CURTIS KNIGHT (& THE SQUIRES)

Intro
Curtis Knight (real name Curtis McNear aka Curtis McNair) had already been in the music business long before he met Jimi Hendrix. Since Curtis used at least three different names during his career a lot of the recordings he made are less than well known. Here are the ones I currently know about, there might well be more.

The Titans
Between 1957-1960 Curtis recorded as a member of the The Titans. The band appeared in the 1957 film "Bop Girl Goes Calypso", a clip from this film with the band performing "So Hard To Laugh, So Easy To Cry" is available on youtube (Curtis Knight is 2nd from right).

The following discography has been taken from the website "MARV GOLDBERG'S R&B NOTEBOOKS". The discography notes the lead vocalist on each track as follows:

CW = Charles Wright
CM = Curtis McNair (aka Curtis McNear aka Curtis Knight)
SB = Sam Barnett
LG = Larry Greene
DD = The Titans, backing Don & Dewey

Released by Vita Records, 1484 N Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, California:
The Titans
"So Hard To Laugh, So Easy To Cry (CW) / Rhythm And Blues (CM)" (Vita Records 148) released January 1957
The Titans
"G'wan Home Calypso (CM) / Look What You're Doing Baby (CM)" (Vita Records 158) released April 1957

Released by Specialty Records, Inc., 8508 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California:
The Titans
"Sweet Peach (CM) / Free And Easy (SB)" (Specialty 614) released October 1957
Don And Dewey (with the Titans backing)
"Just A Little Lovin' (DD) / When The Sun Has Begun To Shine (DD)" (Specialty 617) released November 1957
The Titans
"Don't You Just Know It (SB/LG) / Can It Be (CM)" (Specialty 625) released January 1958
The Titans
"Arlene (SB) / Love Is A Wonderful Thing (SB)" (Specialty 632) released April 1958
The Titans - unreleased Specialty session:
"Deep Down"
"April In Paris"
"I Swear By All The Stars"

Released by Class:
The Titans
"No Time (CM) / The Tootin' Tutor (ALL) (Class 244) released January 1959

Released by Fidelity Records:
(note that Fidelity was another label owned by Speciality owner Art Rupe)
The Titans
"Everybody Happy (CM) / What Have I Done (CW)" (Fidelity Records 3016) released January 1960

The Ink Spots
Circa 1960-62 Curtis was a member of the Ink Spots (calling himself Curtis McNair). This line-up of the group apparently released only one 45:
Charles Fuqua's The Ink Spots
"Careless Love / Hawaiian Wedding Song" (Ford Records 115) released 196?

It's not possible (at least not for me) to tell Knight's vocal apart from the others but he does appear in publicity pictures so he definately did sing in the group. Hear "Hawaiian Wedding Song" & see a slide show of promo pictures on youtube.

Solo
After the Ink Spots Curtis seems to have started a solo career.

Curtis Knight - "Voodoo Woman / That's Why" (Gulf 45-031) released August 1961
- "Voodoo Woman" reviewed in Billboard magazine August 28, 1961 issue: "Blues-oriented and folkish is this novelty. Chanter sings the lyric with extreme voice breaks and gimmicks." Also shows up as a first entry at 65. on the 22 August 1961 survey of New York radio station WABC. This is the earliest solo recording that I have come across.

Two more solo recordings that pre-date Knight's association with Hendrix are:

Curtis Knight - "You're Gonna Be Sorry / Little Doe-Doe" (Shell 45-310) released February 1962
- "You're Gonna Be Sorry" reviewed in Billboard magazine February 24, 1962 issue: "Fervid chanting by Curtis Knight and femme group on feelingful gospel-flavored theme with fast-moving tempo"

Curtis Knight - "Gotta Have A New Dress / When You've Got Love" (Shell 45-312) released October 1962
-  Listed under "Reviews of New Singles" in Billboard magazine October 27, 1962 issue.

All three of these solo singles are co-written and the last 2 also produced by Sampson Horton, any information about him would be most welcome. What makes these particularily interesting is that Curtis Knight later re-recorded "Gotta Have A New Dress" with the Squires including Hendrix on guitar.

It would seem that sometime in 1965 Curtis Knight got a record deal with RSVP in New York:

Curtis Knight - "Ain't Gonna Be No Next Time / More Love" (RSVP 1111) released April 1965
- listed in Billboard magazine April 17, 1965 issue under "SPOTLIGHT WINNERS OF THE WEEK". The producing credits for this 45 go to Harold Thomas and Peter Orna (once again any info on these two gentlemen would be appreciated).

After the first RSVP single was released Knight seems to have changed management again, this time hooking up with Ed Chalpin and his company PPX Enterprises, possibly sometime in late 1965. This association resulted in Chalpin producing the 45 "How Would You Feel" by Curtis Knight - with Jimi Hendrix on guitar.

Hendrix was introduced to Curtis Knight in the lobby of the America Hotel in New York. According to Hendrix himself he recorded "How Would You Feel" with Knight the next day, so this would date the meeting to have taken place on the 5th of October. Several studio sessions and live gigs followed until mid 1966 when Hendrix started his own group the Blueflame.

When Hendrix reached fame in 1967 with the Jimi Hendrix Experience Ed Chalpin sued Reprise records and Hendrix for breach of contract, since Hendrix was legally still under an exclusive contract to Ed Chalpin. While the court process was still in progress Jimi (for reasons never properly explained) again recorded for Ed Chalpin in July & August 1967, working on Knight songs and participating in a jam session. Ed Chalpin later won the right to release all the studio recordings (the live recordings are a more complex case) featuring Hendrix, and he has been licencing these tapes to hundreds of companies over the last 30 years, creating the most confusing jungle of different mixes and edits of the material imaginable.

Special thanks for info on all things Curtis Knight go to Nate Edmonds Jr., Doug Bell, Univibes and Jimpress.