Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes was an American singing group . From 1972 to 1976 the band became one of the most successful representatives of the Philly Sound - a special form of soul that established itself at the beginning of the 1970s. The broad repertoire of the group extended from soul , R&B , doo wop to disco sound, which is said to have emerged from the Philly sound. Originally founded in the early 1950s as "The Charlemagnes" in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , the group did not become known until the 1970s for their numerous hits on the Philadelphia International Records label , which belonged to the producer and composer team Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff . Even after this high phase, the band continued touring and released several albums until Harold Melvin's death in 1997. Although Harold Melvin led his name as the head of the group, the most famous member of the "Blue Notes" was Teddy Pendergrass , who became the band's lead singer.
history
The early years
As early as 1954, “The Charlemagnes” were merged into “The Blue Notes”. The line-up at the time consisted of lead singer Harold Melvin (born June 25, 1939 in Philadelphia), Bernad Williams, Roosevelt Brodie, Jesse Gillis Jr. and Franklin Peaker. Until the 1960s, the band recorded tapes for a variety of labels with relatively little success. The 1960 single My Hero was a minor hit for the Val-ue Records label, while Get Out (and Let Me Cry) became an R&B hit for the Landa Records label in 1965 . During this time the band line-up was subject to constant changes. Bernard Williams tried to start his own group as "The Original Blue Notes", while Harold Melvin added the new lead singer John Atkins to his group.
In 1970 the musician Teddy Pendergrass was added as a drummer for the backup band. Pendergrass was previously a member of the vocal group "The Cadillacs" and rose to lead singer when John Atkins left the group that year.
The success with Philadelphia International
In the line-up of Harold Melvin, Teddy Pendergrass, Bernard Wilson, Lawrence Brown and Lloyd Parks, "Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes" were signed from 1972 to Kenny Gambles and Leon Huff's label Philadelphia International Records . Right off the bat, and for the next four years, the band recorded several major R&B hits. Among the most significant successes of the "Blue Notes" releases were love songs such as If You Don't Know Me by Now (1972's first big hit single), I Miss You (1972), The Love I Lost (1973) and Don't Leave Me This Way (1975). Furthermore, hits with a social background such as Wake Up Everybody and Bad Luck (both 1975) were released - quite typical for the Philly sound . Bad Luck still holds the record in the USA for the record that stayed at the top of the Hot Dance Music / Club Play Charts the longest: 11 weeks at number 1. In 1976 a cover version of Don't Leave Me This Way was released , sung by Motown artist Thelma Houston . This version became a number 1 hit on the US pop charts; both versions are now traded as the definition of the dico sound that heralded the disco era in the 1970s.
Despite the success, the line-up of the "Blue Notes" was regularly replaced. In 1974, Harold Melvin replaced Lloyd Parks with Jerry Cummings. In addition, Sharon Paige, a female voice, was added to the band. When the Blue Notes were at the peak of their success in 1976, Teddy Pendergrass left the band. He had advertised to rename the band "Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes" without success. After leaving, Pendergrass started a promising solo career, which was interrupted by a paralysis he suffered in a car accident in 1982. Nevertheless, Teddy Pendergrass made a brief comeback as part of the historic Live Aid concert of 1985.
The late years
Harold Melvin replaced Teddy Pendergrass with David Ebo and the "Blue Notes" left Philadelphia International to sign with ABC Records in 1977. Reaching for the World became the last successful single. By 1980 Jerry Cummings, Bernard Wilson and Sharon Paige had already left the band. In the same year, Harold Melvin, Lawrence Brown and the new members Dwight Johnson and William Spratelly moved to the MCA Records sub-label Source, where they delivered two commercially unsuccessful albums.
In 1982 Gil Saunders took over the position of lead singer, replacing David Ebo. With Saunders as the front man, the group had notable success in the United Kingdom with the album Talk It Up (Tell Everybody) and singles like Today's Your Lucky Day and Don't Give Me Up . The album sold well. Various hits from the Pendergrass era were recorded again in England with Gil Saunders as lead singer. Saunders finally left the group in 1992, while Harold Melvin continued touring with various different lineups until he suffered a stroke in 1996. Harold Melvin died on March 24, 1997 at the age of only 57.
The legacy
"Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes" is probably the most covered Phillysound band of all time. Many of her hits have been interpreted by other artists, including Simply Red , David Ruffin (Ex-Temptations), Jimmy Somerville and Sybil. Gil Saunders is still touring as a solo performer and continues to present his songs as well as the hits of the past with "Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes". Various variants of the original Blue Notes were and are also on tour as "Harold Melvin's Blue Notes".
Neil Young called the band he had put together for the album This Note's for You , "The Blue Notes" - but without asking permission from the owner of the naming rights, Harold Melvin, to use the name. Melvin took legal action against Young for the use of the name, forcing him to rename his band "Ten Men Workin '" during the ongoing tour.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 UK
|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1972 | Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes Philadelphia I. 31648 |
- | - |
US53 (31 weeks) US |
R&B4 (22 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1973 | Black & Blue Philadelphia I. 32407 |
- | - |
US57 (20 weeks) US |
R&B5 (32 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1973
Producers: Leon Huff, Kenny Gamble |
| 1975 | To Be True Philadelphia I. 33148 |
- | - |
US26th  (32 weeks)US |
R&B1 (33 weeks) R&B |
|
| Wake Up Everybody Philadelphia I. 33808 |
- | - |
US9  (24 weeks)US |
R&B1 (28 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1975
Producers: Leon Huff, Kenny Gamble |
|
| 1977 | Reaching for the World ABC 969 |
- | - |
US56 (10 weeks) US |
R&B15 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: January 1977
Producer: Harold Melvin |
| Now Is the Time ABC 1041 |
- | - | - |
R&B50 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: December 1977
Producer: Harold Melvin |
|
| 1980 | The Blue Album Source 3197 |
- | - |
US95 (20 weeks) US |
R&B15 (29 weeks) R&B |
First release: March 1980
feat. Sharon Paige Producer: Harold Melvin |
| 1981 | All Things Happen in Time MCA 5261 |
- | - | - |
R&B47 (7 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1981
Producer: Harold Melvin |
More studio albums
- 1960: The Blue Notes (as The Blue Notes)
- 1984: Talk It Up (Tell Everybody) (Philly World Records 90187)
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul . 3rd revised edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 460f - ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .
- Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups. A History 1940–1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 257 f.
swell
- ↑ Chart sources: DE UK US
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .