The Velours were an American
R&B vocal group
A vocal group is a performing ensemble of vocalists who sing and harmonize together. The first well-known vocals groups emerged in the 19th century, and the style had reached widespread popularity by the 1940s.
Types
Vocal groups can come in se ...
. who had two minor pop hits in the US in the late 1950s, "Can I Come Over Tonight" and "Remember". They relocated to England in the late 1960s, changed their name to The Fantastics, and had a
top ten hit in the UK in 1971 with "Something Old, Something New", followed by a minor US hit with "(Love Me) Love the Life I Lead".
The Velours - origins and early career in the US
The group originally formed as The Troubadours in the
Bedford-Stuyvesant 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 ...
in 1953.
[ Bryan Thomas, "The Velours"]
''Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
''. Retrieved 8 October 2015 The original members were Jerome "Romeo" Ramos (tenor; May 15, 1937 – October 21, 2012),
John Cheatdom
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
(tenor; born 1938), Marvin Holland (bass) and Sammy Gardner (lead). In 1955, Gardner left to join the army and was replaced by Cheatdom's cousin, Kenneth Walker. The
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
group performed locally, but with little success until in 1956 they added a fifth singer, tenor Donald Haywoode (August 24, 1936 – August 9, 2015), and changed their name to The Velours. They made their first recordings for the
Onyx
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...
label, before Holland and Walker left and were replaced by John Pearson and Charles Moffitt (September 6, 1929 – December 1986). They also added a pianist, Calvin McClean.
["The Velours"]
Marv Goldberg
Marv Goldberg (born 1944) is an American writer and historian of music in the field of rhythm & blues.
Biography
Goldberg grew up in the Bronx, New York and was a graduate of Stuyvesant High School (1960), City College of New York (Biology; 1964 ...
, ''Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks''. Retrieved 8 October 2015[ "The Velours"]
''SoulWalking.com''. Retrieved 8 October 2015
Over the next two years they made some of their best-remembered records for Onyx, including "Can I Come Over Tonight", written by Haywoode, which reached number 83 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' pop chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...
in 1957. They had further chart success the following year with "Remember", with Ramos as lead vocalist, which again reached number 83. The group also recorded an LP, ''Remember with the Velours''. They regularly performed at the Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...
, and shared stages with such stars as Roy Brown, Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
, Larry Williams
Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams ...
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, incl ...
. After adding a sixth singer, Troy Keyes, they recorded for several small New York labels through the late 1950s and early 1960s, including George Goldner
George Goldner (February 9, 1918 – April 15, 1970) was an American record label owner, record producer and promoter who played an important role in establishing the popularity of rock and roll in the 1950s, by recording and promoting many ...
's Gone, but with little success, and the original group disbanded in 1961. In 1966, Ramos, Cheatdom and Haywoode decided to reform the Velours, adding tenor Richard Pitts. In 1967, they released the single "I'm Gonna Change" on MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
, and agreed to undertake a tour in England.[
]
The Fantastics - career in Britain
When they arrived in Britain, they discovered that they were to be billed as The Fabulous Temptations, and were expected to perform Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
songs. However, they toured successfully and were invited to return, in 1968, by Sheffield club owner Peter Stringfellow
Peter James Stringfellow (17 October 1940 – 7 June 2018) was an English businessman who owned several nightclubs.
Early life
Stringfellow was born in the City General Hospital, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on 17 October 1940, to Elsie Bowers a ...
, this time under another new name, The Fantastics.[ They decided to remain in Britain, and recorded several singles released on MGM and then on the Deram label in England. They then signed to ]Bell Records
Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 in New York City by Arthur Shimkin, the owner of the children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny ...
, and released "Something Old, Something New", a song written and produced by top British songwriters Tony Macaulay
Tony Macaulay (born Anthony Gordon Instone; 21 April 1944) is an English author, composer for musical theatre, and songwriter. He has won the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors Award twice as 'Songwriter of the Year' (1970 a ...
, Roger Greenaway
Roger John Reginald Greenaway, (born 23 August 1938) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, best known for his collaborations with Roger Cook. His compositions have included "You've Got Your Troubles" and the transatlantic mill ...
, and Roger Cook, based on a traditional rhyme. The song rose to number 9 on the UK singles chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1971, and reached number 102 in the US. and number 41 in Australia.
Although its follow-ups were less successful, the group remained a popular live attraction in Britain for several years, though with several personnel changes. In 1972, they recorded "(Love Me) Love the Life I Lead", written by Macaulay and Greenaway and produced by Greenaway, which reached number 86 on the US ''Billboard'' pop chart, but did not chart in Britain. Pitts left in 1972, later becoming a lecturer at the University of Huddersfield
, mottoeng = Thus not for you alone
, established = 1825 – Huddersfield Science and Mechanics' Institute1992 – university status
, type = Public
, endowment = £2.47 million (2015)
, chancellor = George W. Buckley
, vice_chancel ...
,[ as well as working with another vocal group, The Invitations. Pitts' role in The Fantastics was part of a BBC Radio Four documentary by his son, the journalist and photographer ]Johny Pitts
Johny Pitts is an English television presenter, writer and photographer from Firth Park, Sheffield.
Biography
He is of mixed-race heritage (his father Richie was from Bed–Stuy, New York and was in the 1970s soul band The Fantastics, wh ...
entitled 'Something Old Something New', named after the group's hit record. Both Ramos and Cheatdom also left in the mid-1970s, leaving Donald Haywoode as the only original member. By 1986, the Fantastics were still performing in Britain, on the nightclub and cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
circuit, as a trio comprising Haywoode, Elvin Hayes, and Emma St. John.[
]
Later line-ups
In the late 1970s, Charles Moffitt formed a new group, Charles Moffitt and His Velours. The lead singer was Eulis Mason, who continued the group name after Moffitt was shot dead in an argument in 1986. Charles Moffitt's Velours, featuring Eulis Mason, continued to perform and occasionally record into the 1990s.[
Remaining in England, ]John Cheatdom
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
formed The Realistics in 1976. The group broke up in 1983, and Cheatdom then joined various unofficial line-ups of the Platters
The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...
, sometimes called the Magic Platters, who toured internationally.[_"Back_in_the_Day_with_John_Cheatdom]
".html" ;"title="John Cheatdom"> "Back in the Day with John Cheatdom
"">John Cheatdom"> "Back in the Day with John Cheatdom
" ''BlogTalkRadio.com'', 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015 John Cheatdom
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
published his autobiography in 2018, entitled 'Keeping Doo Wop Alive'
Deaths
Jerome Ramos died from throat cancer in 2012, aged 75.[ Donald Haywoode died in England after a long illness in 2015, aged 78.][ "R.I.P. Donald Haywoode of The Velours and The Fantastics"]
''Soultracks.com''. Retrieved 8 October 2015 John Pearson also died in 2016. After appearing in the BBC Radio 4 documentary ''Something Old, Something New''[Introduction to ''Something Old, Something New'' on BBC Radio 4 Extra 3 July 2022, re: Richie Pitts' death.] in 2015 with his son Johny Pitts
Johny Pitts is an English television presenter, writer and photographer from Firth Park, Sheffield.
Biography
He is of mixed-race heritage (his father Richie was from Bed–Stuy, New York and was in the 1970s soul band The Fantastics, wh ...
, Richie Pitts died in 2019.
References
External links
Discography
*
*
BBC, "Something Old New, Something New"
- radio documentary presented by Johnny Pitts, son of Richard Pitts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velours
African-American musical groups
Doo-wop groups
Musical groups from Brooklyn
1953 establishments in New York City