This outfit started out in Baltimore back in the 1960's & was recording from about 1972 to 1975. In the beginning the members were Marvin Brown (who had briefly been in the Unifics on Fountain in 1971), Steve Jackson, Elton Lynch & Byron Summerville (who left & then came back).

One of their tracks ....

When they cut for H & L (1976 to 79), the 3 remaining guys added 2 females to the line-up. In 1979 they did some dates on the Virgin Islands and by then, the two females had disappeared. In 1980, Byron Summerville returned.

After that (in early 80's) they were known as the Tones, with another name change to the New Softones by 1989 (when they cut for Exact Change Records out of Baltimore).

My question is .... anyone know what the New Softones line-up was in 89 ??

I guess they had to change their name as some (all ?) of the groups 'mainstays' had quit the biz or gone solo.

The group reformed a few years back but I'm unsure what their line-up was then or what it currently is (but guess more of the 'original' guys are back now).

The picture shows them in 1979 ........

L to R ......... Marvin, Steve, Elton with manager Rod Armstrong.

Another of their sweet soul ballads ..........

Guess the females had gone when this track was laid down.

Edited March 18, 201213 yr by Roburt

From their MySpace page ..

Byron Summerville, Elton Lynch plus two new members P.Hale & Larry O

Click on "More" under General Info.

https://www.myspace.com/softones

Thanks for that.

I guess it was Marvin Brown's absence that prompted the group to become the 'New' Softones then back in the late 80's.

The group always had strong ties back in Baltimore, even when they were signed to 'out of town' labels in the 70's.

Local outfit, A & D acted as their agents back then .......

Great to read and just demonstrates their material was always valued by the insighted, if greatly over looked by the "That's What Love Can Do" common 45.

Yeah, not a lot of info on the MySpace page but as often the case it's snippets that help create the bigger picture.

Seems that ex Softone members Marvin Brown & Steve Jackson are now 2/3 of another Baltimore based group, the Fonics (the 3rd member DC's Johnnie Johnson was in the Delfonics in 79 & thru the 80's) ....... so I guess their name is derived from the Del-FONICS.

Not established yet when the Fonics were formed but would say it was in the last 10 to 15 years.

A lady called Angie Walker works with the group on their shows. She is also in DC based group Framewerk.

Angie plays keyboards with Framewerk plus for PowerGlide and the Fonics. She is also musical director for the Intruders, the MD's, Blue Magic and Force MD's (busy lady).

Edited March 18, 201213 yr by Roburt

The Fonics have had quite a high profile (as a Delfonics tribute act) for the last 5 / 6 years, so I'd think they got together 6 to 9 years back.

They play loads of live gigs around DC & Baltimore plus have played a big soul show in Jamaica with the Manhattans & Billy Ocean.

Done some more checkin & Marvin Brown was pushing himself as a solo singer back in the mid to late 80's.

He had a12" single + an album out on B-More Records (the 12" & LP main track was his cover of "La La Means I Love You (Deifonics hit).

...........

So I think he was a natural choice when they were looking for someone more recently to front a Delfonics tribute group.

When the LP was being cut & after it was 1st released, he played quite a few live gigs around Baltimore with an 'interesting' female backing group .

This group comprised Pamela Brockington, Carol Green & Karen Chambers.

The Tones (Criminal Records) were just the Softones under a revised name (maybe Avco / H&L retained rights to the group's name) -- the trio still comprised of Marvin, Steve & Elton.

Towards the end of the group's period with H & L (1977) they toured Japan & the Far East as support act for the Miracles. Some of the shows were recorded & an LP 'Softones Live In Japan' was released out there (anyone here got a copy ?).

As the Tones, they cut a full album in Baltimore at Sheffield Recording Studios (1983) -- 'Here's To You' and this also escaped on Criminal Records.

They also appeared in the 1982 movie 'Dinner' which was shot in Baltimore.

I assume this is the same group that recorded 'That's What Love Can Do' - were they also the Softones of the Softones/First Class 'Candy' fame?

Dx

Edited March 18, 201213 yr by DaveNPete

YEP & YEP.

SUPER SUPER underrated group. Some of my favorite singles:

Any Street / How did I lose

Guns (very hard to find group funk track)

What is life

extra-ordinary people

girl we've got to keep on

and all 3 parkway 45s

and the new softtones on exact change

does anyone know if their 12" on whatever's clever ("listen to your heartbeat") was released as a 45? Thanks.

Marvin Brown was in the Tones in the early to mid 80's, but had gone solo by the late 80's.

It seems certain (to me at least) that the New Softones (on Exact Change) became 'THE NEW' because Marvin was no longer in the group (as it had been his lead vocals that had been the group's identifiable sound).

I'd guess that the 'new' group was made up of Elton Lynch together with one of either Byron Summerville or Steve Jackson plus a new lead singer.

Will have to go on the Softones Myspace page & see if I can get them to answer a question about who was in the Exact Change version of the group.

......... Here's the 3 main guys on a gig with the Dells back in better days for them (1980) .........

Edited March 19, 201213 yr by Roburt

From the new not yet published volume of soul harmony singles:

SOFT TONES, THE (also as The Softones) (Baltimore, MD)

Marvin Brown (lead and first tenor), formerly of The Unifics on Fountain;

Steven Jackson (second tenor), Elton Lynch (second tenor and baritone),

Byron Summerville (first and second tenor), left sometime before 1977, but

rejoined on Parkway.

On H&L: Brown, Jackson, Lynch, Clarise Smith and Yvonne Jones. **

As The Tones: Marvin Brown, Steven Jackson, Elton Lynch.

The "New" Softones: Elton Lynch, Kevin Muldrow, Darnell Carter, formerly of

The Inclinations. **

and vaguely related, the inclinations were pretty much the same group as the optimistics, and one of them was in Beverly and the Del Capris

CHEERS Bob

I guess that the W. (Billy?) Butler who worked with the Inclinations is the same Baltmore guy who also worked with Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion on Exact Change.

I guess that the W. (Billy?) Butler who worked with the Inclinations is the same Baltmore guy who also worked with Allan Harris & Perpetual Motion on Exact Change.

I think his name is Billy Butler, my friend talked to him a few years ago. It's probably the same guy as the Perpetual Motion 45 but I never noticed that before (partly because I still need the perpetual motion 45 -- has a nice sweet flip) and even if I did I wouldn't know his exact role in the group.

I think his name is Billy Butler, my friend talked to him a few years ago. It's probably the same guy as the Perpetual Motion 45 but I never noticed that before (partly because I still need the perpetual motion 45 -- has a nice sweet flip) and even if I did I wouldn't know his exact role in the group.

Hi Bob - are you saying their was a different flip for the Allan harris & perpetual motion 12" of Get ready to the 45 - Id never noticed it if so and is another example of me not listening to b-sides when I really should.

Hi Bob - are you saying their was a different flip for the Allan harris & perpetual motion 12" of Get ready to the 45 - Id never noticed it if so and is another example of me not listening to b-sides when I really should.

the 45 is "just let me know" / "get ready". I haven't heard the 12" but the titles are the same as the 45.

The Thereway release is a great 45.

The Baltimore guys name IS Billy Butler ..... My ??? was because I was unsure if the W. Butler who wrote for & co-produced / arranged for the Inclinations was even a Billy Butler, never mind the same Balto Billy Butler.

I got my Billy Butler's mixed up in the past as Balto's Kenny Hamber told me that he knew Billy Butler well and I assumed he meant the Baltimore Billy Butler.

He didn't, he knew the New Jersey Billy Butler (jazz guitarist) who co-wrote a big Bill Doggett tune ("Honky Tonk") back in the mid 50's.

BTW, Kenny H also slightly knew Jerry Butler's brother Billy.

................ It all gets very confusing.

The Softones Japanese booking agents back in time ........

... & their "Live" Japanese album

(there are copies on Gemm) ....

RE: the inclinations were pretty much the same group as the optimistics, and one of them was in Beverly and the Del Capris

........ speaking of Beverly and the Del Capris ..........

Look who was at No.17 back in September 1964 .........

The Baltimore guys name IS Billy Butler ..... My ??? was because I was unsure if the W. Butler who wrote for & co-produced / arranged for the Inclinations was even a Billy Butler, never mind the same Balto Billy Butler.

I got my Billy Butler's mixed up in the past as Balto's Kenny Hamber told me that he knew Billy Butler well and I assumed he meant the Baltimore Billy Butler.

He didn't, he knew the New Jersey Billy Butler (jazz guitarist) who co-wrote a big Bill Doggett tune ("Honky Tonk") back in the mid 50's.

BTW, Kenny H also slightly knew Jerry Butler's brother Billy.

................ It all gets very confusing.

The same guy.

Steve