Who were the Singing Schoolteachers signed by Motown?

[woodward]

In the newly released book Hitsville: The Birth of Tamla Motown there is a reproduction of an Evening Standard news article from Saturday, 10/10/64, in which states, ". . . So powerful was the reputation of the coloured singers of Tamla Motown that white people, terrified lest their voices weren't good enough wouldn't go and audition. But Mr. Gordy says they have no fear. He has just signed up two white ladies called the Singing Schoolteachers. . . ."

Does anyone have any background on these two ladies? I saw no reference to them on www.dftmc.info and this was the first mention I ever heard of them.

[johnny_raven]

Wasn't it The Lewis Sisters [[Helen & Kay)? I believe they were school teachers. They were also in The Lady Sings The Blues movie. Also, Kay's daughter had a release as "Little Lisa."

[TomatoTom123]

Yes, they were indeed The Lewis Sisters, Helen and Kay Lewis. They recorded at Motown and had a couple of releases in the early '60s. They also wrote quite a few songs I believe, including "Just Walk In My Shoes", "This Love Starved Heart Of Mine" and "I See A Rainbow"

[TomatoTom123]

Their Motown singles were:

"He's An Oddball" b/w "By Some Chance" [[VIP 25018, May 1965)

"You Need Me" b/w "Moonlight On The Beach" [[VIP 25024, August 1965)

[sansradio]

Oh, yes. In LSTB, weren't they the singers at Billie's ill-fated radio date?

[johnny_raven]

Oh, yes. In LSTB, weren't they the singers at Billie's ill-fated radio date?

Yes, that was them! Yvonne Fair also had a cameo and Chris Clark co-wrote the screenplay.

[robb_k]

12126
I'm sure that Berry Gordy hired The Lewis Sisters only with their songwriting skills in mind, and never intended to release records by them. He did, however use their hiring as a way to help "prove" that his firm was not prejudiced in its hiring of singing artists, and to not scare any "White" singers away from trying to audition with them. Of course, Motown had already signed Debbie Dean, Connie Van Dyke, Connie Haines, Johnny Powers, Tommy Good, The Stylers, a whole group of C&W singers, Hank & Carol Diamond, Tony Martin, Bobby Breen and other Caucasians. But they never got any marketing push behind them.

I'm sure that The Lewis Sisters' 2 record releases were only bones thrown them by Berry, to placate them while they were writing songs for Jobete Music.

[Laserdk]

12126
I'm sure that Berry Gordy hired The Lewis Sisters only with their songwriting skills in mind, and never intended to release records by them. He did, however use their hiring as a way to help "prove" that his firm was not prejudiced in its hiring of singing artists, and to not scare any "White" singers away from trying to audition with them. Of course, Motown had already signed Debbie Dean, Connie Van Dyke, Connie Haines, Johnny Powers, Tommy Good, The Stylers, a whole group of C&W singers, Hank & Carol Diamond, Tony Martin, Bobby Breen and other Caucasians. But they never got any marketing push behind them.

I'm sure that The Lewis Sisters' 2 record releases were only bones thrown them by Berry, to placate them while they were writing songs for Jobete Music.

I'm sure you're right Robb but as it turned out, for me, I find their "You Need Me" to be one of Motown's most soulful releases of the 60's and Berry gave a sublime "Wall Of Sound" type production on it.

Ivor

[BigAl]

Helen and Kay were cogs in the wheel at Hitsville. "You Need Me" is a very smooth, very listenable number. I stumbled on it in a cut-out bin in the late '60s, and I played it often. [[The label even added "The Singing School Teachers" as a small parenthetical beneath their name.) They even backed Chris Clark on "Do Right, Baby, Do Right," which is a great song. Like most of Chris' recorded output, it should have fared better, but Chris, too, was a cog in the wheel. As has been mentioned, that Gordy basically under-utilized his white artists but needed them for balance in the public eye.

http://www3.popsike.com/pix/20140620/281365813522.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xslzpCW2fzU

[sansradio]

Are they still around?

[sansradio]

Just did some poking around and discovered that The Lewis Sisters wrote this modern jazz classic. Consider me knocked sockless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUnlSE32Z2w

[sansradio]

And here's Sassy's version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRqQ5F_Fd7Y

[johnny_raven]

http://sevenleggedelvis.com/lewiscredits1.htm

[johnny_raven]

http://www.leezamiller.com/Leeza_Miller/My_Musical_Life.html

[TomatoTom123]

http://www.leezamiller.com/Leeza_Miller/My_Musical_Life.html

Fascinating, thank you johnny raven!

[arr&bee]

The singing school teachers???...i sent the[singin bunny rabbits]to berry and he wouldn't even give em an audition,told em to get to hoppin and off they went without a carrot to their names.

[johnny_raven]

I sent Berry The Singing Nun. He refused her also. The following year, she had her own TV series. He really dropped the ball on that one! :)

[BigAl]

Looking at the sisters' songwriting credits during their tenure at Hitsville, I was reminded that they penned one of my favorite Brenda Holloway songs: "Where Were You?" That 45 didn't leave my turntable for a long, long time when I bought it. Catchy and full of hooks, by all rights it should have been a hit.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3W2z3xJwO4

[honest man]

Looking at the sisters' songwriting credits during their tenure at Hitsville, I was reminded that they penned one of my favorite Brenda Holloway songs: "Where Were You?" That 45 didn't leave my turntable for a long, long time when I bought it. Catchy and full of hooks, by all rights it should have been a hit.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3W2z3xJwO4

https://youtu.be/x0zUFp7hv0k aLSO from unreleased Motown 1965 download,by the way any info on Unreleased 1966 please,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, we are in December,cheers.

[TomatoTom123]

https://youtu.be/x0zUFp7hv0k aLSO from unreleased Motown 1965 download,by the way any info on Unreleased 1966 please,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, we are in December,cheers.

Never heard that song before, it's really rather great! Thank you honest man!

[honest man]

Tom there have been 4-5 sets released download only,check them out on Amazon uk soundbytes,61-65 i think and 66 looming hopefully,cheers.

[144man]

I don't think the Lewis Sisters really were school teachers. It was probably just a publicity gimmick.

[johnny_raven]

I don't think the Lewis Sisters really were school teachers. It was probably just a publicity gimmick.

I thought they taught music ...

[woodward]

I just saw where a picture of the Lewis Sisters is currently on sale on eBay. This is the first time I have ever seen a picture of the sisters.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEWIS-SISTERS-Promo-B-W-Press-Photo-Northern-Soul-R-B-Motown-8x10-25-/311761581763?hash=item48967036c3:g:XDAAAOSwXAJYWEO g

[TomatoTom123]

I just saw where a picture of the Lewis Sisters is currently on sale on eBay. This is the first time I have ever seen a picture of the sisters.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEWIS-SISTERS-Promo-B-W-Press-Photo-Northern-Soul-R-B-Motown-8x10-25-/311761581763?hash=item48967036c3:g:XDAAAOSwXAJYWEO g

I have never seen that picture of them before. It's great! Thanks woodward