(Week of 8/9/03 - 8/15/03)

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"My Love Has Gone"
by Chris Powell And The Five Blue Flames
on Columbia 39407
released in 1951

[The above photo provided by Paul Ressler.]

Above: Photo of Chris Powell And The Five Blue Flames.

Echo's 'Gone' Vocal Naturally So Chicago--If you've heard Chris Powell's Columbia record of In the Cool of the Evening and My Love Has Gone, you'll understand why this statement appeared in the Beat's July 27 record reviews: "Gone features a vocal by Johnnie Echo, who turns out to be a female member of The Five Blue Flames, the accompanying group on both sides." Johnnie, it turns out, is the guy fourth from the left, above. He claims the voice is natural, too, and not a falsetto. Powell, a graduate of Syracuse university and the John Kirby and Mal Hallett bands, is the drummer. Bill Jennings plays guitar; James Johnson, bass; Vance Williams, tenor; Duke Wells, piano, and Eddie Lambert is the guitarist at the right. They're all at the Paradise club in Atlantic City.

Above: Article from Downbeat Magazine.
[This article and the review (below left) passed on from Marv Goldberg]
Marv informs: "Johnny Echo" is Johnny Leak. Tenor sax player is Vance Wilson, not Williams. The second voice on "My Love Is Gone" is pianist Harold "Duke" Wells, not Powell (as stated in the review).

Above Left: Record review from Downbeat Magazine dated July 27, 1951 (see retraction and comments above).

Above Right: Label image of Columbia "My Love Has Gone" recorded on 2/2/51 and released in May 1951. Chris Powell And The Five Blue Flames had eight releases on Columbia (1949-51) and four on Okeh (1951-52).

Click on an option below to listen to "My Love Has Gone" by Chris Powell And The Five Blue Flames using Windows Media Player.

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Click on an option below to listen to "Blue Boy" by Chris Powell And The Five Blue Flames using Windows Media Player. This was recorded on 3/21/52 and released on Okeh 6900 in August 1952.

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