Coffee Interview

[boba]

Last Sunday on my radio show I interviewed three members of the west-side Chicago group Coffee. Elaine Sims of Coffee started singing R&B when she was a student at Marshall high school. She sang with a group called the Ediquits who performed at Teens With Talent shows on the west side; her group even performed on a WTTW TV special along with the Constellations, Carnations, Conquistadors, Versalettes, and Baby Miracles.

After high school Elaine joined a group called the Portraits of Black. The group performed shows for several years and broke up in the early 70s. In order to fill a contract for an engagement the group had for a club in Canada, Elaine sought out singers to form a new group. Via legendary Chicago manager Ruth Moore, Elaine found Gwen Hester (aka Glenda Searcy). Gwen had replaced Cynthia Washington as the lead singer of Silk (who were managed by Ruth Moore). Elaine met Dee Dee Bryant (aka Dee Dee Sutton) while both were working at the same community mental health center. Elaine also met the fourth singer, Betty Caldwell, via Moore. The group practiced together for a month before doing their first engagement for a week at the club in Canada. The group toured for a couple of years, performing at larger events and even prisons. They were initially managed by Ruth Moore.

In 1976, via Moore's connection to Clarence Johnson, Coffee recorded their first record on Johnson's Lovelites label. "Your lovin' ain't as good as mine" was a track inspired by the Lovelites' record "My Conscience" (which was also recorded and produced by Clarence Johnson); the record had a nice Chicago sound and received local airplay. The group had more of a breakthrough hit in 1979 with "I wanna be with you", released on Clarence Johnson's MIR label. The record had a disco sound that became the group's first breakthrough hit. Betty Caldwell, who had sung lead on the group's first record, left Coffee right before the second recording to become a solo artist.

Clarence Johnson cut an entire album on Coffee but was unable to release it due to losing his connection to the major label he was working with. He gave Elaine permission to the recordings. Elaine gave a copy of the recording to Chicago record executive Eddie Thomas, who was travelling to New York. Eddie was able to place the record with De-Lite records (the same label that Kool and the Gang were on); De-Lite released the group's first album, "Slippin' and dippin", in 1980. The album contained a couple more remakes of Chicago records, including a remake of the Lovelites' "How can I tell my Mom and Dad" (although the lyrics were changed so that the song had a happy ending) and a remake of Ruby Andrews' "Casanova". Casanova became the Coffee's biggest record off the album, even gaining play in Europe. The group planned a tour Europe but turned it down due to contractual issues.

In 1982 Coffee went to New York to record their second album, "Second Cup", for De-Lite records. In New York, the group also did backing for Kool and the Gang on their Celebrate album. "Take me back" and "If this world" received national play off their second album, charting nationally on the Billboard R&B charts. De-Lite records soon folded and the group never recorded again. Coffee continued to perform shows and events until the mid-90s. Glenda Searcy has recently released a Gospel CD with a modern, R&B sound. You can check out the interview at:

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

thanks for your interest,

Bob

[Barry]

Last Sunday on my radio show I interviewed three members of the west-side Chicago group Coffee. Elaine Sims of Coffee started singing R&B when she was a student at Marshall high school. She sang with a group called the Ediquits who performed at Teens With Talent shows on the west side; her group even performed on a WTTW TV special along with the Constellations, Carnations, Conquistadors, Versalettes, and Baby Miracles.

After high school Elaine joined a group called the Portraits of Black. The group performed shows for several years and broke up in the early 70s. In order to fill a contract for an engagement the group had for a club in Canada, Elaine sought out singers to form a new group. Via legendary Chicago manager Ruth Moore, Elaine found Gwen Hester (aka Glenda Searcy). Gwen had replaced Cynthia Washington as the lead singer of Silk (who were managed by Ruth Moore). Elaine met Dee Dee Bryant (aka Dee Dee Sutton) while both were working at the same community mental health center. Elaine also met the fourth singer, Betty Caldwell, via Moore. The group practiced together for a month before doing their first engagement for a week at the club in Canada. The group toured for a couple of years, performing at larger events and even prisons. They were initially managed by Ruth Moore.

In 1976, via Moore's connection to Clarence Johnson, Coffee recorded their first record on Johnson's Lovelites label. "Your lovin' ain't as good as mine" was a track inspired by the Lovelites' record "My Conscience" (which was also recorded and produced by Clarence Johnson); the record had a nice Chicago sound and received local airplay. The group had more of a breakthrough hit in 1979 with "I wanna be with you", released on Clarence Johnson's MIR label. The record had a disco sound that became the group's first breakthrough hit. Betty Caldwell, who had sung lead on the group's first record, left Coffee right before the second recording to become a solo artist.

Clarence Johnson cut an entire album on Coffee but was unable to release it due to losing his connection to the major label he was working with. He gave Elaine permission to the recordings. Elaine gave a copy of the recording to Chicago record executive Eddie Thomas, who was travelling to New York. Eddie was able to place the record with De-Lite records (the same label that Kool and the Gang were on); De-Lite released the group's first album, "Slippin' and dippin", in 1980. The album contained a couple more remakes of Chicago records, including a remake of the Lovelites' "How can I tell my Mom and Dad" (although the lyrics were changed so that the song had a happy ending) and a remake of Ruby Andrews' "Casanova". Casanova became the Coffee's biggest record off the album, even gaining play in Europe. The group planned a tour Europe but turned it down due to contractual issues.

In 1982 Coffee went to New York to record their second album, "Second Cup", for De-Lite records. In New York, the group also did backing for Kool and the Gang on their Celebrate album. "Take me back" and "If this world" received national play off their second album, charting nationally on the Billboard R&B charts. De-Lite records soon folded and the group never recorded again. Coffee continued to perform shows and events until the mid-90s. Glenda Searcy has recently released a Gospel CD with a modern, R&B sound. You can check out the interview at:

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

thanks for your interest,

Bob

I love to be informed about the input that artists/groups obviously must have had in other stable/label -mates productions mate - nice post.

[boba]

I love to be informed about the input that artists/groups obviously must have had in other stable/label -mates productions mate - nice post.

thank you. In a second I'm going to post a track from Glenda's new Gospel CD, it's a really nice modern R&B track, check it out.

[Djmelismo]

Hi Bob!

Thanks for posting, very informative and interesting. Love their music, very talented ladies, have the albums and their 45s. Just downloaded the interview + a couple of older ones that I missed, so looking forward to hearing those.

Best,

Melismo