Bluenotes Vs Bluenotes!

[Disco Funk]

I didn't realize that when Harold Melvin re-imerged in 1976 with his new Bluenotes, that not only was Teddy Pendergrass gones, but so were most of the Bluenotes members he had on PIR.

So recently, I was suprised to discover that the Glades LP called 'Truth Has Come To Light', which was credited to a group called 'The Bluenotes' was actually made up of the PIR members of the group! Sadly, the Glades LP doesn't seem to feature any philadelphia production credits, so the quality of the music isn't the same as the PIR years or even the awesome post Teddy P HM & BN ABC LPs.

Now, I know there is also a 12" on Fantasy featuring a group called The Bluenotes with tracks 'All I Need'/'Disco Explosion'. Does anyone know if this record features the same guys on the Glades LP? Or was this another set of former associates of Harold Mevlin?

Here's the cover of the Glades LP, which shows the ex-Bluenotes who I was referring to, plus a new guy who I think sang the lead on the tracks:



Disco Funk

[DISCODISK]

Now, I know there is also a 12" on Fantasy featuring a group called The Bluenotes with tracks 'All I Need'/'Disco Explosion'. Does anyone know if this record features the same guys on the Glades LP? Or was this another set of former associates of Harold Mevlin?

Here's the cover of the Glades LP, which shows the ex-Bluenotes who I was referring to, plus a new guy who I think sang the lead on the tracks:



Disco Funk

DISCO FUNK yes the line up was the same and the new boy was john atkins


72 LINE UP PIR
teddy p, harold melvin,lloyd parkes,bernardwilliams wilson,larry brown -jerry cummings replaced lloyd parkes in 74

ABC
david ebo, harold melvin, jerry cummings [then replaced by rufus thorne], bill spartley, dwight johnson.

GLADES/ FANTASY
john atkins, lloyd parkes, larry brown, bernard williams,ollie woodson

LATER LINE UP
gilbert saunders, harold melvin, rufus thorne, bill spratley, dwight johnson.

[Disco Funk]

DISCO FUNK yes the line up was the same and the new boy was john atkins


72 LINE UP PIR
teddy p, harold melvin,lloyd parkes,bernardwilliams wilson,larry brown -jerry cummings replaced lloyd parkes in 74

ABC
david ebo, harold melvin, jerry cummings [then replaced by rufus thorne], bill spartley, dwight johnson.

GLADES/ FANTASY
john atkins, lloyd parkes, larry brown, bernard williams,ollie woodson

LATER LINE UP
gilbert saunders, harold melvin, rufus thorne, bill spratley, dwight johnson.

Thanks for confirming the line-ups, especially the Fantasy one. It's too bad those guys didn't head back to Philly. I guess they didn't want to accidentally cross paths with their former boss!

I've been buying up the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes LPs up to the 81 record, but just discovered today another great track from the group from '83 or '84 (I heard other tracks from the Talk It Up LP of 84 from which this tune comes, but I didn't like them):

Time Be My Lover

Disco Funk

[DISCODISK]

I've been buying up the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes LPs up to the 81 record, but just discovered today another great track from the group from '83 or '84 (I heard other tracks from the Talk It Up LP of 84 from which this tune comes, but I didn't like them):

Time Be My Lover

Disco Funk

thats nice im sure i have a 7" somewhere think its the first philly world single,i just enjoyed on the same youtube page the video of todays your lucky day:icon_biggrin: im sure ive never seen that.
but this is my happiness this week for around a dollar

early u.k philly international promos thru c.b.s are quite rare

[Mixmachine]

DISCO FUNK yes the line up was the same and the new boy was john atkins

GLADES/ FANTASY
john atkins, lloyd parkes, larry brown, bernard williams,ollie woodson

Discodisk , you also answered my question, I wasn't sure if Atkins was from the original line up.

I entered this info about his death here long ago, but never did any follow up research. I'm going to dig up some of his recordings now, although he also recorded with Caviar later on local 'Suvivor' label, I think you were the only one here that knew of his "Never stop loving you" '82 recording

http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/1546_0_11_80_C80/

[ol'skinflint]

Thanks for confirming the line-ups, especially the Fantasy one. It's too bad those guys didn't head back to Philly. I guess they didn't want to accidentally cross paths with their former boss!

I've been buying up the Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes LPs up to the 81 record, but just discovered today another great track from the group from '83 or '84 (I heard other tracks from the Talk It Up LP of 84 from which this tune comes, but I didn't like them):

Time Be My Lover

Disco Funk

DF: do you like the title track from "Reaching for the World"? I LOVE it! It's not on PIR but it has that sound.....I thought the guy they got to replace Pendergrass was pretty good....

[Disco Funk]

DF: do you like the title track from "Reaching for the World"? I LOVE it! It's not on PIR but it has that sound.....I thought the guy they got to replace Pendergrass was pretty good....

Hell yeah! Both LPs on ABC (Reaching... and Now Is The Time) were great Philly LPs. I think McFadden & Whitehead wrote a number of songs for them the first, and maybe even the second, record. And if you can believe it, I can listen to both albums straight through without wanting to hit the 'next' button on the CD/mp3 player, whereas the PIR albums had some songs that were just too slow or just couldn't draw me in.

I wish they had released special remix 12"s. I think the one record they put out, Baby You've Got My Nose Open, is just the same mix as the LP.

Disco Funk

[Simon White]

Great stuff this, I've asked elsewhere about the various line ups and got nothing.

What's the group line up on Source ? Sounds like David Ebo on lead to me.

[Disco Funk]

The Blue Album from 79/80 on Source is the only one that actually credits the members:
David Ebo
Dwight Johnson
William Spratelly
w/Sharon Paige guesting (I wonder why HM didn't just make her a full-time member, she appeared on more albums than probably any of the other Blue Notes?)

The 1981 MCA album 'All Things Happen In Time' doesn't give any names. There's a picture of the guys, standing in a row in profile, who look like the three gentlemen above, plus a fourth guy who doesn't appear to have been on any of the earlier LPs.

Disco Funk

[Simon White]

Nice one ! David Ebo did some solo recording as well but what I've heard wasn't for me.
The Blue Notes had a few recordings on 'UNI' too -


Hot Chills And Cold Thrills/Never Gonna Leave You
UNI 55132 - 1969

This Time Will Be Different/Lucky Me
UNI 55201 -1970

The Blue Album from 79/80 on Source is the only one that actually credits the members:
David Ebo
Dwight Johnson
William Spratelly
w/Sharon Paige guesting (I wonder why HM didn't just make her a full-time member, she appeared on more albums than probably any of the other Blue Notes?)

The 1981 MCA album 'All Things Happen In Time' doesn't give any names. There's a picture of the guys, standing in a row in profile, who look like the three gentlemen above, plus a fourth guy who doesn't appear to have been on any of the earlier LPs.

Disco Funk

[eddie]

I love that Cavier track "Never stop loving you" which I discovered a while back through this site and found it on Diggin' in the Crates v4. It's a soulful boogie classic with a spoken intro.

Talk it up (Tell everyone we're here) featured the productions and writings of McKinley Horton from Cashmere and "Time be my lover" was definitely the highlight from that set and one of my favorite Bluenote ballads.