Before we examine some Soul Legends artist profiles, let's briefly study the influence of British music on American Soul Music
 

How the The British Invasion Influenced American Music

Britishrock was born out of the influence of rock and roll and rhythm and blues from the United States, but added a new drive and urgency, exporting the music back and widening the audience for black R & B in the U.S. as well as spreading the gospel world wide. Much of what has made rock music unique, in its ability to unite audiences and adapt new influences, came from British bands in the late 50s and rock groups in the early 60s.

The Beatles brought together a near-perfect mix of image, songwriting, and personality. After their initial UK success they were signed in the US and launched a large-scale stateside tour to ecstatic reaction, a phenomenon quickly dubbed Beatlemania. Although they were not the first British band to come to America, they spearheaded the Invasion, triumphing in the U.S. on their first visit in 1964 (including historic appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show). In the wake of Beatlemania other British bands headed to the U.S., notably The Rolling Stones, who disdained the Beatles' clean-cut image and presented a darker, more aggressive image, The Animals and The Yardbirds. Throughout the early and mid-'60s Americans seemed to have an insatiable appetite for British rock; one of the groups who made a greater mark in the USA than on the UK was Herman's Hermits. Other British bands, including The Who and The Kinks, would have some success during this period but saved their peak of popularity for the second wave of British invasion in the late 1960s.

To Americans, the British Invasion was when British rock music started. To listeners in the UK and elsewhere, there was no invasion, for these groups as well as many who never gained worldwide recognition had been around since the end of the 50s.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

Not only were those words shouted by Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride in 1775, but they were also shouted by every D.J in America in 1964. And BILLY J. KRAMER was one of the British artists who stormed American audiences then, and continues to do so.

Born William Howard Ashton, Billy grew up in Liverpool, England, the soon to be Mecca of popular music of the 1960's. Upon leaving school, he became a trainee engineer by day and an aspiring singer by night, performing under the stage name of Billy Kramer (with "Kramer" chosen at random from the telephone directory). Billy's performances at local rock clubs around Liverpool soon brought him to the attention of Brian Epstein. Acknowledging Billy's pop-idol potential, Brian set out to add Billy to his growing managerial empire, which already included The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Upon handing Billy a tape of what was to become the first in a succession of smash hits written especially for him by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. With this tune, Billy and his back-up group, The Dakotas, claimed the #1 chart spot in England, toppling the Beatles themselves.

The Lennon & McCartney compositions, "I'll Keep You Satisfied", "From A Window", "I Call Your Name" and "Bad To Me" all became international million sellers for Billy, and appearances on the T.V. shows Shindig!, Hullabaloo and The Ed Sullivan Show secured Billy a place in Rock and Roll history.

Although Billy greatly appreciated the songs given to him by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, he decided to follow the chart topping "Bad To Me" with a song written by American songwriters Mort Schuman and John Leslie McFarland. Billy's insight proved correct as "Little Children" became his biggest selling worldwide hit.

Billy's international momentum has continued through the years will sellout concert appearances and standing ovations. Recently, Billy coordinated an amazingly successful "British Invasion" concert weekend at Foxwoods Resort Casino featuring himself and some of his contemporaries, which was broadcast on several public television stations.

Success

With record producer George Martin, the song "Do You Want to Know a Secret" was a number two UK singles chart hit in 1963, and was backed by another tune otherwise unreleased by The Beatles, "I'll Be on My Way". After this impressive breakthrough another Lennon/McCartney pairing "Bad To Me" c/w "I Call Your Name" reached number one. "I'll Keep You Satisfied" ended the year with a respectable number four placing.

Billy was given a series of songs specially written for him by the John Lennon and Paul McCartney which launched him into stardom and a proper place in the history of Rock and Roll. I'll Keep You Satisfied, From A Window, I Call Your Name and Bad To Me all became international million sellers for Billy, and won him appearances on the T.V. shows Shindig!, Hullabaloo and The Ed Sullivan Show.

The three big hits penned by Lennon and McCartney meant that Kramer was always seemingly in the Beatles' shadow, unless he did tried something different. Despite being advised against it, he insisted on recording the Stateside chart hit "Little Children" - the lyrics were allegedly about getting his girlfriend's brothers and sisters out of the way so they could make love. It became his second chart topper and biggest hit. It was Kramer's only major hit outside of the UK. In the U.S., this was followed up with "Bad to Me" which reached number nine. Despite this success Kramer went backwards with his second and last UK single of 1964; another Lennon/McCartney cast-off "From A Window", which only just became a Top Ten hit.

Billy's international momentum has continued through the years with sellout concert appearances and standing ovations. Recently, Billy coordinated an amazingly successful "British Invasion" concert weekend at Foxwoods Resort Casino featuring himself and some of his contemporaries, which was broadcast on several public television stations.

Billy always felt that America was the home of Rock and Roll, and he finally fulfilled a long time dream to move to the United States, where he presently resides on Long Island, New York with his wife Roni, and their dogs, Rupert and Bernadette.

Sources:

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at                                          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_rock

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_J._Kramer_and_the_Dakotas

The Billy Kramer Official Website at                               http://billyjkramer.com/enter.html

Here are some profiles of Soul Legend recording artists.

AMOS MILBURN

Amos Milburn was a well known rhythm and blues singer and pianist performer from the 40’s and 50’s.    His performing style was influenced by legendary singer and pianist Charles Brown.

Amos Milburn was born in Houston, Texas on April 1 1927.  One of thirteen children, by the age of five he was playing tunes on the piano.  He enlisted in the United States Navy when he was fifteen and earned thirteen battle stars in the Philippines, before returning to Houston and organizing a sixteen-piece band.  He played in Houston clubs, and mixed  Houston jazz and blues .

He was a polished pianist and performer and in 1946 attracted the attention of an enterprising woman who arranged a recording session with Aladdin Records in Los Angeles. Milburn's relationship with Aladdin lasted eight years during which he cut over seventy-five sides.  However, none caught on until 1949 when some of his singles, including “Chicken Shack Boogie” got the attention of the R&B audience.

Milburn also became one of the leading performers associated with the Central Avenue music scene of Los Angeles' Watts neighborhood.  Among his best known songs was "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer". In 1950 Milburn's "Bad, Bad, Whiskey" reached the top of the R&B charts and began a string of drinking songs.  

Let me point out that there is no evidence that Milburn had a drinking problem.  He continued his successful drinking songs through 1952.  Milburn was capable of crooning mellow blues ballads in a Charles Brown-influenced style.  In fact he and Brown would later become close friends, playing together frequently.

It was near the beginning of his successful recording career in 1949 when Milburn released his first successful Christmas recording of “Let’s Make Christmas Merry Baby.”

While touring the Midwest in the summer of 1952, Milburn announced that he would disband his combo and continue as a solo act.   It was in the fall of that year that he joined legendary pianist Charles Brown for a Southern concert tour. For the next few years his tours were made up of strings of one nighters. After three years of solo performing he returned to Houston in 1956 to reform his band. In 1957 Milburn's releases on Aladdin Records did not sell well, and the record label, having its own problems, went out of business.

He tried to regain commercial success with a few more releases on Ace Records but by this time. Radio airplay was becoming focused on the teenage market.  In 1959, Milburn teamed up with Charles Brown to record this famous Christmas classic entitled “I Want to go Home.”

This sound was released by Ace Records back in 1959.   This recording musically bears a striking resemblance to Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home  Milburn contributed another fine offering to the R&B Yuletide canon in 1960 with his swinging "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)" for King Records..

After this release, Berry Gordy gave him a comeback forum in 1962, issuing an album on Motown predominated by remakes of his old hits.  Milburn's final recording was on an album by Johnny Otis. This was in 1972 after he had been incapacitated by a stroke, so much so that Otis had to play the left-hand piano parts for his enfeebled old friend.  His second stroke led to the amputation of a leg because of circulatory problems. He died shortly after at the age of 52 from a third stroke.^[5]

To sum it up, Milburn was a commercial success during the late 40’s. 50.s, and early 60’s.  He influenced many performers. Fats Domino consistently credited Milburn as an influence on his music. Also, it has been publicly stated that there is a similarity between Milburn's piano fills and Chuck Berry's later guitar styles.  Milburn was a musical pioneer, who made the transition from the swing and jump blues of the 1940s, to the R&B of the early 1950s, that evolved into today's rock music.^[4]

ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRELLS 

Archie Bell and the Drells, from Houston, Texas hit #1 R&B and #1 Pop with the certified million selling dance classic, “Tighten it Up,” in 1968.  This song was originally recorded as an instrumental by the T.S.U. Toranados.   This recording, with its well-known introduction and soulful beat, is one of the most memorable dance songs from the late 1960’s.  But what we also want to examine is how they scored several hits that were produced or supervised by Philly Soul producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.

Archie Bell was born in Henderson, Texas on Sept 1, 1944.  The Drells were Archie Bell, James Wise, Joe Cross, Billy Butler, Luscious Larkins, and William Pernell.  Because Bell wanted the group’s name to rhyme, and to avoid confusion with the Harvey, IL based group of the Dells, he came up with the Drells.  Archie’s younger brother, Ricky Lynn Bell, was a former professional football running back who played for the Tampa Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers from 1977 to 1982.

Archie Bell grew up in a household in Houston that included seven brothers.  Because of his mother, Bell began singing at church at an early age.  In his teens, he formed Archie Bell and the Drells and began to sing at various talent shows around Hourston.  While performing they were discovered by KCOH disc jockey Skipper Lee Frazier.  Frazier had his own record label, Ovid Records, and on a handshake-based management deal, they began recording for him.

The group scored a regional hit with “She’s My Woman, She’s My Girl” in 1966.  Soon after that Bell was drafted into the Army to serve in Vietnam.  While on a short leave, he recorded the single “Tighten It Up” with dance musical backing by the TSU Tornados.  Issued in December, 1967, “Tighten It Up” became a huge hit and Houston and was picked up for distribution by New York-based Atlantic Records.  “Tighten it Up,W written by Archie Bell and Billy Butler, sold more than three million copies, holding both #1 R&B and #1 Pop spot for two weeks on billboard’s charts during the spring of 1968.

The idea of writing this song was to rid Bell of the GI blues he got while on military leave.  Bell’s escape from the blues became not just a memorable R&B song, but also a national dance craze.  Bell was hanging with Drell member Butler when Butler started dancing.  He told Belll it was a brand new dance called “Tighten it Up.”  In fact, the introduction of this song, “Hi everybody, we’re Archie Bell and the Drells from Houston, Texas,” was written to dispel a disc jockey’s statement that “nothing ever good came out of Texas,” referring to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

1968 was a big year for this group.  Unfortunately, Bell was stationed in Germany, while his song was being promoted.  Graciously, the Army allowed Bell to sporadically return to the U.S. to do club dates.  One evening in 1968 while performing at a New Jersey club, the group was approached by Philadelphia song writer and producer duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.  After getting an okay from Frazier and Atlantic, this new collaboration hit with “My Balloon is Going Up, “Do the Coo-Coo,” “Love Will Rain on You,” “There’s Going to be a Showdown,” “Girl, You’re Too Young,”  "There's Going to be a Showdown,"and “I Just Can’t Stop Dancing.”

The collaboration with Gamble and Huff continued well into the 70’s. Archie Bell and the Drells recorded their first album with Atlantic Records in 1968.  The album, also entitled “Tighten it Up,” included a lot of covers that included Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood” and Wilson Pickett’s “Midnight Hour.”  In fact, their last Atlantic charting single was a 1970 David Crawford-produced cover of Sam and Dave’s B-side hit entitled “Wrap it Up.”  ”

Over the next five or six years the group’s relationship with Gamble and Huff started to fade and Archie Bell and his Drells began to get lost in the Shuffle.  In 1976, Archie Bell and the Drells signed with the Philadelphia International label and recorded a few more hits, including “I Could Dance All Night,” followed by “The Soul City Walk, and “Let’s Grove.”  However, this relationship also began to sour because Bell felt Philadelphia International wasn’t promoting their material as much as the label’s other singing groups, such as The Intruders and The O’Jays.

In 1981 Bell began recording for the New York label Becket Records as a solo artist.  His album entitled “I Never Had it So Good” featured “Anytime is Right,” a midterm dance track that charted #49 on the R&B charts in the spring of 1981.

One more point worth noting:   Although Archie Bell and the Drells are best known for their joyous dance hits, they have also recorded several good ballads from the 60’s including “Love Will Rain on You” and “Right Here is Where I Want to Be.”

BARBARA LEWIS 

Now  let's take our time machine to the Midwest to profile the exciting recording and music writing career of Atlantic’s Ms. Barbara Lewis   We will also examine how she and her producer discovered some popular soul  vocalists. 

Barbara was born in South Lyon, Michigan, just west of Detroit, in 1943.  She enjoyed music as a child and by the age of nine had begun writing songs on her own.  Barbara became acquainted with music producer Ollie McLaughlin, a Michigan DJ, and started recording as a teenager, beginning in Chicago in 1961.  McLaughlin worked with a number of singers from the Detroit area, including Del Shannon, Deon Jackson, and the Capitols.

Lewis' first single release in 1962, the uptempo "My Heart Went Do Dat Da," did not chart nationally, but was a local hit in the Detroit, Michigan area.   During this time, she was signed to the Atlantic Label.  By 1963 Barbara recorded a debut album that consisted entirely of songs that she had written herself, and on some of them she was backed by the legendary soul group of the Dells.   One of the songs from the LP was, “Hello Stranger,” which became her biggest hit.

This major hit, released in 1963, went as high as number three on the national charts in the summer of that year and established Barbara Lewis as a formidable force in the music business.   She was only twenty years old at that time.

A recording of “Puppy Love,” which was completely different than the Paul Anka song,  became Barbara's next top forty hit the following year.  

By the mid 60’s Lewis began recording in New York City under the direction of veteran producers Jerry Wexler and Bert Berns.  These music pros employed more orchestral arrangements and pop-conscious material into Barbara’s music.  . The approach clicked, both commercially and artistically: "Baby I'm Yours" and "Make Me Your Baby"  both barely missed the top 10 during 1965, and both were among the best mid-'60s girl group style productions.   

“Baby I’m Yours”  was written by music producer Van McCoy, who would have a number one hit of his own as an artist a decade later with the instrumental disco standard “The Hustle.”

Barbara's final top forty hit was “Make Me Belong To You” in 1966.  . 

Her involvent with Atlantic came to an end in 1968 and in 1970 Ollie McLoughlin struck a deal with Stax Records in Memphis.   Although not based in Memphis, (she recorded the tracks in Chicago), the partnership produced over a dozen tracks and the resultant LP was "The Many Grooves Of Barbara Lewis" on the Enterprise label    

However, when Lewis cut this album in the late '60s for Stax It passed mostly unnoticed.   Barbara then withdrew from the music business after a few other singles.  The singer with the smooth voice then went into a long hiatus in the early 70's. She has long been a popular singer along the Eastern Seaboard where her songs continue to be played on the radio and appreciated by the beach music crowd.

In 1995, Lewis' "Baby I'm Yours" was featured on the soundtrack for the film, The Bridges of Madison County.    Lewis is reported to have dined with Sharon Tate, an actress who was brutally murdered a few hours later.  On that date, August 8, 1969, Tate was two weeks from giving birth. and she entertained several friends, including actress Joanna Pettet and Barbara Lewis.

To sum it up, there is no doubt that Barbara Lewis’ smooth style heavily influenced the rhythm and blues music culture.  Her largest hit “Hello Stranger” has been covered by a considerable number of singers.  Also, she received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999.  A fine singer, Lewis had some excellent orchestral accompaniment and at times recorded songs with an eye toward commercial appeal.

BETTY EVERETT

I thought it would be a good idea to examine the life of soul singer Betty Everett because she is mainly remembered for only one big top 40 record, entitled “It’s in his Kiss.”   However, She actually was one of the best soul singers around during the 60’s and recorded many other songs.  Her sophisticated recordings really emphasized the highly popular “girl” soul sound of the time and largely resembled Motown’s recording formula.  However, as we will see, she didn’t always reap the benefits of her musical royalties and some of her recordings were covered by other singers who made them into larger top 40 hits.

Ms. Everett grew up in Greenwood, MS on Nov 23, 1939 and began singing gospel before relocating to Chicago and moving into soulful rock music. In fact, as a teenager she performed with Muddy Waters and Magic Sam. She began recording for Cobra Records in 1958 but didn’t land any hits until she signed with Vee-Jay Records in the early 60’s. During 1963 when she signed her contract with this label, Vee Jay was issuing some hits by the Beatles. She made her best records for this label between 1963 and 1966. One of her first big R&B hits was entitled ‘You’re No Good,”

Despite the brilliant sound of this recording, it just missed the billboard top 50 in 1963 and was covered in the UK by a group called The Swinging Blue Jeans. In 1975, Linda Rondstat would do a United States cover version of the song that went all the way to number one on the pop charts.

After the recording of “You’re No Good” Everett really hit it big in 1964 with the release of several recordings. “It’s in His Kiss,” also known as “The Shoop Shoop Song,” was a pop 10 hit during the summer of that year. Also, during 1964, she did a duet with soul singing legend Jerry Butler. This song, entitled “Let it Be Me,” was a cover of the Everly Brothers recording and also made the top ten pop charts. The duo also released an album, called “Delicious Together.”   It was during this time that Ms. Everett made a successful tour of England.   

However, once again, one of Ms. Everett‘s songs was covered by another artist. “The Shoop Shoop Song” was recorded by Linda Lewis in 1975 and she took it to the top ten in the UK that year. It was also later popularized by Cher from the Sonny and Cher duet, which carried this popular sound to the top of the pop charts 27 years later in 1981. 

After Vee Jay Records folded in 1967, Ms Everett went to ABC Records without success before signing with Uni Records in 1969. It was with this label that she recorded her last top 40 hit, entitled “There’ll Come a Time”.

This song went to number two on the soul charts. Everett had five more entries in the soul charts on Uni and Fantasy Records by 1971. She continued to record with different labels until the late 70’s. In 1978 she made her last appearance on the music charts with a song entitled “True Love (You Took my Heart).”

Her last public appearance was on the PBS program “Doo Wop 51,” with Jerry Butler that was conducted in February 2001.  Jay B. Ross, Ms. Everett’s personal lawyer said that she was nervous at her last public appearance because she had not performed in a while.  However, he pointed out that once she got into the show and saw how much the audience loved her, she just blossomed, and the audience responded.

Ms. Everett died in her home at Beloit, Wisconsin on August 19, 2001 at the age of  only 61.

Blue Magic



Let's now examine he recording career of Blue Magic.  They had a number of R&B ballads during the 70’s..   They were one of the earliest acts produced by Norman Harris, a Philadelphia records veteran.  The group's harmonies were supported by the MFSB studio house band.

Blue Magic, an R&B vocal quintet was formed in Philadelphia in 1972.    This group was started when former member of The Delfonics, Randy Cain brought singer-songwriter Ted Mills in to do some writing .   A short time later, the group Shades of Love, came in for an audition.   The decision was made to put Ted Mills with Shades of Love and  they re-named the group Blue Magic. It was a good move because they were signed with Atco Records in the same year.

 They hit the Top 40 of the R&B singles chart with their first three 45s before breaking through and crossing over to the pop charts.  One of these beautiful R&B performances was entitled “Stop to Start,” released in 1973.

 “Stop to Start” would mark the beginning of a very successful R&B recording career.  Other R&B track releases followed, including “Look Me Up” and “Spell.”  This group became known mostly for their smooth ballads.  Blue Magic broke through in a big way the following year with their first million-selling US Top 10 hit single entitled "Sideshow".

This track was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in August 1974.^[1] It climbed to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B Chart.  A follow-up, "Three Ring Circus" also sold well,

The group was also know for their on stage dance moves.  As a visually oriented group, they had several television appearances, including Soul Train, 

In 1975 Blue Magic had two R&B chart singles and four in 1976. The song, "What's Come Over Me" from their debut album was re-worked as a duet with Margie Joseph who was dubbed in alongside Mills' original lead vocals. The new approach saw the song, initially on the b-side of the group's second single, climb to #11 on the R&B chart.   

 1975 was a good year for Blue Magic. the group had their first world tour, which lasted for 16 weeks. The tour included the United States, five countries in Europe, and a 10-day stay in the Philippines. Blue Magic concluded their tour with a two-week engagement in the Virgin Islands. In 1975, they were chosen as the best new group of the year which earned them an Ebony Award.

However, after the mid 70’s the group's popularity was starting to fade as music styles changed and despite the group continuing to record consistently, they failed to chart.

To sum it up Blue Magic is a prime example of another soul ballad group that had their successful career shortened by the changing music styles.  After their career slump during the 70’s but they returned with R&B chart singles in 1981 and 1983 and made a comeback album, “From Out of the Blue,” in 1989.  However, they never achieved their original success again.

Bobby Day 

We have to go back to the 50’s to discuss the exciting performance of doo wop recording star Bobby Day.   His real name was Robert James Byrd Sr. not to be confused with Bobby Byrd, the singer with James Brown.   Most of Bobby Day’s hits were covered by other artists, and he played a major role in the soul sound of the 60’s. 

Born in Fort Worth Texas in 1928, the family moved to Los Angeles, CA where Bobby, at the age of 15, formed a R&B recording group called the Hollywood Flames.  During their early years, the group recorded under a variety of names, on a couple of different labels.  In 1957 the group “hit it” with a song that Bobby Day co-wrote called Buzz Buzz Buzz. 

Fellow Hollywood Flame member, Earl Nelson, actually sang the lead on Buzz Buzz Buzz, which reached number 5 on the R&B Charts and number 11 on the Pop Charts.  While “Buzz” was doing well, Bobby Day dropped out of the Hollywood Flames and formed his own band called the Satellites.  As fate would have it, he had an instant hit with “Little Bitty Pretty One” on Class Records.

Little Bitty Pretty one, recorded first by Bobby Day was an even bigger by Thurston Harris the next year.  In 1958 Day recorded a double-sided hit with “Rocking Robin” and “Over and Over” on the B side.  Once again, both of these songs were major hits for other artists.  In 1965, “Over and Over” went to the top of the Billboard Charts for the Dave Clark Five, a Pop group.  In 1972 Michael Jackson’s version of “Rocking Robin” went to number two on the Billboard Charts.  

“Rocking Robin “and “Over and Over” would be the last top 40 hits that Bobby Day would perform.  In the early 60’s Day became half of the duo called Bob and Earl.  Earl was ex-Hollywood Flame member Earl Nelson.   Unfortunately Day was replaced before the duo’s largest hit with a song entitled “The Harlem Shuffle.”  Day had been replaced by Bobby Relf.  Major success continually eluded Bobby Day.  He was called a “One Hit Wonder” even though the songs he wrote became major hits for other artists.  Day is quoted as saying that when “Little Bitty Pretty One’ became a hit he found out he didn’t have any publishing rights and only half the writer credit because he didn’t have any knowledge of law or contracts.  Before Bobby Day died of cancer in 1990 his British fans extended him a long awaited warm recognition of his talent.  Bobby Day may have been unsung but not overlooked by his old school fans.

Brenda Holloway

Let's go back to the 60's and examine the exciting Motown singing career of Ms. Brenda Holloway.   Let's  also examine how this performer's career was influenced by legendary Motown singer and writer Mary Wells.  She was Motown Producer Berry Gordy's first West Coast performer.

Brenda Holloway was born June 21, 1946 in Atascadero, California and was the oldest of three children. In 1948 the family moved to the Watts section of Los Angeles, where Brenda took up the violin and sang in the church choir By the age of 14 Brenda and her sister Patrice began working on demonstration records and singing backup for local LA R&B groups..  After singing with the group that later became the Whispers, Holloway's first professional recording was made at age 14, backing her 12-year-old sister.  By 1962, Brenda herself began cutting records on several different L.A. labels, and she and her sister also found work as session singers.

In 1964, Holloway performed a rendition of Mary Wells' "My Guy" at a DJ convention in Los Angeles. Motown founder Berry Gordy happened to be there, and he was so struck by the power of her vocals (not to mention her physical form) that he made Holloway his first West Coast signing, putting her on the Tamla label. Her debut single, "Every Little Bit Hurts," was an R&B smash that also reached number 12 on the pop charts.

The rest is history!

The Chiffons

The Chiffons made music that helped define the girl group sound of the 60’s.  The epitome of the early-1960s the New York sound, the Chiffons performed in cocktail dresses, high heels, and upswept hairdos while crooning songs of teen angst.  The Tokens influenced their career and the British musical invasion forced them to sue one of the Beatles.   

Originally, this group was formed in the Bronx and was composed of teen age friends Judy Craig, Barbara Lee, and Patricia Bennett .  They began developing their talents by entertaining themselves singing between classes. . The girls choose the name Chiffons out of a hat.. They were then discovered by a local songwriter, Ronnie Mack, who recruited the teens to record a demo of his original songs   They  recorded their version of "Tonight's the Night," and both versions hit the charts on September 12th. The Shirelles, having a stronger lead vocalist and fuller harmonies climbed to #39 while the Chiffons' first release managed to reach #76.

At the suggestion of Mack, Sylvia Peterson was added to the group in 1962. Peterson had previously sung with Little Jimmy & the Tops in 1959 when she was 14.   Another group from California also used the name "Chiffons" and recorded three singles, including a version of the Shirelles' "Tonight's The Night". According to Craig and Bennett, the New York Chiffons have no connection to the other group

By the end of 1960 Mack and the Chiffons had caught the attention of Bright Tunes, a production company that also produced hits for the Tokens.  The trio, which became a quartet in 1962 with the addition of Sylvia Peterson, scored their first big hit a year later with "He’s So Fine." released as part of their debut album on Laurie Records,

“Earlier, Capital Records had rejected this single.  Released instead by the smaller Laurie label, by May 11, the single had also topped the British charts. The accomplishment was dimmed, unfortunately, by the early death of Ronnie Mack, who succumbed to Hodgkin’s disease.  This release hit No. 1 in the United States and it was produced by the Tokens of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" fame.. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^{[1 ]}    

However, if the Chiffons aren’t remembered for anything else, they are definitely remembered for the lawsuit alleging that George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” was plagiarized from “He’s So Fine.”  George Harrison's 1970 song "My Sweet Lord" was musically similar, prompting a copyright infringement claim. The Chiffons went on to record "My Sweet Lord" in 1975. A judge later found that Harrison had unintentionally plagiarized the earlier song.^[2]    In 1971, he was sued by Ronnie Mack's estate and Bright Tunes. Harrison lost the case in 1976 and was ordered to pay $587,000 in composer's royalties.

The Chiffon’s first hit was followed by other notable tunes such as as Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "One Fine Day", "Sweet Talkin' Guy" and "I Have A Boyfriend".   However, once again it was the Tokens, who immediately produced the next hit single entitled "One Fine Day." "One Fine Day" proved to have the same simple appeal as "He's So Fine,"

After their string of successes, the Chiffons were poised to begin 1964 with a new string of singles.  However, the change in music styles and the British invasion slowed their success.                                     

The girl-group sound quickly lost popularity to the Mersey beat harmonicas of the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, and other British acts,  The Chiffons’ subsequent releases didn’t chart well:
This girl group spent the rest of the 1960s attempting to rekindle the magic of their earlier years. They scored their last high-charting single, "Sweet Talking Guy," in 1966.

Despite their waning success, they continued to tour, even after the 1969 departure of lead vocalist Craig, when the group continued as a trio. They disbanded in 1972. However, the group performed in one form or another for several years since on the nostalgia circuit until the late 1990’s.  In 1992, Lee died from a heart attack the day before her 45th birthday, and Craig returned to the group. Peterson retired shortly thereafter and was replaced by Connie Harvey. Harvey has since left to pursue a solo career and Bennett has retired from the group.  As of 2009, Judy Craig was performing as the Chiffons with her daughter and her niece, appearing at select shows throughout the U.S. and internationally.

The Contours

 Originally, this Motown group consisted of Billy Gordon, Billy Hoggs, Joe Billigslea, and Billy Rollins that sang in a Detroit quartet in 1958 known as the Blenders.  After a short period Billy Rollins was replaced by vocalist Leroy Fair.  In 1960, Hubert Johnson, a cousin of the late Jackie Wilson, joined the group and made it a quintet.  They changed their name to the Contours after a visit to a recording studio called “Flick and Contour Records.”

The sound of the Contours did not resemble Motown’s so-called traditional smooth and sophisticated sound of the 60’s.  Their stage appearance was also different.  The group performed a lot of wild leaps and slides across the stage, and even did some splits. 

However, this group made several important contributions to Motown’s success.  First, they had the distinction of being the first recording group to perform under the new Gordy record label created by Motown Owner Berry Gordy in 1962.  Second, their largest hit, “Do You Love Me,” from that year, still holds the record as Motown’s fastest rising hit of all time.  It hit number 3 on the National Billboard Charts and zoomed straight to the top of the R&B charts.  Finally, Dennis Edwards, who later joined the group, would eventually replace David Ruffin as the lead singer of the Temptations.

Despite these contributions, the group’s talents were never recognized in a similar fashion as Motown’s major male vocal groups of the Temptations, Four Tops, and Miracles.  The group had promotion problems from the very beginning.  It was Jackie Wilson that finally persuaded Berry Gordy in the Fall of 1960 into signing the Contours to a Motown recording contract. 

The group’s first two record recordings “Whole Lotta Woman” and “The Stretch” didn’t fare well.  At this point Gordy nearly dropped the group until Wilson once again interceded on their behalf.  The third assignment was a charm when in 1962 Gordy offered them a chance to sing “Do You Love Me,” a song that Gordy wrote originally for the Temptations to sing, but felt that group couldn’t nail down the rough and rowdy feel the song needed.

The Contours never again achieved the level of success that “Do You Love Me” brought them.  In 1963 the group charted another dance hit entitled “Shake Sherry” that hit number 21 on the R&B charts and number 43 on the pop charts.  In 1964 they recorded the ballad “The Day When She Needed Me”.  However, by the time this song was released the group underwent major restructuring.  At a meeting with Berry Gordy in 1964 Billy Hoggs, Joe Billingslea, and Sylvester Potss announced they were quitting.  A week later Hubert Johnson also resigned, leaving Billy Gordon as the only original member of the group.  Motown reconstructed the group as a quarted and added Council Gay, Jerry Green, and Alvin English.  The reconstructed Ontours recorded and released “Can You Jerk Like Me?”  This song was the A side of the ballad “The Day When She Needed Me.”, which was recorded by the earlier members of The Contours.  Both of these songs charted in 1965.  The reconstructed Contours also released “First I Look at the Purse,” a very popular party tune in 1965.  The song reached number 12 on the R&B charts and number 57 on the Pop Charts that year. 

The uncertainty of the group’s composition continued in 1965,  Sylvester Potts returned to the group replacing Alvin English.  However, almost immediately afterwards, the only remaining original member, Billy Gordon, quit and was replaced by Joe Stubbs (former lead singer of the Falcons and brother of the Four Tops’ lead singer Levi Stubbs.  This group charted “Just a Little Misunderstanding, which peaked at number 18 on the R&B Charts and number 85 on the Pop Charts in 1966.  Joe Stubbs quit and was replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1967.  Edwards would later replace David Ruffin as the Temptation’s lead singer.  This formation of The Contours charted the ballad “It’s So Hard Being a Loser,” which peaked at number 35 on the R&B Charts and number 79 on the Pop Charts that same year.

After their contract with Motown expired in 1967 the Contours disbanded.  Joe Billingslea revived the group in 1971 playing a few dates here and there.  In 1988 “Do You Love Me” returned to the pop charts for eight weeks and peaked at number 11, thanks to exposure on the 1987 Film Additional Soundtrack of “More Dirty Dancing.”

Various configurations of The Contours existed until early 2004, when Sylvester Potts quit.

THE CRYSTALS

What are the facts about the soulful New York City sound of the Crystals?  This was one of the groups that helped music producer Phil Spector establish his famous “Wall of Sound.”

This Brooklyn group was originally a quintet that consisted of Barbara Alston, Dee Dee  Kennibrew,  Mary Thomas, Patricia Wright, and Myrna Gerrard.  The group was formed in 1960 by Benny Wells, Barbara’s uncle and a former big-band musician.  Wells didn’t write music and got his materials from various songwriters, including Leroy Bates.  In fact, The Crystals got their name after Bate’s daughter, Crystal Bates.    Early in 1961, Wells took the group to The Celebrity Club in Freeport, Long Island to get the feel of a stage and live performing.

While rehearsing the song “There’s No Other” one evening in March of 1961, the group met Producer Phil Spector.  Originally done up tempo, Spector slowed down the pace and created an entirely different feel for this song, which was released in late June of that year.

This song entered Billboard’s Pop listings on Nov 20 and peaked at number 20 in January of 1962, also reaching number five on the R&B charts.  Influenced by the Bobettes, the Chantels, and the Shirelles, Spector and his Philles label were reshaping the Crystal’s sound to redefine the girl group style at that time.  The first indication of this was with their second single, entitled “Uptown.  This song was about a battle weary man who found strength and pride when he comes “Uptown” to his girlfriend’s arms.

“Uptown” hit the charts in the same month of its release, in March of 1962.  This song reached number 13 Pop and number 18 on R&B.  In this brilliant recording, Spector choose to let the musical instruments overshadow the voices.   Each song the Crystals released brought them another step closer to Spector’s eventual “Wall of Sound” approach. 

During this time, two major events influenced the recording career of the Crystals.  Their follow-up hit to “Uptown” of  “He Hit Me” (and it felt like a kiss)”  was pulled by Philles records despite it’s good reviews and instant airplay.  Spector ‘s partner Lester Sill believed the song was a depressing, negatively influenced song.  The public began complaining to radio stations about this song over it’s lyrics.

However, Spector had other ideas.  Soon after “He Hit Me” flopped, the song producer began recording singer Darlene Love and her backing group The Blossoms under the name of “The Crystals.”  Legend has it that the real Crystals were not able to travel from New York to Los Angeles fast enough to suit the LA-based Spector, who wanted to quickly record writer Gene Pitney’s “He’s a Rebel” before anyone else, such as Vikki Carr, could release a version.  The Crystals were unavailable, but Love and the Blossoms were also based in LA.   Therefore,  Spector recorded and released their version under the Crystal’s name.   Spector felt this song would sound better with the powerful lead voice of Darlene Love.  It turned out to be the Crystal’s only number one record and came out in August of 1962. 

This sound was turned down for the Shirelles by their record label because the management there felt this song was “too adventurous” and because of the anti-establishment lyrics in the track.  However, this sound was exactly the style Spector wanted for this celebration of non-conformity.  In fact, in 1963, to annoy former business partner Lester Sill, Spector arranged the release of “Let’s Dance The Screw,” one of the rarest recordings in rock history.  This song was banned from radio in 1963.  The follow-up hit to “He’s a Rebel”, a song entitled “He’s Sure the Boy I Loved,” reached number 11 on the Billboard Charts.  It also featured Darlene Love and the Blossoms. 

The real Crystals returned and began recording again under their own name in 1963.  A song entitled “Da Doo Ron Ron” was released during that year and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Charts., The follow up single of “Then He Kissed Me.”  climbed  to number 6 on the Billboard Charts.  Both songs were written by Phil Spector with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. 

To sum up The Crystals were always being put on the spot by producer Phil Spector their entire recording career and always had to prove themselves.  Also, despite the steady flow of hit singles, tensions between Spector and the Crystals mounted. Already unhappy with having been replaced by Love and company on two singles, The Crystals were even more upset when in 1964, Spector began focusing much of his time on his other girl group The Ronettes. As well, there were disputes about royalties, with The Crystals feeling that Spector was withholding royalty money that was owed to them.

After leaving Philles, the group only had minor hits.  Their last Spector Record was “All Grown Up” and only reached number 98 on the Hot 100 Charts in 1964,  By the end of that year, this group was performing as a trio when they recorded two singles for United Artists, "My Place" and "You Can't Tie a Good Girl Down". One more single was released on the tiny Michelle Record  Label in 1967 ("Ring-a-Ting-a-Ling"). The group disbanded in 1967.  They reunited in 1971 and toured widely in varying incarnations on the oldies circuit; and they still perform today. Kenniebrew is the only original Crystal who remained active throughout their touring from the seventies to the present.

Denise LaSalle

Denise Lasalle, who is often recognized as the “Queen of Soul Blues,” had an exciting recording and song writing career.   Her strong sense of humor and sassy attitude has attracted many soul fans.

Born on July 16 1939, she grew up in Belzoni, Mississippi as Denise Craig.  She started singing in local churches around Leflore County, Mississippi as a child.  During this time she listened to the Grand Old Opry radio broadcasts and lived across the street from a Juke Joint in Belzoni.  Her early influences from around the juke boxes included Ruth Brown, Dana Washington, and Lavern Baker.

In her early 20’s, she moved to Chicago and attended shows at the Regal Theatre, always returning home to write songs.  She got to know blues musicians and began giving her material to them.  Her first break came one day when Chess record executive Billy “The Kid” Emerson stopped at a lounge where Lasalle was working as a bar maid.  He listened to one of her records and took it down to Chess Records.  Chess signed her as a vocalist but did not record any of her material.  It wasn’t until two years later when Lasalle produced and recorded her own record with the same executive that discovered her   This recording, released in 1967 on Emerson’s Tarpon Label, was called “A Love Reputation.”

A Love Reputation was Denise LaSalle’s first hit song.  It made some movement on the R&B charts around Chicago,  By now, Chess stepped in, purchased the master of this recording and took it to Europe.  Meanwhile, after a period of writing and producing for other artists,  Lasalle returned to writing her own material and had her first signature major hit in 1971 with a song released by the Westbound Label entitled “Trapped by a Thing Called Love.”

This is beautiful and demonstrates a prime example of Lasalle’s witty sense of humor!   The song reached number one on the R&B charts and climbed to the US Top 20 during 1971.  However, after this huge success Lasalle faced some challenges in her music career.

She signed with ABC Record in 1975, where she cut three albums and performed until the label was sold to MCA Records.  Unfortunately, because of the label’s difficulty of promoting Blacks at that time, MCA  dropped her and Lasalle was forced to continue performing in Chicago and Memphis.  Her most important recordings would be performed when she was noticed and signed by Malaco Records In 1980, where she was asked to write a song for Z.Z. Hill.   Her remake of Z.Z. Hill’s “Downhome Blues” was very well received.   During this tour a strong relationship developed with Malaco and she recorded 11 hit albums including the critically acclaimed “A Lady in the Street”, “Love Talking” , “Hitting Where it Hurts, and “Smoking in Bed” released in 1997.“  Smoking in Bed” was an unexpected commercial success.

Denise Lasalle  gave the world of Southern Soul humorous tales of love on the rocks.  Unlike so many other blues vocalists who just reinterpreted material given to them by songwriters, LaSalle is a seriously talented songwriter.  She has written many funny songs with a sassy attitude.  Also, she has always pushed to keep the blues alive and founded the National Association for Preservation of Blues (NAPOB) in 1986.  This organization has helped more blues tracks receive radio airplay today.

Ms Lasalle continues to perform today and has successfully joined the gospel recording circuit. She presently resides with her husband in Jackson, Tennessee, where they continue to participate in the community. 

EDDIE FLOYD

Besides his recording of his big hit “Knock on Wood”, Eddie Floyd was involved in a lot of other activities many people don’t know about that helped some famous musicians. He became a very effective producer, writer, and businessman . For example, shortly after his birth in Montgomery, AL on June 25, 1935, he grew up in Detroit where he co-founded the Falcons in 1955, which was originally a racially-intergraded group. His uncle, Robert West arranged the Falcon’s recording contract with Mercury Records in 1957. This group landed a top 20 hit in 1959 with “You’re So Fine.”

This is the same group of Falcons that recorded “I Found a Love” in 1962 with Wilson Pickett. In 1963 after the Falcons disbanded, Pickett started a solo career and Eddie came here to DC for a short time to spend some time with his DJ friend Al Bell. In the mid 60’s when Bell went to Memphis, Floyd followed him. to work as a song writer with him and write and compose music with guitarist Steve Cropper. “Knock on Wood” was released in 1966 after a long delay. Management at Stax felt the chord arrangements in the song was strongly based on the chord changes in Wilson Picket’s IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR. However, the distributors “smelled” a hit and finally released the song. It became Stax’s third number one hit of 1966. It appears strange, but the song barely made the top 30 in the pop charts.

Contributions to other Musicians

Two other top 40 hits quickly followed in 1968 -- “I’ve never Found A Girl” (#40) and “Bring it on Home to Me” (#21) While in Memphis Floyd wrote songs for Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding. Two quick examples are the song 634-5789 in 1966 for Wilson Pickett and “The Big Bird” for Otis Redding. The “Big Bryd” was a special tribute to his friend Otis Redding after the ladder perished in a plane crash. Finally Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Johnny Lang appear in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000.

EDWIN STARR

As most everyone is aware this performer is mainly known for his version of "War" which was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970 and became one of the most  popular protest songs ever recorded.   But what we also want to remember is how Mr. Starr was an integral part of the Motown sound of the 60’s.

Starr was born Charles Hatcher in Nashville, TN in 1942 (his cousin was deep soul singer and songwriter Roger Hatcher). He grew up in Cleveland and formed a doo wop quintet called the FutureTones while still in high school. They won numerous local talent competitions and even recorded a single for a small label.    Starr was drafted into the military.   When he returned from the service, Starr became the lead singer for Bill Doggett’s group.

In 1965 he wrote what he felt was a surefire hit in the spy-themed "Agent Double-O-Soul." It was a take off on  the popularity of James Bonds’ films.  

Agent 00 Soul hit the R&B top ten list.  The song began Starr’s career and he capitalized on the song’s novelty appeal by appearing on stage in a spy costume complete with a toy gun.  The song was so popular that he left Bill Doggett and signed with the Ric Tic label.  As I mentioned earlier,   Edwin Starr would become a Motown artist in 1968 after  Ric-Tic was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr., with Starr being one of his crown jewels.  Contract negotiations took some time, but Starr rebounded with his biggest hit yet in 1969's "25 Miles

“25 Miles” reached the Top Ten on both the pop and R&B charts.  When Starr finally returned to the studio, it was with producer Norman Whitfield.  Whitfield and Barret Strong had written an anti-war protest song entitled “War” for the Temptations, but Motown’s Barry Gordy didn’t want to risk the image of it’s most popular male group with such a potentially controversial song.  So Whitfield recreated “War” to match Edwin Starr’s, James Brown influenced soul shout.  With Whitfield’s new act, the Undisputed Truths on backing vocals “War” took off and became a runaway hit.

Edwin Starr’s version of war hit the airwaves in 1970 and has become the most successful  war protest song to be a major hit.  In fact “War” became Starr’s signature song for the rest of his career.  After 1971 Starr’s career began to falter so he left Motwon by the mid 70’s and eventually moved to The United Kingdom.  Starr’s new version of War was recorded in 2003 and was his final piece. 

Edwin Starr died of a heart attack just 13 days after the start of the still controversial Iraq War.  Starr won a grammy in 1971 for War and his original version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

ERNIE K DOE

He was born as Ernest Kador, Jr, in New Orleans.  He sang gospel at his father’s church at the age of 7.  When he moved to Chicago with his mother he got a chance to sing secular music with the Flamingos and Moonglows as well as the Four Blazes.  By the time he was 18 he moved back to New Orleans and hooked up with the legendary producer and arranger Allen Touissant.  Touissant wrote 4 songs for ernie in 2 days.  After a flop and near miss, the third song was possibly the biggest R&B hit to come out of New Orleans.  It was entitled “Mother in Law”

What a sound!  I love the way  Doe  trades choruses with bass vocalist Benny Spellman.    “Mother-In-Law “ reached  number one on Billboard's R&B chart during 1961.  And to think the song had almost been trashed.  According to legend, Ernie K Doe didn’t like the way the song sounded during rehersal and abandoned it.  Touissaint, perhaps the most talented writer and producer in the history of New Orleans R&B, retrieved the first version of “Mother-In-Law” and they recorded it again. 

I should note right here that Touissant was responsible for K Doe’s name change.  Ernie K Doe definitely had more ring than Ernie Kador.  Still working with the Minit recording label, Ernie recorded “A Certain Girl”, which caught the ear.

This sound, also released in 1961, was actually the flip side of “I Cried My Last Tear.” It didn’t go as high on the charts as “Mother-in-Law” but it was popular in England where it was covered by the Yardbirds and the Paramounts, and was later recorded in the United States by Warren Zevon.

In the meantime, the Minit label soon went under, and K-Doe followed Toussaint to the Instant label.  Things weren’t  going well for Ernie. Music styles changed and he had a difficult time adapting his playful style to the R&B trends of the day.  He did manage to get back on the charts for the last time in 1967 with the singles "Later for Tomorrow" and a remake of "Until the Real Thing Comes Along."

The next two decades were particularly rough for K-Doe. His eight-year-old son, Kevin, was shot to death in the late 1970s; his music was relegated to the novelty and oldies categories; and he became caught in the blur of alcoholism. He performed very seldom during those years, yet his legend grew as a result of a job he took as a guest deejay on an FM community radio station much like WPFW.. By1989  K-Doe was on his second career and his loyal fans wholeheartedly embraced him as "Emperor of the Universe."

To sum it up.  "Mother-in-Law" was the pinnacle of K-Doe's success, but he used it to both sustain, for a time, and later to rebuild his career.  In 1994, K-Doeopened his own club, Mother-in-Law Lounge, in New Orleans, and frequently performed there in the years to come, occasionally returning to the studio as well. He was inducted into the city's MusicHall of Fame in 1995 and generally acknowledged for his contributions up until his death from kidney and liver failure on July 5, 2001.

THE FLAMING EMBER

Let's travel out to Detroit to examine the soul sound of the Flaming Ember, a blue-eyed Motor city soul group that enjoyed a short time in the recording spotlight during 1969 through 1971.   We will also demonstrate how music producers Holland-Dozier-Holland had a strong influence on their music. 

First of all, let me mention that Blue-eyed soul is the common term used to describe white recording artists that perform R&B sounds.   The Flaming Ember is an exciting example of this.

It has been reported that this group got their name from a famous motor city restaurant and bar of the same name.  Originally, the Flaming Embers were signed with the Ric Tic label.  But when Berry Gordy bought the label, the Flaming Embers were not offered a contract with Motown.  Eventually, they dropped the S from their name and signed with the newly-formed Hot Wax Records.  Hot Wax Records was a label founded by the legendary Holand Dozier and Holland and that’s when the Flaming Ember began to sizzle. 

At that time The Flaming Ember Band included guitarist Joe Sladich, Pianist Bill Ellis, Basist Jim Bugnel, and drummer and lead vocalist Jerry Plunk.  The Flaming Ember decided to go with Hot Wax and its founders Holland, Dozier, and Holland because of their reputation as the most successful song writers and producers in the world  when they left Berry Gordy’s Motown label in 1968.  Hot Wax had had instant success with major soul funk classics like “Somebody’s Been Sleeping in my Bed” by 100 Proof Aged in Soul and the Honeycone’s Huge Hit “Want Ads.”  For the Flaming Ember, it was a good match because another hit followed…  Mind, Body, and Soul

“Mind, Body, and Soul,” released in 1970 is a relaxing and beautiful ballad that reached #26 on the top billboard charts.  For the Flaming Ember, the relationship with Hot Wax proved to be a good one that briefly would only get better.  That same year, 1970, Flaming Ember released their largest hit, called “Westbound #9”   It’s a hard rocking Detroit soul ballad about the hypocrisy of a father and Deacon Jones Gin. 

This recording sure sounds like Motown Soul to Me!  “Westbound #9 was the Flaming Ember’s biggest hit and was their signature song.  Westbound reached number 24 on the pop charts and #15 on the R&B listings.

To sum it up, most of the songs recorded by The Flaming Ember really didn’t do that well on the charts.  They recorded six singles with Ric-Tic, but without much success.  Also, the group's follow-up efforts with Hot Wax, such as 1971's "Stop the World and Let Me Off" were not as successful as their earlier performances.   After changing their name to Mind, Body and Soul they spent the rest of the 1970s playing the Detroit bar circuit. 

The band was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1999, due to Jerry Plunk, who hailed from Jackson, Tennessee, where rockabilly was supposedly born. [1]   The Flaming Ember reunited briefly in the early 2000s and completed a CD. 

THE FRIENDS OF DISTINCTION

This group was formed by Harry Elston, Floyd Butler, Jessica Cleaves and Barbara Love back in 1968.  After polishing up their act for several months, the group hit the local tour circuit in Los Angeles, CA. With the support of a well-known manager, former football star Jim Brown, the group signed with RCA Records.

In 1969, the Friends of Distinction released their first single “Grazing in the
Grass.”  Grazing in the Grass was a hit right out of the box, ranking on the top of the R&B Charts for 17 weeks.

Grazing in the Grass was originally recorded by trumpeter Hugh Masekela a year before.  Masekela was a musician, who in his music physically portrayed the struggles and sorrows, as well as the joys and passions of his native South  Africa.  The Friends’ version sold a million copies and earned them a gold record.  Four months later, another hit, bigger than the first one.  It was called “Going in Circles.”

This track earned Friends of Distinction their second gold record.  The group’s tight harmonizing and flamboyant hype clothing style of the 60’ helped build their popularity.  By 1971 the Friends had released five albums.  They also released a number of great singles, including “Check It Out” later remade by Tavares.   The group’s third big hit was a relaxing ballad “Love or Let Me be Lonely” with Charlene Gibson as the lead singer. 

“Love or let me be Lonely”, charted but it also marked the beginning of the group’s decline.  There were personnel changes in the original lineup and by the mid 70’s popular music was changing.  To sum it up “Friends of Distinction” hit the music scene when Motown and Stax dominated.  But the group’s breezy California pop soul sound, like their counterpart The 5^th Dimension was welcomed like a breath of fresh air.  However, a grueling touring schedule and the lack of a hit for several years lead the group to call it quits in 1975.

But the end was not over.  In 1990 original members Elston and Butler brought the Friends of Distinction back together.  Tragically, Butler died of a heart attack at Elston;s side before the group’s reunion could be realized.  Elston spend several years forming a new Friends group and it is reported that the new group continues to tour and entertain audiences nearly 40 years after the world first heard the friends of Distinction.

JIMMY RUFFIN 

Jimmy was born in Collinsville, Miss on May 7 1939.  In addition to his brother David, he had three other siblings.    Brought up in Mississippi, Jimmy Ruffin was singing at his local church choir by the age of eight.  During childhood Jimmy and David began their singing career with a gospel group called the Dixie Nightingales.  

Let me point out that Jimmy and his younger brother David were both signed to Motown as solo artists.  In fact Jimmy himself was offered a chance to sing with the Temptations in 1964, but he declined in favor of David.  He never really wanted to be a professional singer. but just enjoyed singing.    He joined the military in 1960 and started singing with a group that toured the US service clubs in Europe.  At that time he was planning to make a career out of the military.  However, the woman who booked the acts suggested that Jimmy Ruffin become a professional singer.

He really became aware of his professional talent one day while playing around with the guitar and singing Sam Cooke’s “She Was Only 16.”  He recorded this vocal, played it back and felt it sounded even better than Sam.  When he left the military in 1964 he returned to Detroit to join his brother David and legendary Motown singer Mary Wells.  Wells heard him sing and recommended that he go audition for Motown.  Berry Gordy signed him to Motown’s Soul label and wanted to record almost everything he was singing.

Ruffin worked closely with Motown producer Norman Whitfield and the big break came in his fourth release during the summer of 1966 with a song entitled “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.”    This sound was originally scheduled to be recorded by the Detroit Spinners.  However, Jimmy had stumbled on this song when he met songwriter James Dean, and felt he could do a better job of singing the sound, a track describing a person who was lost looking for a ray of hope or something to believe in. 

There is no doubt that Jimmy sings this song as if he wrote it.   "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number six on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.    Jimmy performed two major follow-up chart hits.  Later in November of that year, Jimmy recorded “I’ve Passed This Way Before.”   In March of 1967, “I’m Going to Give Her All the Love I Got” was released.   Ironically, both of these hits were covered also by David Ruffin and the Temptations.

“I’ve Passed This Way Before,” also co-written by James Dean, peaked at number 10 on the R&B Charts in 1967.  After these follow-ups to “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” Jimmy and David Ruffin got together on for the Soul label in 1970 to record one LP and released an album entitled “I Am My Brother’s Keeper,” which included a cover of Ben E. King’s "Stand By Me."   This would be Jimmy Ruffin’s last memorable Motown hit.  Jimmy split Motown for a couple of unsuccessful albums on the Polydor label in the 1970’s.  However, he celebrated various comebacks, which peaked In 1980 when he emerged with a disco hit that was produced by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees entitled  "Hold On To My Love.

What a comeback that was!  “Hold on to my Love” became a top ten hit on the Top 100 Charts in 1980.  After this hit, Jimmy Ruffin again went silent until 1986 when he recorded a couple of songs with the British pop group Heaven 17 that make some chart movement in Europe.

During the 1980’s Jimmy Ruffin moved to the United Kingdom, where he had a radio talk show for a while.  During the 90’s he became an anti-drug advocate following the death of his brother David by an overdose. 

To sum it up, Jimmy stayed out of the limelight and wasn’t as popular as his younger brother. He feels that the two best decisions he ever made was getting out of the Army to pursue a singing career and not joining The Temptations.  He spent time persuading his brother David to join them. 

He once said that a lot of people, including his brother, died from the pressure of the recording business.  However, he has never used heavy drugs.  He is also quoted as once saying “I may not have had as much celebrity as people like Marvin Gaye but I’m still here.”

Jimmy Ruffin is still living in The United Kingdom and continues to perform.

Other Sources:

EMI:  Catalog Corner:  Just The Facts:  Motown’s Golden Hits   http://www.emimusicpub.com/worldwide/music/catalog_jtf_motowns-golden-hits.html

The Soul Record Label                                                    http://www.seabear.se/Soul.html

Joe Simon

Joe Simon’s transition to the Christian Ministry has caused him to face many challanges.  The former  R&B legend Joe Simon is now Bishop Joe Simon.  According to Simon, Rap music mogul Jay-Z, former President of Roc-A-Fella Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Rap Artist Memphis Bleek (Malik Thuston Cox) and Universal Music Group have managed to insult the church community and provoke the leadership within the Mission Consortium of Churches International by sampling the R&B legend's music. 

Simon claims that the recording of Memphis Bleek’s song "Alright" released on the "534" Album contains extensive samplings of his voice. The Bishop feels that this track is laced with profanity, and contains references to what appears to be dealing drugs on the street.  Bishop Simon has said: 

"The CEO and President are responsible for the conduct of the company and how the Company operates. Roc-A-Fella Records’ President Jay-Z / Shawn Carter authorized Roc-A-Fella Records to release a song titled “Alright” containing my voice and my music, placing Bishop Joe Simon on public display in such an explicit and provocative way that it pulverizes my character and vitiates my name and my Ministry.”   

During his R&B recording career Joe Simon had a baritone voice that successfully blended country and western with R&B during the late '60s, and successfully performed the Philadelphia Soul sound during the 70’s.   Born in Simmesport, LA on Sep 2 1943, Simon used the Sound Stage 7 Record Label during the 60’s to come up with numerous Soul classics including "Nine Pound Steel," "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On," and the number one R&B smash "The Chokin' Kind,"    All of these sounds had strong country and western origins.

By 1970 Simon switched to the Spring  label and was even more successful when assigned to Philadelphia wizards Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who produced the moody "Drowning in the Sea of Love" in 1971 and “The Power of Love in 1973.  Simon tried his hand at disco in 1975 with the sizzling "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" and "Music in My Bones," two of the most palatable artifacts of the era.

Lee Dorsey

Lee Dorsey was one of the top recordings artists of the 60's.   And it was music producer Allen Toussaint that developed Dorsey into one of the top New Orleans blues singers.  Toussaint was perhaps the most talented writer and producer in the history of New Orleans R&B music.

Dorsey was born on Christmas Eve, 1924 in New Orleans, LA.  One of his closest childhood friends was the famous R&B Pop artist Fats Domino.  At the age of ten the Dorsey family moved to Portland, Oregon.  Lee was drated into the U.S. Navy during World War II, was injured and discharged.  He became a susscessfull lightweight boxer and fought under the name "Kid Chocolate."  By 1955 Lee returned to his New Orleans home where he opened an automobile body and fender business by day and pursued a singing career at night.

Things  began to happen to mold Dorsey into a recording star.  He signed a contract with the Rex label.  One of the singles released got some local airplay and won Dorsey an appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.  By 1961 Dorsey was signed to the Fury Label where he entered the studio with Allen Toussaint for the first time.  Their first hit was rather accidental...they heard neighborhood children singing a catchy song...which Dorsey turned into "Ya-Ya," his first gold record.

The rest is history.  This was the beginning of a super music recording career!

"Marvelous” Marv Johnson

Marv Johnson is best remembered for his two large hits “You Got What it Takes” and “I Love the Way You Love.” But he also played a vital role in the early history of Motown. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on Oct 15, 1938 and was raised in a rich musical environment.

Berry Gordy, the original owner of Motown Records gave Marv Johnson the honor of being Tamla’s first recording artist. In 1959 Tamla Records, a company that Berry Gordy had started as a predecessor to Motown that same year, released his recording of “Come to Me.” Gordy liked his voice and noted a similarity to his sound with former Drifters’ lead singer Clyde Mcphatter. Marv Johnson’s recordings from 1959 and 1960 gave a preview of the Motown sound and the hits that were to pour out of this recording company throughout the 60’s. By the spring of 1959 “Come to Me” peaked at number 30 on the National Billboard Charts and number 6 on the R & B Charts. The song was written by Gordy and Johnson together.

Other Tamla early artists included Mabel John, Mary Wells, Barrett Strong, and the Marvalettes. Tamla’s first large hit was Barrett Strong‘s “Money” (That’s What I Want) which was released by in 1959 and made it to #2 on the National Billboard, and the first #1 R&B hit was recorded by the Miracles in 1960 with a song entitled “Shop Around.”

It’s important to remember that since Tamla records didn’t have national distribution rights outside of Detroit. Marv Johnson signed with United Artists in 1959 so his recording could be circulated nationally. Barrett Strong’s recording of “Money” was circulated by Anna Records. During this time, Gordy continued to be Johnson’s music producer. In 1960, Gordy launched Motown Records as Tamla’s sister label and the two companies joined together and were operated as “Motown record Corporation.”

Johnson’s next single didn’t fare very well, but the one directly after that was a big hit, called “You Got What it Takes” and made it to the top 10 on the National Billboard Charts. This song was his largest hit and was not only popular in the United States, but also well received in The United Kingdom. In fact, it fared even better in the U.K. and peaked at number five on the charts there and inspired The Dave Clark Five to do their own cover of the song in 1967. During that year, their cover brought it back to the top 10.

Marv Johnson had several other hits after “You Got What it Takes” but never shared that level of success again. Later in 1960 he had a follow-up hit called “I Love the Way You Love” that also landed in the top 10. By the end of 1960 he recorded a song called “Happy Days” that reached number 7 on the R&B charts. His last chart success was “Merry-Go-Round” issued in early 1961.

United Artists dropped his contract in 1965, mainly due to The British invasion of rock music. Johnson returned to the Motown label and released material throughout the 1960’s. During the 1970’s, Johnson worked for Sales and Promotions and at Motown. He also wrote songs for Johnny Taylor and Tyrone Davis and continued to perform. Unfortunately, he died of a stroke will performing on stage in 1993 at the age of 54.

This exciting volume examines Johnson’s large impact on the development of the Motown sound! He indeed has earned the title “Marvelous Marv Johnson.”

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

Most people are aware this duo had a number of pop top 40 hits during the 60's.  But what we really want to examine in this volume is how music producer Phil Spector influenced their music and how this duo strenthened the image of "Blue Eyed Soul,"  a term often used to describe soul music performed by white musicians.  The Righteous Brothers are a classic example of that kind of crossover appeal.  When played on the radio, the Righteous E Motive vocal styling had everyone one asking whether they were black or white performers.

Their first major hit single was "You've Lost That Loving Feeling,' which was released in 1964.  It was one of the most successful pop singles of its time and heavily influenced by music producer Phil Spector.  The song remains the most played song in radio history.  A little know fact about this song was that Spector used Sonny & Cher as back up singers.                                                                                                                                               This sound is often cited as one of the peak experessions of Spector's "Wall of Sound" production techniques.  The spector relationship produced several more hits for the Righteous Brothers including "Unchained Melody,"  "Just Once in my Life," and "Ebb Tide."  Despite its professional success, the Spector-Righteous Brothers relationship was never a smooth one and in 1966, The Righteous Brothers left Phil Spector's label, Philes, for a more lucative deal with Verve Records and managed to record another big hit entitled "You're My Soul and Inspiration."  Although this hit was not produced by Spector, it had a very similar sound.

In 1968 Medley left the duo to begin a solo career.  In 1974 the duo reunited and scored another hit with "Rock and Roll Heaven," which was a tribute to deceased rock singers.  After this the duo was virturally hitless until 1990, when their version of "Unchained Melody" returned to the charts following its inclusion in the movie entiutled "Ghost."

The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10 2003 by a great admirer of theirs, Mr. Billy Joel.  On Nov 5 2003, Bobby Hatfield died of a drug overdose.  This ended a long professional recording relationship that started in the early 1960's. 

THE RONETTES

Now let's take our time machine out west to examine Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound again and talk about  the Ronettes, another of the great girl groups of the 60's,    We will also discuss how Spector’s marriage to one of the Ronette’s influenced their singing career.

The Ronettes were a girl group of the 1960s from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector.   They consisted of lead singer Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Bennett , her sister Estelle  and cousin Nedra Talley  Encouraged by their Grandmother, they entered and won a talent show at the famed Apollo as the Darling Sisters.  Within 2 years, they had a recording contract under the name Ronnie and the Relatives.  That name quickly changed to the Ronettes

A chance telephone call resulted in their signing with producer Phil Spectoir, who had already had success with a girl group called the Crystals.  Spector was so enamoured with Ronnie’s voice and style that he used his extensive contacts to come up with new music for the Ronettes.  He scored.  The group’s first and biggest hit was “Be My Baby”

Be My Baby was an instant hit on the charts , and sold over 2 million copies.  As Phil Spector’s new protégées, the Ronettes were given a strong image as “bad girls”, with beehive hairdos, heavy eyeliner, and tight skirts.   With Spector’s ability as a meticulous producer and Ronnie as a very good Rock and Roll singer, other hits followed, including “Baby I Love You” which really demonstrates Spector’s Wall of Sound engineering techniques. 

“Baby I Love You” did well in the US and England.  By now Phill Spector and Ronnie Bennett were involved in a full fledged love affair.  He divorced his his wife and married Ronnie.  But there waqsn’t going to be a happy ending.  Spector was very controlling, and refused allow Ronnie to leave the house, causing her to retire from performing.  Spector was also very involved with the career success of the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner’s song “River Deep Mountain High”.  “I can Hear Music”, recorded in 1966, was the last collaborative recording with the original Ronettes.

To no one’s surprise, the nearly 6-year old marriage between Ronnie and Spector ended in divorce.  With new members beside her Ronnie continued to perform with the Rolling Sones and the Beatles

In 1988, the original Ronettes sued Spector for 3 million dollars in back royalties The judgment was later overturned on appeal.  While Spector was awaiting trial on a murder charge, the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.  Estelle passed away in Feb 2009.  Ronnie presently resides in Connecticut with her second husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and their two sons.   She also hosts an annual Christmas party at B.B. King’s Bar and Grill in New York.  The Ronettes are remembered as one of the great girl groups of the 60’s.

TYRONE DAVIS 

Now let's travel down south to examine the exciting recording career of Tyrone Davis.   We will also illustrate how he later would become a successful disco entertainer and how his distinctive singing style earned him the title of the “King of Chicago Soul.”

 Born back on May 4, 1938 near Greenville, MS, he spent most of his young adulthood in Saginaw, Michigan, where his father was a minister, before eventually settling in Chicago in 1959, where he eventually found a job as a valet and chauffeur for bluesman Freddie King.  In 1961 he went on his first tour as part of King's entourage.

One night, Davis--dressed to kill in the type of slicksuit that would become his trademark--sidled up to the stage at a Bobby "Blue" Bland concert. The blues singer leaned over to Davis and asked him if he wanted to sing.   Davis took the microphone, climbed onstage and performed a perfect mimicry of Bland's style. After the show Bland called Davis over and told him, "'Be you, don't be me,'" Davis recalled to the Chicago Tribune. "[It was] the best thing that ever happened to me." He continued, "It is really hard to find yourself. Most people that come out today sound like somebody else."

After this incident the performer began to pursue his own singing career at Chicago’s night clubs.   Singer/pianist Harold Burrage took Davis under his wing and helped him refine his craft, and the budding blues shouter got his first shot in 1965 on the Four Brothers label. His first single, "Suffer," was recorded under the name Tyrone the Wonder Boy and written and produced by Burrage, as was the follow-up "Good Company."  Unfortunately, Burrage passed away and his first major hit would occur after he signed with Dakar Records in 1968 when a Texas DJ flipped his first release over and started playing “Can I Change My Mind.”

This sound peaked at number one on the R&B Charts and number 5 on the Billboard Charts back in 1968.  This sound started a string of orchestrated hits on the Dakar label that strongly exhibited Davis’ smooth style, and helped point the way for Chicago soul during the 70’s.

This string continued under Dakar from 1967 through 1976.  In fact, Davis recorded most of his hits during a seven-year tour with this Chicago label from 1967 through 1976, where he released about 25 singles.   Most of these sounds were big R&B sellers produced by Willie Henderson.   Another classic soul sound from these productions was released in 1970 from an album title track entitled “Turn Back the Hands of Time.”

This song was an instant sensation and is still widely considered one of the finest soul records ever recorded.  It peaked at number one on the R&B Charts and number three on the Billboard Charts back in 1970.

Throughout the early seventies Davis released a string of R&B hits over several albums. Notable songs include "Without You in My Life," "There It Is," "What Goes Up Must Come Down," and "Could I Forget You." In 1975 Davis struck gold again with his eighth album, Turning Point. This title track gave Davis his third number one R&B hit.

However, within a year of the album's release, Davis left Dakar and joined Columbia where he successfully entered the disco scene.  His first hit for this recording giant was Give it Up (Turn it Loose), a number 2 R&B sound released in 1976 that also cracked the top 40.  Another one of his disco hits for the recording giant was a 1978 track entitled "Get on Up (Disco)," a dance floor favorite that went to number 12 on the R&B charts that year.

Several other songs recorded during that era became Davis favorites including "Close to You," "This I Swear," and "Heart Failure." "In the Mood," though not a chart-topper, was a heart-crooning ballad that became a soul classic.  By the early-eighties, Davis's record sales had begun to dip and Columbia cut him loose. However, Davis had already earned industry-wide respect as one of the fathers of Chicago Soul and he had no trouble finding a number of smaller labels willing to represent him.

Let me sum up by saying that Davis was a versatile baritone singer who could expertly perform everything from pop soul and disco to bluesy R&B.  However, he became best known for smooth soul.    Throughout his career, Davis continued to nurture his vocal style, becoming more seductive, more silky, more sophisticated. His soul lyrics reveled in romance from a man's point of view.

"He tried to put messages in his songs, and he found a niche that no else had," manager Leo Graham once told the Chicago Tribune.   Combined with his flair for brightly colored suits, gilded cufflinks, and shiny unbuttoned shirts, Davis became a ladies' favorite. Women regularly rushed the stage when he performed. He responded by setting up a photo booth at shows, allowing his female fans a chance to have a photo taken with him.   

Also, Davis also took to the celebrity lifestyle. "He was like Mr. Chicago," singer Willie Clayton once told the Chicago Tribune.  Clayton has been quoted as saying "It was a thrill to be around and see the fancy cars; you name it, he had it."

However, let me point out that Davis was also a devoted family man. He married Ann Davis in the early 1960s and had over four decades of happy marriage, produced five children.  In September of 2004 Davis suffered a stroke.  He died on February 9 2005 in a Chicago hospital.

There is no doubt that he has truly earned the reputation as the “King of Chicago Soul.”