Sweet Music / Reality / Onstage Interview

[boba]

Hi. Yesterday on my radio show I interviewed three members of different Chicago groups. Their stories give an interesting insight into the Chicago scene of the late 70s and 80s.

Reginah Walton was from the South East side of Chicago. Inspired by Motown groups such as the Supremes and Marvelettes, Reginah started singing in groups in South Shore High School in the late 60s; she sang in a group called the Lonettes and later the Charlettes. Several members of the group attended Loop College and continued singing together. After another lineup change, the group changed their name to Love Unlimited and started performing full-time in night clubs; they also had a band that included Barry White's nephew James White. The group performed together for a couple of years under the name Love Unlimited until Barry White ended up releasing "Walking in the rain with the one I love" by his own group, forcing the group to change their name. Love Unlimited changed their name to Sweet Music.

Sweet Music performed in clubs in Chicago, soon going under the management of Pervis Staples (who also managed the Emotions and Sons of Slum). After a couple of years, the group sought new management after finding that Pervis did not intend to record them. The group then signed with Eddie Thomas as their new manager. Eddie brought the group an instrumental cover of George McCrae's "I get lifted", produced by Major Lance. The group recorded a vocal track and the record was released nationally on Scepter / Wand records. The track, a disco remake of a popular song, hit as disco was breaking and became a national R&B and pop hit. The group went on a national air force base tour (and even went to a base in Greenland). The group even did a show at a gay bath house in Chicago and performed at the Warehouse. The group left Eddie Thomas' management after Scepter / Wand went out of business and the group failed to secure another record deal.

Mae Koen was from the South Side of Chicago and, inspired by modern / jazz harmony, started singing in groups in grammar school, initially in the choir and then in a group called the Vivacious Vivacities. At Calumet high school Mae sang with a group called the Belgianettes. She then joined a group called Larry Gains and the Twilights. The group performed at local talent shows, often backed by the band the Family Souls.

After high school, the group broke up and Mae began singing in the Operation Breadbasket Choir. Mae stayed in the choir for several years, travelling and singing at different marches around the country. In 1974-75, the group Reality formed from members of the Breadbasket choir, including lead singer Ricky Linton (previously of the Lintons). The group practiced together for about a year before hooking up with a production company called GNP and with Wanda Hutchinson. Wanda introduced the group to producer Leroy Hutson, who took the group to Curtom records to record. The group recorded a fast disco version of "I wanna be where you are", released on Buddah records in 1976. The record didn't get much play in Chicago but did get national play, especially in the South. After the record was released, Reality started performing in Chicago. Although the group recorded more material, no other records were released, and the group broke up after several members left and Ricky Linton left to go solo. Mae joined Sweet Music after Reality broke up, performing throughout the city.

Byron Woods was also from the far South Side of Chicago and got started singing in grammar school with his sisters. In the late 60s / early 70s, Byron sang with a group called the Celestrials at Harlan high school and even sang in a talent show with the Brighter Side of Darkness. The group recorded but never released material. After high school, Byron started a group called Heet, which evolved into a group called Brandy. Heet and Brandy performed full time in clubs around Chicago. The group stayed together until about 1979, recording several times (including doing background work for producer Jim Porter for singer Sherman Nesbary) but no material was released.

In 1979, Byron joined the band Onstage, who were already performing together as a backing band for the Staple Singers and Gene Chandler. Byron joined the group as the lead singer, performing at clubs and corporate events. Although the band recorded material earlier, they did not release any material until 1983 when SOC records picked up a track they had recorded called "Hooked on your love". Although the song had a boogie sound that was popular in the early 80s, the record was not really promoted or distributed. Onstage's next record, "She's a lady of the night", was a nice 80s ballad released on Jesse Saunders' Jessay label. The group performed around chicago until the late-80s, even performing at a fundraiser for soon-to-be-mayor Harold Washington. Onstage released a couple more records but failed to score a hit.

All three singers continued to sing together in different groups in the 70s and 80s. Byron, Mae, and Reginah sang together in the jazz group the Ken Chaney Experience as well as the Sergio Mendez-inspired latin group Panama. Sweet Music also stayed together through the early 80s and Reginah sang with First Love in the mid-80s. All three singers became in-demand session and background singers in Chicago, even touring with such artists as Walter Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Leroy Hutson, Linda Clifford, and Phil Perry. In the mid-80s Byron formed the group Vocalpoynt, singing with Mae and sweet music singer Dianne Madison. Vocalpoynt has a Manhattan Transfer jazz harmony type of sound and still performs today.

You can check out the interview at:

https://www.sittinginthepark.com/interviews.html

thanks,

Bob