Yia Talent Contest Winners / Various: Yia Talent Contest Winners (Various Artists)

Yia Talent Contest Winners / Various: Yia Talent Contest Winners (Various Artists)

Yia Talent Contest Winners / Various: Yia Talent Contest Winners (Various Artists)

Format: VINYL LP

Regular price $21.98
/

Wanting to order from us over the holiday period but need some more information. We are here to help! Please see our Christmas Shipping page for more information.

On average, orders containing available-to-ship items are processed and dispatched within 1-2 business days, although this is not guaranteed.

Orders containing preorder items will ship as 1 fulfillment once all items in the order are available to ship.

Please note, Tower Records Merchandise and Exclusives are dispatched separately. On average, these items take 3-4 business days to dispatch, although this is not guaranteed.

The estimated shipping times that are displayed at checkout are from the point of dispatch. 

See our shipping policy for more information.

We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item(s) to make a return.

For orders created between November 20th 2024 and December 31st 2024, we have extended our normal return period. For orders made between this period, customers have up to 60 days from the receipt of goods to return an item. Please see our Christmas Returns page for more information.

To be eligible for a return of an unwanted item, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging.

In the unfortunate situation that a product is damaged/faulty/incorrect, let us know and we will endeavor to correct any issue as soon as possible.

Please see our refund policy for more information.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Title: Yia Talent Contest Winners (Various Artists)
Artist: Yia Talent Contest Winners / Various
Label: Big Crown
Product Type: VINYL LP
UPC: 349223008715
Genre: Soul/R & B

Big Crown Records is proud to present the reissue of one of Brooklyn's most sought after "holy grail' soul records, YIA Talent Hunt Winners. Youth in Action, Inc. (YIA) was formed in 1963 when the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council received a grant to develop a youth services program in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. It was originally organized to identify and address the social problems that were leading to the high crime rate in Bed-Stuy. Recently the Smithsonian Museum of African American History released an archive of footage filmed by a community activist, which shows the real-world effects of the group's efforts: young people engaged in sports, the arts, and other activities to better themselves and their world. The appearances by Jackie and Bobby Kennedy point to the group's relationship to the Great Society programs of President Lyndon B. Johnson. What there is no mention of in either the NMAAHC's collection of YIA materials nor in the Brooklyn Public Library's also extensive collection is this talent show and the record that came to be because of it. Local vocal groups chose tunes to cover from the era (1964 - 1968) ranging from The Rascals to The Intruders, from The O'Jays to Billy Stewart. All of these groups were backed by a local act called The Thrillers Band. The winners of the talent contest were then invited into the studio to record their versions which would be pressed up on this record and given away to local radio and TV stations. The hope of the whole thing was that this would help the young groups get discovered by producers and record labels and start their professional music careers. The intro to the album is Reverend Horace Tyler congratulating the winners and asking them "to just remember, when you reach the top and become our big stars of tomorrow, don't forget YIA'. What this album may lack in fidelity and production it more than makes up for in charm. The engineers at the recording sessions pump in pre recorded applause and screaming to give the it the feel of the day of the contest while the young groups sing their hearts out, clearly giving their all. From today's perspective, soul music fans will lose it over the choices of covers on this record and the killer, raw, innocent performances of them by these local Brooklyn groups. The Channels 4, Carla & The Carlettes, The United Souls, Sharon Seabrook & The Starlettes, and The Destinations all won that day and got to take place in this record. It makes you wonder, and even pine for the performances of the groups who didn't make the cut, even if just to find out what tunes they covered, or better yet, were their original songs written by some of them for this contest? It is with great pleasure that we make this available to the public again. This is a truly rare record, and an awesome piece of New York History.

Tracks:
1.1 The Thrillers Band
1.2 Love Makes a Woman
1.3 I Wish It Would Rain
1.4 Come ; Get These Memories
1.5 I Want to Be Sweeter
1.6 Cowboys to Girls
1.7 Grooving
1.8 Cross My Heart
1.9 The Way You Do the Things You Do
1.10 Dry Your Eyes
Recently viewed