What's The Link: Blenders - Foxy And 7 Hounds

[Dean]

Just listening to Blenders Tale of Sadness on-line, lyrics include "All about Foxy and the 7 hounds" 

. Late at night and several glasses but is there a link to Foxy and the 7 Hounds on Wiseworld 

? Just curious, seems a strange lyric?

 

[Steve L]

Dunno mate but the Blenders is  a great record 

[Gene-r]

Have to admit that when I first heard it, I thought they were singing "It's all about boxing in the seventh round"!

[Guest Dave Turner]

Just had a quick look around mate and I notice

 

Blenders is written & arranged by Eddie Silvers

 

Although difficult to see on the Foxy & the 7 Hounds clip it has Mary Sil & Michelle - BMI to the left of the label

 

This Robert & Ron on Unisfere also has Michelle and Mary Sil to the left and is conducted by Eddie Silvers. There are others with the same Mary Sil & Eddie Silvers connection such as Sherl Swote on Duo

 

The connection is definitely Eddie Silvers and I would guess that Mary Sil would be a relative or perhaps wife of Eddie Silvers. In fact I would say that Mary Sil would be Mary Silvers on One-derful. Eddie Silvers did work with Otis Clay tracks on One-derful as well

Edited January 19, 2015 by Dave Turner

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

Just listening to Blenders Tale of Sadness on-line, lyrics include "All about Foxy and the 7 hounds" 

. Late at night and several glasses but is there a link to Foxy and the 7 Hounds on Wiseworld 

? Just curious, seems a strange lyric?

 

There was a thread on this very same thing on Soulful Detroit many years ago. There are many groups called the Blenders and there were two or three incarnations in Chicago recording on Chicago labels.

 

As I said on the 'Salvadors thread' a few months back, the 60's music scene, particularly in regards to small independant labels, was somewhat choatic with group members interchanging, producers, writers and engineers moving from label to label and studio to studio and band members "moonlighting" in other bands.

 

As Dave stated above there are connections identified already. But my guess would also be that there are common members to each group (not necessarily at the same time), a splinter group, or that perhaps they were in some 'band competition', which were fairly common at the time and they made reference to another group which either they liked or they beat.

 

I have another record which also mentions another group in the lyrics, but I'm buggered if I can remeber what it is.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Andy Mac

[Guest]

Have to admit that when I first heard it, I thought they were singing "It's all about boxing in the seventh round"!

 

Only you, Gene, only you!

(I may be in the minority but can't stand the track!  )

[KevH]

Just listening to Blenders Tale of Sadness on-line, lyrics include "All about Foxy and the 7 hounds" 

. Late at night and several glasses but is there a link to Foxy and the 7 Hounds on Wiseworld 

? Just curious, seems a strange lyric?

 

Snagged a Blenders,Dean.?

[Steve L]

Snagged a Blenders,Dean.?

 

Me & Dean had a conversation last night…. as you do 

[Robbk]

Just had a quick look around mate and I notice

 

Blenders is written & arranged by Eddie Silvers

 

Although difficult to see on the Foxy & the 7 Hounds clip it has Mary Sil & Michelle - BMI to the left of the label

 

This Robert & Ron on Unisfere also has Michelle and Mary Sil to the left and is conducted by Eddie Silvers. There are others with the same Mary Sil & Eddie Silvers connection such as Sherl Swote on Duo

 

The connection is definitely Eddie Silvers and I would guess that Mary Sil would be a relative or perhaps wife of Eddie Silvers. In fact I would say that Mary Sil would be Mary Silvers on One-derful. Eddie Silvers did work with Otis Clay tracks on One-derful as well

This is exactly it!  Mary was Eddie's wife.  They met when he was arranging and playing sax for The Ike & Tina Turner Review.  Mary (formerly Mary Brown) was a member of The Ikettes.  Eddie Silvers was a prolific independent Chicago arranger and producer, and had his hands in both the record productions above.  Most of the young recording artists/singers in Chicago knew each other from "battles of the groups" at sock hops in the high schools, and practising singing in the park rec rooms at the many parks in the city, as well as in outdoor concerts/shows in the parks.  Yes, it is true that the group membership was very fluid, and that many of the kids had sung together at one time or another.  It's no surprise that a group in one song would mention a rival group whose current song they liked, or because they were friendly with the other group, and wanted to help that song get sales, or because the producer wanted to spur more sales for another record he had out on another label.

 

I don't recall that particular lineup of The Blenders having a connection with Foxy and The Seven Hounds (but then, I don't know who The 7 Hounds were.  But, it seems obvious that Eddie Silvers wanted to garner additional sales and chart action for that record, and through his association with both, group members of both groups surely had to know each other from rehearsal and recording dates, and also shows.

 

I lived in South Chicago (very near its boundary with The South Side), and I worked on The South Side(1959-1967).  I attended Bowen High School (which had a prolific music department-producing several R&B and Soul groups and a few single artists).  I went to many sock hops at school, and park shows on The South Side and in South Chicago, and also several on The West Side and a few on The Near North side.  ALL the young singers in each district of Chicago knew each other, and there was also a fair amount of cross-fertilization from area to area, as some of the kids hung out with cousins in other areas, or they'd be represented by a manager who had clients in another area, or they'd work for a producer who had groups in another area, or they'd meet at shows in other areas they were sent by their manager.  Most of the young artists knew most of the Chicago artists, or, at least had seen them perform, and knew their repetoire.

 

You will learn that by listening to Bob A's interviews on "Sittin' In The Park".

[Dean]

Thank you, sincerely. The knowledge and generosity of sharing that knowledge on here is refreshing in a world of critics. Very informative and food for thought. Thank you.

[Robbk]

By the way,I guess you all know that "Sherl SwoTe" has 2 misprints.  Her name is correctly spelt:  "Sheryl Swope".