Dave Moore

Date Of Induction: 01 November 2014 Category : Male Vocal Group The Masqueraders, have spanned a recording career of over 50 years and still enjoy the original line up of members from their beginnings half a century ago. Their story and history is one of musical struggle. Only their determination, sheer toil, perseverance and belief in what they were capable of held them together over these years. To have stayed together for such a length of time is almost unique. Groups like The Four Tops, The OJays, The Dells, etc have an equal claim to longevity but the major difference between these groups and The Masqueraders is that The Masqueraders achieved it without the commercial break out usually associated with a long successful career. They have written and released enough records to make collecting their output a whole hobby in itself. Most of their catalogue of records are guaranteed floor fillers, some of them forty years from their musical birth. A catalogue of 25 singles and 3 LP's, not too bad for a group that never really hit the big time in terms of commercial chart success. Formed in their home town of Dallas, Texas whilst in the 8th grade at TC Haskell School during the late 50`s, school friends Robert Wrightsil and Charlie Moore got together with Johnny and Lawrence Davis to form a singing quartet. Charlie Moore was doing lead vocals with Robert, Johnny and Lawrence performing tenor support, a bass vocalist was needed and Charlie Gibson was recruited into the position. Little Charlie, as he was known, was so little he would regularly have to stand on a case of Coca Cola during their performances. The Group decided on the name The Stairs and their ability to sing other groups material, some of which they could perform even better than the originals incorporating their tightly knit harmonies slowly but surely built them a reputation in and around their home town leading to a full diary of engagements at local clubs and lounges. The Stairs first venture into the recording studio was late 1959, where they recorded their very first track for a local entrepreneur Alvin Howard for his Sound Town set up with a version of a song previously recorded by another group and released as, The Saucers — “Flossie Mae b/w Hi-Oom” — Kick100 . The subsequent tracks done for Mr Howard, “I Got A Girl And Her Name is Flossie Mae” and “The Caveman” failed to make it onto wax though. At the dawn of the swingin’ sixties the group underwent a drastic line-up change when first, after a minor disagreement, the brothers, Lawrence and Johnny left the group, then in 1961 Little Charles also left, having enlisted in the US Army. The remaining members were now the two original members Robert and Charlie and whilst on the lookout for new members they came across Lee Westley Jones, who was then working as a car valet. Lee had a voice that would fit snugly into the position of lead or tenor and was under consideration as a member. By a stroke of luck though, the group’s next member had recently returned back to Dallas from living out of town and Harold Larry Thomas (known as Sundance), stumbled upon the Stairs practicing their harmonies and recalls that they sounded so good, that initially he thought he was listening to a record! That chance meeting later turned into an offer to join the group and the duo became a trio but were still actively searching for new members. David “Cowboy” Sanders Jr. who was, at the time, like many other black kids looking to get afoot on the musical ladder, was singing ‘under the street lamps’, with a small, similar group of guys to The Stairs. The groups met and sang together and it was this meeting that resulted in two member of Sanders`s group joining the newly renamed New Drifters as they had come to be known. It was also at this point Orberdean Deloney (AKA Deano) stepped in to replace Harold Thomas as he decided to join the US Marines Corps. Willie Charles Gray stepped in to Little Charles position when he left for the Army in 61 and David Sanders joined the group later that same year when the group began gigging as the New Drifters. Willie Charles Gray soon left to join one of the hottest acts in the neighborhood — Les Watson and the Panthers. They recorded a very obscure album for Jarrett Boren which was purported to be a live concert from Dallas’ Blackout Club and which contained the band’s version of recent popular R&B tunes like, “Stand By Me”, The Coasters “Young Blood” and “You’re So Fine” by The Falcons. Les Watson and The Panthers also delivered a number of great 45s including the brilliant mid tempo outing — Les Watson — “Soul Man Blues b/w No Peace No Rest” — Pompeii 66689 and a raucus uptempo version of The 5 Royales hit with, - Charles Gray, Les Watson and The Panthers Don’t Do It b/w I Found Love — Village 103 . Willie Charles Gray himself would also release a noteworthy solo 45, Willie Charles Gray — “I’m Gonna Be A Winner b/w Here I Go Again” — Mercury 72608, a great mid-tempo popcorn sounding outing that has received sporadic plays over the years. At this time the group where touring local clubs and the group members were Robert Wrightsil, Charlie Moore, David Sanders and Deano Deloney, Lee Wesley Jones was also still around but only during rehearsals. The guys would often turn up at gigs under the guise of the latest group that was enjoying a hit, sing the current hit songs and the crowds were none the wiser. As this ruse was pretty successful, they changed their name to… The Masqueraders. Early in 1964, the group went back in the studio for their second attempt at releasing a 45. The release was a cover of a Curtis Mayfield penned track, first recorded by Gene Chandler on Vee Jay which became a minor hit in Chicago area in late 1963. The track was released on Scotty McKays MK imprint and was credited to The Masqueraders. (1) but, probably due to Mr McKay’s limited funds and distribution the 45, The Masqueraders — “Man’s Temptations b/w Let’s Dance” — MK 101, slipped by unnoticed by the record buying public. Their second visit to the studio`s in early 1965 would deliver their first Northern soul dance floor filler, this time for Alvin Howard and his newly formed label Soultown logo. The tracks were written by group members Jones, Moore and Thomas and the line-up that recorded them consisted of Lee Jones, Robert Wrightsil, Charlie Moore, Little Charlie Gibson (who by now had re-joined the group for a short spell) and Harold Thomas. With Howard mistakenly omitting The 'e' and ‘r’ from the group’s name The Masquaders — “Talk About A Woman b/w That’s The Same Thing” — Soultown 201, featuring Lee Jones’ impassioned lead vocal highlights the groups forte which is a tight, harmonious gospel tinged sound and the 45 became a much sought after disc on the Northern soul circuit, due to the popularity of ‘That’s The Same Thing’. Group member David Sanders was also singing at the time with other outfits around the Dallas area performing gospel, blues and RnB but didn’t perform or record as a soloist. With no commercial action on the horizon outside of Dallas, Alvin Howard had been up in Detroit and had included a visit to Motown where he arranged an audition for the group with Mickey Stevenson, Gordy’s then ‘go to’ A&R guy. A now, more permanent lineup of Robert Wrightsil, Charlie Moore, Harold Thomas, David Sanders and Lee Jones, made their famous trip to Detroit in the spring of 1965, with just enough cash to pay for a one way flight. However, on arrival at Hitsville, the group members were left somewhat hanging when they were told that Stevenson had just moved out to the West Coast. (2) They did however, audition unsuccessfully for James Dean who advised them that Motown already had a full roster of male singing combos via The Temptations, Four Tops etc. With no return flight tickets or any means of returning home the guys needed a place to stay and, with only $15 in their communal pockets made their way to the YMCA in order to form a plan of action. With two guys paying the accommodation fee and the other three sneaking into the room unnoticed. The Masqueraders spent their first night in the Motor City. A city that, unknown to them would, a decade later, ensure that their soulful recording legacy would be hunted down and treasured by fans a continent away. The group had heard of the famous 20 Grand Club at 14th and Warren and decided that they would make their way, try and get a singing opportunity and raise some much needed cash. I guess it seemed as good a plan as any. (3) While making their way to the 20 Grand along 14th Street, they encountered a large two story house with a sign declaring “La Beat” and a microphone in the large from bay window. The building looked like it might be a recording studio and so they decided to try their luck as they had nothing to lose. Unfortunately the owner wasn’t around so the guys sang for someone they remember being called Ted Wilson who was impressed enough to invite them back when the owner… Lou Beatty was around. They made a note of the buildings location and continued on to the 20 Grand where, after bad start to the day, their luck finally changed and they were given opportunity on stage. Their performance was greeted positively by the audience who turned that appreciation into hard cash by throwing money on stage for the guys. Maybe Detroit wasn’t so bad after all, a successful gig, money for rooms and an audition booked at a recording studio at 6070-6076 14 St! The group returned bright and early to be greeted by Lou Beatty himself who, suitably impressed by their performance signed them to his La Beat label with its fantastic bongo drum logos and allocated them an apartment in the basement of one of the motels he owned. (4) Their first single on La Beat in 1966 was penned and produced by the label owner himself and, The Masqueraders - A Family Pt 1 b/w A Family Pt 2” — La Beat 6605, has often been overshadowed by their later releases but is a more then noteworthy effort as the guys deliver their splendid harmonies over a maybe some-what dated soundtrack. The flip is a doo wop inspired version of the same song that extols the virtues of how a man has a responsibility to hold his family together. Beatty managed to licence the 45 to Capitol’s Tower subsidiary and it gained a further release as Tower # 281 in October 1966 but this 45 also resulted in poor sales. The following single couldn’t have been more different and was written by a couple of people we currently know very little about, (guitarist Curtis Trusel and drummer Johnny Mills), who I presume are part of the LPTs as they also wrote Lester Tipton’s “This Won’t Change” (La Beat # 6607) and Nelson Sanders’, “Love Is Here To Stay” (La Beat # 6608)) both of which are fantastic slices of 60s Detroit soul. The Masqueraders — “I’m Gonna Make It b/w How” — La Beat 6606 delivered a double sider of differing musical stylings but both have at the heart of them the lifeblood of sixties Detroit dance music, a strong beat and harmonies of stupendous quality. The top side is a mid tempo musical battering ram with the guys performing over a crashing backbeat augmented by chanking guitar riffs whilst the flip is more of the same but this time pitched up a little more and much smoother vocal inflections and a call and response technique that the guys employ with great aplomb. The Detroit signature ‘pinging’ percussion and guitar riffs present on so many mid-sixties 45s are a delight and the 45 has rightly stayed on DJs playlists over the years and as such is much sought after disc too. The Masqueraders would go on to release a further six 45s for Lou Beatty’s Detroit set up, but the numbering system of the 45s leaves a lot to be desired almost 50 years later as the catelogue includes two 45s that contained instrumental versions of the vocal sides of the 45s, The Masqueraders — “Be Happy For Me b/w Be Happy For Me (Instr)” — La Beat 6701 and The Masqueraders “Together That’s The Only Way b/w Together That’s The only Way (Instr)” — La Beat 6701 that shared the cat # with the slightly earlier release which combined the vocal versions back to back on The Masqueraders — “Together That’s The Only Way b/w Be Happy For Me” — La Beat 6701. Confused? You should be. The final release on La Beat, The Masqueraders — “I Got The Power b/w Together That’s The Only Way” — La Beat 6704/5 combines a powerhouse of a dancer on the topside written by two members of The Brothers Of Soul is a song full of up-tempo harmonies, drum fills, a fantastic horn break and some of the longest ‘Ooohs and Aaahs’ ever to grace a 45 with a Lou Beatty penned dancer! The Brothers Of Soul aka Fred Bridges, Richard Knight, (later replaced by Ben Knight) and Bobby Eaton wrote and recorded some of Detroit's most iconic soul songs and in 2011, Fred Bridges and Bobby Eaton appeared at the West Indian Club in Coventry in a live show organised by Rob Moss of UK's Hayley Records and delighted the audience with a repertoire of their musical legacy. Lou Beatty himself could write, his interest in music went further than just a vehicle to generate revenue, it’s a shame he couldn’t quite achieve that break out hit he needed to put his efforts onto the national stage. In addition to their own releases The Masqueraders would also support the other artists within the production set up as backing singers and can be heard on 45s by Al Williams and James Shorter. After twelve months in Detroit there was still no satisfactory commercial payback for their efforts and they felt that they weren’t progressing as they should in their careers. It’s a familiar story of great, well performed product, but lacking the marketing muscle of Gordy’s empire and that little slice of luck it simply wasn’t forthcoming. It was time for the guys to search out new musical pastures. This time they looked Southwards to a city that was by now, emerging as a powerhouse player in terms of soul music. Memphis was a hip happening city in 1967 as far as music was concerned. Stax records were riding high with Booker T Jones and the MGs and The Mar Keys horns providing a musical platform for Isaac Hayes and David Porter’s gritty, down home rough-hewn soul that provided a foil to the Motown sheen with its stylish use of rhythmic beats, Jones’ innovative Hammond organ work and a tight well drilled rhythm section that included Steve Cropper, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn and Al Jackson. In addition Willie Mitchell had established his Royal Recording Studio in an old renovated movie theater in South Memphis using the famed Hi Rhythm Section house-band and had been made a vice president of the city’s Hi Records. He, along with Al Green, was shifting bucket loads of 45s as the label blossomed in the sixties. (5) If Memphis was where it was happening then Memphis was where The Masqueraders were headed. The Stax company were indirectly responsible for the recording opportunity afforded the group on their arrival on the Mississippi. The studio the guys would end up recording in, was owned by Chips Moman who had financed the studio at 827 Thomas St, which he named American Sound Studio, with money he won in a lawsuit against Stax record owners Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The case arose from litigation instigated by Moman in connection with the Booker T and The MGs ‘Green Onions’ smash hit. (6) Lincoln Wayne ‘Chips’ Moman arrived in Memphis aged 14 from his native La Grange, Georgia and was already a seasoned guitarist. His initial entry into the music business came via Dorsey and Johnny Burnett for whom he was employed as a studio session player and he would also play on Aretha Franklin’s early Atlantic sessions. In 1962 he established American Sound Studios with his first partner, Seymour Rosenberg and in 1964 he partnered up with Don Crews, a former farmer from Arkansas who became the business catalyst for the studio. In similar fashion to Berry Gordy, STAX and Rick Hall (FAME), Moman surrounded himself with the some of the best musicians he could find and established a house band at American Sound nicknamed Americas New Rhythm Section aka The 827 St Band and, as their fame spread they would later become known as ‘The Memphis Boys’. These young musicians, like other legendary groupings, would ply their trade predominantly in the studio, take the US Charts by storm and like the other house bands mentioned, go largely unnoticed by the general record buying public. To compliment the American Sound Studio, Moman started his own label, AGP (American Group Productions), established his own publishing company, Pacemaker Music and would eventually gain legendary status after he produced Elvis' 1969 album “From Elvis In Memphis”, and his 1970 LP release, "Elvis Back In Memphis". After auditioning for Chips Moman, Moman gave The Masqueraders a contract, and signed the group with Penthouse, the predecessor to his AGP logo. Through the late '60s, whilst Moman was producing hit records for Atlantic on acts such as Wilson Pickett, The Masqueraders took their chance to rub shoulders with such musical luminaries as Elvis, Wilson Pickett, and Joe Simon to name a few. They also provided backing vocals on many more great records recorded at America Sound. One of their claims to fame was to sing backing for Arthur Conley’s hit “Sweet Soul Music” A good proportion of their earnings at the time was made by singing background and writing songs for themselves and others. One track that members of the group wrote was Roosevelt Grier — “C'Mon Cupid b/w High Society Woman —Amy 11015, that delivers a great up-tempo organ driven dancer coupled with an out and out ballad, complete with a Southern styled twangy guitar that was also was produced by Moman and Cogbill. The Pama logo in UK picked up the rights and that particular Roosevelt Grier 45 gained a release on that label in UK. (Pama # 784). Of course Rosey Grier would become something of a Northern Soul hero in his own right with the ex American football star releasing 45s not just on the AGP label but also on Rik and Mike Hanks’ Detroit based D Town imprint. The Masqueraders next 45 to be placed before the public was penned by group members Harold Thomas and Lee Jones and recorded at American Studios having been produced by Chips Moman and comprised a sweet soul ballad with a grittier performance on the flip, The Masqueraders - “Let's Face Facts b/w I Don’t Want Nobody to Lead Me On” — Wand 1168. Chips secured a lease to New York’s Wand imprint when label owner Florence Greenberg was visiting the American Sound location with Ronnie Milsap who was signed to her label, Ronnie would record at the studio and it was during these meetings that Chips successfully punted The Masqueraders recordings to Florence. The follow up 45, also leased to Ms Greenberg’s label, would go on to became a hugely successful dancer on the Northern soul scene a decade later coupling a slow, passionately delivered group penned (Thomas/Jones), ballad with one of the group’s evergreen dancers, The Masqueraders — Sweet Lovin’ Woman b/w Do You Love Me Baby — Wand 1172. The flip, written by group members Rightsil, Jones and Moore was produced by Tommy Cogbill, the same guy who played bass guitar on Elvis’ fantastic “Suspicous Minds” outing and is, for many of their Northern soul fans, their finest hour with its undeniably American Sound signature drum and rhythm guitar combo providing a great platform for the guys vocal abilities. Sandwiched in between the two Wand 45s the group also released a single for Larry Uttal’s Amy label. Due to the contractual obligations in place with Wand the groups outing went under a pseudonym as, Lee Jones And The Sound Of Soul — “This Heart Is Haunted b/w On The Other Side” — Amy 11008. Both sides were written and produced by American Sound Studio staff that included Southern soul legends: Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. The flip contains a desperately melancholy tale of abandonment, with a sparse production that leaves the vocals as the main effort. And it’s an effort steeped in a heavy Gospel vibe that the guys pull off 100% . Larry Utall, the head honcho at New York-based Amy/Bell/Mala family of labels, and previously of Madison Records, then later of Private Stock Records, offered to release more tracks on the group. And the group tried to get Moman to record a track they had written, but he wasn’t overly impressed. Once again it was Tommy Cogbill who produced the track which in the end was part of a deal done with Uttal that saw the group’s material released on Bell Records. The Masqueraders - “I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else b/w I Got It” — Bell 733 delivered a sweet soul outing that ranks up with anything else within that particular genre and is choc full of the quality vocals the group so regularly delivered. Set at a high tenor, there’s no gritty testifying being done here, it’s a weeping, sensitive performance from all round. Soaring choruses, interspersing verses telling a tale of powerful love helped make this the most successful outing in the group’s lengthy career in terms of sales pushing the 45 to # 7on the RnB Chart and #57 on the Billboard Pop equivalent. After almost a decade of quality singing…The Masqueraders were on the Charts! Their tenure at Bell would also deliver one of those great crossover 45s that, until the term was coined, sat in a kind of limbo as far as its musical pigeon hole was concerned. The Masqueraders — “How Big Is Big b/w Please Take Me Back” — Bell 847 is a differently styled recording to what Amerian Sound were producing at the time in 1968. Almost acoustic sounding, its sparse backing track relies on the quality vocals to instill the atmosphere to the song, which is a sweet ballad and that they manage to achieve this is a testament to The Masqueraders artistry. Lilting lead vocals supported by distant sounding voices that Tom Coghill got perfect over that acoustic guitar and a gentle, gossamer piece of drumming make this a quality piece that every collector should have filed under M. Given that many of the staff at American Sound had Elvis connections it should come as no surprise that the group released an Elvis song. The Masqueraders — Steamroller b/w Brotherhood — Bell 932 isn’t really suited to the talents of the group as this James Taylor penned song was actually composed as an out and out blues song and as both Taylor’s and Elvis’ version highlights it's best performed as such. The Masqueraders version attempts to create that down home, southern growl that conjures up the smell of fried chicken and collard greens but The Masqueraders vocal skills lie in a more sweetened sound. Fortunately they would return to their comfort zone with the next release. Having charted with Bell #733 Chips, probably with an eye on a better payday released the next 45 from the group on his own AGP, (American Group Productions) and The Masqueraders — “I’m Just An Average Guy b/w I Ain’t Gonna Stop” — AGP 108 was the first of two great sweet soul outings on Momar’s logo who had secured Uttal’s distribution via Bell despite a spat between the two over the group’s releases (Uttal was trying to establish Bell as a major player in RnB market at the time and was probably miffed that the group were appearing on a different label). Lee Jones plaintive lead on “I’m Just An Average Guy” and the quality of the group’s supporting efforts are performances that deserved much more success than they actually delivered having stalled at #34 on the RnB Chart in the early weeks of 1969. The 45 is another that nestles on every discerning soul music collectors shelves and is a fine example of what soul music is all about extracting a fantastic secular performance without displacing the voices that remain in steeped in a Gospel traditional sound. It’s a fantastic 45! Despite erratic chart placings the group saw an increase in live bookings, especially on the back of “I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else” and their live gigs took in some of the iconic stages of the Chitlin’ Circuit including New York’s Apollo. One notable appearance on a Houston TV station the group appeared on a TV show promoting the OJays show, the groups performing at different clubs on the same night. The Masqueraders must have suitably impressed the TV audience as they broke the attendance record for their gig whilst the OJays suffered the ignomy of a poor audience. In an attempt to placate Larry Uttal, Moman agreed to put the group back with Bell Records, but it was too little too late, Larry was already making plans to sell Bell Records making Bell the flagship label for Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems Television. Amy and Mala had been shut down and the company’s main focus now, was a brand new PREFAB group, THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY. Chips Moman and Don Crews, saw their partnership in American Group Productions hit the rocks when they suffered a major bust up. AGP ceased to exist as a label by early 1970, after only 26 releases. Bell had withdrawn for distributing the logo and by 1971, Atlantic was no longer a client, and Chips was becoming increasingly aggravated at what he saw as a lack of appreciation. After something the prestigious 'Memphis Music Awards' completely ignored, his studio and its unparalleled string of hit records two years in a row, he couldn't take it anymore, and he closed American Sound down for good in 1972. In addition to these events, the Masqueraders suffered line-up changes as some members experienced personal problems, but waiting in the wings was a young singer the guys had met that would slot in and sometimes take the lead. The group incorporated him into their live shows as an added soloist but sometimes the group would also perform as a six man outfit. Sam Hutchins would eventually become a fully-fledged Masquerader often standing in for Lee Jones. By this time the Masqueraders had long gone back to Dallas, and most had taken regular day jobs. But their hearts were still with the music, and releasing a number of tracks on their own label Stairways (after the original group name The Stairs.) the down side was the cash to promote the track which they didn’t have. The first release was a ballad called “Let Me Show The World I Love You”, which had as its backing track , “Masquerader's Theme” which was used on the flip. The next was an nice crossover style uptempo track “The Truth Is Free”(Pt.1 b/w Pt.2), again with contributions from all the group members in the songs composition. The third single was a combination of the first two. (A song known as “Wear My Ring” is actually “Let Me Show The World I Love You”). Though locally they did pretty well, the distribution/promotional side of the music industry was new to the group, hence the three releases flopped. They still had their awesome harmonious sound intact though, in fact, if anything it had matured and developed even more, so in 1973 the group returned to Memphis, minus Lee who had a change of religion and name to Lee Hatim, that reflected his conversion to Islam. With Lee being replaced by Sam Hutchins they hooked up with Willie Mitchell to record two singles at Mitchell’s Royal Studios for his Hi label. Robert ‘Darryl’ Carter, had met the group while he was previously working at American Sound and was instrumental in getting them back in the studio. One of Darryl Carter’s claim to fame was that he had cut hits in all three major studio`s in Memphis, The Masqueraders first met up with Darryl At American Studio`s back in 68/69. A twist of fate had drawn them to Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records as Darryl and Willie had been talking about new acts and The Masqueraders had been discussed. Willie passed the Masqueraders onto Darryl to produce and write some tracks on. The first single selected from the Royal Studio session offered a group penned outing, The Masqueraders - “Let The Love Bells Ring b/w Now That I've Found You” — Hi 2251, which paired up two ballads, one a result of the group’s collaboration and one written by Daryl Carter himself. The A side is really when the sound of the group changed slightly with Sam Hutchin’s lilting lead tenor delivering a more gospel feel to the proceedings, now a prominent feature. The follow up single The Masqueraders - Wake Up Fool b/w Now That I've Found You — Hi 2264 kept the same flipside but this time paired it with a similar styled ballad. Once again, any noteworthy commercial success continued to elude the guys and by 1974 they were again looking for a fresh outlet for their work. Lee Jones returned to the fold but Charlie Moore stepped down due to ill health, so in 1974 the line-up was Robert Wrightsil, Harold Thomas, David Sanders, Lee Hatim (Jones) and Sam Hutchins. In the mid 70s they hooked up with another Memphis based legend Isaac Hayes who had established Hot Buttered Soul, (HBS), with a distribution deal done with AB and they cut 2 LP's (“Everybody Wanna Live On” (ABC #921)and “Love Anonymous” (ABC #962) ) and released 3 singles. At the time Hayes was spending more time promoting himself to give the Masqueraders the promotion they deserved, but saying that this was more than likely the Masquerader’s most successful time in the business. The first single in ’75 was a newly arranged, unrecognizable cover of the 1962 Shirelles hit, (authored by Bacharach-Davis-Williams), “Baby It’s You — Scepter1227 ” (# 76 RnB). This soulful slowie was backed with an almost inspirational beater called “Listen”, which was written by the group. The groups album debut came in 1975 with “Everybody Wanna Live On” which benefitted from the subtle and innovative production values of Isaac Hayes recorded at Hot Buttered Soul recording studio in Memphis and orchestrated by Lester Snell. Rhythm and horns were provided by The Movement, strings and other horns by Memphis Symphony Orchestra and all the songs, except “Baby It’s You”, were written by The Masqueraders. The title track is a powerful dance track boasts Lee Hatim`s (Jones)’ patented robust vocals. Although the group excelled at mid-tempo material, like the hooky “Please Don’t Try (To Take Me Up to the Sky),” what typified the Masqueraders alliance with Hayes were the mature and thoughtful ballads. The stand out track on the album “(Call Me) The Traveling Man,” boasting both a poignant arrangement and a perfect performance from Lee Hatim (Jones), and the rest of the group. “(My Love For You Is) Honest And True” and “Your Sweet Love Is a Blessing”, also exhibit the group’s strong harmonies and vocal commitment. “Everybody Wanna Live On” represents the sublime pairing of the right group with a sympathetic producer, and the results are highly skilled. The next single they picked was the classy ballad pairing once again entitled, The Masqueraders — “Sweet Sweetening b/w Call Me) The Traveling Man” — HBS 12157 which jostled around the lower regions of the US Charts, (# 32-soul / #101-pop), whilst the third single from Hayes production set up, was another quality sweet ballad, the Masqueraders - “Your Sweet Love Is A Blessing b/w “Please Don’t Try (To Take Me Away To The Sky)”, but it too slipped by unnoticed. Two years later the second HBS album, “Love Anonymous” was recorded, but didn't produce any singles. Again produced by Hayes, arranged by Hayes and Lester Snell, recorded at HBS studio and backed by Movement and the Memphis Strings you’d have expected a better commercial showing but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. No singles were culled from the album and the group were released by Hayes who was experiencing financial pressures with the production company. Whilst contracted to HBS, the group were still performing live gigs and at one such event in Philadelphia they encountered one of the city’s leading musical architects, Mr Kenny Gamble who, in a conversation backstage invited them to record with his Philly International entourage at 309 Broad St. Unfortunately, when the guys approached Isaac Hayes with the idea, the Memphis based producer protected his interests and vetoed any collaboration. Shortly after this the group were left hanging with no recording contract to hold them back and Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff had moved onto other projects. In the latter part of the 70s the group recorded a number of songs for the little known Pathfinder Records but no singles ever made it to a release stage and sadly remain firmly in the can. Finally, at the onset of the 80s, they secured a deal with Bang Records (7) Their final album was produced by James Stroud and recorded in Atlanta, Georgia. All nine tracks were written by the group, most of them by Lee Hatim (Jones). There are two melodic, sweet soul sides nestled amongst the remaining disco and funk slanted material “Into Your Soul” and “The Sake Of Pride”. The album itself never made the shelves but a couple of its tracks did An uptempo disco outing, “Desire” that hit the charts (RnB # 38) in early 1980, but the follow-up, a gently bouncing disco dancer titled “Starry Love” then flopped, which also meant bye-bye to the company. In the 80s, after almost 20 non-stop years of trying to ‘make it’ the group members looked towards obtaining ‘day jobs’, with Lee and Sam who started driving trucks, Harold took a job in the postal service and Robert had a beauty salon and a store, which currently operates as a club these days. David continued performing and kept the spirit of the group alive hoping someday that the slice of luck required to make it would eventually manifest itself and The Masqueraders time in the spotlight would at last materialise In The 90`s Robert Harold and David released a few tracks on their own TNT (Texas N Tennesse) label.. the group still did backing for various act including James Carr. The Group have made a comeback in the way that there is no pressure to produce but to enjoy performing and those chances are coming regularly from all over the USA…with regular stints in Beale Street Memphis. In 2006, the UK soul fraternity were treated to one of those special moments in time that occur very rarely in life. The Northern Soul heroes that are The Masqueraders appeared live on stage at The Prestatyn Weekender in North Wales. That sentence alone would be enough to deserve inscribing in stone but not only did they appear but they stole the show and stole it in a fashion that only true artists ever can. In front of 2000 devoted fans The Masqueraders performed their repertoire of lush, sweet, harmonic outings alongside their Northern soul iconic ones and received rapturous appreciation for their efforts. To have seen the guys up there, on stage, ‘doin’ their thing’ live with such panache, after hearing their initial recordings almost 30 years earlier was a true highlight of the Prestatyn experience. WHODATHUNKIT? The Masqueraders are a group whose 45s have given so much pleasure to so many fans but who, in their own backyard at least, never quite managed to achieve the success they truly deserved. True Northern Soul Heroes which is why we are honoured to see them inducted to our Northern Soul Hall Of Fame, especially as Inaugural Inductees. Kev Spittle and Dave Moore Thanks, Notes and References: A. Many thanks to Greg Tormo for his permission to use snippets from his excellent piece on the group at his website at http://solidhitsoul.com/raders.html 1. Scotty McKay was Dallas born singer who managed to enjoy a musical career that encompassed a myriad of labels and genres. Born in 1937 as Max K Lipscomb he grew into a good looking confident guy and was one of the early matinee idols on Ace Records that Philadelphia’s Bernie Lowe would corner the market in. Scotty also had a claim to fame in that he was for a while a member of Gene Vincent’s backing group The Blue Caps. He passed away 17 March 1991. 2. Mickey Stevenson was the husband of Kim Weston and the husband and wife team would form Peoples Records, (not to be confused with James Brown’s logo for the same name), and would eventually negotiate a deal that took Ms Weston to MGM for a reported fee of $1million. As part of that deal Stevenson would be tasked by MGM to try and establish their Venture subsidiary label as a soul imprint. 3. Anecdote from Greg Tormos interview with The Masqueraders at http://solidhitsoul.com/raders.html 4. Lou Beatty was something of an entrepreneur in Detroit having a finger in a number of business ventures including construction, real estate and motels in addition to the aspiration to be the next Berry Gordy. The Masqueraders would seem an ideal act to embrace by La Beat in an effort to create the labels version of The Temptations who at the time were arguably the biggest singing group in the country. The records made by Beatty not just on the La Beat logo but also on the Carrie label, a venture with another black entrepreneur James Hendrix and the Cool School imprint have all become sought after discs over the years. 5. Hi records was first established in 1957 by 4 partners all of whom had links to the areas rich rock n roll history, Ray Lewis was a rockabilly singer who had previously recorded for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records, Joe Cuoghi was a record store owner, Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch had already been long time producers for Sun Records and Joe Cuoghi’s lawyer was a silent partner in the venture. Lots of people associated with the hey-day of rock n roll would pass through the doors of the Royal Recording Studio including guys like Ace Cannon and Bill Black. 6. Chips Momar began his record producing career in Los Angeles’ Gold Star Studios where he was a session guitarist. After playing in gene Vincent’s backing group he gravitated to Memphis where he hooked up with the embryonic Satellite Records, the first incarnation of Stax. Grabbing the bull by the horns he established himself as the company’s premier producer and contributed to a number of early hits for the company on William Bell, Carla Thomas, Booker T and The MGs and The May Keys. After the dispute with Stax, Momar went on to create a studio that at one stage could boast that in one particular week, 25% of the Billboard Top 20 45s were actually recorded at his studio! In the late 60s he became associated with Atlantic records and his studio pumped out 120 smash hits on Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett James Carr, Joe Tex, The Box Tops, Dusty Springfield etc. His greatest songwriting achievement is arguably the song he created with Dan Penn (Of FAME), for James Carr… the deep soul classic, “Dark End Of The Street”. 7. Bang Records was the brainchild of Bert Berns, Armet Ertegun, Nesuhi Ertegun and Jerry Wexler (Gerald) The name of the label is taken from their first names B.A.N.G. Discography: The Stairs: Brown Eyed Handsome Man — South Town Cave-Man Love — South Town Flossy Mae — South Town The Masqueraders: Man's Temptation b/w Dancing Doll — M-K 101 Talk About A Woman b/w That's The Same Thing — Soul Town 201 The Family (Part 1) b/w The Family (Part 2) — La Beat 6605 The Family (Part 1) b/w The Family (Part 2) — Tower 281 I'm Gonna Make It b/w How — La Beat 6606 Together That's The Only Way b/w Be Happy For Me — La Beat 6701 Be Happy For Me b/w Be Happy For Me (Instrumental) — La Beat 6701 The L. P. T.'s / The L. P. T. Orchestra — Together That’s The Only Way (vocal) b/w That’s The Only Way — La Beat 6701 (A Side vocal ‘Be Happy For Me’ by Masqueraders) (Work) Together That's The Only Way b/w One More Chance — La Beat 6702 Together, That's The Only Way (Vocal) b/w Together, That's The Only Way (Instrumental) - La Beat 6702 (mislabelled as Be Happy For Me (Both sides) I Got The Power b/w (Work) Together That's The Only Way — La Beat 6704/5 I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On b/w Let's Face Facts — Wand 1168 Lee Jones & The Sounds Of Soul This Heart Is Haunted / On The Other Side — Amy 11008 The Masqueraders: Do You Love Me Baby b/w Sweet Loving Woman — Wand 1172 I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else / I Got It — Bell 733 How Big Is Big b/w Please Take Me Back — Bell 874 Steamroller b/w Brotherhood — Bell 932 I'm Just An Average Guy b/w I Ain't Gonna Stop — AGP 108 The Grass Was Green b/w Say It — AGP 114 Love Peace And Understanding b/w Tell Me You Love Me — AGP 122 Let Me Show The World I Love You b/w Masquerader's Theme — Stairway71A Let Me Show The World I Love You b/w The Truth Is Here — Stairway 72A The Truth Is Free b/w The Truth Is Free (Part 2) — Stairway 72B Let The Love Bells Ring b/w Now That I've Found You — Hi 2251 Wake Up Fool b/w Now That I've Found You — Hi 2264 Baby It's You b/w Listen — HBS 12141 Sweet Sweetening b/w (Call Me) The Traveling Man — HBS 12157 Please Don't Try b/w Your Love Is A Sweet Blessing — HBS 12190 Desire b/w Into Your Soul — Bang 4806 Starry Love b/w It's So Nice — Bang 4812 Merry Christmas b/w (Instrumental) — TNT When Old Man Trouble Calls b/w (Instrumental) TNT

Date of Induction: 1 November 2014 Category: Female Group The story of the Marvelettes is a fascinating insight into the early beginnings of the black musical scene in Detroit that would export ‘The Sound Of Young America’ to the rest of the world. With Berry Gordy’s embryonic record company starting to emerge as a major player on the city’s musical landscape, the songs of the Marvelettes resonated with a whole slew of categories of music fans, from Pop music lovers to staunch soul collectors, many of their waxings have not only stood the test of time but have garnered new fans along the way. One of Berry Gordy’s earliest successes on his own label and a group that probably financed the development of a few more, The Marvelettes, rose to the very highest echelons of the music industry as very young teenagers even prior to graduating from the Inkster High School but that pinnacle was only enjoyed fleetingly and the group seemed to be side-lined for a while until Smokey Robinson came to their rescue with a series of songs that rekindled their careers and solidified their position in soul music history. A position that is highlighted here, as they become the inaugural Inductee for our Hall Of Fame Female Groups. So how did a group of young impressionable teenage girls come to be Motown’s first #1 hit artists? The answer lays in a story that starts in a small town in Wayne County, lying approximately 15 miles West of Detroit, along Michigan Avenue. It was here, in a small town named after a successful Scottish immigrant from the Shetland Islands, Robert Inkster who owned the local sawmill in the mid 1800s, that five young teenage girls with a penchant for group harmony singing first got together while students at the local Inkster High School. Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson , Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart, and Georgia Dobbins were classmates at the school, Gladys being a year younger than the others and it was in order to compete in the school’s annual talent show, organised by the Inkster High School Music Teacher Dr Romeo Phillips, that Gladys searched around for fellow singers and the youngsters took their first steps towards a professional career. Gladys Catherine Horton was born on 30 May 1945 in Gainesville Florida, to parents originally from the West Indies. Given up for adoption at the tender age of nine months old, she spent much of her formative years in foster homes before settling with the Jones family on Harriet Street, Inskter. Church played a large role in her early musical experience and she became a regular with the Millenarian Specials, her local church choir. At fourteen years old she and three school friends’ Jeanette and Juanita McClaflin and Rosemary Wells, formed a singing quartet named The Del-Rhythmetts and even managed to get Joe Van Batte, a local record store owner to record them. (1) The release, The De-Rhythmetts — “I Need Your Love b/w Chic A Boomer” — JVB 500 which was recorded in 1959 and is a real old school attempt at a doo wop ballad, slid into obscurity without causing so much as a ripple in the market but did receive some local airplay which must have thrilled the young ladies. The single sparse guitar accompaniment on the A side is augmented by a pretty mean tenor sax player and the flip has an equally adept flautist involved, so maybe some-one showed a little faith in the youngsters. Katherine Elaine Anderson was born 16 January 1944 in Ann Arbor, Michigan the eldest of four siblings and credits her parents and Grandparents with instilling a love of singing. Raised in Inkster she too was a member of her local church youth choir and was singing as early as elementary school. Katherine also studied ballet as a youngster. Wyanetta Cowart was born 8 January 1944 in Rockport Mississippi once again as the eldest child and soon moved to Inkster with her parents. Her early musical influences were Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Georgeanna Marie Tillman was born 5 February 1944 in Inkster and named after her father George whilst Georgia Marie Dobbins was born a few months later on 8 May 1944 in Carthage Arkansas and moved to Inkster at aged four when her family moved into the Willow Run Projects between Ann Arbor and Detroit, after her father took advantage of homes specially constructed for World War Two veterans, having served his country in The Pacific. She too was a fan of Sarah Vaughan and sang in the Willow Run Baptist Church choir. Another notable Willow Run Choir member at the time, who would make a name for himself, was Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson fame. The young Georgeanna was also a trombonist in the school band and as a teenager she was a member of a local singing group first named The Teen Hoppers and later The Shamrocks. The girls in there pretty green dresses must have been a sight for sore eyes. When the Dobbins family had to vacate their home when the Willow Run Projects were demolished they move to Inkster and Georgeanna became a student at the High School there. Georgia had been part of a number of singing groups that had previously won the annual competition and had already graduated when Gladys approached her to join the group for one last entry. “I already had a mind to ask Georgia to be part of my group. I knew she was the key to our success. She was not only smart but she was kind and sympathetic to us freshmen She was also very attractive, all the girls looked up to her, wanting to be like her.“ — Gladys Horton (2) The five young hopefuls started their rehearsal routine and finally settled on the name ‘The Casinyets’ a play on the phrase ‘Can’t Sing Yet’. The competition had, as its prize, three auditions for the new record company owned by a certain Berry Gordy and operating out of 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit but the Casinyets hopes were dashed when, using a piano player from school as backing, they came fourth, despite believing they had done enough to emerge victorious. That could so well have been the end of the story but in one of those moments in life when karma plays its part to the full, one of the school counsellors Ms Shirley Sharpley commiserated with the girls and was convinced by them to call Motown and see if an audition could be organised. Motown agreed to hear the girls sing and they, along with Ms Sharpley and via a late arrival due to a flat tire, arrived at ‘Hitsville’ in April 1961 to be met by Motowns A&R supremo, Robert Bateman. The girls auditioned, using songs by The Chantels and The Shirelles, they had rehearsed for the school’s competition and on the conclusion of the session were identified as having great potential but needed original material. Berry Gordy himself attended one of the songs, with Georgia on lead vocal and told them to come back when they had their own material. The hunt was on for a song. On restarting their rehearsals back at Georgeanna’s house in Inkster, Georgia introduced an acquaintance of hers, a local pianist named William Garrett. Garrett had played behind a number of girl groups from Inkster High and had written a few songs into the bargain. On investigation of his self-penned material, Georgia identified the rough draft of a blues song he had started as having the potential to become a girl group song, based upon the tale of a young girl separated from her beau but patiently waiting for a letter from him. Georgia took the lyrics home and readjusted them whilst working on a melody to the song which struck a chord with the teenager, as she too at that time was awaiting a letter from her guy who was currently in the US Navy. Within a couple of days, Georgia was singing the song to the rest of the girls who all thought it was a cute song and started rehearsing it with a view to returning to Hitsville as instructed. The girls duly arrived back on the steps of West Grand Boulevard a month later, song in hand and auditioned for Robert Bateman once again, this time with Eddie and Brian Holland also present. The end result was that they all thought they had a hit in the making and plans were made to further rehearse and record the song. Meanwhile the girls were renamed The Marvelettes after Berry Gordy formed the opinion that they were ‘marvellous’ and contracts were drawn up. The quintet of little country girls from Inkster had finally got a record contract. Well… not quite. Because of the tender ages of the group, the contracts were legally required to be co-signed by a guardian and in Georgia Dobbins case her father refused. The family were raised as church going people and the thought of singing in nightclubs and entertaining venues was a difficult thing for her father to contemplate his daughter doing. In addition Georgia’s mother was ill and had been ill most of her life so the family depended on Georgia who was the eldest of the seven siblings, the others being her six younger brothers. A decision was made that Georgia would leave the group, heart-breaking as it was for the young teenager. The decision hit Georgia hard and it was another seventeen years before she sang publicly again. The group were almost reduced to a trio when Katherine Anderson’s parents also hesitated before signing as guardians for their daughter. Their issue was much the same as Mr Dobbins’ in that their daughter was about to enter a world about which they knew very little but after lengthy family discussions they recognised the opportunity for their offspring and put pen to paper. With the Inskter quintet now with signed contracts, a song but reduced to a quartet the search was on for a replacement lead voice and Gladys was selected. That left a vacancy for a fifth Marvelette, a vacancy that was filled by yet another Inkster youngster who lived only two blocks from three of the girls own homes. Initially reluctant to take part Wanda LaFaye Young, an Inkster native having been born into her large family there on 9 August 1943 and graduated the same High School as the remainder of the group having been a choir member, finally relented under pressure from Gladys and the line-up for the initial Marvelettes outing was complete. With Robert Bateman and Brian Holland placed in charge of production of the newly signed group they, along with Freddie Gorman who at that time was still a mail man in the city’s postal service, tinkered with the song enough to be allotted a credit as the songwriters and the stage was set for the girls first recording session. With The Supremes’ Florence Ballard helping Gladys between takes and a young singer named Marvin Gaye on the drums, the recording was to deliver a fantastic start for The Marvelettes and Berry Gordy’s company’s first #1 Pop Chartopper. (3) The Marvelettes — “Please Mr Postman b/w So Long Baby” — Tamla 54046 passed the company’s muster and was released on August 21 and within two weeks was making ripples beyond the Motor City. On September 4th the 45 entered the Billboard Charts and fourteen weeks later it hit the #1 spot. The name of The Marvelettes and their Detroit based Tamla label was on the lips of every record buying teenager in the US. What happened next was that the girls were subject to a whirlwind as they became in demand. The success of the song gave Gordy’s company a good slice of impetus and in order to make the most of that they needed the girls to record an album using the title of the song, (which they did) and present themselves to their public on stage, heightening the image of the company and increasing the record buying public’s awareness of Gordy’s labels. Only one week after hitting the #1 spot with the 45 the company released their album The Marvelettes — “Please Mr Postman” — Tamla LP #228. One complication as far as live performances were concerned was that the girls, apart from Wanda, were all underage. In addition Gladys, as an orphan, was a ward of the court and would need a legal guardian appointed. Despite these obstacles, the girls, excused from school and with Gladys now the responsibility of Mr and Mrs Edwards, Berry’s sister and Brother In Law, were soon integrated into current Motown Live Shows which consisted of Eddie Holland, Marv Johnson, Mary Wells and The Miracles and became the star of the show. Studying between shows, the girls tread the boards of such famous theatres as Washington DC’s Howard Theater, The Royal in Baltimore and of course The Apollo in New York’s Harlem. With The Marvelettes star on a meteoric rise they’d gone from five inexperienced teenage schoolgirls to the biggest selling group with a #1 Top hit and a tour schedule all in a matter of a few months! It was time now to consolidate that success and the company had just the thing to do it with. A follow up single that they released just as, “Please Mr Postman” peaked. With Philly’s Chubby Checker’s 1960 version of the Hank Ballard original having spawned a myriad of successful imitations, that dance craze of the era, ‘The Twist’ was at its height as teenagers across the US took to their dance-floors to gyrate to the latest version of the theme. Like most other record companies, Motown were no strangers to limpeting onto the latest dance craze and had already tested the waters with a couple of outings on the Motown logo from a group called The Twisting Kings. (4) The Marvelettes second release, The Marvelettes — Twisting Postman b/w I Want A Guy — Tamla 54054, extended the theme of the postman from their initial outing, with a young girl sat patiently for him to deliver the letter from her guy. Only this time he seems hell bent on dancin’ round his route! The 45 was coupled with a song that The Supremes had already recorded the previous March but had seen fail to make any impact commercially. Although the group’s second release couldn’t recreate a #1 chart-topping smash it did reach #13 on the RnB Chart and narrowly miss a Top 30 spot on the pop equivalent when it peaked at #34. An appearance on the 5th March episode of America Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark, during which the Inkster High School football team’s (The Vikings), game was postponed to allow the students to watch their classmates on TV, no doubt encouraged sales and the girls were now a regular feature of the theaters as they continued appearing with the other star acts of the Motown stable of labels. (5) The year 1962, continued to see the girls careers flourish when they released their third single The Marvelettes — Playboy b/w All The Love I’ve Got — Tamla 45060 which bludgeoned its way to a Top 10 position on both charts (#4 RnB/#7 Pop). Once again the 45 credits Bateman, Holland, Mickey Stevenson and Gladys Horton but Gladys insists that the song came from her pen alone and is a song on which Gladys advises her suitor to stay away from her door as she has his ticket marked as a guy who plays around. The group now had a signature style of sound that, although built on the en vogue girl group sound had, by fluke or design, identified them as the sound of Motown alongside Mary Wells and The Miracles. In the balmy summer days of 1962 The Marvelettes released their fourth 45 in just over a year, The Marvelettes — “Beechwood 4-5789 b/w Someday, Someway” — Tamla 54065, a song co penned by Marvin Gaye just prior to him achieving his own solo success as a singer on which Gladys Horton sets her sights on a guy and in an effort to get to know him better gives him her telephone number with the instructions to call her anytime. The girls’ vocals were actually sung over a pre-recorded backing tape which Mickey Stevenson had produced whilst they had been on the road. This unusual but necessary process, due to the time the girls spent on the road didn’t detract from the final outing as the 45, once it hit the record shops zipped into the Billboard Hot 100 RnB Chart where it made #7 and secured a #17 spot on the industry leading magazine’s pop equivalent. The girls were by now well established and a third album was released to coincide with their chart entry, (a second one having been released the previous April to try and extend the life of Twistin’ Postman’s popularity: The Marvelettes - Smash Hits Of ‘62 — Tamla 229), (6) The Marvelettes — Playboy — Tamla 231 was a disappointment in terms of sales and failed to chart, as indeed had the previous one. It did however, at last feature the ladies on the cover which is something the first two didn’t. Flying in the face of poor album sales the group’s popularity continued to grow but not all the girls however were enjoying their time in the limelight and Wyanetta Cowart, who suffered from what could be described as a nervous breakdown, took the decision to withdraw from the spotlight and return to a quiter, more structured lifestyle that she felt more comfortable with. A naturally quiet teenager, having been thrust into a world of recording sessions, choreography lessons, live appearances on stage and TV and surrounded by strangers, she came to realise that the hectic pressure cooker of the entertainment world wasn’t quite the glittering life she had envisioned. And so the group became a quartet. It’s probably worth noting that The Marvelettes were the first really successful group that Motown had. The legendary Artists Talent and Management structures that Gordy would embrace as the company grew, utilising the skills of the likes of Cholly Atkins, Miss Maxine Powell etc weren’t yet in place and the company left the group much to its own devices when learning the skills of hair, make up, choreography, etc. In the autumn of 1962, Berry Gordy, probably soured on by the receipts of the initial out of town live shows the company had arranged for its artists, had his company put together its first full blown Motown Revue Tour that saw him convince Henry Wynne, who headed up the major black entertainment booking agency: Supersonic Attractions, that a tour consisting of a large group of Motown based acts had a great chance of generating good amounts of revenue. (7) Planned by his sister Esther, managed by Thomas ‘Beans’ Bowles, (one of the company’s first musicians) and utilising a band put together by Choker Campbell, 45 artists, musicians, and assorted staff embarked on what would became a remarkable chapter in the history of Motown as well as the members of the tour. Encompassing the Southern States it would be many of the tour members first sojourn into the segregated States of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana and was fraught with tension as their bus was similar to the ones used by the Freedom Riders of the 60s (8) The Marvelettes’ experience of The Motown Revue of 1962 led to their eyes being opened to the racially separated infrastructure of the Southern States. “Although I had been in The South, I had never experienced the racism to the magnitude that I did when I went on that Motown Tour. It’s a different ballgame when you’re in a little country town, because all you’re going to and all your visiting is that little country town. However, when you’re visiting many of the major cities in the South, then the experiences are greater. And it became very, very … frightening.” — Katherine Anderson Playing to packed houses every night the girls endured the hardships of being on tour in The South, focusing on using their performances to lighten their experiences with the toilet facilities, the lack of changing rooms, not being able to stop safely for gas, or even at a restaurant of their choosing and ended the tour on 17 December before heading back to Detroit which allowed for spending time with their families during the festive holiday. Detroit’s Fox Theatre appearances permitting of course! As the Motown Revue embarked the girls released their next 45, The Marvelettes — Strange I Know b/w Too Strong To be Strung Along - Tamla 54072 which may well have been the final chapter in the boyfriend/missing letter tale of their previous outings. Set at a pedestrian pace once again it is Gladys on lead as she tells the story of moving on with her life as her previous love seems determined to ignore her via any means including letters or calls. The song was ideal in that it gave the girls a brief respite when performing as all their other hits had been uptempo ones. The record buying public liked the song enough to propel it to a #10 spot on the RnB Chart but it stalled at #49 on the Pop equivalent, the first time a Marvelettes release hadn’t made the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40. The next release from the group in the Spring of 1963 featured a double, split lead vocal from Gladys and Wanda on a song that would also see (possibly for the first time), an undisputed Holland - Dozier - Holland writing credit. (9) The Marvelettes — “Locking Up My Heart b/w Forever” — Tamla 54077, gave listeners a glimpse of the song writing team’s penchant for strong beats, sax breaks and drum fills although they weren’t quite into their stride on this tale of a heartbroken lover that’s decided enough is enough. The flip of the 45 actually gained enough radio play to entice record buyers to buy it for that side too and both sides wwere allocated a similar chart position. The A side making #25 RnB and the flip #24 whilst both sides made #44 on the Pop Chart. The Marvelettes continued to record and release 45s throughout 1963, all stumbling in the lower reaches of the nation’s charts and even the addition of Smokey Robinson as a songwriter couldn’t generate the success they had previously enjoyed. Of course this was the period when Gordy took to pushing his new girl group The Supremes headed by a headstrong and ambitious young Diana Ross which probably impacted on the further development of The Marvelettes. The girls were even released under a pseudonym on The Darnells — Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye — b/w Come On Home - Tamla 7024 which they didn’t realise until they heard themselves on the radio! Although their popularity as a girl group seemed to be waning, on the romance side of things, two of our heroines sealed the matrimonial knot with Wanda Young marrying Bobby Rogers of The Miracles and Georgeanna Tillman becoming the wife of Billy Gordon of The Contours. Motown really was keeping it all in the family! 1964 saw the group release a further trio of 45s bringing their releases to a total of 14, (including the Darnells and 2 sided T#54077 discs), proof if it were required that the Hitsville music making machine was gathering momentum now and churning out song after song on acts whilst having artist record the same songs as each other too. With the song-writing and production talents of Holland Dozier Holland, Smokey Robinson, and Norman Whitfield (10), in full swing the stage was set for the company to dominate the radio airwaves and the musical charts. With Martha and The Vandellas flying high and The Supremes breaking internationally The Marvelettes had some real competition and some would say that their ‘girl group’ image was looking a little dated but the third of those 1964 releases sent the group back into the charts. The Marvelettes — “Too Many Fish In The Sea b/w a Need For Love” — Tamla 54105 was the result of an early song-writing collaboration between Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield and Mr Whitfield produced a powerhouse of upbeat, uptempo dance soul that would see Wanda’s lead now to the fore, something that would remain for the rest of their recording career. The 45 is also noteworthy due to the fact that Georgeanna Tillman would make her last appearance on a Marvelettes 45 as poor health would mean she had no choice but to leave the group shortly after its release. Georgeanna was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia and systemic lupus a chronic disease that led to an overactive immune system and leads to extreme fatigue in the sufferer. In Georgeanna’s case this was intensified due to the strains of being on the road, bad eating habits, irregular sleeping patterns etc. The usually happy go lucky Georgeanna would stay within the Motown ‘family’ though and took up a position as a secretary within the Hitsville ranks. The quartet had now become a trio. As Merseysides Fab Four led the assault on the US charts by what became known as the Brit Invasion and the girl group phenomenon enjoyed by the likes of The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Marvelettes etc finally waned the group released a hard driving, less innocent sounding dancer that has always struck a chord with their UK soul fans, The Marvelettes — I’ll Keep Holding On — b/w No Time For Tears — Tamla 54116 which Wanda now established as the lead vocalist delivered with a punchy, almost aggressive style not heard on previous Marvelettes outings. The girls performance matched the Mickey Stevenson produced backing track that had that 1965, driving Funk Brothers signature sound brimming with drum fills, a strong bass line and metronome like tambourine enhancements. Stevenson had such faith in the song that, faced with awaiting the return of the girls from their live schedule to the studio on West Grand Boulevard, he had the Funk Brothers record the track alone and flew with the tape to New York and had them overdub the vocals there before returning to Motown’s famous Quality Control meeting and receiving the go ahead for the release. It proved to be a good decision as the 45 made #11 on the RnB Chart. In the summer of that year the group released another 45 that would come to help define them when, The Marvelettes — “Danger and Heartbreak Dead Ahead b/w Your Cheating Ways” — Tamla 54120, a song penned by Clarence Paul, Ivy Jo Hunter and Mickey Stevenson that once again Wanda performs lead on. A signature Motown 45 overflowing with the all the musical components that built the company, tight musicianship incorporating a solid bassline, tambourine on the backbeat, drum fills a go go, a great piano riff and effervescent horn interludes and of course, it’s all augmented by the fantastic supporting harmonies by The Andantes. The 45 went to equal its predecessor in terms of RnB commercial success when it too peaked at #11 on the RnB Chart but flailed around in the lower regions of the Pop equivalent stumbling at #61. The song did however, become a favourite of the group’s live stage shows as they built it into their repertoire using neon placards as they performed in a black light environment. One event that seems to highlight how The Marvelettes were maybe slipping from Motown’s priorities is the fact that in the same year (1965) Motown undertook their landmark Motown Revue of UK that resulted in the TV Show ‘The Sounds Of Motown’, hosted by UK soul songstress Dusty Springfield but the name of The Marvelettes was missing from the roster. In addition, the flow of albums by the group that had been established back in 1961 had dried up, despite the reasonable success of their recent 45s. I guess with The Four Tops, The Temptations and especially The Supremes now regularly elbow-ing the competition out for the top Chart spots it was inevitable that groups would find themselves in a tiered hierarchy. Motown’s investment in its artists was by now though, in full flow and The Marvelettes were part of the Artist Development division system that saw them benefit from the skills of Cholly Atkins and Miss Maxine Powell, the two main mentors to Gordy’s artistic roster. Mr Atkins being a premium dance instructor and Miss Powell, an ex ‘finishing school’ owner ran courses that developed the personal skills in the artists. Of course by the time Gordy had these structures in place The Marvelettes were already seasoned stage hands etc. With Gordy’s proteges The Supremes, now fully fledged International stars, leading the charge, the country’s premium nightspots like New York’s The Copacabana and The Lincoln Center were where Motown used show tunes, cover versions, hits of their own and a dynamic stage show to forge it’s place in the mainstream white entertainment world but this was an opportunity that The Marvekletees, probably due to being still viewed as a ‘girl group’ and a link to a world left behind by Motown. It was anything but doom and gloom as far as the music was concerned however and Smokey Robinson delivered the vehicle that would revive their chart activity. The Marvelettes — “Don’t Mess With Bill b/w Anything You Wanna Do” — Tamla 54126, furnished Wanda with the opportunity to employ a more racy, somewhat seductive side to her singing as she laments the behaviour of her lover whilst warning other suitors about him. Initially Robinson had to fight tooth and nail to get the song through the quality control meeting as many at Motown thought the mid paced, adult themed song may be a little too much for fans of the group. Smokey eventually won out and the song was released in November. A great, laid back backing track from the Funk Brothers, full of strategic vibes and a passionate sax solo half way through gave the girls the platform to return them to the Top 10 of Billboard’s Pop Charts peaking at #7 and going even higher on the RnB listing, making the #3 spot. The success of ‘Don’t Mess With Bill’ provided the impetus for a Greatest Hits album which would prove to be the group’s best selling LP when it reached #4 (RnB). Smokey’s appreciation of the girl’s now mature sound was again to play a part in getting the group’s performances onto wax and into the market. The Marvelettes — “The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game b/w I Think I Can Change You” — Tamla 54143 coupled two Robinson penned songs that he also performed the studio productions on. Once again it’s a laid back performance starting with a lamentable harmonica intro from the Funks that Smokey ensures is subdued enough to bring out the best in Wanda’s sultry vocal as she relays the story of how she set out to capture her man but he turned the tables and captured her. Released between Christmas and New Year in 1966 fans of the group pushed sales of the 45 and by early spring the following year it had delivered the outing to #2 RnB and #13 Pop in the trade papers. Hot on the heels of this release came a strange one, strange for Motown at least. Rarely did the company look outside for material which isn’t really surprising when you look at their song-writing roster but the next release by the ladies came from the open of a Northern Soul hero who is also an inaugural Inductee in our Hall Of Fame : Van McCoy. Originally a minor hit for Ruby and The Romantics in 1964 Van McCoy’s song would not only maintain the group’s presence in the US Charts but would deliver a bona fide hit in UK too when it reached #13 on the BBC’s Top 40. The Marvelettes — “When You’re Young And In Love b/w The Day You Take One You Have To The Other” — Tamla 54150, opens with a majestic drum roll, piano and fading string introduction that gives way to Wanda’s interpretation of what would become a classic. The whole song is awash with an orchestral feel that producers James Dean and William Witherspoon pull off with great aplomb. Although Gladys and Katherine aren’t on the recording the ever present Andantes deliver the perfect style and substance that resulted in #3 RnB and #23 Pop placings for the group in the early summer of 1967. The Marvelettes were about to say goodbye to Gladys Horton who had by now married trumpeter Sammy Coleman and was expecting their first child. (11). Whereas before when Georgeanna and Wyanetta had exited the line up the remaining members simply carried on Katherine and Wanda needed a third voice and after a length of inactivity from Motown and on the advice of Harvey Fuqua they successfully auditioned Ann Bogan who became their latest member. (Ann Bogan’s story can be found as part of the Soul Source Inductee page of The Andantes, a group with which she also sang). After a period of rehearsal, and striking while the musical iron was hot via their last 2 releases, the trio were off on a tour of the military bases of Germany where Ann appeared as a Marvelette for the first time. On their return to Detroit it was back to the snakepit for a another recording session with Smokey Robinson, their first one without Gladys and with Ann. If they were worried about the vocal dynamics changing, they needn’t have done, as The Marvelettes — “My Baby Must Be A Magician b/w I Need Someone” — Tamla 54158, displayed all the Marvelettes hallmarks of previous hits and, with its opening sliding guitar glide courtesy of Marvin Tarplin (12) and Temptations member, Melvin Franklin’s unique deep bass vocal contribution, put them at #8 RnB and #17 Pop in the spring of 1968. They had, by this stage been gracing the musical charts of America for 7 years. Three singles followed in 1968 all of them fluttering around the lower regions of the charts but none matching their previous outings. Smokey furnished “Here I am Baby” (T-54166), a song first recorded by Barbara Mcnair a year earlier and Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson contributed “Destination Anywhere” (T- 54171) which were all great efforts but couldn’t sustain the sales for the group that their earlier hits had. 1969 would deliver a tragic blow to Wanda when her younger sister La Mona was brutally shot and murdered by her brother in law who mistook her for Wanda’s other sibling Dora. By this time Wanda was also beginning to suffer from the effects of drugs and alcohol and those closest to her believe that something happened on the European Tour that instigated her spiral into experimenting with substances. Whatever the catalyst, the usually bubbly and effervescent young singer became difficult to manage and the writing was on the wall for the trio. In September 1969 the group released a noteworthy rendition of a classic song previously recorded by a number of soul acts including The Spinners and Baby Washington as The Marvelettes — “That’s How Heartaches Are Made b/w Rainy Mourning” — Tamla 54186, a song that saw Clay McMurray on production duties and an outing that derived more success than it achieved as it sank without trace. In 1970, they released another Smokey produced 45 with, The Marvelettes — “Marionette b/w After All” — Tamla 54198 which suffered a similar fate and in January 1972, after a gap of almost eighteen months in which Wanda’s addiction became more severe and the girl’s stopped not only recording but also touring and the releases of The Marvelettes concluded with The Marvelettes — “A Breathtaking Guy b/w You’re The One For Me” — Tamla 54213. For Northern Soul fans that’s not quite the end of the story though. Nestled as the opening song on Side 2 of their eighth LP, (The Marvelettes - Sophisticated Soul — Tamla # 286), sits a recording that would maybe have a right to claim to be the most played Northern soul outing that the group recorded. “Your Love Can Save Me” was a song written by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson that any soul fan around in the mid -70s will instantly recognise a floor filler of the time that for many years was believed to be only available on this particular LP. However, there is indeed a 7 inch version of the song as it appears on a promo only EP (#286) that includes 4 songs, all taken from the LP. As a promo item it’s a strange one. Motown rarely promoted their LPs in this way and were quite happy to concentrate on promoting other groups at the time. Still, it gives the collector something to chase 40 years later eh? The closing song on Side 1 of the very same LP “Reaching For Something That I Can Have” is also a song that received played on the Northern soul circuit and only appeared in limited 7 inch format, this time on a UK released 45 in 1973 (TMG #701). Over the years many unreleased songs from the Motown vaults have seen the light of day and The Marvelettes are no exception. Songs as diverse as the doo wop inspired “Grass Is Greener (On The Other Side)” through to the inspirational Northern dancer “The Boy From Crosstown” have all come to light over the years and are available on CDs. For those that have that completist’s collectors gene to satiate there are also a couple of rather cool items to look out for too. When Gordy used the Mini LP route to promote their full blown equivalents The Marvelettes were included in the list and their ‘pink’ album came out as a 7inch EP with six tracks culled from the LP. In addition, “Please Mr Postman” was also issued amongst the novelty Topps cardboard pic discs with a great photo of the ladies on the playing side and a bio on the flip. Georgeanna Tillman Gordon, who had suffered with sickle cell anaemia and lupus, sadly passed away at her Mothers Inkster home on 7 January 1980, after battling her illness since she had been forced to leave the group in 1965. She was a tragically young 35 years old. The Marvelettes as a group, in its various compositions, recorded at Hitsville USA for over a decade, had experienced a #1 Smash hit, had toured extensively at home and overseas, delivered some amazingly danceable records and left a legacy that few groups of the era can match, that’s why we at Soul Source are extremely proud to induct them into our Hall Of Fame as part of our Inaugural Inductees. Dave Moore — February 2015 Notes and References: Joe Van Battle owned a record store at 3530 Hastings Street Inkster and was a local record producer who recorded his earliest recordings in a small studio in the back of the shop which was situated on what is now an on ramp for the I-94 freeway. Joe’s label, which specialised in Jazz, Gospel and early RnB is famous for introducing the world to such luminaries as John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim and the Rev C L Franklin’s young daughter Aretha. The label would eventually change its name to Battle and move its operation to New York in 1962 when it was bought out by Bill Grauer who also owned Riverside Records and would continue releasing 45s until as late as 1964. Quote from The Marvelettes:Motown’s Mystery Girl Group by Marc Taylor, dated 2004. IBSN0965232859. In the early years of Gordy’s empire the company wasn’t registered with the Recording Industry Association of America, (R.I.A.A) and so there was no access to identify exactly how many copies of records were sold in order to certify Gold Records to companies/artists. The Twisting Kings were in fact various members of the Motown house band: The Funk Brothers. As well as the two 45s they released on Motown, they also recorded an album as The Twisting Kings — Twistin’ Around The World — Motown #501 which was a series of impromptu, (or at least they sound impromptu), twist jams from the legendary musicians. On that particular broadcast of American Bandstand, Wyanetta, when asked where the girls were from, unintentionally commented that Detroit was a suburb of Inkster which resulted in her receiving quite a bit of teasing from her peers. The Marvelettes - The Smash Hits Of ‘62 - (Tamla #229), was released with two separate jacket/covers, the first one with the aforementioned title but this was then re-released a few months later as the newly retitled “The Marveletts Sing”, with the group’s name incorrectly spelt. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Henry Wynne was a black, street savvy, entrepreneur whose company, Supersonic Attractions made good use of the now established string of theaters, venues and lounges that became known as The Chitlin’ Circuit. In 1960, he purchased The Royal Peacock in Atlanta, Georgia and was responsible for bringing acts such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Ike And Tina Turner and the Motown acts to the Southern United States. Freedom Riders was the collective name given to people who rode the interstate buses into the Southern States to challenge the non-enforced law that made segregated buses illegal. US Law at the time made segregated interstate buses illegal but many States ignored the ruling and maintained the Jim Crow Law. The Freedom Riders played a large part in civil rights movement, acting as the catalyst for many more protests throughout the country. There is some ambiguity as to which 45 first saw the real appearance of the legendary writing team of Holland —Dozier - Holland in that Lamont Dozier’s, “Dearest One” outing, on Mel-O-Dy (# 102) also has the credit but it’s not clear whether Lamont actually wrote part of the song. A point of interest is that the flip to The Marvelettes — “You’re My Remedy b/w A Little Bit Of Sympathy, A Little Bit Of Love” — Tamla 54097 was composed by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and a certain Mr Tony Hestor. Of course Tony Hester would go on to gain cult status amongst Northern Soul fans as his work with Popcorn Wylie, Don Davis and The Dramatics as well as his own recordings testify. Sammy Coleman was once the trumpeter for Joe Tex’s backing group. Marv Tarplin was the long-time guitarist to Smokey Robinson and their relationship went back to the early days of the Motown company’s formation. So integral was Tarplin to the group that he even appeared on the pic cover to The Miracles — “I Like it Like That” — Tamla 54098 and “The Fabulous Miracles LP” (# 238) Discography: The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman / So Long Baby — Tamla 54046 The Marvelettes - Twistin' Postman / I Want A Guy — Tamla 54054 The Marvelettes - Playboy / All The Love I've Lost — Tamla 54060 The Marvelettes - Beechwood 4-5789 b/w Someday, Someway — Tamla 54065 The Marvelettes - Strange I Know b/w Too Strong To Be Strung Along - 54072 The Marvelettes - Locking Up My Heart b/w Forever - 54077 The Marvelettes - Tie A String Around My Finger b/w My Daddy Knows Best — Tamla 54082 The Marvelettes- As Long As I Know He's Mine b/w Little Girl Blue - 54088 The Marvelettes - He's A Good Guy (Yes He Is) b/w Goddess Of Love — Tamla 54091 The Marvelettes - Yes He Is b/w Blank — Tamla 54091 The Marvelettes - You're My Remedy b/w A Little Bit Of Sympathy, A Little Bit Of Love — Tamla 54097 The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish In The Sea b/w A Need For Love — Tamla 54105 The Marvelettes - I'll Keep Holding On b/w No Time For Tears — Tamla 54116 The Marvelettes - Danger, Heartbreak Dead Ahead / Your Cheating Ways — Tamla 54120 The Marvelettes - Don't Mess With Bill b/w Anything You Wanna Do — Tamla 54126 The Marvelettes - You're The One b/w Paper Boy — Tamla 54131 The Marvelettes - When The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game b/w I Think I Can Change You — Tamla 54143 The Marvelettes - When You're Young And In Love / The Day You Take One, You Have To Take The Other — Tamla 54150 The Marvelettes - My Baby Must Be A Magician b/w I Need Someone — Tamla 54158 The Marvelettes - Destination: Anywhere b/w What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One - 54171 The Marvelettes - I'm Gonna Hold On Long As I Can b/w Don't Make Hurting Me A Habit — Tamla 54177 The Marvelettes - That's How Heartaches Are Made b/w Rainy Morning — Tamla 54186 The Marvelettes - Marionette b/w After All — Tamla 54198 The Marvelettes - A Breath Taking Guy b/w You're The One For Me Baby — Tamla 54213