The Tempests

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Great read Mark. 

Would it be possible that it was Billy Storm that sang Someday? When he was fronting the band. He had the voice for it.

Keep on Trucking. ML

Would it be possible that it was Billy Storm that sang Someday? When he was fronting the band. He had the voice for it.

Keep on Trucking. ML

 

I'll  stick with Billy Storm then a lot better guess than Bobby Paris.  ML

Fantastic read,

As you all can tell by my avatar, hearing various tracks at nighters during the eighties, the lp is nothing short of perfection from start to finish, so thanks

On 01/03/2015 at 18:04, Windlesoul said:

The Tempests were a very popular band from around Charlotte NC, which ran from 1963 to the mid seventies, with frequent personnel changes (up to twenty five members in its history). They were an all white line up except for their lead...

 

Superb reading Mark

Would it be possible that it was Billy Storm that sang Someday? When he was fronting the band. He had the voice for it.

Keep on Trucking. ML

 

 

I'll  stick with Billy Storm then a lot better guess than Bobby Paris.  ML

 

I'm confused - what's the Billy Storm connection?

Hazel Martin was lead on Someday, he is to these ears.  You only have to listen to Hazel Martin singing Out Of My Life to tell they are the same singer.

Hazel Martin was lead on Someday, he is to these ears.  You only have to listen to Hazel Martin singing Out Of My Life to tell they are the same singer.

I thought that's what the article and the LP cover said Chalky ..and of course Hazel Martin co-wrote 'Someday' 

Hazel Martin was definately the vocal on the LP.

 

Billy Storm - that LeMans thing? Nothing to do with these guys.

Hazel Martin was definately the vocal on the LP.

 

Billy Storm - that LeMans thing? Nothing to do with these guys.

 

Billy Storm was the lead singer with the Tempests for a short while did recordings ie single I Apolojise nobody is saying its not Hazel Martin Iwas just asking a question? that's the connection he sang with them can't get abiger connection than that some of you anoraks are not as clever as you think.Take it easy ML

Sorry but Billy Storm and the Tempests is a different group; they were Baltimore based. Their LeMans 45 may have been recorded in 1967 at Edgewood Studios, Washington DC. However the Tempests under discussion here are from around Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hazel Martin's memorial sheet:

 

 

 

 

...and a latter day photo of Tempests bass player Van Coble (who wrote or co-wrote a number of the Smash tracks) with the bands producer Ted Bodnar. Was lucky enough to meet up with Van in Charlotte NC last year.

Sorry but Billy Storm and the Tempests is a different group; they were Baltimore based. Their LeMans 45 may have been recorded in 1967 at Edgewood Studios, Washington DC. However the Tempests under discussion here are from around Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Thanks for the info  both soul oriented bands, both with brass n horn section  same name, Only about if my geography is right 300 miles apart pretty close in American distances. It's awonder they didn't bump into one another. Thanks again,

Mick L

Loved that, great post. Also cracking g story about Crewes finest Son Martin Mayler discovering Someday and Guy breaking it first - only he could get away with that with Keb

A Baltimore TV show that the 'other' Tempests appeared on in 1967 ......

This outfit were (to the best of my knowledge) an 8 strong white ensemble who were around from 1962 to 1968. They gave up after that as club's found it cheaper to book 4 piece rock bands than this larger outfit. They didn't seem to land too many gigs in Baltimore's black clubs, though they did get a gig up in Ohio as support for the Impressions.

Bit of a strange coincidence that both outfits cut tracks at Edgewood Studios in Washington.

 

Great!  Found the LP just a couple of months ago, mintish 30 quid here in Gothenburg, Sweden ;-)

The Tempests on their USO tour. From left: Van Coble, Hazel Martin, Nelson Lemmon, Mike and Roger Branch, Rick White, Bill McPherson, Ray Alexander.

Very informative, thanks for making the effort to share with us.

The whole book is a great read, I found myself checking the tracks referred to out on YouTube as I read through it, sort of DIY iBook!

Brilliant...thoroughly enjoyed reading this...Thankyou.

 

Ive got an article that says there was a group called The Tempests born out of Michigan they also would of been white as it was a garage band. Yes I know lots of bands had the same names even if spelt slightly different running at the same time. Can anyone shed a bit more light on this same name group ?

very interesting great incite into one of my favourite tunes from the stafford era.  

Very interesting , thanks

On 3/1/2015 at 10:04, Windlesoul said:

The Tempests were a very popular band from around Charlotte NC, which ran from 1963 to the mid seventies, with frequent personnel changes (up to twenty five members in its history). They were an all white line up except for their lead...
 

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You refer to The Tempests a "band".  To ME, a music-related "band" has always meant a group of musicians.  Under that definition, The Tempests as singers, would have had to also play their own instruments.  I have seen a video of them performing, and they were not playing instruments.  If a wider definition were used, they would have had to have their own in-house band appearing with them, such as James Brown and his Famous Flames, or Gino Washington and The Atlantics.  Did The Tempests have their own band for their appearances? 

But they were (and some still are) musicians. Nelson Lemmond (drums), Roger Branch (guitar), Mike Branch (keyboard), Van Coble (bass guitar), Tom Brawley (flute & baritone saxophone), Gerald Schrum (tenor saxophone), Rick White (tenor saxophone), Ronnie Smith and Jim Butt (trumpet). At other points in The Tempests’ life, Ray Alexander, Bill McPhearson and Eddie Grimes all played trumpet. These guys were the mid 60s line up; in the early 60's nearly a completely different line up bar the Branch brothers again all musicians, who were actually called the Tempests Band, (who backed up Mike Williams on a couple of Atlantic 45s).

2 hours ago, Windlesoul said:

But they were (and some still are) musicians. Nelson Lemmond (drums), Roger Branch (guitar), Mike Branch (keyboard), Van Coble (bass guitar), Tom Brawley (flute & baritone saxophone), Gerald Schrum (tenor saxophone), Rick White (tenor saxophone), Ronnie Smith and Jim Butt (trumpet). At other points in The Tempests’ life, Ray Alexander, Bill McPhearson and Eddie Grimes all played trumpet. These guys were the mid 60s line up; in the early 60's nearly a completely different line up bar the Branch brothers again all musicians, who were actually called the Tempests Band, (who backed up Mike Williams on a couple of Atlantic 45s).

So, then they must have also made appearances in which the sang while playing instruments.  I think the film I saw may have been an appearance on a TV show.  They may have only been lip-sinking to a record of theirs, and so, would not need to play instruments.  Or they just sang and the TV show's in-house band played.  Anyway, thanks for setting me straight.