5 / 6
Rufus Thomas. The duo released two singles on
Polydor: Polydor 14395 -
Let Me In / I’m Losing
You
(1977) and Polydor 14469 -
Just A Little
Smile From You / Goodbye Song
(1978). Both
records were produced by Doug King, who later
produced the Crystal Clear singles.
Vaneese and Carolyn were extremely unusual
as an act because, although billed as a duo,
all 4 sides have Vaneese Thomas singing lead
(sometimes with herself on overdub) with a
backing group made up entirely of Carolyn
Mitchell on overdubs. The group’s first single,
Let Me In
, was a typical ‘70s funk track backed
by
I’m Losing You
, a nice ballad. The group’s
second single,
Just A Little Smile From You
and
Goodbye Song
(only available on the stock
copy) are both excellent midtempo groovers.
Neither record managed to do anything com-
mercially and Vaneese and Carolyn (essentially
a studio group, as their vocals were separate
overdubs) broke up. Both singers continued to
work in the music industry. Mitchell continued
to write and do backup vocals on disco and
dance material, frequently working with Tony
Valor; she even wrote songs for a 2003 album
released by Thomas. Thomas re-entered the
music industry as a solo singer in 1987, releasing
an album on Ge en Records and then releasing
albums for smaller labels in 2001 and 2003.
5. CHECKMATES, LTD.:
ALL ALONE BY THE TELEPHONE
(H. B. Barnum-Joyce Ann Clay)
The Checkmates Ltd., led by singer Sonny
Charles, originally formed in Fort Wayne, IN
and were discovered by Nancy Wilson. Wilson
brought the group to Capitol Records and
produced four singles on them which failed
gain any success. A couple years later in 1969,
the group signed to A&M Records. On A&M
the Checkmates Ltd. had their biggest hit,
Black Pearl
, produced by Phil Spector – the
song went up to #8 on the Billboard R&B
charts and #13 on the Billboard pop charts.
After just one more single, the group broke up
and Sonny Charles left to pursue a solo career.
In 1974, Charles formed an entirely new Check-
mates Ltd. as a self contained band (rather
than just a vocal group). Charles produced the
group, performed, and sang backup, but was
no longer the lead vocalist; lead vocals were
taken over by earlier member Bobby Stevens
and the group also included original singer
’Sweet Louie’ Smith. A female singer, Regina
Warfield, was added and other band members
also provided background vocals. Although
the band was still mixed-race, they took on a
much more militant approach, releasing three
singles and two LPs for their own Rustic label,
and even starring in their own blaxploitation
film ’The Black Connection’ (aka ’Run N*gger
Run’). Although the group was able to get
decent distribution on their Rustic material,
they failed to score a hit.
I’m not sure of the exact circumstances behind
their next single, but in 1976, a ’Checkmates
Ltd.’ record was produced by HB Barnum in
Los Angeles for Polydor Records. The single
released was Polydor 14313 -
All Alone By
The Telephone / Body Language
. The song
actually did well in some regional markets and
charted low on the Billboard R&B charts in
May of 1976. It’s not clear exactly what entity
the ’Checkmates Ltd.’ is on the 45, as the song
is clearly a studio production – there is an
orchestrated backing track, a male lead singer,
and female backing vocalists who were proba-
bly just doing session work. Comparing songs,
it’s not clear whether the singer on the record
is Sonny Charles or Bobby Stevens; however,
it’s more likely Charles just because he cont-
rolled the name / entity of ’Checkmates Ltd.’
Either way, the track had an extremely soulful
lead over a very well produced midtempo
backing track.
After the limited success of the single, Barnum
only a few months later produced another
version of the song by LA singer JB Bingham
for the United Artists label but it failed to
receive any play. The Checkmates reunited
as a vocal group, recording one single for
Greedy Records and two more for Fantasy
Records. Although these were the group’s
last recordings, di erent permutations of the
group performed on di erent oldies circuits,
cruise ships, etc. In 1982, Sonny Charles re-
leased a solo single titled
Put It In A Magazine
for Highrise Records; although the song had
a throwback deep soul sound, it surprisingly
was a massive hit that went all the way up to
#2 on the R&B Billboard Charts. He got some
play with a follow up single on the label (a
cover of Willie Nelson’s
Always On My Mind
)
but failed to achieve further success as a solo
singer. Charles went back to performing with
the Checkmates on the oldies circuit. In 2007,
when singer Sweet Louie Smith died on a cru-
ise, Charles disbanded the group to become a
singer with the Steve Miller Band.
6. CREATIVE SOURCE:
PASS THE FEELING ON
(Mike Stokes-Earl Thomas)
Creative Source were a mixed-gender group
from Los Angeles put together in 1972 by Ron
Townson of the 5th Dimension; the group
consisted of Don Wyatt, Celeste Rhodes,
Steve Flanagan, Barbara Berryman, and
Barbara Lewis. Almost all the singers were
seasoned in the music industry and had pre-
viously recorded in groups or as solo artists
in the ‘50s and ‘60s; they were put together
more as a recording studio group than an ac-
tual performing act. Townson got the group
signed to Sussex Records under the producti-
on of Mike Stokes.
The group released 5 singles and 2 albums
for Sussex; 4 of the 5 singles charted on the
Billboard R&B Chart. The group’s only top
40 hit was a cover of Bill Withers’
Who Is He
And What Is He To You
; the record hit #21 in
1974. The group had a pretty consistent sound
that ranged between funky soul and ballads
– almost all of the tracks were somewhere in
the midtempo range and featured nice male/
female harmonies, creating a pretty consistent
’rare groove’ type of sound. The tracks could
be considered proto-disco, similar to what
groups such as the New Birth were doing at
the time – for example, taking an existing hit
and making a longer, funkier arrangement
focused more on the beat and the chants at
the chorus.
After Sussex folded in 1975, producer Mike
Stokes took the group with him to Polydor
Records. Despite releasing two entire LPs,
Polydor strangely released only one single
on Creative Source, Polydor 14291 -
Pass The
Feelin’ On / Turn On To Music
, in 1975.
Pass
5