The Moonglows
| The Moonglows | |
|---|---|
 The Moonglows, 1956 |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Doo Wop , Rhythm & Blues |
| founding | 1951 as The Crazy Sounds |
| resolution | probably 1957 |
| Founding members | |
| Harvey Fuqua | |
singing |
Bobby Lester |
singing |
Danny Coggins |
singing |
Prentiss Barnes |
| Last occupation | |
singing |
Harvey Fuqua |
singing |
Bobby Lester |
singing |
Prentiss Barnes |
singing |
Alex Walton |
singing |
Alexander "Pete" Graves |
| Billy Johnson | |
The Moonglows were a doo-wop band from the 1950s.
The band came together in 1951 in Cleveland as The Crazy Sounds. Harvey Fuqua first teamed up with Danny Coggins and Prentiss Barnes to found a vocal trio with them, a little later he also brought Bobby Lester, with whom he had previously worked musically, into the band. The four singers initially only appeared in the Cleveland area until 1952 when Alan Freed became aware of them. They received the offer to audition and eventually got a record deal with Freed's own label, Champagne Records . From now on they called themselves The Moonglows.
They soon had a local hit with the Bobby Lester composition I Just Can't Tell No Lie . But a little later Coggins left the band to run a gas station. The band found replacements in Alex Walton and Alexander Graves. In 1953 Freed got the Moonglows a contract with Chance Records , who already had two other Doo Wop bands in their repertoire with the Flamingos and the Spaniels . But since there were still no noteworthy successes after a year, they were finally fired from the label.
In October 1954 the Moonglows switched to Chess Records , where they recorded 13 songs in their first session. One of them, the Fuqua composition Sincerely , replaced Earth Angel from the Penguins at number 1 on the R&B charts in January 1955 and went to number 20 on the pop charts the next year, a most notable success for in the early 1950s a black R&B band. A little later, the white pop band The McGuire Sisters covered this song. Its version promptly reached number 1 on the pop charts and became a million seller. For Chess Records, Sincerely's version of the Moonglows should be one of the label's biggest successes.
In early 1955, guitarist Billy Johnson was a new member of the Moonglows. That summer the band toured with Muddy Waters , Sarah Vaughan and Nappy Brown . However, this year they did not manage to repeat the success of Sincerely even remotely. Most of All went to number 5 on the R&B charts, with Foolish Me , Starlite and In My Diary scooping lower spots. But 1956 was another successful year for the Moonglows: The ballad We Go Together came to number 9 on the R&B charts and also in lower regions of the pop charts, See Saw had the same success in the R&B charts as We Go Together , reached number 25 in the pop charts. At the end of the year, the band was in rock 'n' roll alongside Chuck Berry , the Flamingos, LaVern Baker , Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and the Johnny Burnette Trio . Film saw rock, rock, rock and she started recording her debut album, which was never finished. In early 1957, the Moonglows appeared in another film ( Mr. Rock and Roll ).
While recording their debut album, Lester, who had been lead singer of the band with Fuqua, now switched to the background choir. Please Send Me Someone to Love made it to number 5 on the R&B and number 73 on the pop charts. Meanwhile there were more and more differences between Lester and Fuqua. It is unclear how exactly the band ended up ending. In early 1958, the single Ten Commandments of Love was released with Fuqua as the narrator, but as the interpreter Harvey & the Moonglows were specified on the cover. It is also not clear whether the background choir actually consisted of the former Moonglows or whether it was a different band from the former marquees with Marvin Gaye as the lead singer.
In 1958, Harvey Fuqua left the band to work with other groups, including The Spinners and Marvin Gaye. He became a successful composer and record producer.
In 1995 they received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and in 1999 they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame ; in 2000 the Moonglows were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul . 3rd revised edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 471f, 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. 260-264.
swell
- ↑ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Moonglows in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- ^ Rhythm and Blues Foundation homepage