The Fabulous Counts
Encyclopedia
The Fabulous Counts were an American soul
/funk
group from Detroit, Michigan
. They won local acclaim as an instrumental group and as a backing ensemble for visiting solo acts after their formation in 1968. Working with producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie
, they released the instrumental single "Jan, Jan" on Detroit's Moira Records that year, which narrowly missed hitting the US R&B charts that winter. Their second single, "Dirty Red", passed without trace, but the third single, "Get Down People", hit #32 R&B and #88 on the US pop charts. A full-length, Jan, Jan (produced by Ollie McLaughlin), was released in 1969 on Cotillion Records
, but the group left the label in 1970.
Signing with Westbound Records
that year, the group changed their name simply to The Counts. Shortchanged by Westbound Records in favor of The Ohio Players and Funkadelic
, many of the band's original members of the group left, and the band moved to Atlanta, Georgia
, signing with Aware Records
, where they released their final LP's "Love Sign" and "Funk Pump" before the group called it quits in 1976. All three of the funk albums they released under their new name charted.
Just before reuniting in 2009, Mose Davis played jazz piano around Atlanta with the Mose Davis Trio, Leroy Emmanuel played in a Canadian funk band called the LMT Connection and Demo Cates operated out of Canada as well as appeared as an actor in TV and movies.
In 2009, they reunited back in the line up from 1976: Mose Davis (hammond organ,vocals), Leroy Emmanuel (guitar ,vocals), Demo Cates (saxes,vocals), Jimmy "Junebug" Jackson (drums,vocals) and Jimmy Brown (saxes,voc).
The band's Cotillion LP has been reissued, and the first Westbound LP is also in print as a CD.
The Counts
Rhythm Changes (Westbound Records
, 1971)
The Counts
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
group from Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. They won local acclaim as an instrumental group and as a backing ensemble for visiting solo acts after their formation in 1968. Working with producer Richard "Popcorn" Wylie
Richard "Popcorn" Wylie
Richard Wayne Wylie , often known as Popcorn Wylie, was an African-American pianist, bandleader, songwriter, occasional singer, and record producer who was influential in the early years of Motown Records and was later known for his work on many records in the Northern soul genre.-Life and...
, they released the instrumental single "Jan, Jan" on Detroit's Moira Records that year, which narrowly missed hitting the US R&B charts that winter. Their second single, "Dirty Red", passed without trace, but the third single, "Get Down People", hit #32 R&B and #88 on the US pop charts. A full-length, Jan, Jan (produced by Ollie McLaughlin), was released in 1969 on Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records
Cotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded...
, but the group left the label in 1970.
Signing with Westbound Records
Westbound Records
Westbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to...
that year, the group changed their name simply to The Counts. Shortchanged by Westbound Records in favor of The Ohio Players and Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, many of the band's original members of the group left, and the band moved to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, signing with Aware Records
Aware Records
Aware Records is an American record label, existent to seek unsigned musical artists and expose them to the mainstream media. The label has had success with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five For Fighting, Mat Kearney and Guster....
, where they released their final LP's "Love Sign" and "Funk Pump" before the group called it quits in 1976. All three of the funk albums they released under their new name charted.
Just before reuniting in 2009, Mose Davis played jazz piano around Atlanta with the Mose Davis Trio, Leroy Emmanuel played in a Canadian funk band called the LMT Connection and Demo Cates operated out of Canada as well as appeared as an actor in TV and movies.
In 2009, they reunited back in the line up from 1976: Mose Davis (hammond organ,vocals), Leroy Emmanuel (guitar ,vocals), Demo Cates (saxes,vocals), Jimmy "Junebug" Jackson (drums,vocals) and Jimmy Brown (saxes,voc).
The band's Cotillion LP has been reissued, and the first Westbound LP is also in print as a CD.
Members
The Fabulous Counts- Mose Davis - keyboards
- Leroy Emanuel - guitar
- Demo Cates - alto saxophone
- Jim White - tenor saxophone
- Raoul Keith Mangrum - drums
The Counts
- Mose Davis - keyboards, vocals
- Leroy Emanuel - guitar, vocals
- Demo Cates - alto saxophone, vocals
- Jimmy Jackson - drums, vocals
- Jimmy Brown - saxophone, vocals
Discography
The Fabulous Counts- Jan, Jan (Cotillion RecordsCotillion RecordsCotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records and was active from 1968 through 1985. The label was originally formed as an outlet for blues and deep Southern soul; its first single, Otis Clay's version of "She's About A Mover", reached the R&B charts. Cotillion's catalog quickly expanded...
, 1969)
Rhythm Changes (Westbound Records
Westbound Records
Westbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to...
, 1971)
The Counts
- What's Up Front That Counts (Westbound RecordsWestbound RecordsWestbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to...
, 1971) US #193, US Black Albums #35 - Love Signs (Aware Records, 1973) US Black Albums #45
- Funk Pump (Aware Records, 1975) US Black Albums #58
- Golden Classics (Collectables, 1993)
- It's What's In The Groove (Southbound Records, 1996)