Biography
The Soul Notes originated in Cleveland, Ohio, under the leadership of William Bell, who also went by Bill Spoon and should not be mistaken for the William Bell famous for "You Don't Miss Your Water." Bell, Walter Dannison, Leroy Elie, and John Berry made up the quartet. On Cleveland's Way Out Records the group cut two singles that later became collectible items among Northern soul enthusiasts: "How Long Will It Last" b/w "Don't Make Me Beg" in 1967 and "I've Got Everything I Need" b/w "How Long Will It Last" in 1968. The debut became a modest two-sided regional success once disc jockeys favored the intended B-side "Don't Make Me Beg," prompting Way Out to move the original A-side to the flip of the second release. The label address printed on every pressing suggested the Soul Notes came from below the Mason-Dixon line.
Co-owned by the late Lester Johnson and Bill Branch, a now-retired policeman, Way Out Records operated for more than ten years with scant commercial impact. The company arranged MGM distribution for the Sensations' "Got to Find Myself Another Girl" and Atlantic distribution for the Springers' "Why" and "I Know Why," yet otherwise depended on its own limited means. Although the label captured strong material, nothing charted on the pop or R&B lists and no albums appeared. Among the artists who recorded for Way Out were Lou Ragland, Bobby Wade, Joan Baez, Verna & Rob, the Occasions, Fred Towles, the Sensations, the Springers, and others.
Bell grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, alongside Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Richard Fisher of the Jive Five, and Jessie Fisher, Richard's brother, who issued "You're Not Loving a Beginner" and "Little John" on Way Out. Only "Don't Make Me Beg" received any attention, and that remained strictly local. WJMO's Ken Hawkins aired both sides of the single on his radio show and regularly presented the group on his World of Soul television program. The second single's failure is puzzling, since Bell and the Soul Notes turned in a powerful version of "I Got Everything I Need," Bell especially standing out on the fade with a delivery reminiscent of a Baptist preacher. The group disbanded in 1970 when Bell relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, where he wrote songs, recorded tracks, and produced others, yet everything stayed at demo level. In 1980 Highland Records finally issued Bell's "Love Is on the Way," which vanished after release but later drew interest from Northern soul collectors. William Bell has lived in the Los Angeles, California area since the 1980s while continuing to work for the L.A. Coroners Department and releasing occasional projects; he now publishes through his own Bel Jac Music. Steady employment may account for the Soul Notes' limited progress, since reliable paychecks reduce the urgency that competition demands.
Co-owned by the late Lester Johnson and Bill Branch, a now-retired policeman, Way Out Records operated for more than ten years with scant commercial impact. The company arranged MGM distribution for the Sensations' "Got to Find Myself Another Girl" and Atlantic distribution for the Springers' "Why" and "I Know Why," yet otherwise depended on its own limited means. Although the label captured strong material, nothing charted on the pop or R&B lists and no albums appeared. Among the artists who recorded for Way Out were Lou Ragland, Bobby Wade, Joan Baez, Verna & Rob, the Occasions, Fred Towles, the Sensations, the Springers, and others.
Bell grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, alongside Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Richard Fisher of the Jive Five, and Jessie Fisher, Richard's brother, who issued "You're Not Loving a Beginner" and "Little John" on Way Out. Only "Don't Make Me Beg" received any attention, and that remained strictly local. WJMO's Ken Hawkins aired both sides of the single on his radio show and regularly presented the group on his World of Soul television program. The second single's failure is puzzling, since Bell and the Soul Notes turned in a powerful version of "I Got Everything I Need," Bell especially standing out on the fade with a delivery reminiscent of a Baptist preacher. The group disbanded in 1970 when Bell relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, where he wrote songs, recorded tracks, and produced others, yet everything stayed at demo level. In 1980 Highland Records finally issued Bell's "Love Is on the Way," which vanished after release but later drew interest from Northern soul collectors. William Bell has lived in the Los Angeles, California area since the 1980s while continuing to work for the L.A. Coroners Department and releasing occasional projects; he now publishes through his own Bel Jac Music. Steady employment may account for the Soul Notes' limited progress, since reliable paychecks reduce the urgency that competition demands.