- Bill Ellis - keyboards (1970-71)
- Jim Bugnel - bass (1970-71)
- Jerry Plunk - drums, percussion (1970-71)
- Joe Sladich - vocals, guitar (1970-71)

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Westbound #9

Company: Hot Wax

Catalog: HA 702

Year: 1970

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor ring wear

Available: 2

Price: $35.00

Apart from a handful of decent blue-eyed soul top-40 hits, Detroit's The Flaming Ember chief claim to fame rests with being one of the few white '60s bands signed to predominantly black labels - in this case Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland's post-Motown, Buddah-affiliated Hot Wax Records.

Initially known as The Flaming Embers (the name reportedly being lifted from a Detroit restaurant - note the plural), keyboardist Bill Ellis, bassist Jim Bugnel, drummer Jerry Plunk and singer/guitarist Joe Sladich started their musical collaboration in 1964. Originally signed by the small Detroit Fortune label, the quartet debuted with a little heard 1965 single "You Can Count On Me" b/w "Gone, Gone, Gone". Two years later they reappeared with a series of poor selling six singles for Ed Wingate's Ric Tic. In 1970, with Wingate ill and electing to sell Ric Tic, they were released from their contract, becoming one of the first acts signed by Holland-Dozier-Holland's newly formed Hot Wax label.

Credited to The Flaming Ember, 1970's "Westbound #9" offered up a wonderful slice of blue-eyed soul. Sladich's tough and gritty was ideally suited for soul-rock numbers such as the title track, "Heart On (Loving You)" and "Shades of Green". Sure the set wasn't perfect - a cover of BS&T's "Spinning Wheel" wasn't necessary (though it was nice to hear the song without irritating horns), an incredibly lame "This Girl Is a Woman Now", "Going In Circles" and "Why Don't You Stay" were clearly throwaway filler. Propelled by two top-40 hit singles ("Mind, Body and Soul" and "Westbound #9"), the parent album hit #188. (Always loved the cool threads the band's wearing on the cover photo ...)

"Westbound #9" track listing:

(side 1)
1.) Spinning Wheel (David Clayton Thomas) - 3:16
2.) Westbound #9 (Daphine Dumas - Ronald Dunbar - Earl Wayne) - 3:32
3.) Mind, Body and Soul (Earl Wayne - Ronald Dunbar) - 2:56
4.) Shades of Green (Ronald Dunbar - Earl Wayne) - 3:37
5.) Going In Circles (Jerry Peters - Anite Poree) - 3:42
6.) Why Don't You Stay (Ronald Dunbar - Earl Wayne) - 3:11

(side 2)

1.) Flashbacks and Reruns (Ronald Dunbar - Earl Wayne - General Johnson) - 2:40
2.) This Girl Is a Woman Now (Alan Burnstein - V. Millrose) - 3:06
3.) Stop the World and Let Me Get Off (Ronald Dunbar - Earl Randle - Angelo Bond) - 3:02
4.) Heart On (Loving You) (William Weatherspoon - Ronald Weatherspoon) - 2:49
5.) Where's All the Joy (William Weatherspoon) - 2:57
6.) The Empty Crowded Room (William Weatherspoon) - 2:36

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Sunshine

Company: Hot Wax

Catalog: HA 705

Year: 1971

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: die cut cover

Available: 1

Price: $25.00

Released later in the year, "Sunshine" reunited the band with producers Weatherspoon and Perry (who also contributed a great deal of the material). Musically songs such as the title track, "Stop the World (and Let Me Off)" (odd given it was included on the debut), "One Step Beyond" and "Ding Need Dong (To Ding-a-Ling-A-Ding-Ding)" weren't a major change from the debut's blue-eyed soul orientation. On the other hand, tracks such as "Livin' High, Money Low", "1200 Miles from Heaven" and "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper" reflected a distinctive social and political orientation. Similarly, the band's two Plunk-penned originals ("Gotta Get Away" and the bluesy "Ember Blues"), found them pursuing a much harder rock sound. Sadly, with public tastes changing, the collection failed to chart. (The album was originally released with a die cast gatefold sleeve.)

"Sunshine" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Livin' High, Money Low (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 3:33
2.) 1200 Miles from Heaven (General Johnson - Greg Perry) - 3:33
3.) Heart On Lovin' You (William Weatherspoon - Ronald Weatherspoon) - 2:49
4.) Stop the World (and Let Me Off) (Ronald Dunbar - Earl Randle - Angelo Bond) - 2:49
5.) Sunshine (William Weatherspoon - R. Miner) - 3:57

(side 2)

6.) Gotta Get Away (Jerry Plunk) - 4:24
7.) I'm Not My Brother's Keeper (William Weatherspoon - R. Miner - Ronald Dunbar)- 4:07
8.) Ding Need Dong (To Ding-a-Ling-A-Ding-Ding) (William Weatherspoon - R. Miner) - 2:57
9.) One Step Beyond (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Angelo Bond) - 2:49
10.) Ember Blues (Jerry Plunk) - 7:08

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  The Best of the Flamin' Ember

Company: Hot Wax

Catalog: 

Year: 19

Grade (cover/record): NM/NM

Comments: CD format

Available: 1

Price: $15.00