The Mad Lads

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The Mad Lads was an American Soul - singing group from Memphis , Tennessee , which was founded 1963rd The biggest hit is I Want Someone (1966).

Band history

John Gary Williams, Julius E. Green, William Brown and Robert Phillips first formed the band in 1963 as The Emeralds, but changed the name to The Mad Lads as another formation was already called that. The members were still in high school when they signed their first recording deal with Stax Records in late 1964 . As one of the few vocal groups on the Stax label in the 1960s, the band offered Doo-Wop- influenced harmonies that are usually more associated with Philadelphia soul than with Memphis, the band's home. In the middle of the decade, three of the group's singles climbed into the top 20 on the Billboard R&B charts: Don't Have to Shop Around (# 11), Want Someone (# 10) and I Want a Girl (# 16).

The tenor John Gary Williams and his colleague William Brown were drafted into the army in 1966, which led to a break in the band's career. When the two musicians were retired from the army, they learned that the other members, Julius Green and Robert Philips, no longer want Brown in the band. Stax co-owner Jim Stewart forced her to take him back. The group then changed their sound and returned to the R&B charts in 1968 with Whatever Hurts You (number 31) and So Nice (number 35). The Mad Lads had their last chart success in 1969 with By the Time I Get to Phoenix (28th place).

After the release of the album A New Beginning in 1973, the group split. 16 years later, John Gary Williams reactivated the band, so that in 1990 a new album was released, Madder Than Ever . However, Williams had hired completely new members with Richard Williams, Freddie Durham and William Rogan. Another 21 years later followed the album Love Songs for Lovers .

occupation

Founding members

  • John Gary Williams († 2019) - vocals, songwriting
  • Julius Eichenfeldt Green (born October 30, 1947 in Memphis, Tennessee, † January 14, 2013 in Amsterdam , Holland) - vocals
  • Robert Phillips - vocals
  • William C. Brown III (* 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee; † July 24, 2015 there) - vocals, songwriting

Later members

  • Quincy Billops
  • Richard Williams
  • Freddie Durham
  • William Rogan

Discography

Albums

year Title
music label
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
US US R&B R&B
1966 The Mad Lads in Action
Volt 414
- R&B17 (5 weeks)
R&B
First published: July 1966
Supervisor: Jim Stewart
1969 The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Lads
Volt 6005
US180 (2 weeks)
US
R&B46 (5 weeks)
R&B
First published: June 1969
Producer: Al Jackson, Jr.

More albums

  • 1973: A New Beginning (Volt 6020)
  • 1987: Music for Lovers Only (The World Famous Mad Lads; Express 1287)
  • 1990: Madder Than Ever (Volt 3406)
  • 2011: Love Songs for Lovers (LocoBop L2I-096)

Compilations

  • 1984: The Best of the Mad Lads ( Stax 8525)
  • 1986: Greatest Hits (Collectables 5030; Release: April 18th)
  • 1995: Don't Have to Shop Around (Stax; release: August 2nd)
  • 1997: The Stax Sessions: Their Complete Early Volt Recordings (Volt 112)

Singles

year Title
album
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
US US R&B R&B
1965 Don't Have to Shop Around
The Mad Lads in Action
US93 (5 weeks)
US
R&B11 (11 weeks)
R&B
First published: July 12, 1965
Authors: Allen A. Jones, Andrew Love , Richard Shann
1966 I Want Someone
The Mad Lads in Action
US74 (6 weeks)
US
R&B10 (13 weeks)
R&B
First published: January 14, 1966
Authors: Charles Axton, Deanie Parker
I want a girl - R&B16 (7 weeks)
R&B
First published: June 16, 1966
Authors: John Gary Williams, Julius Green,
Robert Earl Phillips, William C. Brown III
Patch My Heart - R&B41 (2 weeks)
R&B
First published: September 19, 1966
Authors: Isaac Hayes , Steve Cropper
1968 Whatever Hurts You - R&B31 (7 weeks)
R&B
First published: April 8, 1968
Author: Allen A. Jones
So Nice
The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Lads
- R&B35 (4 weeks)
R&B
First published: August 1968
Authors: Bettye Crutcher, Marvell Thomas
1969 By the Time I Get to Phoenix
The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Lads
US84 (2 weeks)
US
R&B28 (7 weeks)
R&B
First published: June 1969
Author: Jimmy Webb

More singles

  • 1964: The Sidewalk Surf (release: November)
  • 1966: Sugar Sugar (released April 27)
  • 1967: I Don't Want to Lose Your Love (released January 16)
  • 1967: My Inspiration (released June 12)
  • 1969: Love Is Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
  • 1970: Seeing Is Believin ' (released June)
  • 1971: Gone! The Promises of Yesterday (out November)
  • 1972: Let Me Repair Your Heart (release: March)
  • 1973: I'm So Glad I Fell in Love with You (Release: August)
  • 1985: You Blew It (The World Famous Mad Lads and The Crossfire Band)
  • 1986: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (The World Famous Mad Lads and The Jest "Us" Band)
  • 2012: Gone! The Promises of Yesterday (out April 21)

swell

  1. a b Chart sources: US
  2. ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
  3. ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4 .

Web links