Northern Soul Connection -- Lee Roye / Leroy Jones

[Roburt]

So it now seems that the Emeralds (from Ohio) became Lee Roye & the Emeralds (Redbug) who morphed into Leroy Jones & His Band (Spar / Hit) before becoming Leroy & the Drivers ... seems a detailed study on this outfit needs to be done by a Ohio / Nashville / Chicago soul freak ...  

BUT it also seems likely that they were a different outfit to Ohio based Luther Bond & the Emeralds (1950's thru to 1960) and the Emeralds on King (1967) ...

. . . .  lifted from discogs ... The Emeralds got together in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio during the spring of 1953. The members of the group were lead singer Luther Bond, baritone Will Miller, tenor voices Charles Godfrey and Cedric Cox, and bass Clyde Giles. As they worked on their harmony and stage presence, they were encouraged to try their hand at area amateur shows. These talent promotions were quite common in the early n nineteen fifties and were the route that opened the door for so many of the vocal groups trying to make their way to fame and fortune. Soon they had themselves a manager who was a local radio personality named Ernie Waits. He searched around looking for a chance for the new vocal group to have an opportunity to record and soon they hit paydirt with the Savoy Record Company located in Newark, New Jersey. The group was signed to the label by Fred Mendelsohn the A & R chief for Savoy. 

A short time after New Year's Say in 1954, The Emeralds gathered in their home town for a session with the label. With some session musicians (Russ Hampton, Edwin Conley, Wilbur Jackson, and Charles Montgomery) they recorded the songs "See What You Done" and "What If You" on # 1124. The record was listed as by Luther Bond "And His Emeralds". By March the trade papers have good sales figures for the record in the label's home of Newark, and a testimonial by "Moondog" Freed from Cleveland. In June of the year Savoy releases two songs from the January session - "You Were My Love" and "Starlight, Starbright" on Savoy # 1131. 

Luther Bond & The Emeralds appear at a big show and picnic outing held by radio station WNJR in Newark on July 4th. Later in July "You Were My Love" is named a pick hit of the week in the group's home town of Cincinnati. The group made a number of appearances for the rest of the year in support of their two recordings. The group had another recording session for the label in late March of 1955, again in Cincinnati. By this time Wardell Fallon had replaced Charles Godfrey with the group. "It's Written In The Stars" and "I Won't Believe You Anymore" were released by Savoy on # 1159. Two other tunes were recorded - "I'll Love Again" and "Chicka-Lee" but were never issued. All the songs were written by Luther Bond. "It's Written In The Stars" was one of the true stylistic songs of the time that demonstrated the sound that was so popular then, and remains so today for so many. During the summer Savoy Records highlights the group and their record in the music trade press. It was interesting to see that in one ad the group was identified as "Luther Bond's Emeralds", and in the other as for the record, the vocal performance was listed as by "Luther Bond" (no group). This could have been a possible reason for the break up of the group by the end of the year. 

By the beginning of the new year (1956) Luther Bond had put together a new group of Emeralds consisting of John Johnson, Willie King, and Robert Trice. John McGue was the group's accompanist on guitar. This time they scored a recording deal with home town company Federal Records. In September of 1956 Luther Bond & The Emeralds recorded "I Cry" and "He Loves You Baby" on Federal # 12279. By November it was a pick hit in the trade press especially in Cincinnati. The record however never really took off and The Emeralds receded into R & B oblivion - for a couple of years anyway. After sporadic live appearances and recording sessions that failed to materialize, the group gave it one more shot. 

In the summer of 1959, Luther Bond & The Emeralds hooked up with Showboat Records based in Nashville, Tennessee. This label was in partnership with New York based Apollo Records and recorded the group with the tunes "Gold Will Never Do" and "Jitterbug Jamboree" on Showboat # 1501. The record got initial airplay in the cities of Nashville and Memphis, but sales went flat and did not get national attention. In November Federal Records released two songs by the group that had been held in the can for two years. The songs "Old Mother Nature" and "Six Foot Hole" were released on # 12368. Not helping the group's attempt at resurrecting their career, Ray Scrivener was involved in selling off his Republic Records label and also buying out his share of Showboat Records from Apollo. 

The group had one more recording session that resulted in "Someone To Love Me" and "Should I Love You So Much" on Showboat # 1505 in early 1960. Soon after that record also failed to get much attention, Luther Bond & The Emeralds called it quits. So they faded into history as another R & B vocal group that remained on the periphery of the musical scene, but contributed to that very history that they so much wanted to become a greater part of. Unfortunately Luther Bond passed away in 1979, but the awesome sound of "It's Written In The Stars" will live on as long as there are admirers of this musical style.

 

ALSO SEE REDBUG THREAD ON LOOK IN YOUR BOX 

Edited August 25, 2018 by Roburt

[Roburt]

In the summer of 1970, Leroy & the Drivers were getting some action with this Duo 45 ...

[Guest woolie mark]

How interesting....good work mate!

[Steve G]

I am not sure of the original source of the above, but I am not convinced it is right. Leroy Jones was in the original Drivers doo wop group and they seem to have disbanded in 1962-ish. He seems to have reformed The Drivers with new members in 1966 and that is when the Coral sides were released and later in 1970 "The Sad chicken". 

The normally reliable doo-wopp blog lists the original Drivers as Charlie Harris, Leroy Harmshaw, Carl Rogers, Leroy Smith, Willie Price. the only common member with Leroy & The Drivers appears to have been Leroy Smith. I haven't seen any evidence that Lee Roye of The Emeralds is connected in any way to the Drivers? 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Steve G

[Dukeofburgundy]

Edited December 1, 2019 by Firecrest

[Dukeofburgundy]

Hi All,

Steve G is right to be suspicious.

Check out the photograph from the early to mid 60s on this poster for a gig in Portland. Lee Roye and The Emeralds are on the bill poster. The picture of The Emeralds is the same as the one purporting to be The Drivers.

Initially this seems proof that the picture of The Drivers is wrong but thinking about it (this is an edit) they could have provided backing for Lee Roye in Portland as The Emeralds.

When they got a chance to record for Duo after the Redbug 45 they reverted to The Drivers, thus the photograph is actually them.

However as Steve G has pointed out the missing link in Lee Roye. He's not the Leroy of The Drivers that's Leroy Jones.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Firecrest
Additional information.

[Dukeofburgundy]

The compilation called 'Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968 - 1974 lists the musicians who played on 'The Sad Chicken' as Leroy Jones (leader), Randy 'Butch'  Yates (sax), Reggie Cavinaugh (drums), Jimmy Welch (guitar), Mike Chappell (bass). 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Firecrest
Correction

[Dukeofburgundy]

Maybe there is a link between the Lee Roye & the Emeralds & Leroy & The Drivers. 

The Redbug label cut 'Hesitation' by Lee Roye & The Emeralds is written by one Jimmy Welch. Could this be the same guitarist named by the compilation mentioned above?

Same musicians on Redbug & Duo?

 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Firecrest
Correction

[Blackpoolsoul]

Found this article

https://www.uncamarvy.com/Emeralds/emeralds.html

[Steve G]

Thanks and not a single mention of Leroy & / or The Drivers in Uncle Marv's notes either, which confirms what I've have been saying. 

Cheers.

 

 

[Blackpoolsoul]

22 minutes ago, Steve G said:

Thanks and not a single mention of Leroy & / or The Drivers in Uncle Marv's notes either, which confirms what I've have been saying. 

Cheers.

 

 

These articles and Coral was an MCA thing so "Tears" Lee Roye connection ?

https://www.50thirdand3rd.com/leroy-the-drivers-the-sad-chicken/

https://www.buckeyebeat.com/leroyanddrivers.html

Edited December 2, 2019 by Blackpoolsoul

[Steve G]

I see the guy in the 50th and 3rd link uses the same photo again!!! 

I shall put together some further thoughts later.

 

[Chalky]

23 minutes ago, Blackpoolsoul said:

These articles and Coral was an MCA thing so "Tears" Lee Roye connection ?

https://www.50thirdand3rd.com/leroy-the-drivers-the-sad-chicken/

https://www.buckeyebeat.com/leroyanddrivers.html

Lee Roye "tears" was from Burlington, New Jersey.  There is another topic somewhere about him. Not a lot known but Kev Roberts knew some who knew him.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Chalky

[Blackpoolsoul]

5 hours ago, Chalky said:

Lee Roye "tears" was from Burlington, New Jersey.  There is another topic somewhere about him. Not a lot known but Kev Roberts knew some who knew him.

I did notice J.R. Bailey (AKA Ralph) was one of the writers, he was a star wasn't he

[Steve G]

As promised I have looked again and Roburt's original post, and to be honest it makes even less sense than it did the first time I read it!

Emeralds group 1: per Roburt

Luther Bond

Willis Miller

Charles Godfrey / Wardell Fallon

Cedirc Cox

Clyde Giles

John McGue

 

The Victorials per Uncle Marv's R&B notes

Willis Miller

Clyde Giles

Cedric Fox

Charles Godfrey

Harold Davis

 

Emeralds group 2 per Roburt

Luther Bond

Robert Trice

Willie King

John Johnson

Jerry Rembert

 

Drivers (RCA) Doo wopp blog

Leroy Smith

Carl Rogers

Paul McCoy

James Pate

Charlie Harris

Edison Thompson

Drivers (King / Federal) Doo wopp blog

Charlie Harris

Leroy Harmshaw

Carl Rogers

Leroy Smith

Willie Price

Leroy & Drivers (Duo)

Leroy Jones (leader),

Randy 'Butch'  Yates (sax),

Reggie Cavinaugh (drums),

Jimmy Welch (guitar), (who wrote a song for Lou Bond & The Emeralds in the 50s)

Mike Chappell (bass).

Cannot see any real connection between the Emeralds (Lou Bond) and Leroy & the Drivers. Clearly the Drivers on King / Federal share some members who also wrote Leroy & The Drivers Coral sides in the 60s (notably Willie Price and Leroy Smith). The Coral 45s are harmony / soul records whilst the Duo 45 is an instrumental. The matter is compounded by the two Leroy's Smith & Jones. This tends to point to that Leroy (Jones) & The Drivers band (as opposed to the vocal group members Leroy Smith & Co) were the only ones involved in the Duo 45. It was very common for groups to have their own band, and that would explain the complete difference in line ups between The Drivers personnel and Leroy & The Drivers (Duo) personnel. If that is right, the bit of the jigsaw that is missing is who were the remaining members of the singing group (i.e. on Coral) beyond Willie Price and Leroy Smith? In other words were Harris, Harmshaw and Rogers still in the group by 1966-67 when the Coral sides were made.  

Edited December 7, 2019 by Steve G