Biography

July PRESS Release:
Step By Step Band Featuring; Johnnie Gee.

New Press Release:
May 10 2007
By: Paul Tarnopol

Milwaukee based Sidetraxx Records inks deal with M2K for worldwide digital distribution. According to Sidetraxx
president Johnnie Gee, Sidetraxx will be using the arrangement with M2K to develop and introduce
new mid-west recording artists. Prior to Sidetraxx Records, Johnnie Gee was one of the founding
members of Step by Step formerly of the famous Brunswick Records R&B and Soul label. Home of
the Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson, Count Basie, Barbra Acklin, Gene Chandler, just to name a few.

Sidetraxx Records & Distribution, is a Milwaukee based record label specializing in Soul, Pop, R&B, Hip Hop,
Gospel and classics. Founded by Johnnie Gee in 1979, with major acts like Bizzy Bone, Jr. Mafia,
Gansta Nip, Apollian, Lala Brown, Lavante, and Harvey Scales just to name a few.

Owner and CEO Johnnie Gee has a lot of plans for his label for the
3rd quarter, in September 2007. Johnnie Gee plans to let artist start submitting their finished
professional material for possible physical and or digital distribution. Johnnie Gee personal catalog music that
goes along with his 38 years of major status with Brunswick Records, has a 33
year track record of pre-released music products with all major distributors, (universe)/worldwide.

Japan plans to continue a license and distribution agreement with Johnnie Gee and his label,
that dates back some 30 years. The original Album that started Johnnie Gee's career has
just been re-issued by several large distribution companies such as JVC, Victor Ent, BMG, M2kM,
J-Bee-J and other major distributors.

Aya Ohi, deputy director of foreign sales for JVC/Vector in Japan has requested newly
released material from Sidetraxx Records and Johnnie Gee for possible distribution.

At age 13, Johnnie Gee earned his own living as a entertainer (Lead Vocalist), after 30 plus
years Brunswick Records. Paul Tarnopol, Nat Tarnopol's son took over the company an re-issued
the original LP "I Always Wanted To Be In The Band", feat., Johnnie Gee.

This shows that Johnnie Gee has marketed and promoted his career and record label for 30
plus years, and still has a strong presence among his friends and fans. Sidetraxx Records
has a wide range of services that helps artist get professional CD duplication, packaging/Shrink Wrap,
Graphic Design, Web Sites, Song Licensing, Trade Marks, Copyrights and
many other legal services for all artist.

Label: Sidetraxx Records City: Milwaukee U.S. State: Wisconsin Country: United States Description:
The Midwest Classic Recording & Record Label,
with original artist from Brunswick Records.
Genres: Adult, Blues, Funk, Hip Hop, Multicultural, R&B, Soul Artists.

More Press,

Hes the man in the band who made the Midwest the legendary Northern Soul spot that it is, and he has scored 14 chart songs during his long career, but Johnnie Gee remains something of a Legend to many R&B and Soul fans who know his songs by heart but often dont know the man singing them.

From 1975 1981 Johnnie Gee recorded and started his career at the famous Brunswick Records, who at that time had stars like, Barbra Acklin, The Chilites, Bonannon, Tyrone Davis, and many more.

Brunswick Records is set to release their Soul compilation of all the hits from the 70s
With many songs recorded by, Jackie Wilson, Eugene Records, The Chilites, Step By Step Band, Willie Hendersons Funky Chicken, and many more.


Though his recording career, Johnnie Gee has continued to be one of the most influential soul artists of the last quarter century. The longevity of and increase in his popularity is due in large part to the rare combination of gifts he possessed.

Johnnie Gee started at the young age of 13, with a Brunswick Records, a major record label with top 20 hit records back in the early 70s and today!

Heres a recent press release from the Associated Press;

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 19661975 double disc remastered collection
NEW YORK (EWORLDWIRE) Jul 7, 2006
Brunswick Records today announced that on July 11, soul music fans will be able to purchase the long-awaited Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975 collection. Brunswick, along with sister label Dakar, was home to some of the greatest R&B artists from the mid 60s to the mid 70s, including Tyrone Davis, the Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin The Young-Holt Unlimited, and The Step By Step Band just to name a few.
From Jackie Wilsons Higher & Higher to Willie Hendersons Funky Chicken, the Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975 collection is a treasure trove of very popular and hard to find genuine soul classics. Younger consumers will instantly recognize many of the tracks from recent recordings by Joss Stone, Paul Wall and Beyonce, who sampled the Chi-Lites 1970 hit Are You My Woman (Tell Me So) to create her Grammy-nominated Crazy in Love.
Under the leadership of Nat Tarnopol and Carl Davis, Brunswick rose to become one of the most important R&B labels of the classic soul era. This collection of 40 hit songs is a great representation of the hundreds of gems produced by Brunswick from 1966 to 1975. With over 20 top 10 recordings, six number one smashes and very rare photographs, this double CD set is an automatic staple in every soul music fans collection.
Retail giants Wal-Mart and Circuit City will be featuring Brunswick Top 40 R&B Singles 1966-1975 on sale the day of its release.



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 thats 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.


Step By Step LP (Recorded in 1975 Released 1976

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 70s.

The groups seamless harmonies and Johnnie Gee falsetto blended magically with Step By Step's lush production and their smooth style..

By any measurement, Step By Step Band must be considered one of the most important Soul Music groups of the past 30 years. Originally a regionally popular group in the Midwest the group was together for a three years before getting a contract with Brunswick Records.
Their first album on Brunswick Records was titled, 'I Always Wanted To Be In The Band', the LP was a masterpiece highlighted by Eddie Parnell & Benny Clarks master composition, Cash Money.


Coming soon September 29th The EP Thinline

Formed in the late 60s in Milwaukee , the Step By Step Band first achieved some regional attention in 1971 with the popular song She's Gone, most notable for its contrast to the luscious work that they would record a year later with Brunswick Records. Their Brunswick Records eponymous debut was a playful fun song performed by the whole band and vocals by Jerome Gee, Greg Emmerson, Greg McDonald and Johnnie Gee titled: "I Always Wanted To Be In The Band", containing a basket of marvelous compositions by Johnnie Gee, Step By Step and co-writer Benny Clark, that would become soul standards covered by other artists for the next 30 years.


That's why it's important to possess the 1976 10-track Classic Soul LP that spans Johnnie Gee's entire career in bringing you his Brunswick Records hits and best songs for your private collection. This classic LP sell in Japan for $22.00, Dustygrooves.com $14.00, but by acting now you can save $4.00 by purchasing this collector's LP, to pass on thru generations for $12.97.

Expertly re-mastered and annotated and *available exclusively to our 'Collectors
Choice Music' customers and fans!

Step By Step History site:
http:www.gecomgroup.net/sidetraxx1.html

Purchase the CD/LP and Johnnie Gees other releases online@
http://www.gecomgroup.net/orderstepbystepLPPayPal.html

Or you can also visit:
http://www.gecomgroup.net



The Miltown Source Magazine
http://www.gecomgroup.net/themiltownsource.html

Milwaukee, WI
GC Media Agency





Johnnie Gee story is the stuff of which legends are made.

It is a saga that began in America's heartland at age 13 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, where Johnnie Gee was born on September 29th, 1959 to Elgie and D.W Gee, into a family of seven brothers and sisters.

When Mama Gee, herself a blues lover, noticed her sons' growing interest in music and performing, she devoted herself to the careful development of their nascent talents.

Through hard work and dedication, Johnnie, Dewitt, Jerome, these three brothers and other friends became the hottest band in the Midwest, "The Exclusive 'Step By Step' Band".

The group began performing professionally in and around Milwaukee and Chicago in 1969; later that year, the siblings took their polished song-and-dance act to New York's famed Brunswick Records, the home of Jackie Wilson, The Chilites, Bohannon, Tyrone Davis, Shalamar, Eugene Records, Decca Records, Chess Records and many more that started record labels worldwide.

'The Step By Step Band', turned the place out, winning over Nat Tarnopol and a label contract with Brunswick Records.

The staff reaction was welcoming , the founder of the New York-based Brunswick Records, Nat Tarnopol, then the most successful rhythm and blues label around.

Captivated by what they saw and heard, Nat signed the group immediately.

Thus began one of the most successful runs by a recording group in soul, pop, rhythm and blues music history out of the Midwest.

You can go to Brunswick Records web site and read the history of Brunswick and see or original LP listed on page 5 (At the bottom).

Johnnie Gee is currently back on the scene with his new 'EP' "One More Time", recorded May 2005 and distributed/released in September 2005, if you like retro soul, pop or rhythm and blues, music with a professional sound from a recording artist that still has original product selling, thousands in Japan, China , Australia, US , The Netherlands and many more cities and countries around the world.

Purchase Johnnie Gee's CD and Ringtones online, simply type 'Johnnie Gee' into any search engine and you will get results on how to find his music and history about this artist.

NEW! NEW! NEW!

JOHNNIE GEE'S RINGTONES, GET YOURS TODAY@

http://www.isound.com/ringtones/johnnie_gee

ONE MORE TIME EP REVIEWS'

I enjoy and love listen to the to Johnnie Gee, i've been listen to The Step By Step Band,
since i was very young girl. keep up with the good work of music.
Submitted by Triste in Union City, California, USA


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