Golden World Records

Golden World Records  and Ric Tic and Wingate were all part of Eddie Wingate’s Golden World label in Detroit, close to Motown. In fact too close, as it really annoyed Gordy that many of his musicians were moonlighting as backing session artists and taking the Funk Brothers experience with them, even using writers like Richard Popcorn Wylie.

It was the success of Edwin Starr that really changed things and Mr Gordy made Ed Wingate a huge offer ($2m – a lot of cash in 1966) he couldn’t refuse. So Edwin Starr was sold to Motown and Motown ignored all the other artists on the labels and nipped the mutiny in the bud.

Based in Detroit and a subsidiary of Golden World records. It was the success of “Agent Double 0 Soul” inspired by the James Bond films, performed by Edwin Starr that led to the company being taken over by Motown and leaving the lesser known artists without a recording contract. Golden World and Wingate Records, owned by Ed Wingate, were Motown’s biggest competitors and in the same city; Detroit. Motown’s Funk Brothers were fined $1,000 each for moonlighting on “Agent Double O Soul”, calling themselves The San Remo Golden Strings Golden World could have been a big threat in Detroit to the dominance of Soul recording and they had a great musical director and artist in All Kent.

Berry Gordy was apparently ‘very unhappy’ even furious, at Ed Wingate’s success with the Ric-Tic label. “Real Humdinger” by J J Barnes didn’t help the situation as it was very similar to a Motown produced track – Berry hated the idea of competition on his own doorstep. Eventually Edwin Starr and some other artists joined Motown for a payment of $2 million (1968).

 Al Kent‘s ‘You’ve Got To To Pay The Price’ takes on an ironic extra meaning as Berry Gordy purchased the Ric-Tic and Golden World acts and recordings. The artists included Gino Washington, JJ Barnes, Laura Lee, Al Kent, Rose Battiste, Freddie Gorman, The Fantastic Four and infuriatingly for Berry.

Berry Gordon could see that Golden World had encroached on the rights to ‘his own session musicians’ known as the San Remo Golden Strings. They were, in fact, The Funk Brothers! This is the reason that in the UK Edwin Starr‘s hits were released on Polydor rather than Motown. Polydor had previous an existing claim to the UK distribution rights with Ric-Tic USA.

Quite a few Ric-Tic records were obtained by soul enthusiasts in Manchester, from NME adds for USA single or auction lists, the ‘Wheel DJ’ imported everything he could obtain with Edwin’s name on it, J J Barnes and a Rose Batiste track and of course the Al Kent Instrumental. (It was Ian Levine who obtained the Rose Batiste 45 for the Wheel in 1970.

Golden World – when Ed Wingate’s Label

1962 to 1963

101    SUE PERRIN-I WONDER/PUT A RING ON MY FINGER
102    released via RIC TIC-
103    BARBARA DE COSTA-NOW I KNOW/THE ONE IN YOUR ARMS
104    SUE PERRIN-YOU ARE MY LOVE (GW 1007)/RING BELLS RING (GW 1008)
105    ROCKY HART-SOMEONE STOLE MY BABY DOING THE TWIST (GW 1009)
106    WHEN A TEENAGER GETS BLUE (GW 1010) – released on RIC TIC
107    LEROY SMALLEY-AIN’T IT A SHAME/GIRL’S ARE SENTIMENTAL
108    JOYCE WEBB-IT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE/LAUGHING TO KEEP FROM CRYING

Second series -from 1963 to ’66.

A1/B1    WILLIE KENDRICK-STOP THIS TRAIN/FINE AS WINE
B2/B1    SUE PERRIN-CANDY STORE MAN/RECIPE OF LOVE

4/5    THE ADORABLES-DEEP FREEZE/DADDY PLEASE
6/7    PATTI GILSON-PULLING PETALS/DON’T YOU TELL A LIE
8/9    THE REFLECTIONS-CAN’T YOU TELL BY THE LOOK IN MY EYES
10    THE ADORABLES-SCHOOL’S ALL OVER/BE
11    ELLIOTT BARON-MAN TO MAN/THE SPARE LIB
12    THE REFLECTIONS-LIKE COLUMBUS DID/LONELY GIRL
13    not issued
14    THE MANHATTANS-JUST A LITTLE LOVING/BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES
15    THE REFLECTIONS-TALKIN’ ABOUT MY GIRL/OOWEE NOW NOW
16    THE REFLECTIONS-A HENPECKED GUY/DON’T DO THAT TO ME
17    THE DEBONAIRES-PLEASE DON’T SAY WE’RE THROUGH/A LITTLE TOO LONG
18    JUANITA WILLIAMS-BABY BOY/YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WAS GETTIN’
19    THE REFLECTIONS-SHABBY LITTLE HUT/YOU’RE MY BABY
20    THE REFLECTIONS-POOR MAN’S SON/COMIN’ AT YOU
21    BARBARA MERCER-HEY!!/CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU BABY
22    THE REFLECTIONS-DEBORAH ANN/WHEELIN & DARLIN!
23    CARL CARLTON-NOTHIN’ NO SWEETER THAN LOVE/I LOVE TRUE LOVE
24    THE REFLECTIONS-OUT OF THE PICTURE/JUNE BRIDE
25    THE ADORABLES-OOH,BOY!/DEVIL IN HER EYES

26    THE ADORABLES-EENIE,MEENIE,GYPSALEENIE/PLEASE DON’T SAY WE’RE THROUGH
27    BARBARA MERCER-THE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER/HUNGRY FOR LOVE
28    BARBARA MERCER-DOIN’ THINGS TOGETHER WITH YOU/NOBODY LOVES YOU LIKE ME
29    THE REFLECTIONS-GIRL IN THE CANDY STORE/YOUR KIND OF LOVE

30    not issued
31    THE SUNLINERS-THE SWINGIN’ KIND/ALL ALONE
32    GINO PARKS-MY SOPHISTICATED LADY/TALKIN’ ABOUT MY BABY
33    ROSE BATISTE-SWEETHEART DARLING/THAT’S WHAT HE TOLD ME
34    not issued
35    not issued
36    THE HOLIDAYS-I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER/MAKIN’ UP TIME
37    LARRY KNIGHT & THE UPSETTERS-HURT ME/EVERYTHING’S GONE WRONG
38    THE DEBONAIRES-HOW’S YOUR NEW LOVE TREATING YOU?/BIG TIME FUN
39    not issued

40    TAMIKO JONES-I’M SPELLBOUND/AM I GLAD NOW
41    TONY MICHAELS-PICTURE ME AND YOU/I LOVE THE LIFE I LIVE
42    PAT LEWIS-CAN’T SHAKE IT LOOSE/LET’S GO TOGETHER
43-    THERESA LINDSAY-I’LL BET YOU/DADDY-0

44    THE DEBONAIRES-C.O.D./HOW’S YOUR NEW LOVE TREATING YOU
45    DICKIE & THE EBBTIDE-ONE BOY ONE GIRL/I’VE GOT A SHADOW
46    THE PARLIAMENTS-THAT WAS MY GIRL/HEART TROUBLE
47    THE HOLIDAYS-NO GREATER LOVE/WATCH OUT GIRL

See also RIC TIC

THE GOLDEN WORLD STORY @ SOULFUL DETROIT

Golden World Records – Wikipedia