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THE YEAR WAS 1972 AND THE PATHS OF A YOUNG SONGWRITER AND A RECORD LABEL OWNER WERE DESTINED TO CROSS PATHS. AFTER SPENDING A COUPLE OF YEARS AT CURTIS MAYFIELD’S CURTOM RECORDS IN HIS HOMETOWN OF CHICAGO, RON GRACE VENTURED TO THE NORTHERN SUBURB OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS. AFTER RECORDING PROJECTS AT PLYNTH STUDIOS IN LIBERTYVILLE, STUDIO OWNER TOM IZZO INTODUCED RON GRACE TO MORRIS “RONNIE” MOORE, OWNER OF THE TRA-MOR RECORD LABEL. THE TWO INSTANTLY MESSED AND GRACE PRODUCED A SINGLE ON TRA-MOR’S LONE SRTIST AT THE TIME, ERNEST JONES. THAT SESSION RESULTED IN “I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU” B/W “BROKEN DREAMS”. THE RECORD MADE A BIT OF LOCAL NOISE AND SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME A “NORTHERN SOUL” COLLECTABLE IN THE U.K. AFTER MAKING GRACE A PARTNER AT TRA-MOR, MOORE WANTED TO EXPND HIS ARTIST ROSTER. GRACE THEN CALLED ON HIS CURTOM COLLEAGUE, CLIFF CURRY OF THE NOTATIONS. CLIFF PROCEEDED TO CONNECT THEM WITH GROUP THAT HE HAD OFTEN WORKED WITH –THE PROCEDURES. CONSISTING OF FRED ESCOBAR, BILLY SIMS, ROBERT SMITH, AND ANTHONY MCDANIELS, THE FIRST RELEASE OF THE PROCEDURES WAS A TUNE CO-WRITEN BY FRED ESCOBAR AND BRAD BOBO-“MAGIC MIRROR”. THE ARRANGEMENT WAS DONE BY CHICAGO LEGEND TOM WASHINGTON(TOM TOM ’84). BACKED WITH THE INSTRUMENTAL TRACK, THE RECORD WAS BARELY NOTICED. FOR THE SECOND RELEASE IN 1975, RON GRACE OFFERED A UNE HE’D WRITTEN AND CUT ON HIMSELF A YEAR EARLIER. HIS AND FRED’S VOICES WERE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT IT STAYED IN THE ORIGINAL KEY. “GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE” WOULD BE THE PROCEDURES NEXT SINGLE, BACKED WITH A REVAMPED “MAGIC MIRROR”. AT THIS TIME, THE PROCEDURES THEMSELVES WERE REVAMPED, WITH THE ADDITION OF WALTER JONES (FIVE CROWNS: NOTATIONS) REPLACING ANTHONY MCDANIELS. TOM TOM’S ARRANGEMENTS WERE BRILLIANT. THE SESSIONS WERE CUT AT GARY HEDDEN’S HEDDEN EST STUDIOS IN NEARBY SCHAUMBURG. THE SESSION MUSICIANS WERE COMPRISED OF WHO’S WHO OF CHICAGO STUDIO PLAYERS. INCLUDED WERE THE LIKES OF PHIL UPCHURCH, JOHN BISHOP, BERNARD REED, QUINTON JOSEPH, MURRAY WATSON, SOL BOBROY, ETC. –VETERANS OF MANY BRUNSWICK, CHESS AND CURTOM RECORDING SESSIONS. ALAS, A LACK OF DISTRIBUTION AND PROMOTION THIS RECORD HIDDEN IN DARKNESS, BUT THIS KAY-DEE RELEASE BRINGS IT INTO THEE LIGHT FOR A NEW GENERATION THAT VALUES MUSIC OF A BYGONE ERA WITH NEW MIXES FROM KENNY DOPE FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI TRACK MASTERS.
Condition:NEW.
TRACK LISTINGS
A -Magic Mirror
Songwriter – Bradley Bobo, Fred Escobar
3:54
B -Give Me One More Chance
Written-By – Ron Grace
5:07
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