Major Lance: Difference between revisions
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| label = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]<br>[[Okeh Records|OKeh]]<br>[[Dakar Records|Dakar]]<br>[[Curtom Records|Curtom]]<br>[[Volt Records|Volt]]<br>[[Playboy Records|Playboy]]<br>[[Osiris Records|Osiris]]<br>[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]<br>[[Soul Records|Soul]]}} |
| label = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]<br>[[Okeh Records|OKeh]]<br>[[Dakar Records|Dakar]]<br>[[Curtom Records|Curtom]]<br>[[Volt Records|Volt]]<br>[[Playboy Records|Playboy]]<br>[[Osiris Records|Osiris]]<br>[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]<br>[[Soul Records|Soul]]}} |
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'''Major Lance''' (April 4, 1939<ref>[http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Major-Lance.html Oldies.com]. There is some dispute over Lance's birth year |
'''Major Lance''' (April 4, 1939<ref>[http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Major-Lance.html Oldies.com]. There is some dispute over Lance's birth year — some sources suggest 1941, although his [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7129182 gravestone] states 1939.</ref> – September 3, 1994) was an [[United States|American]] [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] [[singing|singer]]. After a number of US hits in the 1960s, including "The Monkey Time" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um", he became an iconic figure in Britain in the 1970s among followers of [[Northern soul]]. |
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==Life== |
==Life== |
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Major Lance was born in [[Winterville, Mississippi]]. 'Major' was his given [[forename]]; it was not a nickname or stage name.<ref name="nightshift">[http://home.iprimus.com.au/stephenbardsley/major_lance.htm Biography at The Northern Soul Nightshift]</ref> As a child, he relocated with his family to Chicago, attending Wells High School |
Major Lance was born in [[Winterville, Mississippi]]. 'Major' was his given [[forename]]; it was not a nickname or stage name.<ref name="nightshift">[http://home.iprimus.com.au/stephenbardsley/major_lance.htm Biography at The Northern Soul Nightshift]</ref> As a child, he relocated with his family to Chicago, attending Wells High School — the same school as [[Curtis Mayfield]] and [[Jerry Butler (singer)|Jerry Butler]] — taking up [[boxing]] and also singing as a member of the Five Gospel Harmonaires.<ref name="AMG">{{Cite web|first=|last=|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4724/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine |publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=26 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="soulwalking">[http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Major%20Lance.html Biography at Soulwalking.co.uk]</ref> In the mid-1950s, he and singer [[Otis Leavill]] formed a group, the Floats, who broke up before recording any material. Lance became a featured [[dancer]] on a local [[Television|TV]] show, and presenter Jim Lounsbury secured him a one-off record deal with [[Mercury Records]], who released his single "I Got a Girl", written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, in 1959. The record was not successful, and Lance worked at various jobs over the next few years.<ref name="AMG"/> |
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In 1962 he signed with [[OKeh Records]] on Mayfield's recommendation.<ref name="AMG"/> His first single, "Delilah", was not successful, but established his partnership with a writing and arranging team of Mayfield, Carl Davis, and [[Johnny Pate]], often with members of Mayfield's group [[The Impressions]] on backing vocals. Together they developed a distinctive, [[Latin music|Latin]]-tinged sound which epitomised [[Chicago soul]] in contrast to music recorded elsewhere.<ref name="nightshift"/><ref name="AMG"/> |
In 1962 he signed with [[OKeh Records]] on Mayfield's recommendation.<ref name="AMG"/> His first single, "Delilah", was not successful, but established his partnership with a writing and arranging team of Mayfield, Carl Davis, and [[Johnny Pate]], often with members of Mayfield's group [[The Impressions]] on backing vocals. Together they developed a distinctive, [[Latin music|Latin]]-tinged sound which epitomised [[Chicago soul]] in contrast to music recorded elsewhere.<ref name="nightshift"/><ref name="AMG"/> |
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Revision as of 22:54, 31 July 2011
Major Lance | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Major Lance |
| Genres | Soul, pop, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1960–1994 |
| Labels | Mercury OKeh Dakar Curtom Volt Playboy Osiris Columbia Soul |
Major Lance (April 4, 1939[1] – September 3, 1994) was an American R&B singer. After a number of US hits in the 1960s, including "The Monkey Time" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um", he became an iconic figure in Britain in the 1970s among followers of Northern soul.
Life
Major Lance was born in Winterville, Mississippi. 'Major' was his given forename; it was not a nickname or stage name.[2] As a child, he relocated with his family to Chicago, attending Wells High School — the same school as Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler — taking up boxing and also singing as a member of the Five Gospel Harmonaires.[3][4] In the mid-1950s, he and singer Otis Leavill formed a group, the Floats, who broke up before recording any material. Lance became a featured dancer on a local TV show, and presenter Jim Lounsbury secured him a one-off record deal with Mercury Records, who released his single "I Got a Girl", written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, in 1959. The record was not successful, and Lance worked at various jobs over the next few years.[3]
In 1962 he signed with OKeh Records on Mayfield's recommendation.[3] His first single, "Delilah", was not successful, but established his partnership with a writing and arranging team of Mayfield, Carl Davis, and Johnny Pate, often with members of Mayfield's group The Impressions on backing vocals. Together they developed a distinctive, Latin-tinged sound which epitomised Chicago soul in contrast to music recorded elsewhere.[2][3]
The second Okeh single, "The Monkey Time", became a #2 Billboard R&B chart and #8 pop hit in 1963. A succession of hits followed quickly, including "Hey Little Girl", "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" (his biggest hit, reaching #5 in the US pop chart and #40 in the UK, where it was his only chart success), "The Matador" (the only one not written by Mayfield), "Rhythm", "Sometimes I Wonder", "Come See", and "Ain't It A Shame".[5][6]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote:
"Blessed with a warm, sweet voice, Major Lance was one of the leading figures of Chicago soul during the '60s and the top-selling artist for OKeh Records during the decade. Lance not only had a lovely voice, but his material was excellent... It was urban, uptown soul and while it was considerably less gritty than its Southern counterpart, its breezy rhythms and joyous melodies made songs like "The Monkey Time" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" some of the most popular good-time R&B of its era."[3]
In 1965, Pate left OKeh and Mayfield began to concentrate on working with his own group. Lance and Davis continued to work together, and "Too Hot To Hold" was a minor hit, but they had diminishing success before Davis in turn left the company.[3] During this period, Lance toured in the UK, where he was supported by Bluesology, a band including pianist Reggie Dwight, later known as Elton John.[2] Lance then worked with country music producer Billy Sherrill in Nashville, producing another minor hit, "It's the Beat". [citation needed] Over the next two years he worked with several producers, with only "Without a Doubt" becoming a minor hit in 1968. Soon afterwards Lance left OKeh and moved to Dakar Records, where he had the Top 40 R&B hit "Follow the Leader." He then moved to Mayfield's Curtom label, which resulted in his last two Top 40 R&B hits, "Stay Away From Me (I Love You too Much)" and "Must Be Love Coming Down."[3] He left Curtom in 1971, and recorded briefly for the Volt and Columbia labels.
In 1972, he relocated to England, so as to capitalise on the success of his older records among fans of Northern Soul music, in dance clubs which played mostly rare and obscure American soul and R&B records. According to one writer, "the Major's contribution was truly phenomenal and unforgettable...[He] was to become legendary as a UK club act, known to deliver 110% at every performance."[2] While in England he recorded an album, Live at the Torch, a club in Stoke on Trent, which has been described as "perhaps the best Northern Soul album ever made".[2]
Lance returned to Atlanta in 1974, and recorded an updated disco version of "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" for Playboy Records. He set up a new label, Osiris, with former Booker T and the MG's drummer Al Jackson, but again with little success,[2] and his career hit a downward spiral. After recording briefly for the Motown Records subsidiary label Soul, he was convicted of cocaine possession in 1978 and served a four year prison term.[3] On his release, he found that his recordings had become popular on the beach music circuit in the Carolinas, where he continued to undertake live performances. He recorded a comeback album, The Major's Back, and several tracks for the Kat Family label.[2]
However, his attempts to revive his career were thwarted by a heart attack in 1987, and he made no recordings thereafter.[3][4] In 1994, he gave his final triumphant performance at the Chicago Blues Festival. He died later that year at the age of 55, as a result of heart disease, in Decatur, Georgia.[7] He was interred at Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood, Illinois.
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Label & Cat. No. |
U.S. R&B[8] | U.S. Pop[8] | UK[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | "I Got a Girl" | Mercury 71582 | |||
| 1962 | "Delilah" | Okeh 7168 | |||
| 1963 | "The Monkey Time" | Okeh 7175 | |||
| 1963 | "Hey Little Girl" | Okeh 7181 | |||
| 1964 | "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" | Okeh 7187 | |||
| 1964 | "The Matador" | Okeh 7191 | |||
| 1964 | "Girls" | Okeh 7197 | |||
| 1964 | "It Ain't No Use" | Okeh 7197 | |||
| 1964 | "Think Nothing About It" | Okeh 7200 | |||
| 1964 | "Rhythm" | Okeh 7203 | |||
| 1965 | "Sometimes I Wonder" | Okeh 7209 | |||
| 1965 | "Come See" | Okeh 7216 | |||
| 1965 | "Ain't It a Shame" | Okeh 7223 | |||
| 1965 | "Too Hot to Hold" | Okeh 7226 | |||
| 1965 | "Everybody Loves a Good Time" | Okeh 7233 | |||
| 1966 | "Investigate" | Okeh 7250 | |||
| 1966 | "It's the Beat" | Okeh 7255 | |||
| 1967 | "Ain't No Soul (In These Old Shoes)" | Okeh 7266 | |||
| 1967 | "You Don't Want Me No More" | Okeh 7284 | |||
| 1968 | "Without a Doubt" | Okeh 7298 | |||
| 1969 | "Follow the Leader" | Dakar 608 | |||
| 1969 | "Sweeter As the Days Go By" | Dakar 612 | |||
| 1970 | "Stay Away From Me (I Love You Too Much)" | Curtom 1953 | |||
| 1970 | "Must Be Love Coming Down" | Curtom 1956 | |||
| 1971 | "Girl Come On Home" | Volt 4069 | |||
| 1971 | "I Wanna Make Up (Before We Break Up)" | Volt 4079 | |||
| 1972 | "Ain't No Sweat" | Volt 4085 | |||
| 1974 | "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" New version |
Playboy 6017 | |||
| 1975 | "Sweeter As the Days Go By" New version |
Playboy 6020 | |||
| 1975 | "You're Everything I Need" | Osiris 001 | |||
| 1975 | "I've Got a Right To Cry" | Osiris 002 | |||
| 1977 | "Come What May" | Columbia 10488 | |||
| 1978 | "I Never Thought I'd Be Losing You" | Soul 35123 | |||
| 1982 | "I Wanna Go Home" | Kat Family 3024 | |||
| 1982 | "Are You Leaving Me" | Kat Family 4182 |
* Billboard magazine did not publish an R&B chart during 1964; these chart positions are from Cashbox magazine.
Selected albums
- Monkey Time (Edsel 1963)
- Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um (OKeh 1964)
- The Rhythm of Major Lance (OKeh 1968)
- Major Lance's Greatest Hits - Recorded Live At The Torch (Contempo 1973)
- Now Arriving (Soul 1978)
- The Major's Back (1983)
- Live At Hinkley (1986)
- Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um (Collectables 2003)
See also
- List of soul musicians
- List of disco artists
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- Guests on Soul Train
References
- ^ Oldies.com. There is some dispute over Lance's birth year — some sources suggest 1941, although his gravestone states 1939.
- ^ a b c d e f g Biography at The Northern Soul Nightshift
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
- ^ a b c Biography at Soulwalking.co.uk
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 397. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ a b Rice, Tim (1985). Guinness British Hit Singles (5th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 126. ISBN 0-85112-429-1. Cite error: The named reference "British Hit Singles" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Major Lance, 55, Soul Singer in 60's". The New York Times. 1994-09-05. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards
External links
- African American musicians
- African American singers
- American male singers
- American rhythm and blues musicians
- American soul musicians
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Musicians from Chicago, Illinois
- Musicians from Mississippi
- Okeh Records artists
- 1939 births
- 1994 deaths
- Northern soul musicians