Hi Soul source diggers i've become totaly obbsessed with The Impressions tune "I've been trying". I've got The Fabuluos Peps version but would dearly like the version by The Four Gents, i believe its on HBR. Also both the Gents and the Peps sound vocaly so similar i was wondering if there is any conection between the two groups. Realy would like any imformation relating to this song and any other versions known. Thanks for reading this Nick.

there is no connection between the four gents on HBR/Liberty, who were from flint, MI (and whose full membership is known and who is also a different group than the four gents on Encore) and the Peps. There are many other versions of this song. The rarest might be an LA version by a group called the Fabulous Four on Dalo.

There's also a version by the Bar-kays, Notations on Twinight, and other groups. I'm sure there's some Jamaican versions, at least there is a version by the Blues Busters. I'm guessing at least one san antonio group and one rock group do it too.

  On 21/10/2012 at 04:51, boba said:

there is no connection between the four gents on HBR/Liberty, who were from flint, MI (and whose full membership is known and who is also a different group than the four gents on Encore) and the Peps. There are many other versions of this song. The rarest might be an LA version by a group called the Fabulous Four on Dalo.

There's also a version by the Bar-kays, Notations on Twinight, and other groups. I'm sure there's some Jamaican versions, at least there is a version by the Blues Busters. I'm guessing at least one san antonio group and one rock group do it too.

as well as other versions there are songs that sound very similar but with other titles. I agree on the jamaican versions bob i'm sure i've got one on a tape somewhere and I imagine there will be a few others as well....

Cheers guys what a minefeild ive opened up. The Blues Busters im sure came on Trojan but i also hear rumours of a rocksteady version possibly Coxsone Dodd productuon. The Impressions were huge in JA and the Wailers based their vocal style on them even covering many of there hits. I was also surprised to find out that The Four Gents also became the Delfonics another fav outfit of mine. Still havn't got the tune but if you have any idea how much one would cost that would be great. I used to go through this version maddness when i collected Jamacian records, are there many soul collectors who get inflicted with it. I may not have found The Four Gents but i've certainly found a couple in you two! Thanks so much. KTF Nick

Hope you dont mind me hijacking your post but would just like to know if The Four Gents did anything else on Oncore besides YGB and TMNC..............

Edited October 21, 201212 yr by Dale

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Edited October 29, 201212 yr by phil shields

  On 21/10/2012 at 04:51, boba said:

there is no connection between the four gents on HBR/Liberty, who were from flint, MI (and whose full membership is known and who is also a different group than the four gents on Encore) and the Peps. There are many other versions of this song. The rarest might be an LA version by a group called the Fabulous Four on Dalo.

There's also a version by the Bar-kays, Notations on Twinight, and other groups. I'm sure there's some Jamaican versions, at least there is a version by the Blues Busters. I'm guessing at least one san antonio group and one rock group do it too.

Hi Bob - do you have the background on the two Four Gents groups, with line-ups, on H.B.R./Liberty/S.V.R. and on Oncore please?

Cheers

Richard

not a studio one tune -coxsone dodd -

  On 21/10/2012 at 09:05, themroc said:

I was also surprised to find out that The Four Gents also became the Delfonics

no group that recorded as the four gents had any connection to the delfonics. especially no group from michigan.

this is the lineup of the Flint, MI group:

Frank Randall, Sherwood Pea, George Early, Ronald Cooley

The Encore group is from Detroit and is not related. There are only those 2 Encore 45s. I don't know anything about the Encore group to know if they contained members of other Detroit groups.

There is also an LA group called the Four Gents that released a record on the Nite Owl label.

I know there's a gwen owens on encore, I meant those are the only four gents on encore

I got my info from Wikipedia that says The 4 Gents from Philly' became the Delfonics?? Dont know never met any of the Gentlemen concerned and will dig a bit deeper. This is gettin all a bit confusing what with another band in LA. And lets not forget the 5Gents! As far as i know the JA version was a coxsone production on a blank, on account i heard it played by the late Studio 1Pete who played nowt but Studio First. Right now ineed my comfort blanket and a large JD. And with that gentlemen i bid you good night!

As I said in my first post, the Four Gents on HBR/Liberty are from Flint, MI. The Four Gents on Encore are from Detroit, MI. The Four Gents on Nite Owl are from LA. These are all places that are far from Philadelphia. These are also all three separate groups with no connection. Many different groups in different places or even in the same city had the same name.

In general, assuming different records by groups with the same name are the same group is not a good assumption unless you have more evidence -- label connections, common names, common publishing, etc. Moreover, even if the Delfonics did come out of a group called the Four Gents I'm pretty sure that they did not record. That is a pretty generic group name, probably dozens of groups called themselves that (there is even a Four Gents doowop group from Chicago who recorded in the 50s).

I just looked at the Wikipedia page (which in itself is also not often a reliable source) and it is very clear that they did not record anything as the Four Gents. It says

"Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1965 and originally known as the Four Gents"

Earlier it says

"Their first recording, "He Don't Really Love You", was for Moon Shot in 1966."

So the wikipedia page actually disagrees with you.

  On 21/10/2012 at 09:05, themroc said:

Cheers guys what a minefeild ive opened up. The Blues Busters im sure came on Trojan but i also hear rumours of a rocksteady version possibly Coxsone Dodd productuon. The Impressions were huge in JA and the Wailers based their vocal style on them even covering many of there hits. I was also surprised to find out that The Four Gents also became the Delfonics another fav outfit of mine. Still havn't got the tune but if you have any idea how much one would cost that would be great. I used to go through this version maddness when i collected Jamacian records, are there many soul collectors who get inflicted with it. I may not have found The Four Gents but i've certainly found a couple in you two! Thanks so much. KTF Nick

I've got listings of versions by:

Blues Busters

ken Boothe

Dennis brown

Johnny Clarke

Greyhound (diff song though I think)

Heptones

Junior Mervin

Pat kelly

none are Coxsone or Studio One related though

outstanding version...marvellous vocals......Paul Kyser strikes again....

  On 21/10/2012 at 22:53, themroc said:

And lets not forget the 5 Gents!

On Sunburst...anyone know the band members names for that outfit?

Thank you so much Mr Platters 81. I was gettin to the piont of givin up. I love the music so much but the whole thing was desending into a piont scoring school yard chest puffin waste of time. What a version! Your a beutifull soul. Resprct and peace. Nick.

TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!!!!!!

  On 22/10/2012 at 17:26, themroc said:

Thank you so much Mr Platters 81. I was gettin to the piont of givin up. I love the music so much but the whole thing was desending into a piont scoring school yard chest puffin waste of time. What a version! Your a beutifull soul. Resprct and peace. Nick.

it was descending into you making up information. i gave you a bunch of other versions. you're welcome.