Yes-Es Of Yesterday / Thunder Bay

The 1971 release of 'Yes-Es Of Yesterday' backed with 'Thunder Bay' on the Tropical Records label represents a specific moment in the independent soul and rhythm and blues circuits of the early 1970s. Produced as a small-batch vanity or regional pressing, the record serves as a window into the efforts of artists like Charles Vickers to capture a polished, late-sixties vocal group sound during a transitional era for soul music. The label, Tropical Records, operated as a modest outlet for performers looking to secure local airplay and distribution.

The design of the release reflects the practical constraints of independent labels of the time, often utilizing minimal graphic design and utilitarian labeling to keep production costs manageable. While the work of Charles Vickers remains an obscurity in the broader historical narrative of popular music, these pressings are valued by collectors of deep soul and rare regional 45s for their authentic, unvarnished sound. The record stands as a testament to the thousands of independent musicians who contributed to the sonic diversity of the early seventies soul landscape.