Forgotten Funk Brother?

[Marcie Brown]

Wow I am thrilled to meet you. I just told my uncle and I told him to join this page. Actually, I love singing but my husband is learning the bass guitar and keyboard during the pandemic. We are keeping busy. Please share any memories that you may have. My dad is going to send me a picture of Cousin Jimmy and Peaches playing at their wedding. I am excited about talking with you some more.

Hey Nicole- can you send me your e-mail address? I can send you some things I wrote about Jimmy...I have just written something recently...and I wrote a poem about him too that was published in Bass Player magazine quite awhile ago...I'm at [email protected]

 

[Marcie Brown]

Hey Nicole- can you send me your e-mail address? I can send you some things I wrote about Jimmy...I have just written something recently...and I wrote a poem about him too that was published in Bass Player magazine quite awhile ago...I'm at [email protected]

also- can you post the photo or send it to me?

 

[number six]

Wooo . . when I posted this I had no idea if I'd get even one response. The power of the internet, eh?
I have a DVD of the 1968 Supremes tour to Europe. Filmed in Holland with Gil Askey as MD.
Rumour was there were a few problems and Jimmy took over the MD role before the tour made it to London.
I was disappointed because the Supremes were aiming for the dinner-dance circuit and only did the Motown songs as a medley.
'King of the Road' converted into 'Queen of the House'? 'Yesterday' from The Beatles?

I was a 16yo white boy in London learning bass playing Hendrix, Stax, Motown and Blues - mostly black musos of course, which sounds ridiculous with the BLR events of 2020.
50 years and not much progress.
Back then the bass players in the UK generally took a backseat role.
Jagger lived in my village and Richards went to my school and they really pushed the US blues guys hard in the UK. Check what BB said. He knew.
The US seemed to push Elvis and ignore the black guys. In the UK we had West Indians migrating and they introduced us to reggae, ska, bluebeat etc. so we took to black musicians easily.
When I saw Jimmy conducting a 25-piece orchestra with his Fender bass neck I was hooked. I still play. Thanks Jimmy!

I moved from the UK to Australia in '82 and Gil Askey spent his last years in Melbourne I believe. Small world.
I'm glad this thread has been so productive. Where would we be without music!

 

[number six]

The DVD is simply titled 'The Supremes - Greatest Hits' (Live in Amsterdam) and put out by BR Music of Holland BD 3019-9.

 

[Michedelic]

Now that is somedope as @#$% music right there.

Nina ftw.

That tune was originally from the musical “Hair”, but she always owned it.

 

[Roxbororob]

Yes! Hi Nicole! So you would be Ella Garrets second cousin. Are you a bass player? Do you remember Peaches and Jimmy? I used to hang with them in NYC, go to gigs and jam sessions together. Love those two...will send you a link here as I learned this composition from Jimmy and I dedicated it to him...

Check it out. I watched the Nina Simone ain't got no video and it blew me away , as I hadn't seen those two in so many years...Jimmy was really my connection, as I studied bass with him, but Ella came with. She was a lovely singer and very sweet. Those two had been married previously, and then Jimmy married some other women and then he always went back to Peaches...did you know them?

That was a wonderful piece Marcie. Thanks for posting it.

 

[number six]

I just listened to the 1968 'Talk of the Town' Supremes music (not DVD).
The DVD has Gil Askey conducting in Holland, as he was musical director.
On the music track from London, Diana Ross tells the audience the set varies due to the musical director's drinking.
No Askey when I saw them in London, just Jimmy Garrett conducting with his Fender.
Wiki has an article on the TOTT album with "conducted by" - which I changed to Jimmy.
I still haven't forgiven the Supremes for singing Beatles and other numbers instead of more Motown (Tamla Motown in the UK) songs.
Glad my Mum took me tho'.

Here's the site that includes Jimmy in the Funk Brothers club:
Funk Brothers - Motown Sound Featured Artist