Four Tops, Lawrence Payton

[Funky 4 Corners]

Does anyone know if Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops had a relative called Timothy Payton who was in a small Detroit group called the Fabulous Four, who recorded a 45 (on an unknown label) `Woe is Me` / `Some Say Love`. He also co-wrote a track with Lance Finney for the Falcons, `Sent Up` on Silhouette 521 in 1957.

[Guest trickbag]

blished on Dec 21, 2012

Recorded in December of 1957. Manager Robert West held auditions and the Falcons soon acquired Joe Stubbs, a lead tenor whom they had met during a gig in Canada (right across the river from Detroit). Joe, brother of the Four Tops' Levi Stubbs, brought guitarist Lance Finnie into the group and the Falcons remained with four voices. Before joining the Falcons, Joe and Lance had been with the Fabulous Four (a quintet that also had first tenor "Smitty Boo," second tenor Timothy Peyton, and baritone Richard Beasley). This group, from Detroit's Northern High, had made a record on a small, local unremembered label: "Woe Is Me/Some Say Love"; Joe had done lead on both sides.
About a month after Joe and Lance joined, Arnett Robinson left. This time, the Falcons placed an ad in the paper announcing auditions. One who answered was baritone Mack Rice.

Mack had been with the 5 Scalders, another group from Northern High. Called the Scalders because "we were so hot," they consisted of Johnny Mayfield (tenor), Sol Tilman (tenor), Gerald Young (tenor), Mack Rice (baritone), and James Bryant (bass). They won first prize in the school's amateur show singing the Clovers' "Hey Miss Fannie," and recorded a couple of records for the local Sugar Hill and Drummond labels in 1956.
 

With the lineup of Joe Stubbs, Eddie Floyd, Mack Rice, Willie Schofield, and Lance Finnie, the classic Falcons group was in place and they could now settle down to serious recording.

The Falcons' next releases were on labels owned by Robert West. There was "Sent Up"/"Can This Be Christmas" on Silhouette in December 1957; "This Heart Of Mine"/"Romanita" on Kudo in May 1958; another Kudo release ("Searching For You Baby" and "Baby Won't You Change Your Mind") as backup to Joe Howard; and "You're So Fine"/"Goddess Of Angels" on Flick in January 1959. They had also recorded some sides for Chess around 1958, but nothing was released at the time. Trying anything, West released a 1959 Falcons record as by the "Newports." Deception or not, "Chicky Chop-Chop"/"Hurry-Arthur Murray" failed to chart.
For much more information please see:
https://www.uncamarvy.com/Falcons/falc...

 

 

info from youtube, it may help.

 

ricky.

 

[Funky 4 Corners]

Hi Ricky, thanks for this, I'm still wanting to know if the two Payton's were related.