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Post by AnnaK on Nov 7, 2009 22:16:01 GMT -5
I just found a recording (What's Wrong With Your Love) whose intro is spoken by someone who sounds like Melvin.
Does anyone know more about the group or the song?
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Post by estylovestempts on Nov 10, 2009 19:24:08 GMT -5
Hi there Anna K....that does sound sort of like Melvin <grin> I googled a bit and found the Metro's that I think you are looking for... www.soul-sides.com/2009/07/metros-so-sweet.html"The Metros were a Detroit quintet comprising singers Fred Mitchell, Percy Williams, Robert Suttles, James Buckman and Gordon Dunn. " Apparently they had one album, released in 1967...when of course the Tempts were having hit after hit!! soul-sides is a UK based website Melvin was in a group called VoiceMasters (Voicemasters?) then he met Otis when he was 18 and their group/s would "become" the Temptations (Otis W and the Siberians, OW and the Distants, the Elgins>>>>> the TEMPTATIONS) I have been listening to Melvin in "A Precious Love"....that is such a great use of his powerful deep voice.... Don't Deny our Precious Love!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC6_GNxxgqo |
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Post by AnnaK on Nov 10, 2009 19:45:22 GMT -5
Hey esty! Thanks a lot for the link to the article. I am almost sure, it is Melvin, now that I know more about the Metros ... (Don't know why I didn't dig the post up myself?) ;D Also, The Metros seem to be a group worth of a little more research, according Oliver Wang. Okay here's the song ... What do you think? It somehow sounds as if the intro were actually from a different recording ...  www.divshare.com/download/9269979-0e5 |
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Post by Gua on Nov 10, 2009 23:51:07 GMT -5
Hey Anna, I don't think that that is Melvin. It doesn't sound like Melvin to me.
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Post by ken-du on Nov 11, 2009 5:32:36 GMT -5
Melvin was in a group called VoiceMasters (Voicemasters?)
then
he met Otis when he was 18 and their group/s would "become" the Temptations
(]
The VoiceMasters went on to become The Originals
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Post by ken-du on Nov 11, 2009 5:34:48 GMT -5
Melvin was in a group called VoiceMasters (Voicemasters?) then he met Otis when he was 18 and their group/s would "become" the Temptations (] The VoiceMasters went on to become The Originals The bass on that song sounds a little like Melvin but it's the way he pronounces his words that tell me it's not. |
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Post by estylovestempts on Nov 11, 2009 7:49:36 GMT -5
Hi Anna...I agree, the intro might be from another recording? but I don't think it was Melvin
the name of the song is (oddly IMHO) What's Wrong With Your Love: (version 2)
so maybe the intro is from "Version 1"??
The year of the recording...1967 ..and fact it was on RCA is pretty much proof it is not Melvin I think.
I doubt Gordy lent his star singers to RCA for a debut effort LOL
Of course..."in house" was a different story....I have read/heard that many of the Motown stars helped out on particular tracks when needed.....much as the same way that the Funk Brothers and the The Andantes were used by all of them
(The Tempts only used the Andantes on one or ? songs but they were on most of the Four Tops and did most of the background work for other groups, some say they did a lot of the singing for the various girl groups)
Otis says in his book that the Temptations sang back up on other artists songs when needed
There is an interesting clip of them backing Mary Wells live (4 of them...it was right before David joined them)
Berry Gordy was such a shrewd businessman....he "recycled" by having two or more artists record them and then let the best seller "win"....and you can bet he would have another singer jump in to fill in to finish a recording
However, by 1967 the Temptations were at the top of Motown and stars..so I don't think they were filling in for other groups then
Their days of that were when they were signed to Motown but couldn't get a "hit" song.
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Post by Duggerman on Dec 16, 2009 17:50:07 GMT -5
That wasn't Melvin on that song. He talks a little like him, but lacks Melvin's depth and power. Around that time period, all bass singers were trying to sound like Melvin. I like this song though, and hadn't heard much about the Metros. If you hadn't posted this, Anna, I would have missed out. Thanks!!  |
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Post by melodies on Oct 15, 2015 14:11:07 GMT -5
That wasn't Melvin. His name is Robert Settles and the group is The Metros from Detroit. My uncle is James Buckman from this group.
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Post by AnnaK on Nov 1, 2015 0:49:14 GMT -5
Thanks a lot all of you.
It really hurts, though, to see ken-du's posts: he's no longer with us. May he rest in peace.
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