Almost twenty years ago, a book revolution was on the horizon. The advent of Sony e-reading devices in 2006 and the more commercially impactful Amazon Kindle the following year provided a new option for accessing literature. For the consumer, the convenience of having your new or favourite reads delivered cheaply and directly to your inbox and the ease of carrying multiple books on the run seemed to make complete sense. From the publishers’ perspective, a bolt-on marketable option was now available. A certain demographic less concerned with the physicality of their reading material could be reeled in. Digital book technology even made it easier for writers and the industry to create, update, republish and sell their books with minimum effort. It’s no coincidence that the timescale of the self-publishing boom matches that of milestone developments in e-book production.
But then there’s the reality. After nearly two decades of the concept being around, e-books are not quite the success story of the millennium. Physical books have been around for thousands of years ever since Egyptian papyrus scrolls were a thing. In subsequent centuries, religion provided a lot of the drive, particularly with the development of Islamic and Christian texts where illustrative elements provided extra aesthetic beauty. We’ve come a long way since the days of working with Sumerian slate, or scribing on the walls of caves, but our love affair of the printed book persists to this day.
On the surface, the reason why some people prefer physical books over digital formats are obvious, and not just because they are tangible, tactile objects. Ownership also implies representation. The titles that sit on our bookshelves are an indirect but collective statement of who we are, or at least who we would like to be. And, at a basic level, there will always be a technologically less able section of society who are keen readers but unwilling or unequipped to embrace the idea of an e-book. There is a flipside though. As we continue to squander the world’s natural resources, the price of paper and printing has risen by more than 20% this year and shows no sign of slowing. Logistical issues are also making printed book accessibility prohibitive – international freight transport and domestic distribution not only add to the carbon footprint, there are also implications for import taxes, spiralling postage costs and customs charges. Unhealthy international relations, like the UK’s bizarre decision to leave the EU, only exacerbate these effects. Small independent booksellers are squeezed out of the market, and even longstanding traditional publishing houses are feeling the pinch.
So could, or should, digital books be the answer? Well, apart from the obvious advantage of convenience, the innovation has had a major side effect of stimulating self-publication activity. This is a creatively important one, even if (unsurprisingly) it’s not embraced by traditional publishing houses. Some perceive the use of self-publishing platforms as bypassing quality control and the publisher power of veto. A moot point, really. Self-publishing writers can and do independently access professional beta reading and editing services. Others argue it provides more freedom for writers to explore important but niche themes, which if pitched to a publisher would never have had a look-in due to a lack of marketability. Another e-book positive is that they could serve society through addressing some concerns of ecosystem and climate change, though paradoxically the electronics industry creates other issues in that regard.
The market introduction of e-books was hardly a damp squib, but the truth is that the honeymoon period is over. Of course, there will always be some consumers who are drawn to the electronic format. In 2020, 191 million e-books were sold worldwide. But that’s a fifth of the peak figure six years earlier, and recent number crunching by Statista Advertising and Media Outlook indicates that overall e-books sales continue to drag way behind that of the printed book. The US ranks high in the top digital book reading nations, yet their annual printed book sales are still twice that of e-books.
Perhaps rather than being bluntly decisive about the way forward for presenting narratives, we should make room for both formats. We’re also being told there’s a third option. While writers, publishers, content mills and book manufacturers tussle with the use, abuse and rate of progression of AI, all are pretty much in agreement it’s going to permanently drive the industry – for better or worse. In my main line of work – biography writing – certain aspects of life stories are now being captured directly from the storyteller through the deployment of AI in various ways. It’s early days, and at present the writer is often still positioned within the process, but many fear for the craft in the long term. The dystopian view of biographies being entirely constructed from a combination of a bot interviewer, artificial learning and data scraping, then to be presented in a neat audio-visual package may not be too far off. In fact I believe it’s already here. Vive la difference?
(Copyright 2023) E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). To discuss services for hire please contact Mark viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
While undertaking some book research a few years ago on Nashville’s soul music scene, I was drawn to a very competent cover of Barbara Lewis’ iconic 1963 recording “Hello Stranger”. The version in question was by Alpha Zoe (Hall), an African American teenager who had just been plucked from nearby Gallatin to record the song at Nashville’s Columbia studios for Hit Records, with virtually no preparation – and within days of the original chart release. After managing to track Alpha Zoe down, the next few months were spent interviewing her about her upbringing, career, and life events. The former singer was now her 70’s, and had long been out of the music business. But Alpha Zoe was happy to talk about her younger days as a singer, and our discussions ignited a number of peripheral topics, some entirely unrelated to music. As part of the general quid pro quo, she mailed over the script for a presentation she’d just delivered to her local baptist church. Marking Black History Month, it was written as a retrospective during a period of hope, in the middle of Barack Obama’s second term as the first African-American president of the United States. The talk was an illustration of her experience as a young black girl in the times of Jim Crow law, and a perspective on how she felt her race and society has progressed since then. Take or leave the religious element; there’s poignancy in the core message. Of course, Obama is no longer president, and there is a feeling that his immediate presidential successor managed to undo decades of progress, leaving the US very much politically, socially and racially divided. Thankfully, Trump is now also out of office, but there’s a long way to go.
Alpha-Zoe Hall addresses the Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee; February 8, 2015:
“Good morning. I hope everyone can see this sign. I went to the UPS store yesterday to have my Colored Waiting Room sign bubbled wrapped for safe transport to church. A young white man, maybe in his twenties, helped me. When I took my sign out he did a double-take. He looked at me and said “I’ve heard of things like this. But this is the first time I’ve ever seen one. I don’t know how people could have treated people like that back then. I’m so sorry.” My reply to the young man? “Honey. Don’t be sad. It was the grace of God, and signs like this, that made us the strong people we are today.”
Just like that young man, some of you here may not have seen a sign like this before. Except maybe in pictures. Some might not even know what it means. And there are some, like me, who grew up during the period when signs like these were, like, everywhere. At entrances, exits, water fountains, restrooms, waiting rooms and halls. After Lincoln ‘set us free’ (so they say), Jim Crow laws were passed to make it illegal for any business or public entity to allow colored and white people to sit, eat, marry or associate with each other. And so, we had the birth of these colored signs.
I first noticed the Sign when I was a little girl walking downtown to catch a train. Union Station was a huge, beautiful building with marble floors, long polished wooden benches with cushions and big brass lights. I was awe struck. We entered through the door where the Sign was hanging. The room in which all people of color had to sit was half the size of our choir stand here, and had just one, hard bench. The room was packed full with people. One man stood up to give my mother a seat. Well, I was really ticked off because I could see all the empty seats elsewhere in the station. I kept asking my mother why did I had to stand up because there were lots of seats out there, until she pinched me and instructed me to hush.
So, the Signs. They were meant to keep us in our place, by repressing, intimidating, humiliating and making us feel less than human. Made by those who said we were ignorant. But I believe we were smart and waiting our time. We knew how to act in order to survive. We believed God did not give us any “giving-up bones”, so we obeyed their Signs. We were meek but not weak. Strong but not violent. Our backs were bent but not broken. We turned to our churches and preachers. We loudly sang spirituals with messages of hope and we gave vent to the Holy Spirit who gave us strength to obey the Signs. We may have been obedient, but we were no Uncle Toms.
I believe God answered our prayers. He opened a door, and out stepped the generation of the Negro. While obeying the Signs, colored people had become Negros. They had not counted on our ability to grow and triumph over adversity. The Sign did not impede our progress. We had become doctors, lawyers, educators, nurses, inventors, business owners and politicians. The majority of us may still have been in low paid jobs, but we were not subservient and in the evenings many of us went back to homes; homes that we owned. We built schools of higher learning and established services to provide better opportunities to our people. Yet we looked up, and the Signs were still there. And still we prayed.
God opened another door and out stepped the generation of Black people. Those Black people looked at the Signs and said “these have to go. We have contributed too much to society to be treated as a second class citizen.” So we marched, and prayed, protested, had sit-ins, suffered toils, snares and demeaning treatment. Still we prayed. We instilled pride in our young people and gave them role models. We fought for and won the vote to change the Jim Crow laws. God, in time, had changed the hearts of men, and the Signs were taken down.
Then once again another door was opened and out stepped the African-American. A generation of people living, enjoying and demanding the things of life that our people had dreamed, hoped and prayed for. A generation standing tall on the bent backs of their ancestors.
Remember that little girl fussing because she had to stand in the room with the Colored Waiting Room sign while there were seats in the big room? Well, years later, that same girl, me, walked into a booth, pushed a button and voted for a man of my race who became the president of these United States.”
Copyright E. Mark Windle / Alpha-Zoe Hall (2020, updated 2023).
E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and as a writer for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). For hire, contact via this site or emarkwindle@hotmail.com
Regarding what’s been pretty much an obsession with writing about southern soul music since I started out over ten years ago, House of Broken Hearts: The Soul of 1960s Nashville was undertaken in an attempt to resolve one nagging omission. A fair chunk of my travels has been spent scouring the Carolinas, Virginia, and Louisiana in an attempt locate, research and document the oral histories of solo recording artists and groups (initially for the book It’s Better To Cry, and then Rhythm Message). But I was always conscious that one particular southern state was well overdue attention.
Tennessee has two natural musical homes. Memphis and Nashville are separated by a couple of hundred miles – no distance at all in US terms admittedly – but both cities have unique, rich and intriguing identities. The musical heritage of Memphis has been explored so extensively that its contribution to popular music is now firmly cemented in the history books. In a literary sense, it’s actually quite comforting that such an abundance of work exists which celebrates all aspects of the Memphis tapestry, whether it be Beale Street, Sun Records, Stax, Graceland and rock ‘n’ roll, blues or jazz.
But what of Nashville? Much of that city’s soul music history has been obscured by its accolade as country music centre of the universe. The Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum proudly stand testament to that. But for those willing to dig deeper, there is an alternative story. For decades, a thriving and successful African American community thrived along Jefferson Street and in the surrounding neighbourhoods, and with that came a vibrant black music scene. Night clubs, bars and theatres provided a focal point for the development of jazz, R&B, and ultimately soul music. The ingredients for commercial success were all in place: home grown vocal talent, theatres for live performances, charismatic DJs and promoters, entrepreneurial record store owners, independent record labels, a radio station making soul accessible to teenagers across the southern states, and TV shows which featured soul music acts. It was also a time for white recording artists and musicians to experiment with black music. A crossroads where soul met country. For a brief period at least, the future seemed bright.
Ultimately the demise of this particular aspect of Nashville’s music industry lay largely in ill-planned urban renewal. Since the 1950s, Nashville residents had been witnessing large-scale changes in the cityscape which were threatening the cohesiveness of the black community. By the late 1960s, properties had been demolished, old theatres were torn down to make way for a major six-lane interstate highway, and green spaces and industrial premises were being constructed across the city. Music Row itself was created as a result of the clearance. More than 300 families and 200 single residents, mostly African American, were displaced through these processes, yet the city housing authority had no robust financial plans or arrangements in place for alternative accommodation plans to support residents. Many were forced to leave Nashville for affordable low rent housing elsewhere and never returned. Black music was still being created here, but with talent heavily diluted the the scene never fully recovered.
From the 1980s onwards, attempts to redress the balance included Nashville musician Fred James’ roll-call for blues and soul singers to perform and record in the studio again; and the highly praised Night Train exhibition by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum which acknowledged past contributions made by local soul and R&B singers. The CD spin-off from the exhibition was even a Grammy winner. To this day, in a little cafe just off Murfreesboro Pike, old faces from back in the day continue to reminisce and perform songs from their past to an intimate but appreciative audience.
Music City is long overdue formal recognition for its role in popularising soul music. Though a bit late in the day, that is progressively happening. The decision to locate the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville (with its grand opening in 2021) was no coincidence, and despite early concerns about how far it would go to represent the city’s local history rather than the broader national story, I’m informed that this apprehension is acknowledged and will be addressed. Meanwhile the goal of House of Broken Hearts: The Soul of 1960s Nashville is to put the spotlight once more back on to soul music’s halcyon days. You’ll find life stories in here about the likes of Jimmy Church, Frank Howard, Freddie North, Johnny Jones, Joe Simon, Jackie Beavers and many more. There’s also plenty of industry insight into the musicians, songwriters, producers, executives, media drivers and record labels of the day. Ultimately though, it’s a story which reflects the desperate need to preserve musical heritage, before those who lived through it all are no longer around to tell the tale, and “false memory” creeps in. Next time you’re passing through Nashville, be sure to call by Carol Anne’s Cafe.
Copyright 2023. E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and as a writer for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). To discuss potential projects, contact Mark via this site.
Almost twenty years ago, a book revolution was on the horizon. The advent of Sony e-reading devices in 2006 and the more commercially impactful Amazon Kindle the following year provided a new option for accessing literature. For the consumer, the convenience of having your new or favourite reads delivered cheaply and directly to your inbox and the ease of carrying multiple books on the run seemed to make complete sense. From the publishers’ perspective, a bolt-on marketable option was now available. A certain demographic less concerned with the physicality of their reading material could be reeled in. Digital book technology even made it easier for writers and the industry to create, update, republish and sell their books with minimum effort. It’s no coincidence that the timescale of the self-publishing boom matches that of milestone developments in e-book production.
But then there’s the reality. After nearly two decades of the concept being around, e-books are not quite the success story of the millennium. Physical books have been around for thousands of years ever since Egyptian papyrus scrolls were a thing. In subsequent centuries, religion provided a lot of the drive, particularly with the development of Islamic and Christian texts where illustrative elements provided extra aesthetic beauty. We’ve come a long way since the days of working with Sumerian slate, or scribing on the walls of caves, but our love affair of the printed book persists to this day.
On the surface, the reason why some people prefer physical books over digital formats are obvious, and not just because they are tangible, tactile objects. Ownership also implies representation. The titles that sit on our bookshelves are an indirect but collective statement of who we are, or at least who we would like to be. And, at a basic level, there will always be a technologically less able section of society who are keen readers but unwilling or unequipped to embrace the idea of an e-book. There is a flipside though. As we continue to squander the world’s natural resources, the price of paper and printing has risen by more than 20% this year and shows no sign of slowing. Logistical issues are also making printed book accessibility prohibitive – international freight transport and domestic distribution not only add to the carbon footprint, there are also implications for import taxes, spiralling postage costs and customs charges. Unhealthy international relations, like the UK’s bizarre decision to leave the EU, only exacerbate these effects. Small independent booksellers are squeezed out of the market, and even longstanding traditional publishing houses are feeling the pinch.
So could, or should, digital books be the answer? Well, apart from the obvious advantage of convenience, the innovation has had a major side effect of stimulating self-publication activity. This is a creatively important one, even if (unsurprisingly) it’s not embraced by traditional publishing houses. Some perceive the use of self-publishing platforms as bypassing quality control and the publisher power of veto. A moot point really. Self-publishing writers can and do independently access professional beta reading and editing services. Others argue it provides more freedom for writers to explore important but niche themes, which if pitched to a publisher would never have had a look-in due to a lack of marketability. Another e-book positive is that they could serve society through addressing some concerns of ecosystem and climate change, though paradoxically the electronics industry creates other issues in that regard.
The market introduction of e-books was hardly a damp squib, but the truth is that the honeymoon period is over. Of course, there will always be some consumers who are drawn to the electronic format. In 2020, 191 million e-books were sold worldwide. But that’s a fifth of the peak figure six years earlier, and recent number crunching by Statista Advertising and Media Outlook indicates that overall e-books sales continue to drag way behind that of the printed book. The US ranks high in the top digital book reading nations, yet their annual printed book sales are still twice that of e-books.
Perhaps rather than being bluntly decisive about the way forward for presenting narratives, we should make room for both formats. We’re also being told there’s a third option. While writers, publishers, content mills and book manufacturers tussle with the use, abuse and rate of progression of AI, all are pretty much in agreement it’s going to permanently drive the industry – for better or worse. In my main line of work – biography writing – certain aspects of life stories are now being captured directly from the storyteller through the deployment of AI in various ways. It’s early days, and at present the writer is often still positioned within the process, but many fear for the craft in the long term. The dystopian view of biographies being entirely constructed from a combination of a bot interviewer, artificial learning and data scraping, then to be presented in a neat audio-visual package may not be too far off. In fact I believe it’s already here. Vive la difference?
(Copyright 2023) E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). To discuss services for hire please contact Mark viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
They’ve been around for thousands of years, quite literally. Scribes were used without accreditation to capture oral histories and folklore from their communities and reproduce them in the written form, to copy and embellish existing religious texts, or to take on tasks of ancient senate office. Over subsequent centuries, the work of the ghostwriter diversified (even if the term wasn’t actually coined until the 1900s), to where we are at now – a discrete professional service hired to provide marketing copy, speeches, scripts, articles, non-fiction books and to a lesser extent, fiction, all in collaboration with their client.
There’s no question ghostwriters provide a recognised and valuable function within the commercial sector, but nothing seems to divide public opinion more than the concept of a ghostwritten biography. There’s no skirting around the fact that in less informed circles some feel the practice of employing a third party to write in the first person is tantamount to collusion. Clearly I’m here to tell you otherwise, though I do see why that thinking can be perpetuated when fuelled by displays of poor shows and bad receptions. Recent examples aren’t too hard to come by – take former Pulitzer Prize winner JR Moehringer’s work on Prince Harry’s memoir, published earlier this year. Spare is the fastest selling non-fiction book in the world (3.2 million copies sold within the first week of publication), yet simultaneously it has taken a hammering from critics and public alike. Moehringer even felt the need to defend himself by publishing a 7000-word retort (which unfortunately for him was equally ill-received). Then there are Isabel Oakeshott’s shenanigans as Matt Hancock’s ghostwriter. Some say an NDA breach was in the public interest. Others slate her for committing the mortal sin of breaking discretion, the one principle supposed to be upheld by all ghosts (she did have a history of doing this kind of thing, and Hancock should have seen that one coming). At the end of the day there will always be bad apples, or episodes of misjudgement, and these don’t do much to enhance the profession’s reputation. Negative public perception can be a hard thing to shift, and sometimes it’s justified.
Most book readers these days will not be at all surprised that A-list celebrities who wish to ponder over their humble origins and the paths to glory, or defend their fall from grace, often use an expert third party to assist them with their prose. Due to the nature of the beast, statistics are tricky if not impossible to obtain, but it’s been suggested that almost half the non-fiction books appearing on a certain US east coast newspaper’s bestseller list have had ghostwriter involvement. The notion that the practice is a devious one that intends to deceive is misinformed though, reflecting a lack of insight into what the role actually involves: identifying and presenting the client’s voice, whether that means brand image in the copywriter’s world, or that of the OG storyteller’s identity and personality in a biography writing context. It’s not a case of conning the reader. On the contrary, at its core ghostwriting is all about accurate representation.
More myth busters. Romanticised ideas of the profession, like spending months swanning about in some exotic location to work alongside your client and raking in huge amounts of cash along the way, are sadly way off the mark. Ghostwriter discretion generally extends to earnings, and figures vary depending on how big the project brief is. High profile projects do of course pay well – Moehringer is at the top of the tree, reportedly having received £850,000 for his contribution to Spare. But for the rest of us, juggling three, four or more gigs at the same time is commonplace and a financial necessity, as is constantly planning six months to a year ahead to ensure the calendar is full. It’s a competitive game, not only for independent writers, but also for those positioned within the writing pools of bio services.
So what defines a ghostwriter? They are more than technicians purely employed to conduct a series of interviews, transcribe, and get “it” all down on the page, thus saving the client some graft. Ghostwriters come from a variety of backgrounds, and have fingers in a number of pies. My own portfolio includes other non-fiction work (all author-declared by the way), such as articles, books and commentaries on music, culture and healthcare themes. Fiction, not so much – though of course creative non-fiction is actually a thing. In fact that’s exactly what a biographer does. A narrative has to be woven that flows, conveys character, and tells a life story in a cohesive, intriguing way that holds the reader’s attention, drawing their empathy and emotion. Commonly recognised elements of fiction writing are just as applicable to biography composition: story arcs and structure, appropriate use of dialogue, exploration of the five senses, focus on voice, character and setting, and so much more.
Some clients are natural storytellers, and others will freely admit having difficulty in stringing a sentence together. The majority are somewhere in the middle, but all have worthwhile stories to tell. The ghost has to extract that life story using semi-structured process, which not only explores the chronology and factual detail of personal events, but also identifies and emphasises underlying and recurring themes, and how life’s circumstances, opportunities and barriers influence choices and self-development. The tools needed to capture all this are varied. Research skills, an awareness of social and historical context, and interpersonal communication skills all feature.
Collaboration and rapport are crucial too of course. An arena has to be established where the client feels they can communicate openly and in a transparent manner, while trusting the writer’s prudence and discretion. Without striving for meaningful, two-way communication and maintenance of positive relationships, the project will stumble. Certain areas of investigation will require sensitivity and discussion regarding which rabbit holes to go down, or which stones are best unturned for moral or legal reasons. Impartiality should be part of the ghostwriter’s make up, as prejudgement results in tension and communication breakdown. Moral stand-offs between the parties can occur, but that’s where another skill comes in: conflict resolution, to identify the issue, and find a way forward.
Yes, the ghost is more than a literary technician. Add confidante, confessor, collaborator, negotiator, and above all, advocate. But let’s be clear, deception doesn’t appear on the resume of any self-respecting ghostwriter.
(Copyright 2023) E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). To discuss services for hire please contact Mark viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
It goes without saying that compatibility between ghostwriter and client is a key factor in facilitating the production of a high quality biography. The writer’s remit is to relate a life story that is authentic, believable, and engaging, and reflective of a world according to their client’s perspective. In theory, a match in personal attributes of both parties will foster empathy and understanding of character, as well as help to pin down ‘voice’.
Establishing a good working relationship as early as possible in the process is crucial. The author who operates autonomously can establish whether there’s likely to be a solid writer-client match at the enquiry stage, through an appropriate line of questioning while the brief is being refined. In writing pool scenarios, such as those managed by biographical services, matching may be the responsibility of an agency representative. A writer, or a sample of writers, is presented by the representative to the client based on potentially relatable factors; perhaps age, gender, interests, values and beliefs; or past life, work and cultural experiences pertinent to the brief.
In practice not all boxes are ticked, but that’s not necessarily a prerequisite. The relative importance of these factors should be considered on a case-by-case basis, with particular focus given to strengths likely to be priority requirements for the job rather than on the sum of attributes. Be wary of assumptions: age matching could optimise insight to era-related issues, events or context. But a much younger or older writer may possess special expertise in core themes (as identified in the brief), which have been gained through personal experience, social status or specific nuances of their school, life or university education where they have had one.
Disagreements and professional relationship breakdowns do occur, and ‘matching failure’ can be one contributory cause, but conflict may also arise as the project rolls out. Issues are often minor; peripheral research undertaken by the writer in the course of inquiry may contradict the client’s recollection of dates, events, timelines based on as supplied from memory, or assumed information about characters or events that appear in their life story. These discrepancies may not always be friction-causing, and with sensitive handling, diplomacy and gentle probing, they can usually be handled efficiently, and the process moved on. One school of thought – probably held more by memoirists than biographers – is that it is not the role of the ghost to overly challenge the storyteller’s version of events, as the writer is in danger of presenting something other than the client perspective, and of working against brief. However, the downside of accepting client recall sicut veritas is not just the loss of historical accuracy – it also allows potentially libellous content to slip into the narrative. There are a few clients who have an axe to grind with individuals, groups or institutions through their storytelling, though the writer can often spot the red flag early on in the process.
Some areas of disagreement between client and writer occur insidiously, particularly if not directly related to central themes. They may lie relatively dormant until a certain stage in the inquiry is reached, or a new anecdote or life event explored. Moral conflict has a particular sting and can be awkward to handle, especially if the polarised opinion only becomes apparent after the project has made significant headway. Consider differences in ethical stance, or other emotive issues including misogynistic, racist or non-inclusive viewpoints. There’s a moral (and often legal) responsibility not to allow these kinds of negative perspectives to go unchecked, or to present them in the manuscript. The ghostwriter’s moral compass will sway action: submissiveness is no option for any writer worth their salt. Usual conflict resolution interventions apply – the concern shouldn’t be ignored but clearly defined with the client, and both parties should come together to discuss the problem and identify a way forward. Easier than said done perhaps – calling a client out and explaining why certain opinions would be considered inflammatory or derogatory may be uncomfortable, but without it the project is harmed and legal repercussions can become a genuine possibility.
Divergence in opinion of how and what content should be presented at the draft manuscript stage is not unusual, and to a certain extent, to be expected. After all it’s the very reason why revision rounds are part of any sensible project plan. For the vast majority of clients, collaboration with a ghostwriter in research, interviewing and writing activities is a completely novel / alien concept, and an on-going learning experience. Despite best efforts to orientate the client from the outset, their personal vision and expectations of the end product might remain blurred to some degree, even at surprisingly late stages. The negotiation and refinement of a structural outline during or after the interview phase helps to minimise the risk of nasty surprises for either side later on in the process, as does the provision of sample content (before committing to the full first write) which informs the client of intended writing style and the capturing of voice.
Resolution of conflict requires avoidance of blame. It’s easy for the ghost to be defensive, but when structural outlay or approach to specific themes in the manuscript are way off the mark in hitting client expectations, this may reflect the writer’s lack of attention to the brief, or that it wasn’t adequately refined. The writer has as much responsibility for clarifying brief as his subject does. On the other hand, tensions at the draft stage can be a consequence of the client shifting the goalpost. This goes back to process naivety, where the experience is so immersive that enthusiasm conjures up thirteenth-hour memories, events, anecdotes, life-reflections and even plot twists: all of which can skew the direction of the original brief and introduce a headache in manuscript re-structuring, balance and word count.
When incompatibility, disagreement, straying from brief or out-and-out conflict are such that resolution is unrealistic even with mediation, project termination starts to look like the only exit (or at least writer reassignment if in a pool). For complete transparency, the right for either party to withdraw from a project with good cause, notice and conditions should always be stipulated in the contract. This protects both writer and client, though in the writer’s interests an appropriate financial arrangement must also be incorporated in the fine detail, whether it’s a kill fee to reflect the point of exit and to (adequately) compensate for the projected loss of writer income; or payment milestones connected to intermediate deliverables to ensure payment is received for all work done to date. With good matching, communication and editorial support, there’s little reason for relationships to deteriorate to the point of no return. Sadly, it does sometimes happen.
(Copyright 2023) E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). Contact him viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
This week marks the passing of singer Curtis Johnson, founding member of Memphis soul group The Astors. They may be one of Stax’s less instantly recognisable acts (at least to a mainstream audience), but their work is very familiar to, and respected by, the UK and European rare soul scenes, beach music fans in the south eastern US states, and among southern soul collectors across the globe. All with good reason; The Astors were there pretty much from the beginning. Witnesses to and participants of the birth of Jim Stewart’s and Estelle Axon’s empire, their talents were undeniable. Close harmonies and strong lead vocal deliveries put Curtis and his friends as much at ease with deep soul balladry as uptempo melody, and The Astors would become not only recording artists in their own right but also a regular go-to for backing other artists on the Stax roster. As was the way with many vocal groups of their era, Vietnam eventually got in the way, national success eluded them and lives went in different directions. Perhaps if not for military drafting, the boys’ tenure at Stax could have lasted the duration of the label’s history? We’ll never know.
Curtis Johnson and I first met while I was researching and collecting oral histories for Rhythm Message. He struck me as a quiet, unassuming man, who was surprised but pleased at the transatlantic interest in his own and his friends’ life stories, professional careers and the contribution they made to the soul music industry. Curtis embraced the opportunity to talk about the old days with me over a series of interviews back in 2014, and the article which follows here is the result.
During the years that succeeded Rhythm Message I toyed with the idea of an even deeper exploration of The Astors story as a full book project, and a few months ago we connected again to pursue the idea properly. This time, Curtis’ health issues were apparent, and he feared his now fading memory would not do the project justice. Another sad reminder of the urgent need for documentation and preservation of our music history, before it’s lost forever.
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“Orange Mound was and still is a community of families, churches, and businesses with a whole lot of civic pride” says Curtis Johnson. “As children growing up there, we genuinely felt that pride. We enjoyed the love and support of families in a community that was like a miniature self-sufficient Memphis. Parents watched out for other neighbours’ children – including correcting them where necessary!”
Orange Mound, one of the first districts to be purpose-built by and for the black community in Tennessee, was constructed in the 1890s on former plantation-owner property. As a source of affordable housing, African-Americans heading into Memphis from the surrounding rural areas in search of work sought to settle here, and Curtis’ family were among those who arrived post Depression.
“My story in music begins in the mid 1950s, when some friends and I from Melrose High School decided to form a group. I already had a bit of experience in church vocal groups. That was my grandmother’s doing – she played piano, sang in church and directed the choirs. I also took piano lessons from a local music teacher as a child, and played horn in the Melrose High band. Eliehue Stanbeck was musically as active as me. We were classmates, and became close friends. Often we’d get together after school to mess around and harmonize old doo-wop songs, just for fun.
Sometime in 1958 we heard about a guy in our community called Herman “Red” Arnett who was planning to audition students for a teenage vocal group. Red had been a piano player with several bands in various Memphis nightspots and was setting up auditions after school at his home in Orange Mound. What the heck, Eliehue and I thought. Let’s try out.
It was at these auditions where we met Sam Jones, Richard Harris, Richard Griffin, and George Harper, four other black guys who’d been singing with their own doo-wop groups. Red auditioned other kids, but he kept inviting the six of us to come back for months of rehearsals. Christened The Duntinos, we started to put ourselves about: auditioning at clubs, and performing at talent shows and school functions. The Duntinos started to gain a bit of a reputation around town, though Richard Griffin and George Harper eventually left the group for one reason or another. Red managed us for a while, but soon he was back on the circuit playing piano again and so he had to move on.”
The Duntinos’ next mentor came in the form of Rufus Thomas, while still performing weekly gigs at The Plantation Inn, clubs around West Memphis and Arkansas, and at Club Handy on Beale St. in Memphis.
“We knew Rufus by competing on a few talent shows with his daughter Carla and some other local artists. Rufus seemed to take a shine to us. At the time he was a popular radio personality at WDIA, as well as a comedian and singer, and everyone around town knew of him. He had a band that toured around the Memphis area and started taking us on gigs to open his own show. Under the tutelage of Rufus, we were taught stage showmanship (he was master), and he helped us make our rounds to local recording studios, including Sun Records.
None were really interested in signing us at that point, though they were quick to take our material. Without a real manager, we handled most of our business ourselves and didn’t really know what we were doing. Sometimes we’d be strung along by a label for a while. Our lyrics and melodies would be stolen, because we were wet behind the ears as far as the copyrighting process was concerned.”
Next up was a brief spell in New York, as The Duntinos were still hunting for a recording contract:
“My mother, younger sister Dorothy and brother Harold had lived in Buffalo, N.Y. Since we hadn’t been able to get a recording deal in Memphis, Eliehue, Richard Harris, Sam, and I decided to go out to Buffalo for the summer after my school graduation. We had hopes of getting a break there. New York was apparently where good things were happening for young entertainers, and we thought we might have a better chance on the east coast. What we didn’t realize at the time was that Buffalo was nearly 500 miles from New York City! Needless to say, we didn’t have much luck in there. We played the bars and taverns, earning tips and working odd jobs during the day. We stuck it out for a bit, but Richard and Sam had to return to Memphis at the end of the summer break to finish their schooling.
On his return, Carla Thomas contacted Sam about a new recording studio that had opened in an old theatre building in south Memphis. Carla said she and Rufus were getting ready to record there, and advised Sam he might want to check it out. So he did, and felt this could be our big opportunity, here right on our doorstep. Sam urged Eliehue and me to come straight back home – Rufus was keen to use us on backup vocals for a recording session he and Carla had lined up. With options in Buffalo running out fast it was a no brainer. We returned to Memphis, and Rufus introduced us to Jim Stewart and that was that. In no time we were signed up with Satellite Records, and began a stint of regular backup vocal work for Rufus and Carla, Nick Charles and others. After a period of time, Satellite’s session guitarist, songwriter and producer Chips Moman suggested to Jim Stewart that he’d like to produce some of our songs. We recorded two with him.”
Those tracks were “You Make Me Feel So Good”, penned by Curtis who sang lead vocal, and “As You Can See”, written by Eliehue Stanback, with Eliehue on lead. Both songs featured on their first 45 (Satellite S-105) released under the new group name, The Chips – clearly Moman’s idea. The record failed to make any great waves, and later that year, Curtis had to serve in the United States Air Force. They did their best to maintain momentum. On home leave, Curtis would meet up with the others to write and rehearse songs for booked sessions for Satellite, over two or three days at a time. In 1963, and after a final name change to The Astors, “What Can It Be” was released on Satellite’s successor imprint – Stax – backed with “Just Enough to Hurt Me” (Stax S-139), written by Larry Lee, with Curtis on lead.
“Larry Lee lived just a few doors from the Stax studio. He’d introduce his songs to us when I came home on leave. We’d work them up with him then introduce them as an option to Jim Stewart. Other songs of Lee’s we recorded during that period, but not released until the 1990s were “A Woman Who Needs The Love Of A Man” and “Uncle Willie Good Time”, released on “4000 Volts Of Stax” (Stax CDSXD 107) and “Be My Lady” on “Do The Crossover Baby” (Kent CDKEND105). Larry Lee later played guitar with Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock Festival, and spent over 20 years as Al Green’s on-the-road guitarist and band leader.”
Unlike other acts who recorded for Stax, particularly later in the decade, The Astors’ output was often focussed on group harmonies, with instrumentation complementing but not dominating the vocal performance. “Just Enough to Hurt Me” typified this approach, providing a magnificent mid-tempo track reminiscent of The Impressions, sitting on the cusp of doo-wop and soul. This record is both rare and in-demand, carrying one of the heaviest collector price tags on the Stax imprint. Demand for this 45 has primarily been from US group harmony and early soul collectors, although in recent years has also attracted the interest of UK and European rare soul collectors.
The Astors’ biggest hit for the label was “Candy” (Stax S-170) backed with “I Found Out”, reaching number 12 on the Billboard top 100 charts in 1965. “Candy” was written by Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes, and its success, particularly in the south eastern states gave the group a promotional boost, performing across the US in Philadelphia, Chicago and at the Apollo in New York. The Astors also took up a number of TV appearances during this period.
“That song was our biggest record, and another one that was recorded while I was home on military leave. It really seemed to take off regionally, then started moving up across the national record charts, but I wasn’t able to tour until I was blessed with an honourable ‘Early-Out’ discharge from USAF, due to the government closing the base where I was stationed. We first performed at the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia, PA for ten days, doing three shows per day. We shared the line-up with The O’Jays, The Coasters, Esther “Little Esther” Phillips, The Knight Brothers, Bessie Griffin and The Gospel Pearls and Redd Foxx. While we were there, we were sorted with a manager (Herb Nahan, an auto dealer) and a Chrysler Station wagon, and signed with Ruth Bowen of the Queen Booking Agency for more gigs. The Astors toured other venues (mostly in the north-east) with Chuck Berry, Major Lance, Walter Jackson, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions and several others. We spent several weeks on tour with The James Brown Review too. We also played The Apollo Theater in New York, The Regal Theater in Chicago and The Howard Theater in Washington, DC. All seven to ten day stands. Later we made a return ten day stand at The Uptown Theater with James Brown.
Things were really looking up for us now. During the summer of 1965 we flew from the east coast to Los Angeles to meet up with some of the other Stax artists and spent thirteen days filming “Where The Action Is” (a Dick Clark TV production), and appearing on music variety shows like Shivaree, Shebang and Hollywood-A-Go-Go. In the evenings there would be performances with Billy Preston on Sunset Strip, and at the 5-4 Ballroom with Rufus, Carla Thomas, Booker T & MG’s, William Bell, The Mad-Lads and Wilson Pickett. This was all recorded and ultimately released on “Funky Broadway: Stax Live At The 5/4 Ballroom” (SCD-8567-2).
The story about the Stax artists getting stranded in LA for days when the Watts riots broke out is well documented now, but we were lucky and managed to return home just before everything properly blew up. Before long we were back in the studio, recording our fourth release, the moody “In the Twilight Zone” (Stax S-179), penned by Isaac Hayes, Dave Porter and Sidney Bailey, and with me on lead vocal again. We returned to touring for a while and opened at a large new Memphis nightclub called The Hippodrome, We had a bit of a residency there and performed nightly for several months. We were there with a group of young elementary school musicians, our backup band, that were to become The Bar-Kays. Two more songs were recorded in 1967 at Stax with my brother Harold Johnson, after Richard Harris left the group for a while to spend more time with his family: namely “Daddy Didn’t Tell Me” written by Booker T. Jones, and “More Power to You” (Stax 45-232) written by David Porter and me.
Sam and Eliehue didn’t escape their turn to be drafted into the Army. The rest of us tried performing as a three member group for a while before deciding to go our own separate ways. The time at Stax opened a few doors for me. I took up a song writing position for the local division of Mercury Records, and became producer and director of “A&R R&B products”. I wrote for and produced a number of Mercury artists, including Margie Hendricks and Bobby Hebb. In 1969 Harold and I helped form a group of singers and musicians called Brothers Unlimited. This huge (fourteen member) group toured the Gulf Coast cities and local Memphis nightclubs. We recorded an album, “Who’s For The Young” which Capitol Records released in 1970, and in much later years was reissued by Fallout Records. The group continued to perform until disco came along and we disbanded. I decided to move to Buffalo.
In 1975 Sam Jones, Harold “Quake” Johnson, John “Cousey” Harris, (one of the founders of Brothers Unlimited) and I set up our own production company, Funk Factory Productions Inc., and Funk Factory Publishing Co., operating out of Dayton Ohio, Buffalo, and Memphis. In the late seventies the four of us came together in Buffalo, and produced, recorded and released “Wake Up (You’re Sleeping A Bit Too Late)” backed with “If You Ain’t Got No Money (You Can’t Get No Honey)” (Funk Factory Records FFA1001), under the name The C.Q.C’S. (Curtis-Quake-Cousey-Sam).
The Astors hadn’t performed on stage together since 1968. Around 2013 we were asked by Tim Sampson, Communications Director at the Soulsville Foundation, to perform at the 4th Annual Stax To The Max Festival in the grounds of the Stax Museum, Stax Music Academy, Soulsville Foundation, and Soulsville Charter School. We were very honoured, but hesitated because we hadn’t performed together (other than at birthdays or family get togethers) for over forty-five years. We talked it over and decided it would be fun. We put in the time necessary to get back in shape musically for the show and had fun times in rehearsals, and recalling the old days at Stax with the students at Soulsville. As far as the show April 28, 2013 was concerned, it was a thrill to be back on stage together again. Our children, grandchildren, and even some of our spouses had never seen us perform on stage live before. It was just a truly wonderful and humbling experience which I’m extremely thankful for.”
(Copyright 2023) E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). Contact him viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
When I asked reissue / retrospective soul label owner Garry Cape about the motivating factors for his 2020 return to the soul market with the reactivation of his Hit and Run label series, issues of mortality seemed to be at the top of the list:
“I guess it had something to do with my good friend John Anderson becoming ill and passing away recently. It made me think. I’d had some health issues a few years back. What if I was gone? I generally work alone. So I’m sitting on a bunch of unreleased recordings that would potentially never see the light of day, and that would be a real shame.”
The Garry J. Cape story starts in the early to mid-1960s. His name well known among music fans and record collectors across a number of scenes, both through independent activities and his collaborations with John Anderson. I read a comment somewhere that the soul scene found these two individuals, not the other way around; reflecting their eclectic taste for a wide range of deep sweet and southern soul, some which fitted the northern scene perfectly, even if not by design:
“Where do I start? I have an interest in all things Americana. My first entry into the world of soul in the 1960s was an appreciation of American music through hearing cover versions by UK artists on the radio and TV as a school kid. My longer-term interest was probably initiated by the Stax and Atlantic R&B releases of the time. I was at that age where you wanted to stand out as an individual. While most of my friends were interested in Detroit and Chicago sounds, it felt like I was the only around who was fully immersed in southern soul, and I was doing that by buying imports. Most kids I knew who were into soul would go straight to the Dave Godin pages when the Blues and Soul magazine came out. For me, it was the John Abbey section. Southern soul was his thing, and his perspectives struck a chord with what I was listening to at the time. Soon buying vinyl from Ernie Young’s Nashville mail-order company, and Stan’s in Shreveport, Louisiana. It took an age to order and receive these records from the States, but I was still generally picking them before any had a chance to be issued on UK labels. And so I turned my hand to buying and selling records to schoolmates.”
Eventually Garry left school to work for the civil service in the tax office, while continuing to deal in record sales on an informal, part time basis. The first move toward reissuing music likely originated from his mail order dealings with Ernie Young in Nashville. Young owned the legendary Excello records, home of licensed-in swamp blues as well as locally produced R&B, gospel and soul music.
Ernie’s Record Mart was located on 179 Third Avenue. Young (the uncle of WSOK founder Cal Young) was primarily interested in selling records but used his own shop to set up the gospel orientated Nashboro record label and then Excello a year later. Excello was to become one of the most successful and prolific Nashville early R&B labels. Ted Jarrett, in his biography “You Can Make It If You Try”, commented on the cramped conditions artists had for recording at Ernie’s place; gospel would be recorded on the bottom floor of the shop with a simple microphone set up, and R&B upstairs in a small room. DJ Morgan Babb would broadcast his show from Ernie Young’s record shop window in the early 1950s, and at its peak a decade or so later, around a thousand mail orders were processed on a daily basis, including soul 45s sent to collectors in the UK and Europe.
Garry Cape with southern soul singer Ollie Nightingale (1993).
A symbiotic relationship existed between Ernie Young and DJ John Richbourg who worked for Nashville’s WLAC radio station, one of the first in the US to broadcast R&B. Since the 1940s WLAC had a 50,000 wattage broadcasting capability, enabling twenty-eight states to receive a signal; reaching parts of Canada and the tip of Southern Florida. The primary intention of WLAC from the outset was to serve the relatively untapped black audience across the deep south. As “race music” became labelled R&B, Richbourg would run night-time shows, when the broadcasting signal was strongest. The coverage by WLAC had, in a literal sense, far-reaching effects. The station played a major part in giving teenagers – black and white – access to soul music in the south, and Richbourg would promote Ernie Young’s record mail order business on air.
Richbourg first got a taste for the recording business by using WLAC’s studio facilities to record gospel music, then gradually other facilities at Stax and American Recording Studios in nearby Memphis. His preference moved progressively towards recording R&B and soul acts, both for his own label in the early 1960s, and for lease to third party labels, culminating in a partnership with Monument owner Fred Foster which took the Sound Stage 7 label to great heights. In terms of soul music releases, Sound Stage 7 was certainly one of the most prolific to come out of Nashville, featuring Joe Simon, Ann Sexton, Roscoe Shelton, Roscoe Robinson, Jackey Beavers, The Avons, The Valentines, Latimore Brown and several others. Richbourg’s production and artist management skills and activities were pooled under the J.R. Enterprises banner. Raw local talent and in-leasing of artists from other parts of Tennessee and the cities of the north ensured longevity for the label.
A departure from WLAC occurred in 1973 after disagreeing with the station’s decision to change musical programming towards a mainstream pop format. Richbourg’s attention turned to creating new labels, Seventy Seven and Sound Plus. He was still utilising some artists from the Sound Stage 7 days, but also finding new singers like Ann Sexton. As he owned the old masters as part of the severance deal with Fred Foster (when Foster decided to close the label to concentrate on his country music interests), he was also in a position to reissue tracks. This is where John Richbourg and Garry Cape connected professionally.
“I’d already been doing quite a bit of business with John Richbourg by mail starting in the mid-1970s. At that point I was about the only English dealer selling to Japan” Garry remembers. “He started reissuing a lot of deep soul from Sound Stage 7 on his Sound Plus label. I also developed a market in Holland with the Surinam guys who were into the same stuff and was buying thousands of Sound Plus 45s from him by this time. I met John face to face in Louisiana in 1978. He had a brother in New Orleans, so he drove down from Nashville and we had spent some time together. He was a great guy, always very courteous. He tried to sell me his masters but I declined. Seems kinda nuts now but at that time he’d just leased them to Japan who had produced a range of related LPs. I also had J.R. repress several things for me which he had not already done. Sometimes they would be on Sound Plus. Sometimes they would end up being on his other label Seventy Seven as he had thousands of untitled labels which he needed to use up! I recall having him press me 5,000 copies of Ann Sexton – I sold half of them in the UK for the Northern side and the others in Holland and Japan for the deep flip.”
Now in his late twenties, Garry had to make a career decision. “I was at the point where I was ready to take on record dealing full time. I’ve never liked to be idle and found that I was working on the day job all day and spending every evening selling records. I was young enough to take a risk. I knew I had the income tax career to fall back on if things didn’t work out. For the first few years things went well. I was importing records from the US and selling to the UK, Europe and Japan, trading as Black Grape.”
Hit and Run, the first Cape-owned imprint, was also established during this time. Garry was in touch with Stewart Madison of Alarm Records in Shreveport, Louisiana. Madison would eventually move onto Malaco, and Garry does not deny the impact Madison had on opening various doors to artists and unreleased material over subsequent decades. For Hit and Run 5001 “Married Lady” / “Are You Living With The One You’re Loving With?” by Murco recording artist Eddie Giles was chosen. Both sides did see a 45rpm release in 1973 (Alarm 106), though most subsequent releases would consist of unissued songs from Bobby Sheen, Bobby Patterson, Erma Shaw and others.
“Hit and Run has always been around, I’ve always kind of had it as a label. Pressing runs were usually around 500 each time. A short series of 45rpm releases also appeared on Special Agent. I did these for the Dutch market, who were interested in deep soul and I’d been asked for certain recordings. For that reason I kept the imprint separate from Hit and Run. It was basically more of a straight-forward business arrangement providing a service for a third party, and carried releases from artists like the Ohio Players, Herman Hitson, Johnny Adams and Percy Milem. Eventually I had issues with the people from Holland, and things came to an end when they started sourcing their own artists.”
By the early 1980s, Garry was finding it harder to sell 45s. He returned to his income tax career, and thought it was time to sell his stock. “In my head at the time I just wanted out of the game. I attempted to sell it all to Soulbowl but even John (Anderson) was finding it hard for while. So, it was another ten years back in the tax office full-time, with little activity in the soul music business for me. Then in the mid-nineties the tax office were scaling things down – they offered a decent redundancy package, and I took that to start importing 45s again in 1996.
“Both John Anderson and I were importing stuff together over thirty years, going back and forward to the US. We kept running into each other because of the nature of the work and we’d turn up at the same music festivals. We both had stuff that we wanted to put out. I’d say the two individuals who have influenced my career directions in the soul label field have been John Abbey and John Anderson. I was never into hardcore northern soul as such and didn’t necessarily follow John Anderson from the angle of digging for hard to find 45s. But he was like an older brother to me who I respected and admired for the business he had established over the decades.
A ‘new’ Grapevine label seemed to be a logical vehicle for our collaboration. Initially John wasn’t keen on the idea, thinking Grapevine imprint was done and dusted as a concept. But I felt that adopting the name would be a positive. Eventually we settled on Grapevine 2000. We became formal business partners setting up the Grapevine Music Group and released over sixty 45s and thirty-five CDs over a seven-year period. Grapevine only came to an end, when John had a desire to move into more contemporary recordings. Soul Junction was started to deal with this product. I eventually came out of it and Dave Welding stepped in with John to continue the label.”
Grapevine 2000 would showcase an eclectic mix of recordings including rare 1960s soul such as The Magnetics and The Servicemen, and unissued or hard-to-find 1970s / modern soul recordings such as Guitar Ray, Sandra Wright and Choice of Colour.
The Soulscape CD series was to be the next venture for Garry, aiming towards a southern soul market:
“I had access to the master tapes from Malaco. They had purchased the songs owned by Muscle Shoals Sound song writers. I found all these song writer demos – literally thousands of them. Admittedly certain tracks you only needed to hear for five seconds and – wow – no thanks. But lots of great quality material too. Listening through all the tapes was a hard slog but I am particularly proud of getting two albums out on George Jackson and another two by Philip Mitchell, both presenting recordings from their 1972-74 period. Another achievement for me was finding Mary Gresham. Previously she was unheard of; she did have a couple of singles out but they were by her and her ex-husband. There are some great tracks on her album “Voice from the Shadows” (Soulscape SSCD7008). I released a couple of them on 45: “I’ll Never Let You Walk Alone Again” / “You’ve Never Really Loved Until You’ve Loved Someone” (Hit and Run 1501). I don’t think I have any product which didn’t turn out the way I wished. I’m not going to put something out if I don’t have faith in it. Otherwise it just isn’t worth the effort. Also to be fair I had a lot of quality material at my disposal. As I was in and around the Shoals area generally, other doors opened up for me which gave me access to future projects. I could never break into the FAME thing though as I think Rick Hall was holding out for too high a price for his stuff. Despite that, the Soulscape series was pretty successful, and I ended up doing thirty-one CD titles in the end.
I returned to the Hit and Run label in 2009. I was still getting calls about the Soulscape CDs and being asked if had I any plans about doing some 45s from them. So I put out a few which did well. A heart attack around that time though required a change in what I was doing. Health professionals were telling me to cool off a little. I was constantly travelling to the US, maybe four or five times a year and always on the go. I had to make some lifestyle changes. I still kept an ear to the soul scene but slowed right down. People would keep asking for the old Soulscape CDs, vinyl and the possibility of releasing more tracks. But again I was out of it….until now. John Anderson’s passing made me reflect on my position. I’ve nearly always worked alone, and somebody needs to put this stuff out in case it’s lost forever. With that, the Hit and Run label is now reactivated from 2020.
The focus has always been southern soul, featuring recordings taken from previously unreleased master tapes and occasionally from ultra-rare 45s. I’m now excited to get this product out. It’s a different selling landscape now compared to the 1970s and 1980s. I like the idea of working through social media and the internet as opposed to the wholesale world I used to operate in. It keeps me in touch directly with the buying market, and nice to build an interested customer base on social media. The idea for me at the end of the day is not to earn a huge income – at my age and situation I’m comfortable enough. But I like to keep busy. I’m not one to sit still and the passion for soul music is still very much there. My goal and dream now is just to get the music out there and heard.”
(Copyright 2020, updated 2023). E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). Contact him viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
In the metaphorical sense, writers are obsessed with finding voice. Whether it’s their own for a self-penned memoir, an imaginary character in fiction writing, or for brand representation in commercial copy, the goal is to tell a story that is believable, relatable, representative of the subject and always deserving of the reader’s attention.
In ghostwritten biographies, conveying a voice that authentically represents the client is nothing short of vital. That first person narrative has to go beyond literal displays of inflection, dialect and pronunciation, even though some of that may well reach the page. Ultimately what we are referring to is capturing personality. Nailing a succinct definition is tough: the American Psychological Association describes personality as “the enduring characteristics and behaviour that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns.” In part, it’s derived from values instilled in us as children, through learned behaviour, life events and societal expectations.
Some character traits that make up personality (particularly opinion, beliefs and values), are not as static as one might assume. One of my interviewees, a therapist who has experienced a life full of challenging events, astutely observed that her resilience came about through a continuous semi-conscious activity of reflection on experiences, and internalisation of lessons learned. Examples of this kind of re-evaluation are obvious in more mature years (consider religious curiosity, or mortality-related beliefs – is this it? Is there an afterlife?), although it happens throughout the entire life cycle.
So, accepting that character traits can be fluid, how does the ghostwriter capture their client’s personality? Establishing rapport at the beginning of the interview process is clearly a top priority. Without it there is no transparency. The subject should feel safe, and be at ease with exposing thoughts, emotions, or dilemmas that are mentally battled with daily. A sound client-writer match is critical, as is the introductory session, where care can be taken to explain why the both parties are a good fit, to answer queries or concerns, and provide reassurances of discretion. A firm relationship of trust and openness is required in order to find that window to the soul.
Getting a feel for voice and personality in the interview situation itself also demands close attention to verbal and non-verbal cues. Speech is a good starting point. It’s a very tangible point of reference after all. Dialect, accent, habitual phrases, whispering delivery or authoritative vocal projection provide instant identity, as does the dialogue in respect of expressed social beliefs and values, or political tone. Some nuances can be easily transposed to text, but beware of falling into the trap of over-writing mannerisms or assuming stereotype. The knack is to present the uniqueness of the subject, not to pigeonhole them.
Cocktail hour stories, as one of my US editors calls them, are those anecdotes which will be very familiar to immediate family, friends and acquaintances. These yarns get an airing at every social gathering, especially where there’s a new audience to be had. The writer-client interview is no exception. The reason behind their repetition, particularly when the storyteller is a central part of the tale, often lies in some kind of mental connect. Maybe a need to amplify self-perceived attributes of humour, sarcasm, vulnerability or strength. All “voice” then, and at least some of these cocktail hour stories are worthy of going in the writer’s pot.
Physical distance and logistics might be a barrier, but there’s really no substitute for in-person interviewing. The storyteller’s own surroundings can be almost as informative of character as dialogue. Zoom sessions offer convenience and accessibility, but have limitations – theatrical room set-ups and sitting in a broom cupboard for the sake of a decent Wi-Fi connection are the kind of things that mask insight. Conducting interviews in the physical rather than virtual environment provides an opportunity to take note of sights, smells and sensations that contribute to the bigger picture. Seemingly incidental objects – furniture, paintings, that crucifix on the wall, chaotic or peaceful ambience, and degrees of domestic disarray – may be invaluable in steering the inquiry and informing character. I discovered that during a series of sessions one freezing cold winter, holed up in a work yard office Portakabin with my family business-owning storyteller. Just being present in that setting imparted an immediate sense of place and person, as did being surrounded by the dozens of treasured photographs, newspaper clippings and accolades that lined the walls of this tiny space. These were all effects reflecting family origin stories, the contribution made by ancestors to get the client to where he is now, and the company’s challenges and achievements.
Biographical writing involves a range of skills: research, interpersonal communication, peripheral observation, and of course creative process. The goal of the ghostwriter’s craft is to articulate a life story that’s not only accurate and immersive, but conveys the storyteller’s spirit, while the ghost disappears into the ether. Find the client’s voice, and you’re half way there.
(Copyright 2023). E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). Contact him viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
Right, let’s get this straight. The creation and implementation of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is to guard privileged trade or personal information. As such, it is one way of interpreting the UK’s Data Protection Act, which gives individuals and organisations the right to privacy, and control over how divulged information is used. From a ghostwriter’s or biographer’s perspective, NDAs are a necessary part of the day job when working with clients. In some cases, as with mutually agreed (or “two-way”) NDAs used in commercial situations, it can even protect the rights of both parties.
The theme of NDAs and writer responsibilities to uphold their terms has raised its head most recently as a result of the kafuffle between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and political journalist / writer Isabel Oakeshott. The leak of over 100,000 WhatsApp messages by Oakeshott and The Telegraph has led to a mountain of potentially far-reaching incriminations, adding to Hancock’s already tainted reputation during and since the Covid pandemic. This week’s main talking point from the leaks has been his rejection of advice presented by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to test all residents going into care homes in England. A matter denied by Hancock but as yet to be elucidated.
While there may be a legal and moral obligation for writers to work within the confines of an NDA, there are no shortage of examples where they have been used in malevolent ways; ensuring that the dirty linen of unscrupulous commercial or institutional entities are kept firmly in the wash box, and that mouths of employees or contracted individuals are zipped tightly shut. The fact that in 2019, Matt Hancock pledged to remove NDAs used in the NHS, with the intention of giving whistle-blowers the freedom to speak out about concerns within the organisation, is an irony and at odds with his behaviour now.
As far as Isabel Oakeshott is concerned, I reckon I could easily pick out those individuals from a crowd who would rather exert their knee-jerk attack on her integrity as a journalist than defend her actions for what may turn out to be the greater good. Possibly the same people who feel Matt Hancock was only doing his job to the best of his abilities in unprecedented times. Hmm.
Either way, both parties are equally unwholesome. Only sinners and no saints feature in WhatsAppgate. Along with her professional relationship with Michael Ashcroft and Biteback Publishing, the company that published Hancock’s memoir, Oakeshott’s past trail of scandal-mongery was already strewn, with – yes – more leaking of Tweets, text messages and emails. Then again, that only makes the current situation more odd in that Hancock thought it a wise move to share all with this particular individual for his book.
And hang on a minute. At present we don’t know the actual nature of what the NDA terms were, or the fine detail of how they were breached. Pro-Hancock Oakeshott-haters shouldn’t forget that breaching an NDA can be legally upheld if failure to disclose information would otherwise stash a criminal act out of sight, or if the exposed content could be used as evidence in court. The problem is that these are often retrospective legal findings; telling all is a risk that the potential exposer has to weigh up themselves before taking the leap. Let’s see how Oakeshott’s “in the public interest” argument stands up in court. The Telegraph has reportedly been sifting through the messages for months. How much content is an indictment of Hancock’s own or other colleagues’ past actions will all come out in the wash over time.
The legal ramifications of a data breach, as all journalists, newspapers and publishers are acutely aware, can include a court injunction to stop further bean-spilling as a minimum. Then there are a couple of biggies; a client claim for damages, or a fine imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office of up to £17.5 million for misprocessing of personal information, including data leaking. No doubt damages will be one hole Hancock is going down, but you can bet Oakeshott and The Telegraph have their backsides covered.
There’s no question that elements of the Data Protection Act and the GDPR relating to the non-sharing of data, and the collection and processing of minimum information required “for purpose only” have been contravened. But there is something to consider about the spirit of the law. Let’s not forget Hancock and the Tories have a lot answer for. Where to even start? The care home scandal, denials about national shortage or distribution issues of PPE (those who know, know – I was working in ICU at the time), NHS staff “rewarded” with a 1% pay rise (actually a cut below the rate of inflation), test and trace contracts worth billions of pounds dished out to Tory pals. Oh, and there’s the matter of an extra marital snog with an aide on CCTV during social distancing restrictions.
Let’s just hope the Scales of Justice prevail, unless of course Lady Justice herself is in on the act.
(Copyright 2023). E. Mark Windle is a freelance writer and biographer, working independently, as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). Contact him viahttps://windlefreelance.com/contact/
