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Lamont Dozier Demo Tape

tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
edited June 2015 in Strut Central
Hoping the Strut can shed some light on this thing for me.

Long story short: flea market vendor was closing down; he sold me his cassette inventory for 10 bucks; and this tape was in the mix.

It seems like a 3-track demo tape by Lamont Dozier, including "Hungry For Your Love", "Chemistry", and "Thursday Fool". I can't find youtube/audio/release-history for any of these three songs, but, when you Google them, you get hits to songwriting credits on this site: http://songwritershalloffame.org/index.php/songs/detailed/C157/P200/.

I'm NOT up on modern soul / rnb, but by the sounds of it I'd *guess* this is mid-80's Lamont. Also, the songs are all credited to a publisher called "Beau Di O Do Music", one which seems to have been especially active during the mid-/late-80's.

I need to give the tape a more careful listen, but my first impression was that it was Lamont sounding raw over synthy/drum machine-y modern soul or rnb vibes. Again, I only listened once in passing, but I was actually kinda feeling "Hungry For Your Love"!

Can any of yall tell me anything about this tape? Is this a known cassette? Are these unreleased tracks (as they seem to be), or have they been put out on a release I'm missing? Any estimates on how many of these things might exist? Is there gonna be interest in this thing (I feel like some French dude HAS to want this)? Anything, man!





  Comments

  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    ill. please to post audio.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Very cool.
    No doubt there will be interest.
    I guess he shopped the songs around, no one wanted to cover them.
    He likely made enough to give to every producer/artist he thought would be interested.
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Wow... two of these in the course of a week.

    Lil sip of the juice, plaese?

    :tunes:
  • soulcitizensoulcitizen 304 Posts
    As the tape is a UK Stiff tape it looks like what you think it is, a handwritten tape of demos. Lamont recorded an album for demon in '83 and both those record companies were owned by the same people, so likely they were for that album but never made it. Good find! Paging France!
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    i'm thirdeding the juice sipping.
  • tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
    @Laserwolf and @Soulcitizen -- I really appreciate the knowledge. The Stiff/Demon connection makes a ton of sense! I will say, though, that the tracks on this tape seemed to have a different vibe from what little I've heard off of Lamont's 83 Demon joint. But hey, maybe that's why they were cut off the album.

    @Juice-sippers -- I got you, but I just need a day or so. All I have at my place is an extra janky boombox (no line outs), so I'm gonna have to borrow something from a friend.
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    tech12z said:

    @Juice-sippers -- I got you, but I just need a day or so. All I have at my place is an extra janky boombox (no line outs), so I'm gonna have to borrow something from a friend.

    "never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes"

    b/w

    make sure you hand-wind the tape taut before putting in some random deck!
  • ScottScott 420 Posts
    Don't share with these people. Keep it locked!
  • tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
    ketan said:


    "never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes"

    b/w

    make sure you hand-wind the tape taut before putting in some random deck!

    This post makes me all types of nervous!

    Hand wind it? For real? I'm not a cassette-man, so is there anything else I need to know so as not to fuck this thing up?
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    You just don't want a bunch of slack in the tape within the cassette before you press play as it increases the chance that things will get jammed and the tape will get crinkled. Don't worry too much - just hold onto one of the wheels with your one hand to fix it in place while you wind up the other wheel with a pencil. When things are taut, you're good to go.

    Tapes are usually repairable if they split with a bit of surgery... but you don't want it to get all crinkled up, which could permanently ruin the sound.

  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    Scott said:
    Don't share with these people. Keep it locked!

    Scott, you were way cooler when you had 420 posts.

    :slow burner:
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Scott said:
    Don't share with these people. Keep it locked!

    This....


























    Just PM it to me
  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    a few months ago I came across a guy with a Rod Temperton demo LP. I flipped my lid and couldnt believe this existed, never heard of it before. I checked the tracks and they were some of his greatest hits, and I figured he reworked them and was showing off his chops. Turns out he made a collection of his recognizable songs to shop around in order, I'd assume, to get more work. I ended up not buying it (I think the dealer wanted $150). If this has previously released material it may be something similar
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    RAJ said:
    Scott said:
    Don't share with these people. Keep it locked!

    This....

    I actually agree that you should keep this quiet for now, just to maximamize your position if you want to sell it to someone. But I was (mock) offended by the careless nature in which Scott addressed "the community".

    Truly, you should first try to reach out to Lamont! He's still alive. Maybe he'd want it. Who knows?? Maybe he REALLY doesn't want it to be turned into a 12" pressing at this stage!

    So you shouldn't let anyone else download HQ files of it. BUT you should make it streamable for a coupla days so we can sip the juice.
  • ketanketan Warmly booming riffs 3,170 Posts
    Guzzo said:
    a few months ago I came across a guy with a Rod Temperton demo LP. I flipped my lid

    As one does!
  • tech12ztech12z 56 Posts
    I got it ripped without incident, I'm feeling myself.

    As promised, here's a sip (first minute of the first track, so-so mp3 quality). If you guys think this compromises my position with the tape (because I do plan on eBaying it), please be bros and holler.

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/149272679/Lamont.mp3

    The other tracks are way, way more raw. Like, "recorded in a closet" raw. Levels are all out of wack, doesn't sound like the mic has any sort of screen/pop-guard. Pretty rad.

    What's even more interesting is the music that starts when Lamont's songs run out. New Wave / Punk / Synth stuff that's actually very fucking cool. I guess Stiff dubbed over one demo tape with another.
  • 1005312122852466@facebook1005312122852466@facebook 1 Post
    Thank you. Someone coulda had a hit with that.
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    tech12z said:
    I got it ripped without incident, I'm feeling myself.

    As promised, here's a sip (first minute of the first track, so-so mp3 quality). If you guys think this compromises my position with the tape (because I do plan on eBaying it), please be bros and holler.

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/149272679/Lamont.mp3

    The other tracks are way, way more raw. Like, "recorded in a closet" raw. Levels are all out of wack, doesn't sound like the mic has any sort of screen/pop-guard. Pretty rad.

    What's even more interesting is the music that starts when Lamont's songs run out. New Wave / Punk / Synth stuff that's actually very fucking cool. I guess Stiff dubbed over one demo tape with another.

    Thanks!

    Please keep us updated on eBay progress...

    :balla:
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