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The Turks \"Emily\" Money 211 AA 1955
Here are Gaynel Hodge & The Turks with \"Emily.\" One of my many personal favorites from John Dolphin's Money Label. I posted this song back in 2011. I was lucky enough to get this copy in N.O.S. condition. I'd never thought I would ever hear this record sound so clean!!....Please enjoy this great record!!
The Turks began as another of the permutations of Los Angeles singers. Start with some Hollywood Flames, toss in a few original Platters, and mix with the Squires on Combo.The whole thing began with the Flamingos (no not those Flamingos). These Flamingos were a loose organization of singers, and their ranks ebbed and flowed, depending on who was available for rehearsals and shows. Forming in Los Angeles CA. Jefferson High School around 1952, one of their more stable lineups was (you might recognize some of these names): Cornelius \"Cornell\" Gunter (tenor lead, and still in junior high), Gaynel Hodge (first tenor), Curtis Williams (baritone), Richard Berry (bass), and Jody Jefferson (second tenor and occasional member). Not a bad lineup. Said Gaynel, \"We were young and talented and won every talent show around. We had the whole city of L.A. inspired and in our corner. Large companies were negotiating for us. Letting the Flamingos fall apart was a big mistake.\"But fall apart they did. In time, Cornell and Richard drifted away to form the Flairs, Curtis and Gaynel went off to the Hollywood Flames (\"we were 'duped' into it by Bobby Day and David Ford, who promised a better career than the one we seemed to be enjoying as the Flamingos,\" said Gaynel).
On September 4, 1954, the Hollywood Flames (with Gaynel Hodge, David Ford, Curlee Dinkins, and Bobby Byrd) recorded at least four songs for John Dolphin: \"Fare Thee Well,\" \"Clickety Clack I'm Leaving,\" \"Emily,\" and \"Wagon Wheels.\" The first two of these were released as the Hollywood Flames, and needn't concern us any further. \"It's the other two songs that would make life more confusing for us all. \"Emily\" (with Gaynel in the lead) was first released in February 1955 on Dolphin's Money label. However, the name on the label wasn't the Hollywood Flames, but the \"Turks\" (even more confusing, the flip side was \"When I Return,\" by the [West Coast] Turbans).
Why the Turks? It wasn't a tune by anyone called the Turks, it was a tune by the Hollywood Flames. The short answer is \"I simply don't know.\" (The long answer is suspiciously similar.) As far as the name goes, the best evidence is that Dolphin simply made it up. He had a record store (\"Dolphin's Of Hollywood\") which was open 24 hours a day. It was originally opened during the Korean War to capitalize on the city's round-the-clock war workers (especially those in shipbuilding). He featured a DJ in the window (starting with Ray Robinson broadcasting over KGFJ in 1951). Within a couple of months he'd added Robin \"King\" Bruin (KWKW; he's the voice you hear doing the recitation on the Hollywood 4 Flames' \"The Glory Of Love,\" released on Recorded In Hollywood, conveniently owned by Dolphin). By late 1953, Dick \"Huggy Boy\" Hugg became another of his DJs (replacing Charles Trammell, over KRKD). Since Huggy Boy was white, Dolphin then attracted both black and white customers (many simply when the neighborhood bars closed up for the night). It was said that Huggy Boy was capable of drawing a bigger crowd outside the store window than a stage show at a nearby theater.
It took a while for them to get to it (about six months), but on September 3, 1955, the trades rated \"Emily\" a Tip in Los Angeles. It was finally reviewed on October 29 (\"good\"), along with Shirley & Lee's \"Lee's Dream,\" the Cadillacs' \"Speedoo,\" Little Richard's \"Tutti-Fruitti,\" the Rolling Crew's \"Home On Alcatraz,\" the Orioles' \"Please Sing My Blues Tonight,\" the Diablos' \"The Way You Dog Me Around,\" the Meadowlarks' \"This Must Be Paradise,\" and the Sh-Booms' \"Pretty Wild.\"
Along the way, Gaynel had agreed with Dolphin to use the \"Turks\" name for his new group. For a distinctive look (but mostly as a joke), they decided to wear fezzes onstage. Alex Hodge later claimed that the group's name (and, more important, the fezzes) became a liability, since the emerging Black Muslim movement wasn't amused.
Finally, the Turks did a session for Dolphin. The result was \"I'm A Fool\"/\"I've Been Accused,\" both led by Gaynel and released in February 1956.
Turntable used: Audio Technica AT-LP120 USB Direct Drive inputted straight into the sound card using the built-in pre-amp from the turntable.
