HOF: The Sapphires - Mixed Group Inductee

View full article

Brilliant write up as always Dave, love the Sapphires 'fantastic four' singles to bits....

 

However, Joe Livingston and George Garner eh?  Not being familiar with their earlier singles, is there any evidence of these guys actually singing on the records? Sound like all female backing to me. In fact first time I saw a photo of the Sapphires i thought it was a different group.

If you look at one of the footnotes at the end of the article, it's says  Jerry Ross used Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Melba Moore

as a backup group - that's probably who you're hearing .

Yep I read that and can certainly hear the female backing, but no Jerry, Nick and no bona fide male group members!...

What I'm trying to say is did Joe and George hear the playback and think "am I on this?"

The Sapphires enjoy all of their music but one song stands out from the rest "I Found Too Late," what a sure fire gem that one is. Whatever happened to Carol Jackson and the members of the group? 

David Moore your story on The Sapphires was really good. Enjoyed it from start to finish. 

Very nice piece. I'm from Philly and have thought The Sapphires' Who Do You Love was a Philly only hit! Should have known the Northern Soul scene would cotton to it. The song has been played continuously on Philly radio since its release, in no small part due to the recently deceased dj Jerry Blavat.