In early '62, another move heralded the emergence of West's signature label, Lu Pine. This time his address was that of the American Record Pressing Plant in Owosso, Michigan, which is about one and a half hours north of Detroit.

ARP played a major part in the Detroit story until it burned to the ground in late October 1972. However I find it strange that so many Robert West discs were released with another company's address on them.

The first release appeared on Lupine103 in January 1962 and was the Falcons with "I found a love"/"Swim". The group had just seen out the two year contract with United Artists which had seen a reasonable R&B chart performance in "The Teacher" with lead vocals by Joe Stubbs. The song was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I found a love" performed so well locally that West was able to secure a distribution deal with Atlantic Records in April of the same year. The backing group on the song were Robert Ward's Ohio Untouchables.

The power of Atlantic distribution, provided the Falcons with a #6 R&B, #75 Pop hit. The vocal prowess of one Wilson Pickett would also have something to do with the success.

The recording was also one of the first to contain the sound that would later become known as Soul.

scan courtesy of Ron Murphy

Lupine's next release was recorded locally, in Albert Leigh's Echoic studio at 9706 Cameron Avenue on Detroit's east side.

The artists were the Corvells who were a quartet comprising Wyline Ivey, Jeanet Davis, Mary Jackson and Mildred Anthony.

The rhythm tracks for  "He's so fine"/"Baby sitting" were laid down by pianist Don Mancha and guitarist Don Davis. The top side was an answer song to the Falcon's earlier Unart hit and is a note-for-note replica.

The record was released on Lupine 104 and Lupine 1004 in an arrangement similar to "I found a love".

By Mid '62, Lupine had issued a couple of songs by the Fourmost and Gene Martin before bringing back the Saxi Kari orchestra to work with Ella Reed and The Conquerors.

The Conquerors sides were "Duchess conquers Duke"/"Bill is my boyfriend". The top side was an answer song by a female group and swayed remarkably close to Gene Chandler's classic outing on Vee-Jay.

The Ohio Untouchables had backed the Falcons on "I found a love" before they got their own chance on Lupine109&1009 and Lupine 110&1010. Strangely there had been an eleven month gap between these two 45's.

Their first disc "She's my hearts desire" was written by Willie Schofield. The follow-up "Forgive me darling"/ "Love is amazing" were both written by Robert Ward who fronted the Untouchables. Publishers were Lupine-Thelma-Cotillion, underlining Robert's allegiance to Thelma on Dexter at that time.

"Love is amazing", in my opinion, is the best song that West would ever release. It is an exotic, hypnotic masterpiece which never ceases to please  and features Robert Ward's wonderful guitar playing and Bernie McCain's complementary vocals.

Also featuring with the Untouchables at that time were Clarence Satchell on saxophone, Ralph Middlebrooks on trumpet and Marshall Jones on bass. 

One further 45 would be released on the Untouchables and it was "I'm tired" from February 1964.

Almost a decade later Satchell, Jones and McCain would form the nucleus of the Ohio Players.

Continued