Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers on Soul Facts

[lockhartgary]

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

[marv2]

Thank you for this Lockhartgary!

[lockhartgary]

Thank you for this Lockhartgary!

You're welcome.

[arr&bee]

One of my favorite groups...malinda's a girl who came to my world and made my interest in all other girls stop...ohhhhhh what a killer!

[marv2]

One of my favorite groups...malinda's a girl who came to my world and made my interest in all other girls stop...ohhhhhh what a killer!

"Malinda" was MY song! They did it with that one and others. This is the group that was underrated and unsung!

[marv2]

Give a listen and remember................


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxt0VnubPgE

[marv2]

Here is something REALLY special. 50 years after he recorded this with the Vancouvers....


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

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I like Bobby Taylor & The Vacouvers, and I love Bobby Taylor's "Taylor-Made Soul" solo album, but I remember being shocked at the time to see Bobby going solo so soon after only one group LP. To this day, I've never heard what happened nor why? Can someone fill me in?

[marv2]

I like Bobby Taylor & The Vacouvers, and I love Bobby Taylor's "Taylor-Made Soul" solo album, but I remember being shocked at the time to see Bobby going solo so soon after only one group LP. To this day, I've never heard what happened nor why? Can someone fill me in?

Maybe they decided as a group to split up. They were playing together before coming to Mptown. Tommy Chong went on to have a successful career as a comedian and actor.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Maybe they decided as a group to split up. They were playing together before coming to Mptown. Tommy Chong went on to have a successful career as a comedian and actor.
Yeah, I figured they had split up, Marv, and I knew Tommy Chong had gone the comedy route with Cheech Marin. I was just hoping for some specifics as to why they left and Bobby Taylor stayed, i.e., dissension within the group, Motown dropped the group from the label, or some kind of rhyme or reason as to why, after enjoying 3 mid-size hits from their only Gordy album, they were suddenly, without warning -- POOF! -- gone. After reading nearly all of the Motown books over the years, I don't remember any of them elaborating on why The Vancouvers left Motown.

[marv2]

This is all I was able to come up with regarding this subject of their disbandment:

The Vancouvers ended up performing in support of Motown artist Chris Clark. Tommy Chong and Wes Henderson were fired by Clark and Motown producer Johnny Bristol for missing a gig to apply for Green cards.[6] The group broke up shortly afterwards, when Chong attempted to have the Vancouvers' contract halved, so that he, Taylor, and Henderson would constitute the group, while Robbie King, Eddie Patterson, and Ted Lewis would simply be regarded as sidemen and session artists. Taylor auditioned for the then-vacant lead singer position in The Temptations [[following David Ruffin's expulsion from the group), but was turned down.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

This is all I was able to come up with regarding this subject of their disbandment:

The Vancouvers ended up performing in support of Motown artist Chris Clark. Tommy Chong and Wes Henderson were fired by Clark and Motown producer Johnny Bristol for missing a gig to apply for Green cards.[6] The group broke up shortly afterwards, when Chong attempted to have the Vancouvers' contract halved, so that he, Taylor, and Henderson would constitute the group, while Robbie King, Eddie Patterson, and Ted Lewis would simply be regarded as sidemen and session artists. Taylor auditioned for the then-vacant lead singer position in The Temptations [[following David Ruffin's expulsion from the group), but was turned down.
Ah, now THAT's exactly what I wanted to know! Funny that we never heard about any of the association with Chris Clark and Johnny Bristol over the years. It's interesting to learn that Bobby auditioned for The Tempts but failed. As good as Bobby was, he was no Dennis Edwards, so that comes as no surprise. Thanks so much, Marv!

[marv2]

Ah, now THAT's exactly what I wanted to know! Funny that we never heard about any of the association with Chris Clark and Johnny Bristol over the years. It's interesting to learn that Bobby auditioned for The Tempts but failed. As good as Bobby was, he was no Dennis Edwards, so that comes as no surprise. Thanks so much, Marv!

You are welcome. As much as I loved Bobby Taylor, I don't think he would have fit into the Temptations. He was too independent and very confident in his talents. That would have not fit well with being just a "group member" with an already established group

[jboy88]

Is Mike Boone now or was he ever a member of the forum? I think his knowledge of music and his presence would be welcomed here.

[144man]

Ah, now THAT's exactly what I wanted to know! Funny that we never heard about any of the association with Chris Clark and Johnny Bristol over the years. It's interesting to learn that Bobby auditioned for The Tempts but failed. As good as Bobby was, he was no Dennis Edwards, so that comes as no surprise. Thanks so much, Marv!

When Chris Clark appeared on Sunday Night at the Saville [theatre] in London in 1967, she was supported by Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. I remember them just being introduced as "The Vancouvers".

[Philles/Motown Gary]

When Chris Clark appeared on Sunday Night at the Saville [theatre] in London in 1967, she was supported by Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers. I remember them just being introduced as "The Vancouvers".

Interesting, 144man. Funny, the Motown grapevine never revealed any kind of merger between Chris Clark and Bobby Taylor with The Vancouvers. Apparently, it didn't last long because Bobby Taylor went solo and Tommy Chong became a comedian. At least you witnessed something that the rest of us will never see -- the Chris Clark-led Vancouvers!

[144man]

Bobby Taylor sang lead on "Fading Away" and - I think- "It's Growing". Then Chris Clark came on stage. I can't remember which of her own material she sang, but she rather lost the audience with her version of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life".

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Bobby Taylor sang lead on "Fading Away" and - I think- "It's Growing". Then Chris Clark came on stage. I can't remember which of her own material she sang, but she rather lost the audience with her version of the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life".
Was never crazy about the two Vancouvers' tracks you mentioned, but I like Chris' "Soul Sounds" LP version of "Got To Get You Into My Life". Since she was performing live in the U.K., I guess she figured, "When in Rome..."!