Bloodstone (band)
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Bloodstone | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | Decca, London, Motown, T-Neck |
| Members | Charles Love, Harry Williams, Charles McCormick |
| Past members | Willis Draffen, Roger Durham, Melvin Webb, Ron Wilson, Ronald Bell, Eddie Summers |
Bloodstone is a former American R&B, soul, and funk group, most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. The band charted thirteen songs between 1973 and 1984.
Biography
Formed in 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri, the group was a high school doo-wop group called The Sinceres. In 1967-68 they were backed by and toured with a large Kansas City horn band known as the Smokin' Emeralds and performed their version of a Motown-style review which drew large crowds at a venue called the Place in the Westport district of KC. By 1971, the band consisted of Melvin Webb on drums, Roger Durham on percussion, Charles Love on guitar and vocals, Charles McCormick on bass, Harry Williams on percussion, and Willis Draffen on guitar.
After learning to play their respective musical instruments, moved to Los Angeles, California. After arriving in Los Angeles, the group met their prospective managers George Braunstein and Ron Hamady. They also replaced their drummer Melvin Webb with Eddie Summers, a residence of Los Angeles, California. The managers decided to change their name from The Sinceres to Bloodstone. Later the group traveled to London, England where they achieved a recording contract with Decca Records. The original members were Charles McCormick, Willis Draffen, Jr., Charles Love, Harry Williams, Roger Durham and Eddie Summers. The first album was entitled Bloodstone, whereas there were two singles released simultaneously called, "That's The Way We Make Our Music," and "Girl (You Look So Fine)", written and arranged by Eddie Summers the newest member. Their second album, "Natural High" reached the US R&B Top 10, with their single, "Natural High" reaching number 10 on the Pop chart. The album was written by various members of the group Bloodstone.
Bloodstone became known for their funk/soul tracks that blended Jimi Hendrix-styled rock music with doo-wop and gospel music undertones. The groups other hits include, "Never Let You Go," "Outside Woman" and "My Little Lady." Bloodstone was instrumental in the "black rock" and funk movement of the 1970s, and even had a hand in the brown-eyed soul movement with some Latin music-tinged hits. Bloodstone performed with Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Elton John, and The Impressions. Their 1973 album Natural High, produced by Mike Vernon, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July that year [REF = Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 325. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.]. They achieved a moderate comeback in the early 1980s with McCormick replacement Ron Wilson. Their album We Go a Long Way Back (1982), whose title track reached the R&B chart Top 5, also produced a follow-up single "Go On and Cry" that reached number 18. The group continued to record into the mid 1980s. They continue to tour and perform to this day with original members Charles McCormick, Charles Love, Harry Williams and newer member Donald Brown. Bloodstone also starred in and wrote all the music for a film entitled Train Ride To Hollywood (1975). Founding member Willis Draffen died on February 8, 2002 at the age of 56.[1]
Members
Original members
- Willis Draffen (1945–2002) – vocals, guitar
- Charles Love – vocals, guitar
- Harry Williams – keyboards, vocals
- Charles McCormick – bass, vocals
- Roger Durham (1946–1973) - percussion
- Melvin Webb (died 1982) - drums
- Eddie Summers - vocals, drums, keyboards, music director
Later members
- Ron Wilson
- Ronald D. Bell (aka Ronny D)
Discography
Chart singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop[2] | US R&B[3] |
UK[4] | ||
| 1973 | "Natural High" | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| "Never Let You Go" | 43 | 7 | - | |
| 1974 | "Outside Woman" | 34 | 2 | - |
| "That's Not How It Goes" | 82 | 22 | - | |
| 1975 | "My Little Lady" | 57 | 4 | - |
| "Give Me Your Heart" | - | 18 | - | |
| 1976 | "Do You Wanna Do A Thing" | 101 | 19 | - |
| "Just Like In The Movies" | - | 58 | - | |
| 1982 | "We Go A Long Way Back" | - | 5 | - |
| "Go On And Cry" | - | 18 | - | |
| "My Love Grows Stronger (Part 1)" | - | 44 | - | |
| 1984 | "Instant Love" | - | 42 | - |
| "Bloodstone's Party" | - | 69 | - | |
Albums
- 1972: Bloodstone
- 1973: Natural High
- 1974: Unreal
- 1974: ''I Need Time
- 1975: Riddle of the Sphinx
- 1976: Do You Wanna Do A Thing
- 1976: Lullaby of Broadway
- 1976: Train Ride to Hollywood
- 1979: Don't Stop
- 1982: We Go A Long Way Back
- 1984: Party
- 1999: Go On and Cry
- 2004: Now! That's What I'm Talkin' About
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books. p. 68. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 65. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 36.
- ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 87. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
*Marsh, Dave. "Bloodstone biography". Allmusic. Retrieved on July 29, 2007.