Johnnie Mae Matthews - A Portrait Of Johnnie Mae Matthews (2022) Private Collection - Rare R&B/Soul (MP3)

Over the years its puzzled me why one of the record companies didnt do a Bio/Collection of this Detroit Matriarch who,s influence of that city,s scene is just incredible!..Johnnie Mae Matthews was born in 1922 & passed in 2002. She was an American blues and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from Bessemer, Alabama. Known as the "Godmother of Detroit Soul" and as the first African American female to own and operate her own record label (Northern Recording Company) she was an early influence on the careers of many of the now famous recording stars who began their careers in Detroit, Michigan such as Otis Williams, David Ruffin, and Richard Street of the Temptations, Jimmy Ruffin, Joe Hunter of the Funk Brothers Band, Richard Wylie, Norman Whitfield, Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, Timmy Shaw, Barbara Lewis, Bettye LaVette and many many more. a. She learned to sing in her church choir, and also performed with her mother at military bases throughout the Deep South. When she was twelve years old, the family relocated to New Jersey, and in 1947 Matthews left her parents home and moved to Detroit, Michigan where she married and started her own family. In 1957 she joined a local quintet called the Five Dapps, assuming lead vocals on "You're So Unfaithful," which was the B-side of their 1958 debut single, "Do Wop a Do". The Instrumental backing on the record was done by pianist Joe Hunter, who would frequently collaborate with Matthews in the years to follow, and later led Motown's famed studio band, the Funk Brothers.
In 1958, Matthews formed her own record label, dubbed the "Northern Recording Company". based at  an office at 2608 Blaine in Detroit, just a few blocks from her home, she used $85 (US$871 in 2022 dollars), borrowed from her husband's paycheck, to become the first African American woman to own and operate her own label. With sessions typically recorded at either nearby "Special Studio" or at radio station WCHB, Northern Recording Company was largely used as a vehicle to launch her own solo recording career. Her first release, "Dreamer", in 1959, was credited to Johnnie Mae Matthews & the Daps. Her follow-up single, "Mr. Fine", featured on its B-side, a song named "Someday", which was a solo tune by local singer Chet Oliver. Motown Records founder, Berry Gordy has often credited Matthews with teaching him the ropes of the recording industry. He acknowledged her assistance in helping land a distribution deal with Chess Records for The Miracles' 1959 hit "Bad Girl".  Some say that she is the uncredited author of Mary Wells’ breakthrough hit, "Bye Bye Baby." It is impossible to know how differently Matthews' own recording career might have turned out had she accepted any of invitations of Berry Gordy to record for Motown, particularly during the mid 1960s, when she was delivering some of her finest material, most notably "Lonely You'll Be" and "Cut Me Loose," in 1967, the latter of which was subsequently licensed for national distribution on the Atco label. In her 1960 tune, "So Lonely," Matthews dropped the Dapps altogether. She then, quickly followed up with her second solo, "Ooh Wee Baby." On both of these recordings she was backed by a band called the "Groovers", a group that was led by Joe Hunter, and also included bassist James Jamerson, guitarist Eddie Willis, saxophonist Eli Fontaine, and drummer Uriel Jones, all of whom would become staples of Motown's greatest sessions as members of the now famous Funk Brothers Band. Northern also nurtured the early career of Richard Wylie whose backup group, the Mohawks, included Norman Whitfield who later became one of Motown's most visionary songwriters and producers. Also in 1960 the label issued "Come On," the debut single by The Distants who were later renamed The Temptations. In time, Northern spun off a series of sister labels, most notably "Reel", which was the label of several of Matthews’ singles, such as "Oh, Baby", "No One Can Love Me the Way You Do", "The Headshrinker", and "Come Home", all of which were released in 1961. In 1963 Reel issued "I Don't Want Your Love", a duet that paired Matthews and Timmy Shaw, her longtime songwriting collaborator who is best known for his 1964 solo effort "Gonna Send You Back to Walking", a song which was later recorded by The Animals and a few other artists. However, Matthews' biggest hit, "My Little Angel", in 1962, appeared, not on her own labels, but rather on the New York based Sue label. In 1963 she hired manager Ollie McLaughlin, who had Previously launched the career of Barbara Lewis. McLaughlin brought Matthews to the attention of Mercury Records’ new Blue Rock subsidiary, where he eventually produced both of her singles for that label, "Baby, What's Wrong", and "My Man (The Sweetest Man in the World)". He also produced her lone Spokane label effort, "Worried About You". During the late 1960s Matthews also cut a series of singles for her Big Hit label, including "I Have No Choice", "My Momma Didn't Lie", and "Don't Be Discouraged". However, as the decade of the sixties came to a close, so did Northern Recording Company and all of her subsidiaries, and as the 1970s were being ushered in, Matthews turned her attention to Black Nasty, an up and coming funk group that featured two of her children, Artwell Jr. and Audrey. In 1973, Matthews produced the band's only album, Talking to the People, which was released on the Stax record label. Black Nasty was later renamed the ADC Band, and the group resurfaced in 1978 with the R&B smash "Long Stroke" written by Michael Moneystone Judkins who greatly influenced the success of the ADC Band with help in writing from Audrey Matthews. Encouraged by their success, Matthews revived Northern Recording Company around this time, with the ADC Band supplying the musical backing on the disco inspired tune "It's Good", which was later re-issued on the Cotillion label for national distribution. After one final Northern effort, 1980's "I Can Feel It," she closed the label for good, effectively ending her recording career. Johnnie mae sadly died after a long battle with cancer on January 6, 2002. She was 79 years old....The lady is a legend in black music circles and in particular Detroit & the northern Soul Scene. I have been trying to gather nearly all of her recorded material even the elusive Cotillion tracks...So i give you 42 fantastic varied sides for you to enjoy....R&B,Deep,Northern,Sweet...SOUL!

AMM

                                                                    The Five Dapps

                                                  

                                                                        The Tasters!     

             

                

                                                                  

Tracks

01 And The Dapps - Dreamer - Northern

02 And The Dapps - Some Day - Northern

03 And The Dapps - Mr Fine - Northern

04 Baby What's Wrong - Blue Rock

05 Come Home - Reel

06 Come On Back - Cotillion

07 Crazy about You - Northern

08 Cut Me Loose - Art

09 Don't Be Discouraged - Big Hit

10 Don't Talk About My Man - Big D

11 Give Me True Love - Northern

12 Got - To Be (On The Case) - Art

13 He Really Loves Me - Big D

14 Help Me - Northern

15 Here Comes My Baby - Blue Rock

16 I Can't Live Without You - Blue Rock

17 I Don't Want Your Loving - Reel

18 I Have No Choice - Big Hit

19 I Won't Cry Anymore - Reel

20 It's Good - Cotillion

21 Itty Bitty Heart - Spokane

22 Lonely You'll Be - Jam

23 Love Hides All Faults - Audrey

24 Luck Walked Through My Door - Audrey

25 My Destination (It True Love) - Northern

26 My Little Angel - Reel

27 My Mama Didn't Lie - Big Hit

28 My Man (Sweetest Man In The World) - Blue Rock

29 No More Tears - Reel

30 No One Can Love Me (The Way You Do) - Reel

31 Ooh Wee  - Northern

32 So Lonely - Northern

33 That's What My Man (Is For) - Jam

34 That's When It Hurts - Big Hit

35 The Five Dapps - Do Whop A Do - Brax

36 The Five Dapps - You're Unfaithful -  Brax

37 The Headshrinker - Reel

38 Two Sided Thing - Big Hit

39 Worried About You - Spokane

40 You Make Me Feel Good - Big Hit

41 You Worrie Me - Reel

42 You're The One - Art