The Gaslight

Side A - Hard Times Are Coming, Hard Times Are Here (previously unissued)

Side B1 - Just Because Of You

Side B2 - It's Just Like Magic

Catalogue # SJ564

Posted in: Release Listings

Release Date: Monday 30th March 2026

The dictionary’s given definition of gaslight is “Light made by burning illuminating gas”, well in the case of our ‘Gaslight’ the illumination came from four male voices brought together in the motor city of Detroit whose voices would light up many performances in local nightclubs, discotheques and TV shows during their time together. Let’s cast some more illumination as to who the group were, beginning with the late more widely known lead singer, Detroiter Oliver “Butch” Cheatham born February 24th 1948 into a family of eight other children. It was his gospel trained mother, Maddie that encouraged him to start singing. At first Oliver a shy child would only sing to other people from behind the sofa. He was a keen sportsman who aspired to one day becoming a professional Baseball player with the Detroit Tiger’s. This changed one night when Oliver’s sister Jackie recommended and introduced him to her then boyfriend Allen Cocker a member of a fledgling group known as ‘The Young Sirs’, who at the time of the introduction just happened to be a man short for a forthcoming show. Oliver stepped in to become a Young Sir alongside members, Allen Coker (his future brother -in-law), Van Johnson his nephew Mike Johnson and the group’s bass vocalist Ronald Noel. The groups big break came while performing at a local cabaret show. Unbeknown to the group Barbara Burt was talent scouting in the audience. Barbara together with her husband Ernest Burt operated the local Magic City label located at 8912 Grand River, Detroit (the former home of Correc-Tone Records, which they had purchased from its former owner Wilbert Golden in 1965). Upon Barbara’s recommendation ‘The Young Sirs’ were signed to Magic City where they recorded the mellifluous, “There’s Something The Matter (With Your Heart)/African Love” (MC 010) during 1969.

A subsequent conversation held one summer evening while visiting Cutis “Kippy” Anderson a friend of both Oliver and Allen to seek his advice on how to improve their harmonizing initially would lead to future things. Curtis a native of Mobile, Alabama had migrated north to Detroit and at the time was singing with a group known as the ‘Four Sonics” this cordial meeting sparked a light within the three protagonists which brought the formation of ‘The Gaslight’ flickering in to existence. A fourth member Michael Eatmon then singing with a group called the ‘Methods’ soon joined. The Gaslight signed to Uptight Productions Incorporated, a production company founded by local businessmen Marvin Figgins and Arnold Wright, who’s artist roster included several other local Detroit artists Chuck Armstrong, Rod Lumpkin, Little Rena Scott and Fugi with the latter two gaining releases on nationally distributed labels Epic and 20th Century respectively. The Gaslight were the only vocal harmony group signed to Uptight Productions and as such it was, they who made the most recordings. Uptight productions were released across two label imprints Grand Junction and Black Rock, The Gaslight’s first single “I Can’t Tell A Lie/Here’s Missing You” was released on Grand Junction (GJ1001) in 1970, two Figgin’s compositions produced by Tyrone Hite. For the groups second single Figgin’s placed them under the guidance of legendary producer/songwriter, the late George McGregor under whom they recording “Drifting Away/If You See Her” Grand Junction (GJ1002) released in 1971 with “Drifting Away” securing the group their first TV appearance. For their next release Figgin’s switched the group to his Black Rock label to record “Out Of My Hand/I’m Only A Man” Black Rock (2002) under the pseudonym of Butch & The Newport’s With “Butch” being Oliver’s nickname. A later, second release of “I’m Only A Man” but with a different flip side “I’m Gonna Get You” came out on Grand Junction (GJ1100) with the performing artist credits reverting back to ‘The Gaslight’ in 1973.

With ‘The Gaslight’s’ tenure under Uptight productions coming to an end during 1974, the group were in need of a new home, which they found when their producer George McGregor took them to a new fledgling local label/production company T.E.A.I (an abbreviation for “Tellin’ Everybody About It”). The T.E.A.I labels story began as the brainchild of Detroiter Charles Brandon Underwood (more affectionally known as “Chuck”). Chuck had been involved in the music business from the early 60’s as a show promotor, one of many acts he promoted was The Dramatics. Chuck had known the group from their earliest days promoting them on the first record “Bingo/Somewhere” released in 1965 on Ed Wingate’s label of the same name but under the miscredited artist name of ‘The Dynamics’. Chuck’s relationship continued throughout the group’s darkest hour, the Algiers Motel Incident (made famous by the 2017 film ‘Detroit’) and onward to their time with Stax/Volt Records with him acting as their Road Manager. In circa 1973 Chuck headed a consortium of prominent business men who had the audacious plan of buying out the Dramatics contracts from Groovesville Music and placing them on their own label. Groovesville supremo Don Davis flatly refused their offer. Undeterred Chuck pressed ahead with the formation of T.E.A.I Records, with Dramatics founder Ron Banks joining the label in an executive role only. T.E.A.I sprung in to production during 1974 with their initial release on a local Detroit songstress Renee Williams “Special To Me/Are You My Brother”. For the labels second release, enter George McGregor with ‘The Gaslight’. Chuck Underwood suitably impressed signed them to his label under the proviso that George produced them, Motown stalwart and Funk Brother trombonist Paul Riser would provide the string arrangements. ‘The Gaslight’s’ release, the mellifluous double sider “Just Because Of You/It’s Just Like Magic” made its debut on T.E.A.I in 1975, by that time Chuck had precured a working relationship with Polydor Records who picked “Just Because OF You” and It’s Just Like Magic” up for national distribution circa three months after its initial local release (thus making the T.E.A.I release a very hard single to find) as good as it was this was to be ‘The Gaslight’s’ last known release (or so we thought?) poorly promoted by Polydor the record failed to make any notable noise and eventually petered out with the group soon after breaking up. Oliver Cheatham went on to join other Detroit groups such as ‘Sins Of Satin’ and ‘Round Trip’ before embarking on a successful solo career that would eventually bring him international recognition before his untimely death in 2013. Chuck Underwood’s T.E.A.I productions continued to support local talent creating another vocal harmony group ‘Five Special’ who recorded the splendid 1975 dance track “The More I Get To Know You” again released locally on T.E.A.I before being picked up by Mercury Records. A second ‘Five Special’ Mercury release followed “(Let’s Stop Making) Small Talk/Oh, Oh (Look What We’ve Done)”. T.E.A.I Records would eventually close its doors when Chuck Underwood temporarily retired from the music business through serious ill health although that was not the end of Chuck or T.E.A.I Records story.

Fast forward to the year of 2012 and the UK Soul Junction Labels discovery of the identity of two unreleased Oliver Cheatham tracks “Don’t Pop The Question (If You Can’t Take The Answer)” and “Good Guys Don’t Make Good Lovers” which they subsequently released to great aplomb. During the pre-promotion of this 45, respected UK rare soul collector Andy Rix announced that he had in his possession a three track 8” acetate which contained three Gaslight tracks “All Because Of You”, It’s Just Like Magic” and a third reputedly unissued song “Hard Times” subsequent investigations led us to George McGregor not a well man at the time. George vaguely remembered the track and promised to look into it when he was discharged from hospital, in the interim I didn’t want to push George and I must admit I forgot about it with George sadly passed away in 2015.

Hitting the fast forward button once again to 2025 and out of the blue Andy Rix sends me a cleaned-up MP3 version of “Hard Times” which prompted me to do something about it! A phone call to my buddy respected wordsmith/arranger/producer Jimmy Roach yielded Chuck Underwood’s whereabouts and a telephone number, following a very cordial conversation a deal was struck for the belated release of “Hard Times”. With Chuck unable to find a tape of the song Andy Rix very kindly loaned us his acetate to master from which was forwarded to Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering where upon its arrival Nick informed me that the acetate version of “Just Because Of You” was a different mix to the issued T.E.A.I and Polydor 45 versions. The end result is that Soul Junction now present to you a three track 45 with the previously unissued “Hard Times” released under its full title “Hard Times Are Coming, Hard Times Are Here” backed with the previously unissued mix of “Just Because Of You” alongside the previously issued 45 version of “It’s Just Like Magic”

Words by: David Welding.

Acknowledgements to:
Charles “Chuck” Underwood, Jimmy Roach, Andy Rix, the late Oliver Cheatham and the late George McGregor.

Photographs courtesy of:
Charles Underwood and the late Oliver Cheatham