Hi, thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully add to this thread. I am seeking any info etc. on a disc I recently turned up. The Four Bars "Whats on your mind" - lable scan and sound clip attached here. Does anyone know this? What do you think of the track - like it? How rare is it? Value? Thanks, Ray

Four_Bars___sample.mp3

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read and hopefully add to this thread. I am seeking any info etc. on a disc I recently turned up. The Four Bars "Whats on your mind" - lable scan and sound clip attached here. Does anyone know this? What do you think of the track - like it? How rare is it? Value? Thanks, Ray

Four_Bars___sample.mp3

Released in 1963. About £125 I think.

Released June 1963.

Paid £230 for mint picture cover.

Eddie Daye 2nd from left.

Marv Goldberg: An interview with Eddie Daye

The 4 Bars were hardly a success story in terms of record sales. In spite of this, however, the group existed for almost 15 years.

Eddie Daye (bass) and Melvin Butler (second tenor) were from Washington, D.C. and had sung together in the Spiritualaires in the Army's Special Services. Drawing on Jimmy Ricks and Sonny Til, respectively, as their idols, Eddie and Melvin decided to keep singing once they'd been discharged in 1953. To that end, they recruited two friends from their Southeast Washington neighborhood: first tenor Alfonso Feemster and baritone Francis Henry (who'd been with the Rainbows for a short while).

Calling themselves the 4 Bars Of Rhythm (soon shortened to the 4 Bars), they began singing Pop standards, R&B hits, and gospel, as well as original material. They played all over D.C.: Turner's Arena, the Evans' Grill, the Crossroads, and the Blue Mirror. There was also the Market Inn in Richmond, Virginia and the Durham Armory in North Carolina.

By the end of 1953, the 4 Bars had hooked up with Orioles manager Deborah Chessler. She helped them produce some demos and secure an audition with Jubilee Records. However, any dreams they had about being managed by her were dashed when the Orioles objected to Deborah being anything less than their full-time manager.

According to a May 1, 1954 press release, the 4 Bars had just been signed by Jubilee's Josie (or Jo-Z) subsidiary. Their first record was the wonderfully bluesy "Grief By Day, Grief By Night" (led by Eddie Daye), released that same month (probably even the same day as the press release). The disc was reviewed on May 8 ("Grief" was rated "good"), along with the Crows' "Baby," Young Jessie's "I Smell A Rat," Amos Milburn's "Milk And Water," Buddy Johnson's "Let's Start All Over Again," Sonny Woods & Twigs' "Song Of India," the Blue Dots' "Don't Do That Baby," the Platters' "Roses Of Picardy," the Du Droppers' "Just Whisper," and Willie Headen's "I Love You Bobby Sox."

[Note that Jimmy Sweeney's 4 Bars, who recorded for Republic, were around at the same time.]

In September, Josie issued "If I Give My Heart To You," the 4 Bars' cover of the Doris Day smash Pop hit. While ads trumpeted that theirs was the "only R&B version," Josie didn't even bother to send it out for review.

Then all was quiet for a year, until Josie released the group's third, and last, record in September 1955: the pretty "Why Do You Treat Me This Way." Once again, it wasn't sent out for review. Josie had clearly lost interest in the 4 Bars.

Actually, everyone seemed to lose interest in them, since they aren't heard of again for three years. In the interim, Francis Henry had been replaced by William Daye, Eddie's brother, but he hadn't stayed long. William was replaced, in turn, by baritone Elsworth Grimes. Then, at the end of 1958, the 4 Bars surface again with a release called "Phony Baloney," on Philadelphia's Time label. This was actually the beginning of loads of releases on loads of small labels.

A year later, they backed up soloist Shane Hunter on "I'm So Helpless"/"Follow Me," released on the tiny IPS label (at 109 West 42 Street in Manhattan) in November 1959. 1960 saw "Love Me Forever More" released on Graham Prince's Cadillac Records, another small New York label. All of this recording was done in D.C., for Ralph Walker, Shane's manager, who then sold the masters to the various labels.

For their next stop, they traveled to Philadelphia and auditioned for the Len label. Here, they turned out "Just Bid Me Farewell." At this point, Alfonso Feemster left, to be replaced by tenor Otis Grissete. Therefore, by 1961, the 4 Bars were: Otis Grissete, Melvin Butler, Elsworth Grimes, and Eddie Daye.

Then, in 1962, Eddie Daye decided to start his own label to showcase the group. "Try Me One More Time" was issued (with two different flips) on his Dayco Records.

In 1963, after Dayco had become dormant, Eddie responded to an offer to sell some masters (including "Try Me One More Time") to Clark Galehouse's Shelley label, based in Huntington, New York (on Long Island). Two records were released on Shelley that year, but with no greater success than any of the prior issues.

The 4 Bars next release was 1964's "I've Got To Move," on Horace Ott's Falew Records, a small New York label. By this time, Betty Wilson had replaced Otis Grissete. Bouncing from label to label and finding no chart success, brought Eddie to the painful realization that there was no way that they could continue on as full-time singers. So by the time Betty joined, their appearances were pretty much limited to weekend work.

In 1966, they released "Guess Who Loves You" on D.C.'s legendary Shrine label. The company placed an ad in local papers looking for talent and the 4 Bars were one of the acts that answered it. Alas, there was still no hit forthcoming.

Eddie reactivated his Dayco label in 1967, with Donnie Hathaway as arranger. There were at least five releases, all in different series (just to make my job that much harder!). The good thing about having your own label is that you can make some bucks by selling your records at personal appearances. Two of the Dayco sides, "We Are Together" and "Speak Now," were sold to Bill Seabrook's Flying Hawk records of Freeport, New York that same year.

By the end of 1967, however, the 4 Bars were pretty much history (although Dayco continued to release sides through 1969). Eddie Daye had opened up the Showboat Lounge nightclub and was no longer able to appear with the group. I have to honestly say that I've never heard any of the group's work from the 60s (basically Soul recordings), but, had they done nothing else, I would still appreciate them for their Josie cuts.

In recent years, Eddie Daye (76 in 2004) has been appearing in the D.C. area with his wife, Denise, as "Eddie And Denise and the Good Time Band." These days, Eddie shares the stage with Diz Russell's Legendary Orioles, the Rainbows, and Pookie Hudson and the Spaniels. Eddie's signature song is "Sexy Senior Citizen."

Discography courtesy of Ferdie Gonzalez.

THE 4 BARSJOSIE

762 Grief By Day Grief By Night (ED)/Hey Baby (AF) " 5/54

768 If I Give My Heart To You (ED/AF)/Stop It! Quit It! (AF) " 9/54

783 Why Do You Treat Me This Way (MB)/Let Me Live (MB) " 9/55

UNRELEASED JOSIE

Grandpa's Inn (ED)

How You Move Me (AF)

TIME

4 Phony Baloney (ED)/Why Did You Do It (AF) " 12/58

IPS (Shane Hunter & 4 Bars)

101 I'm So Helpless (SH)/Follow Me (SH) " 11/59

CADILLAC

2006 Love Me Forever More (MB)/What's On Your Mind? (ED) " 60

LEN

1014 Just Bid Me Farewell (ED)/This Game Of Romance (ED) " 61

DAYCO

101 Try Me One More Time (ED)/Comin' On Home (ED) " 7/62

101 Try Me One More Time (ED)/What's On Your Mind? (ED) " 62

SHELLEY

180 What's On Your Mind? (ED)/Try Me One More Time (ED) " 6/63

183 Let The Wedding Bells Ring (ED)/It's All Over " 8/63 (ED)

FALEW

108 I've Got To Move (ED)/Waitin' On The Right Guy (BW) " 8/64

SHRINE

112 Guess Who Loves You (ALL)/What Am I Gonna Do (ED) " 1/66

DAYCO

104 We Are Together (ED)/Speak Now (ED) " 67

4564 Lean On Me When Heartaches Get Rough (ED)/Why I've Got To Know (ED) " 67

1631 All Over Again (BW)/I'm Yours (BW) " 67

FLYING HAWK (Eddie "Jasper" Daye & 4 Bars)

15101 We Are Together (ED)/Speak Now (ED) " 67

DAYCO

2109 Anything To Please My Man (BW)/Don't Give Up (BW) " 68

2500 Stay On My J.O.B. (ED)/Poor Little Me (ALL) " 69

UNRELEASED DAYCO

Keep On Holding My Baby's Hand (BW)

I Can Fix It (ED)

LEADS:

ED = Eddie Daye; AF = Alfonso Feemster; MB = Melvin Butler; BW = Betty Wilson;

SH = 4 Bars backing Shane Hunter

Hi Simsy, thanks for your time adding to this thread. I like the picture cover - which Shelley single was this the cover to? You say you bought the picture cover - I take it that it did contain the record as well for £230! Thanks, Ray

What's On Your Mind has received turntable action for many a year on and off. Got big spins in the 80's.