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Part 1
The story reaches back to Jersey City, NJ and the
graduating class that included Edward” Sonny” Bivins (Lincoln high,
Richard” Ricky” Taylor (Snyder High), Winfred ”Blue” Lovett (Lincoln
High), George “Smitty” Smith (Snyder High) & Kenneth” Wally” Kelley
(Lincoln High). They all enlisted into different Branches of the Armed
Forces. Sonny, Richard, & Blue were scattered at US Air Force Bases in
West Germany. Smitty served at an Air Force base in California, and
Kenny Joined the Navy. When the paths of the first three men crossed in
Germany, they promised to get together after the service and pursue
their music, likewise Smitty & Kenny were always part of the group.
The Manhattans - 1964
Back home after their various service stints, they started singing
together almost immediately. They took their name, not from the borough
of New York as it is noted, but from the popular drink of whiskey,
vermouth, and bitters. Nevertheless, the name stuck and the Manhattans
would always be associated with the big city. Their big break came in
1964, when they won third prize at the Apollo Theater Amateur Night
Contest. They were spotted by Joe Evans, a former alto sax player in the
Motown touring Orchestra. He had just started Carnival Records. He
signed the Manhattans on August 15, 1964 (Which they regard as their true
anniversary date) and their first release was aptly titled, “For The
Very First Time”, a local NYC hit that year, along with “There Goes A
Fool”.
The Manhattans - 1969
"I wanna be (Your Everything)" written by Blue, broke out as a national
Pop and R&B hit in the winter of 1965 on Carnival. The follow-up,
“Searching For My Baby”, was later covered by The Persuasions as the lead
track of their debut acappella album. Sonny wrote the next single
entitled, ”Follow Your Heart“, which also broke on the Pop And R&B
charts, selling over 500,000 copies. 1966’s "Baby I need You", “ When We
Are Made As One” (re-done for the Too Hot To Stop It Album) and 1967’s "I
Call It Love”, written by Sonny, also penetrated the Pop and R&B charts.
These hits and the early touring earned The Manhattans NATRA’s “Most
Promising Group” Award in 1968.
The Manhattans - 1969
1969 found the Manhattans moving over to King Records' Deluxe Label.
Starting with “The Picture Became Quite Clear” and "It’s Gonna take A
Lot To Bring Me Back”, the Group enjoyed high R&B sales and regularly
crossed-over to the pop charts with their smoothly produced sound. Those
Deluxe sides were highlighted by a version of a country song called “From Atlanta To Goodbye“, a cover of Little Willie John’s “ Let Them
Talk”. Kenny’s “If My Heart Could Speak“ and Blue’s “ One Life To
Live”, were the two titles that actually caught the attention of
Columbia Records, leading to their signing the Group. (Those
two songs were re-done as a medley in 1980, on the "After Midnight", album that included
the Grammy Award winning “Shining Star”)
In
1970, The Manhattans were on a black college tour of the south. They
were appearing at North Carolina’s Kittrell College with the New
Imperials, a group that included student Gerald Alston. They were so
impressed with Gerald that they asked him to join the group, but he
declined. But as fate would have it, later that year, lead singer
George Smith would become fatally ill, and Gerald would accept the
groups offer this time. Within three weeks he would become the new
Lead Vocalist of the Manhattans. Sadly to say, on December 16, 1970,
founding member & Original Lead Vocalist George “Smitty“ Smith would
pass away.
End of Part 1
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