Several years ago. Stanley Mitchell described Robert West as a "quiet guy, someone you would expect knew nothing about the business."

However forty five years after his first recordings, Robert is recognised as one of the pioneers of the Detroit Sound.

Born Robert L. West in Montgomery, Alabama on 1st March 1912 he moved to the Motor City in 1935 in search of a better life.

Twenty years later he was emerging as a serious contender to Jack and Devora Brown's R&B label, Fortune.

In the Business Pages number 18657 James Couzens was listed as a "Recording Service" which suggests he had put together some kind of studio.

18657 James Couzens

Silhouette would provide approximately seven or eight releases in it's short life, the best of which was by local group, The Falcons. Number 521/522 was "Sent up"/"Can this be Christmas". Both sides were produced by Robert as was most of his product over the years. The top side was written by Falcon's guitarist Lance Finnie; the flip side by bass singer Willie Schofield.

The Falcons had formed in 1956 and were initially a mixed race group. By the time of the Silhouette recording however they had a formidable line up which also included West's nephew Eddie Floyd, Joe Stubbs and Mack Rice. West was their Manager.

The Falcons would go on to great things but Silhouette's other artists sank without trace. They were the Valdoros, the Classmates, Jan Wynn, the Vo-cals and Jim Beasley & the Charmers.

Silhouette was soon replaced by a new label and a move to new premises.

Kudo was based in Room 1114 in the United Artists building in the heart of Downtown Detroit. It looks like this was basically an office in Room 14 on the eleventh floor.

Obviously impressed by the Falcons, they would provide Kudo's first release.

It was "This heart of mine", written by a young Bob Hamilton, who would go on to write many songs for the Golden World empire.

The song was good enough to be re-recorded by the Chess brothers in Chicago the following year and a version was also released on Billy Davis and Gwen Gordy's Anna label, in an attempt to cash in on the success of a later Falcon's song.

This was a promising start for West's new venture.

Continued