Lawrence H. Banks (October 3, 1931February 26, 1992) was an American
R&B and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Life and career
Banks was born in New York City and grew up in the
Flatbush area of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. His father, Arthur Banks, was a
bass singer of religious and classical music,
who also performed as a member of a
barbershop quartet called the Dunbar Barbershop Quartet,
which had once performed behind opera singer
Lauritz Melchior
Lauritz Melchior (20 March 1890 – 18 March 1973) was a Danish-American opera singer. He was the preeminent Richard Wagner, Wagnerian tenor of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s and has come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type. Late i ...
.
In the early 1950s, Banks served as a
US Marine
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
in the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and was awarded a
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
. On his return in 1953, he formed a singing group, The Schemers, with former members of another group, The Four Toppers. This group soon broke up, and in 1954 Banks formed
The Four Fellows
The Four Fellows were an American doo-wop group formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953. The combo possessed a more polished and professional style than much of their regional contemporaries, reflecting upon influences from gospel and barbershop mus ...
, whose members were Banks (baritone), David Jones (first tenor), Jimmy McGowan (second tenor), and Teddy Williams (bass).
[ Jay Warner, ''American Singing Groups: a history from 1940 to today'', p.204"> Jay Warner, ''American Singing Groups: a history from 1940 to today'', p.204]
/ref> Larry Banks wrote and arranged much of the group's material.[ They began performing in clubs in New York and on local TV shows, and first recorded for the independent ]Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
label. They then moved to the Glory label set up by Phil Rose, formerly of Coral Records
Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer.
Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head of ...
. In 1955, their second release on Glory, "Soldier Boy", a song written by David Jones, reached # 4 on the national '' Billboard'' R&B charts
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
. The Four Fellows performed in shows organised by Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...
and "Dr. Jive" (Tommy Smalls
Tommy Smalls (August 5, 1926 – March 8, 1972),
known as Dr. Jive, was an influential African-American radio disc jockey in New York City during the early days of rock and roll.
He owned the Smalls Paradise club in Harlem in the 1950s.
Life ...
), and on the black theater circuit with acts including The Moonglows
The Moonglows were an American R&B group in the 1950s. Their song " Sincerely" went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Juke Box chart.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
...
and Bo Diddley
Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...
.[ J. C. Marion, ''Remembering the Four Fellows]
/ref> However, the group's later records were less successful. One of their final releases with the original line-up was as backing singers for Banks' wife Bessie, who at the time performed and recorded as Toni Banks, on her 1957 single, "You're Still in My Heart".[
Banks then left The Four Fellows and began working with his wife, although they separated in the early 1960s and later divorced; she recorded in the early 1960s as ]Bessie Banks
Bessie Banks (born February 8, 1938) is an American soul singer, best known for her original 1964 recording of " Go Now," successfully covered in the same year by UK band the Moody Blues.
Life and career
She was born Bessie White in New Bern, ...
. In 1961, Banks, along with brother-in-law Tony May, set up a music publishing company, Kev-Ton.[ A 1962 ]demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
recording by Bessie of a song written by Banks with friend Milton Bennett, "Go Now
"Go Now" is a song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks, released as a single in January 1964. The best-known version was recorded by the Moody Blues and released the same year.
Bessie Banks version
The ...
", was heard by songwriters and record producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...
, who re-recorded it and released it in early 1964 on their Tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
label, later reissuing it on the Blue Cat
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...
label, the R&B/soul imprint of Red Bird.[ Although the record was not a substantial hit, it was later heard by English beat group ]The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...
, who recorded the song and had an international hit, launching the band's career.
Banks wrote and recorded under his own name in the early and mid 1960s, his first release being "Will You Wait" on the Select label. He also wrote and produced for other singers and groups, including Kenny Carter, The Cavaliers, The Geminis, The Exciters
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, and The Pleasures, a group led by Joan Bates, who he later married and who recorded solo as Jaibi
Jaibi was the stage name of the American soul singer Joan Banks (February 6, 1943 – September 4, 1984).
Life and career
Born Joan Carol Pulliam, and later known as Joan Bates after her marriage to her first husband Anthony Bates Sr., she firs ...
. He recorded with his wife as "Lawrence and Jaibi". Many of his recordings and productions were undertaken for GWP Productions, whose records were released through the RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
label. In 1979, Banks appeared with The Four Fellows at the United in Group Harmony show in New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. He continued to record and produce through the 1970s and 1980s.
Banks died from liver failure in 1992, aged 60, and was buried at the Calverton National Cemetery, Long Island.
Legacy
He was posthumously inducted into the United in Group Harmony Association's (UGHA) 8th Annual Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Fellows in 1998.[
Banks' recordings and productions, particularly with Bessie Banks and Jaibi, were among the favorites of English music historian and archivist ]Dave Godin
David Edward Godin (21 June 1936 – 15 October 2004) was an English fan of American soul music, who made a major contribution internationally in spreading awareness and understanding of the genre, and by extension African-American culture.
Biog ...
, the inventor of the term " Northern soul" and producer of a number of critically acclaimed "deep soul
Southern soul is a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues (both 12 bar and jump), country, early R&B, and a strong gospel influence that emanated from ...
" compilation albums. In 2007, a compilation of Banks' recordings as performer and producer, ''Larry Banks' Soul Family Album'', was released by Ace Records.[ Ace Records information on ''Soul Family Album'']
[ Review of ''Soul Family Album''at Allmusic.com, by ]Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.
Life and writing
Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Larry
1931 births
1992 deaths
American rhythm and blues singers
20th-century African-American male singers
Musicians from New York City
Burials at Calverton National Cemetery