Or are they ? Digging into the Royal Robins last 45 on Tru-Glo-Town and making few corrections on Discogs and 45cat.com I come across group member George Britt's quote on Brico YT channel sound-clip of the Royal Robins 'something about you sends me' stating that he quote : The Royal Robins & The Soul City sound alike because we are the same people G.peyton -lead E.peyton lead/1st tenor G.Britt-2nd tenor/lead Halsey Peyton -baritone/lead J.Wiggins(Buster Pete)Base exstrodiner-lead-baritone -2nd tenor/ coriorgrapher Great Friend!. Only this post is now 7 years old and while I've just replied to it asking him questions it may actually just be too late somehow.

But the theory holds water some and so I thought to give it a go to see if we can enforce it if ever. Although the Soul City second release 'cold hearted blues' on Goodtime do solely bares the group name as (The Soul City) for both sides compositions. 45cat.com member Jukebox George unearthed the copyrights registration and it goes like this ; Copyright George Randy, John Milford, Ellery Wendell, George Wendell (c) Wemar Music Corp 15MAR67 Track A EP228548 Track B EP228547. Then Jukebox George adds that ; These four also have a Composer credit on the Mercury 45, so presumably these are the names of the members of this group. Works IMO.

The Soul City third and last single on Mercury had for its B-side 'I shot for the moon' this ; Track B Copyright w&m George Wendell, Ellery Wendell, George Randy, & John Milford (c) Wemar Music Corp. 26SEP67 EP236485. So if Ellery Wendell and George Wendell were before Ellery Peyton and George Peyton could John Wiggins have been John Milford and George Randy George Britt ? I'll add my theory that the Soul City names given are only their first and middle names. While the Royal Robins are only their first and last names. To have them complete with their first, middlet and last names one has to add them up from both group formations.

Bit different than what Jukebox George went on to imply on 45cat.com ; These four names are either typos or pseudonyms, though the given names seem to be correct. The family name for Wendell seems to be Peyton. But no matter how bold these assumption may be this could, if ever true, explain why many missed to make the connection between these two groups if they were. Like George Britt implied on his YT post both groups sounds alike just as I tend to hear a similar tremolo singing. The timing factor with the last Royal Robins 45 dating from September 1966 and the first Soul City 45 from November 1966 makes it all more so plausible. Thoughts or evidences anyone ?

 

Edited July 9, 2024Jul 9 by Tlscapital

In an old 2009 thread on here titled 'Soul City On Goodtime - Who?' where the late 'boba' referred to another 2009 YT video sound clip of the Soul City first single flip side with 'who knows' where it is also claimed that the Soul City and the Royal Robins were one and the same group. Exactly as it was already claimed by ex-group member George Britt on the YT video sound-clip of the Royal Robins 'something about you that send me' on the "notorious" Brico's channel I was first referring to. And now again as it is in this 14 year old Soul City 'who knows' YT video where a certain Galwin Alston (USA) claims exactly that too. Together with a special greeting to a George dude (I guess group member George Britt) by Phil Reeves...

Some of the members used their middle names.

George Edward Britt 5 March 1944 - 26 July 2009 (not 100% certain that this is the same George Britt)

George Wendell Payton born 30 July 1941 - possibly living in North Carolina

Ellery Kerlin Payton born 8 June 1947 - possibly living in Virginia

John Milford Wiggins 27 January 1946 - 4 September 2009

Halsey Demetrius Payton 22 January 1944 - December 1992 (obituary published 15 December 1992)

Photos and other information are here: http://doo-wop.blogg.org/royal-robins-c29076892

 

On 21/05/2024 at 22:14, jukeboxgeorge said:

Some of the members used their middle names.

George Edward Britt 5 March 1944 - 26 July 2009 (not 100% certain) George (Randy ?) Edward Britt

George Wendell Payton born 30 July 1941 - possibly living in North Carolina George Wendell Payton

Ellery Kerlin Payton born 8 June 1947 - possibly living in Virginia Ellery (Wendell ?) Kerlin Payton

John Milford Wiggins 27 January 1946 - 4 September 2009 John (Pete ?) Milford Wiggins

Halsey Demetrius Payton 22 January 1944 - December 1992 (obituary published 15 December 1992) Halsey (Demetrius ?) Payton

+ Last in line not as composer Eugene (?) Evans

Photos and other information are here: http://doo-wop.blogg.org/royal-robins-c29076892

 

Double check of the second first or middle names... Not bad OK. Thanks for link too George.

After one week without further better leads on here or elsewhere for that matter I've decided to award this most complete yet not definitive 'answer' if ever. Allowing somehow to confirm the two differently named band as one no matter the slight formations continuous formations.

Edited May 28, 2024May 28 by Tlscapital

Hello,

I can confirm that The Royal Robins & Soul City are the same group, as my Grandfather & two of my great uncles were lead singers and members. My grandfather Ellery was lead singer on a couple of the songs including “Something about you sends me” & my uncle George Payton was lead on majority of songs like “How high the moon” & etc.  

3 hours ago, Taylor Payton said:

Hello,

I can confirm that The Royal Robins & Soul City are the same group, as my Grandfather & two of my great uncles were lead singers and members. My grandfather Ellery was lead singer on a couple of the songs including “Something about you sends me” & my uncle George Payton was lead on majority of songs like “How high the moon” & etc.  

Hello again Taylor, thanks for coming directly on here. So actually they're not PEYTON but PAYTON. And they are 3 brothers confirmed as Ellery, George and Halsey PAYTON. Like some depicted on this 1961 photo with those 3. Them being your uncles and grand father. Then there's the other members of the band that for some got replaced. 

Together with Charles HUDGINS, George BRITT and Gene EVANS would this sextet be the 'home base' for the group formation of the Royal Robins al the way to the Soul City ? Or were there more comings and goings at different times ? Then there's that other member John (Buster Pete) Milford WIGGINS whose name appears more than once...