May 1968, London
The team at Soul City – myself, Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore – are now joined by sister Sylvia, four years younger than me, who has been running the Nina Simone Appreciation Society I started in 1965 with me. Almost inescapably, Sylvia has been subjected to the music of my favourite R&B and soul artists from the constant blasting from my record player in our ‘play’ room above Kilburn High Street, where my Dad managed the fish-and-chip shop and we as a family lived. Sylvia fell under Nina’s musical spell quite naturally and after leaving school in 1968, she comes to work with us at Soul City as a sales assistant. It’s perfect timing given that much of Dave’s energy is now devoted to developing our newly-launched record label which is benefiting from great sales with Gene Chandler’s “Nothing Can Stop Me.” Dave is pursuing other opportunities to license U.S. product for Soul City Records…
“May I speak to Dave Godin?” asks a short man with a moustache who walks into our shop in a midweek afternoon. Dave comes out from the back office. “Hi, my name is Dave Kapralik,” smiles the man with the American accent. “I work with Epic Records and I’ve been receiving your letters regarding putting out some of our repertoire on your label…” Indeed, Dave has requested tracks like Major Lance’s “The Beat” and Billy Butler’s “The Right Track” which are popular among the growing crowd of soul fans who frequent clubs in the North of England and The Midlands: the procedure involves asking for particular tracks via CBS Records in London who pass on the requests to Epic and Columbia executives…
Mr. Kapralik is at Soul City to discuss his primary focus: “I manage Sly & The Family Stone,” he tells us, “and I want to know if you guys would be interested in promoting their music in Britain.” It seems CBS Records in London hasn’t quite known what to with the multi-ethnic funk, rock’n’soul band and “Dance To The Music,” a Top 10 pop & R&B hit in the US has gotten no ‘love’ in the UK. Dave Godin sets up a proper meeting with Dave Kapralik to discuss how we can help get Sly & company off the ground in Britain….and a whole new chapter full of adventure and drama is about to open up!
This post is so timely. My wife Emily and I went to see Questlove’s excellent film “Summer of Soul” recently. When Sly and the Family Stone came on stage I remembered my neighbor Richie’s experience with Dave Kapralik. Richie was a drummer but also a very pretty Italian boy with dark curly hair. Somehow he had met Dave and Dave brought him out to LA all expenses paid. Supposedly because Dave was impressed with Richie’s musical abilities. To stay in Dave’s mansion. Richie and all of us were so excited that Richie was, as Dave put it, “gonna be a rock star”. Dave took him around and introduced him to everybody, all the stars and musicians in Hollyweird. Umm, except that one night a knock came on Richie’s door and Dave explained while sitting on Richie’s bed that it wasn’t his drumming ability that he was interested in but rather him. Eeek! Richie, being very straight and never coming into contact with any gay men, freaked out and called his parents, who paid for a ticket to immediately get him back to New York. He didn’t come out of his room or talk to anybody for over a month. And no, Richie never did become a rock star. But he did play drums and continue to love music. Without Dave Kapralik, of course. 😉