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It all began at the Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, with
Walter Gaines, baritone and Hank Dixon, second tenor, two lifelong friends. They
auditioned Fred Gorman, base singer and songwriter, Tyrone Hunter, falsetto (at the time a
solo artist) and C.P. Spencer, first tenor.
  At the onset of their career, The Originals worked
mainly as back-up vocalists for several of the Motown roster of artists including
Diana
Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and
Stevie Wonder. In 1969 Marvin Gaye (and Anna Gordy) penned a song for them titled "Baby I'm For Real." It proved to be a very successful collaboration and the record shot
its way up the national charts. Their follow-up single, "The Bells"
(penned by Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy, Isis Gordy, Elgie Stover), echoed The Originals' previous success. To this day they are two of the most requested songs in their repertoire.
During their long-term contract with Motown Records, eight albums were
recorded. They explain that a certain stagnation had occurred in the group. Then, Motown
relocated to Los Angeles and many of the artists and producers went as well, but The
Originals stayed behind.
They began to lose contact with the company so they
finally decided that the move to the West Coast was paramount to their future. And indeed
it was. They quickly re-entered the music mainstream with their number one disco hit
"Down To Love Town." They further proved their versatility by
writing and producing several of the tracks on this album.
Fred Gorman (inspired by his job at the time) co-authored "Please
Mr. Postman" recorded by the Marvelettes, then the Beatles, and in 1975 by
The Carpenters. He also wrote "Just Like Romeo & Juliet"
originally recorded by The Reflections and, more recently, by Sha
Na Na.
Having a hit record enabled The Originals to
re-establish many good contacts and to reopen a lot of doors. One of the most important
events was the signing of a recording contract with Fantasy Records in Berkeley,
California. There they really flexed their musical muscles, writing their own material and
producing themselves.
There have always been five members of the group, but for one reason or
another only four of them have ever recorded at one time until now. One of their newer
releases, a driving disco version of the great standard "Blue Moon"
serves as a fitting reunion for The Originals.
Adding to it is producer/arranger McKinley Jackson, who played keyboards
and wrote charts for the group's back-up band ten years ago and is an associate of Lamont
Dosier, the famous writer/producer/singer whose name was sandwiched between those of Eddie
and Brian Holland (Holland/Dosier/Holland) for several hit-making years.
Lamont has worked extensively with the group, writing and producing.
McKinley arranged and co-produced with The Originals an album on Fantasy
Records with Phil Kaffel at the console. Their first album on Fantasy titled "Another
Time, Another Place."
In the music world where change is ever constant, it is rather unusual
to find a group that has been together for more than 25 years, but then, The
Originals is a most extraordinary group of guys – both individually and
collectively.
The Originals are ---
- Freddie Gorman
- Walter Gaines
- C.P. Spencer
- Henry "Hank" Dixon
Hit songs include ---
- Down to Love Town
- Baby, I'm for Real
- Bells
- We Can Make It Baby
- God Bless Whoever Sent You
- Everybody's Got to Do Something
- I Like Your Style
The Originals may be available for your next special event!
For booking information, click
HERE!
Genre: R&B
Styles:
.Disco.
.Urban.
.Motown.
.Soul.Years active:
..60s, ..70s, ..80s
Formed: ..in Michigan
..in
Detroit
in 1966
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