Goodbye Bessie Mae" carry a date of March 2, 1966.  "Go Go Shoes" and "Go Go Place" are dated 5/11/66.  It would appear that these were the dates for mixes but it is not clear if the actual tracking session was held on that date as well.There are later sessions by Youngblood that year but they do not appear to feature Jimi in any role.  He did at least three later sessions at Allegro Studios in NY [Fairmount has both the mixes and underlying multi-track masters for there] on 7/22/66, 8/4/66 and 8/23/66."

2 Library of Congress Copyright Office
Catalog of Copyright Entries 1967 Music Jan-June 3D Ser Vol 21 Pt 5 Secs 1-2

3 the single is listed in Billboard issue15 April 1967 page 18 under "Spotlights - Predicted to reach the R&B SINGLES Chart"

4 Library of Congress Copyright Office
Catalog of Copyright Entries 1966 Music Jan-June 3D Ser Vol 20 Pt 5 Secs 1-2

5 the copyright registration for "Go Go Shoes" is dated 1 June 1966 and a copy of the single exists with DJ markings including a date "5/24". Based on the preceding information I originally estimated the release date to be May 1966. Which turned out to be correct when I came across the 14 May 1966 issue of Record World listing ""Go Go Shoes" by Lonnie Youngblood on May 23" as an upcoming Fairmount Records -release. For a copy of the "Go Go Shoes" 45 with DJ markings on the label including "5/24" for 24 May see www.45cat.com