Various Artists - Lou Beatty's Detroit Soul - Thirty Rare Gems From The Vaults Of La Beat Records (2006) Grapevine + Booklet + Rare Scans - Rare Soul (FLAC 409MB)

LA BEAT RECORDS was Founded & owned by Lou Beatty & James Hendrix (not Jimi) & formed at the time when the sound of Detroit particularly Motown was having an important influence on popular music, both in the USA and the rest of the world. Like many other independent labels that operated in this era, 200 + black owned in the Detroit Area alone, La Beat & it,s Sub Labels played a small part in the new musical revolution but is seldom acknowledged by historians. Many hardcore devotees and collectors hold labels such as La Beat & sub labels with almost as much regard as their more famous and successful contemporaries. This album will put La Beat's contribution into its rightful place. A repost from the old blog and an Upgrade. Read the booklet its superb really!..An add on to this review will follow on when i can get the time, as there is a lot of work involved covering the other labels/tracks not included here.....Fred Bridges had learned a lot at Golden World and was ready to put his new experience to the test at a new studio which was being opened by local entrepreneur Lou Beatty. Beatty lived on Lasalle Street near the Boulevard and was a successful business man owning construction companies and motels in various parts of the city. He even owned a motel right across the street from his new La Beat studio. It is feasible that Lou took an interest in the recording industry as his sons, Chris and Lou Jr,  were working on commercials at the time. Regardless, to get the studio off the ground, Beatty  formed a partnership with James Hendrix who was already running the Carrie label in Detroit after founding it in his home town of Nashville. Having moved to Detroit in 1959, Hendrix was also issuing material on The Arabians, Clifford Binns, Cornell Blakely and others from the Motor City. But Fred recalls that Hendrix was a low key figure at La Beat and didn't have much to say. "I first met Lou Beatty somewhere between 1965 and 1966, possibly through legendary jazz pianist, Teddy Harris Sr. He had this new place on 14th street, just a block away from my upstairs flat which was sitting close by at 6063 15th . I just went around and introduced myself. That was my style, I had confidence man and felt that my talent and experience could get me in anywhere. I just needed the chance to show what I could do. Beatty's investment was a large 4 family building at number 6070-6076 14th Street. He soon converted it into a studio, an office and several rehearsal rooms. Most rooms upstairs were furnished with a piano while downstairs was converted into a recording studio and control room.
Sadly, the studio was a horrible job because it was in the front room where large windows were a prominent feature. To make matters worse we were on ground level, with traffic laden 14th Street only a few feet away! Lou soon found an answer to that however and sent me to a studio in Chicago which had equipment, special EQ, capable of removing car sounds from recordings! I think I had to do that to most of Beatty’s catalogue. I would also do the mixing there.”   
Needing someone who new the industry well, Lou then contacted Teddy Harris Snr who had experience of running a Publishing Company. So Harris Snr ran Beatty’s Publishing Company, copied the tunes for the labels and was like an overseer. “I then joined the company as Producer grass roots and became Beatty’s musical advisor. Teddy was my boss but he gave me a free hand and trusted my judgement. I would oversee the session even telling the arranger what to do so that their role was purely to write down the notes for the musicians. Some musicians soon began hanging around the studio and Beatty gave them a job and some accommodation in the motel. He gave them the name La Beat Production Team (LPT for short). They were Johnny Mills on drums, Billy McCoo on bass, Curtis Trusell on guitar and myself on piano. John Glover was also playing bass on occasion. I was in that studio 7 days a week."...Fred Bridges was an integral part of the Detroit soul scene and his name crops up on 100,s of 45,s from Detroit as a songwriter,Engineer,Arranger, another unsung hero from that great era.

AMM & Interview With Fred Bridges courtesy Of David Meikle

                                                                                                        The Tasters!