New Press Release July 7th 2006:
Brunswick Records To Release Classic Soul Recordings Used To Launch Platinum Albums By Beyonce, Joss Stone And Paul Wall
Top 40 R&B Singles 1966?1975 double disc remastered collection,

These singles include songs from Johnnie Gee, from his Brunswick days. Johnnie Gee's EP, Thinline, is a collection of great standards that have that "Johnnie Gee" touch that, as a fan, is pleasing to hear his renditions of songs, many of which, performed himself. Johnnie Gee is still smooth in his approach in every song.

His style fits all of the songs he chose, but overall the world can appreciate what he did and understand the reasoning for the selections he made for his latest EP.

A personal quote from Johnnie Gee;
During the 60's and 70's there were certain record companies that never paid their artists for the recordings they produced; Brunswick was not one of those labels. This may fly in the face of some of the rumors out there, but it is the truth. Between the years of 1968 and 1975, no artist at Brunswick worked closer with Nat Tarnopol than me and I would like to take a minute to clear up some of the gossip about Brunswick and particularly about Nat.

It's important that people know that, in addition to being one of the top record men of his day, Nat Tarnopol was a beautiful person to work with. Despite some of the stories that have been twisted around and even invented, Nat never physically abused, threatened to physically abuse, or caused anyone to physically abuse any of the artists on the label. We did have a few bumps in the road during that period, but Nat was never the source of the problem. Whether it was the Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson, Tyrone Davis or any other Brunswick artist, Nat gave everything he had and took enormous risks to make us successful. To this day I still credit Nat as being the backbone of my career.

Over the years our group has recorded for independent labels, major labels and even our own label, but the only record company that continues to account and pay us to this day is Brunswick. The next time a writer decides to write something about Brunswick or Nat Tarnopol, it would be nice if they took the time to talk to the artists who recorded with Nat. They may not get the story they want, but their readers may appreciate a story that's true.

Johnnie Gee whose honey-rich falsetto-tenor voice had thrilled millions throughout the world, the best thing about all this is that, he still got a rich smooth sound, wouldn't you agree?

As a producer, song writer, music agent and professional entertainer, Johnnie Gee has kept his chops up for 37 years, and the new EP release is another bar to put on the shoulders of ?The General of Soul?.

Johnnie Gee is a talented songwriter with the ability to write songs that?s provided, in a secular format, the depth of the most heartfelt Soul music; and he was a remarkable song stylist who defined (or redefined) nearly every song he touched in his career.

At their peak, Johnnie Gee & The Step By Step Band were perhaps the most consistent song writers in Soul Music out of the Midwest. They had the best producer in the business Eddie Parnell, some of the most infectious material of the early 70s and perhaps the smoothest falsetto lead vocalist in Johnnie Gee.

Song List:

Step By Step
Cash Money
Cool Days Are Out Of Style
Don't Leave Me
I Ain't Never Gonna Let You Go
I Always Wanted To Be In The Band
I Am A Lonely Man
I'm Glad
People
So Very Near You
We Won This Time

?Cash Money,? ?So very near you,? ?Roses? and ?People? all rocketed up the Pop and Soul charts, and immediately made the Step By Step Band the most sought after Northern Soul & Pop artists around the country in the Mid 70?s.

This classic LP, has been sold for three generations, and can be yours now by visiting http://www.gecomgroup.net/sidetraxx1.html
Become part of Soul and R&B, music history..

Roses was of the hottest songs of the 70's, that got lots of spins and sales in the Southern parts of the world. With that real, buy playful sound of magic the Step By Step Band made. From every step to the perfect timing, and little Johnnie Gee out front knocking em' dead, that was a history that's soon never to to be forgotten. It's very important that theolder generation teach our children and Grandchildren about the history of music and how it impacted our lives, from the wedding bells to true romance, it still remains in the music.