Rick, Robin & Him - two white kids from Alma, Mich? [Archive]

snakepit

10-26-2018, 11:34 AM

Reading the great book from Al Abrams "Hype and Soul"...a must read for any serious Motown fan.
In September 1965, Chicago Daily News carried an article on Motown by journalist Michaela Williams.
Hidden away in the text, Berry Gordy talks with enthusiasm about " two white kids from Alma, Mich.
Berry shows concerns about the Bob Dylan protest tendacies of the boy, and States the girl is beautiful [[ it is Berry Gordy remember).

Are Rick, Robin & him [[ him thought not to exist) this mystery couple.?
They had a 45 on VIP 25035....June 1966. Time frame seems about right.
Any body know is this is correct, if not, who the couple were?

snakepit

10-26-2018, 11:57 AM

Amazing what a trawl around the web throws up.
As we know, Rick, Robin & him were Richard Witte and Sally Thurman.
It seems that Sally Thurman provided backing vocals to R. Dean Taylor's 45 on VIP, " Let's go somewhere".
This was recorded 25/8 and 15&22/9. This is slap bang in the timeframe of the aforementioned interview and article with Berry.
It must be her he refers to in it.
What happened to her.
Richard Witte later wrote and produced "Ain't no place like Motown" on the Velvelettes.
Hardly Bob Dylan/Vietnam/ban the bomb stuff Berry refers to.

144man

10-26-2018, 01:57 PM

They could be the duo Berry Gordy refers to as the vocals on "'Cause You Know Me" sound very Sonny Bono influenced.

snakepit

10-26-2018, 03:47 PM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lOIoh6QeEx4

"Cause you know me" VIP

snakepit

10-26-2018, 03:51 PM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WvKnLr7ZuQs

"Three choruses of despair" VIP

snakepit

10-26-2018, 04:00 PM

They could be the duo Berry Gordy refers to as the vocals on "'Cause You Know Me" sound very Sonny Bono influenced.

That would make sense if Motown were copying Sonny & Cher....Berry never knowingly missing a chance to cash in.

snakepit

10-26-2018, 04:25 PM

WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

10-28-2018, 12:37 AM

Well well..
There is a post on YouTube from 5 years ago by RF.
He/she claims that "him" is Ron Furhman, his/her father.
Sally Furhman his/her Aunt.
I think it probably is our two white kids from Alma, Mich.

There were photographs on ebay a bit ago of 3 white youngsters that I thought at some point were identified as Rick, Robin and Him. They had the look of a folk band with a few photos featuring the group in the background and an acoustic guitar in the foreground. If the photos are of the group, then "Rick" would be
Richard Witte, "Robin" being Sally Furhman and "Him" being Ron Furhman.

snakepit

10-28-2018, 01:45 AM

Yes I think the 2 Berry refers to are them.

booty

10-28-2018, 02:56 AM

snakepit

10-28-2018, 04:46 AM

Thank you for that...never seen before

roger

10-28-2018, 06:24 AM

There were photographs on ebay a bit ago of 3 white youngsters that I thought at some point were identified as Rick, Robin and Him. They had the look of a folk band with a few photos featuring the group in the background and an acoustic guitar in the foreground. If the photos are of the group, then "Rick" would be
Richard Witte, "Robin" being Sally Furhman and "Him" being Ron Furhman.

For years I've assumed that Rick, Robin & Him were basically the same people who recorded on Sidra as Ronnie & Robyn .. "Just As Long As You Love Me" etc. ... and this post looks to suggest that "Ronnie & Robyn" were Ron and Sally Furhman. One of their post-Sidra singles was released in The Netherlands with a picture sleeve and there is a scan of it at 45Cat ... are these two of the people in the Rick, Robin & Him photos???

http://www.45cat.com/record/hb45267

Roger

mysterysinger

10-28-2018, 07:06 AM

Well, well, well - what a great thread. The arranger on that Ronnie & Robyn single is shown as none other than Sonny Sanders - esteemed writer and arranger and original member of The Satintones.

lockhartgary

10-28-2018, 10:35 AM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WvKnLr7ZuQs

"Three choruses of despair" VIP

Amazing what you can learn on this site.

I like "Cause You Know Me", mainly for the instrumental backing. The backing vocal intro of "Three Choruses of Despair" reminds me of the backing vocal intro of "[[You've Got To) Move two Mountains", by Marv Johnson.

WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

10-28-2018, 01:30 PM

14755
For years I've assumed that Rick, Robin & Him were basically the same people who recorded on Sidra as Ronnie & Robyn .. "Just As Long As You Love Me" etc. ... and this post looks to suggest that "Ronnie & Robyn" were Ron and Sally Furhman. One of their post-Sidra singles was released in The Netherlands with a picture sleeve and there is a scan of it at 45Cat ... are these two of the people in the Rick, Robin & Him photos???

http://www.45cat.com/record/hb45267

Roger

Hey Roger, very interesting! It's hard to say though... especially because with a different hairstyle and makeup, women can change their appearances sometimes to where you think you're looking at someone different. If these two are are Sally and Ron Furhman, then that would answer the question of what happened to the group after they left Motown...

WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

10-28-2018, 01:33 PM

Amazing what you can learn on this site.

I like "Cause You Know Me", mainly for the instrumental backing. The backing vocal intro of "Three Choruses of Despair" reminds me of the backing vocal intro of "[[You've Got To) Move two Mountains", by Marv Johnson.

Their version of "Copper Kettle" is my favorite. Great Funk Brothers-do-Folk Music backing track! I have to wonder if the decision to cancel its release in favor of "Cause you Know Me" was to give the record 2 Jobette copyrights.

WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

10-28-2018, 01:34 PM

A couple of the shots that appeared on e-bay.
14753
14754

Those are the pics! There were others as well and I think there may have been even more about 3 years ago by this merchant.

WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

10-28-2018, 01:48 PM

For years I've assumed that Rick, Robin & Him were basically the same people who recorded on Sidra as Ronnie & Robyn .. "Just As Long As You Love Me" etc. ... and this post looks to suggest that "Ronnie & Robyn" were Ron and Sally Furhman. One of their post-Sidra singles was released in The Netherlands with a picture sleeve and there is a scan of it at 45Cat ... are these two of the people in the Rick, Robin & Him photos???

http://www.45cat.com/record/hb45267

Roger

Is Rick, Robin and Him the same as Ronnie and Robyn? Check this out...

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-articles/northern-soul-connections-15-ronnie-robyn-r3834/

roger

10-29-2018, 06:36 AM

Is Rick, Robin and Him the same as Ronnie and Robyn? Check this out...

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-articles/northern-soul-connections-15-ronnie-robyn-r3834/

So, no mention of "Rick, Robin & Him" in that article so it looks like my theory is wrong, hmmmm. Still not convinced either way. :)

144man

10-31-2018, 02:36 PM

According to TCMS, the session logs just list the act as "Rick and Robin". "Copper Kettle" is included therein as the original planned b-side to VIP 25035.

Rick Witte had two self-penned songs, "Eyes" and "Don't Try to Tie Me Down", on the UMC digital release "Motown Unreleased 1967".

There are a number of songs written by Rick Witte in the Jobete catalogue for which no known recordings exist, so it is possible that more tapes by Rick, Robin and Him may be unearthed one day in the Motown vaults.
The songs are:
Children
Children of Darkness
Come and Eat the Bread of Sorrow
Do You Remember
Human Robots
Just Around the Bend
Psalm 113B
Strange World
Sweet Wonderful You
The Coffee Pot Syndrome
The Owl Song
The We
We Belong to Each Other
Who? What? When?
With This Ring
You Will Never Be Alone.

snakepit

10-31-2018, 02:51 PM

144 Man
That's good information. I must dig out the 1967 and listen to Rick's tracks.

Looking at the titles above, You can get a feeling that the Bob Dylan/protest style Berry wanted to tone down on the two white kids is present here.