By HW (68.39.190.250) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 09:28 am:

The beloved Ed Townsend died from a heart attack late Wednesday night/Thursday morning. With all the craziness from the power outage in the east there are no further details at the moment.

Ed'd life was rich, not just because of "For Your Love" or "Let's Get It On." A great man who always looked out for his friends and for people who needed a break in this world.

We're gonna miss him being here.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 10:03 am:

Harry,
That is truly sad news to me. I have stated more than once on this forum that For Your Love was an all time favorite ballad of mine.

By MEL&THEN SOME (81.174.192.165) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 10:10 am:

Sad Sad news indeed
a Legend for me without a doubt.
R.I.P. Ed Townsend.
your music lives on.
mel.

By PlatinumPal (151.197.36.244) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 10:16 am:

A soul pioneer and another very significant contributor to the cherished soundtrack of my life! Thanks for the heads-up, Harry. Accomplishments aside, it's good to know that he was a positive contributor to human existence with a fine and sharing personality.

In addition to his own great rendition, I used to get a lot of joy from the Tops' and Supremes' combined version of "For Your Love"... real good memories.

My prayers for his family & friends. I recall that his son, David was a member of the successful group, Surface ("Happy", "Shower Me With Your Love", and a personal fave "Closer Than Friends"). Ed's influence is eternal.

By Nish (216.148.246.134) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 10:50 am:

Oh my... this is a terrible day for music. The Nelson Riddle albums, LGIO, "For Your Love." He was a man of great talents, and I'm sure even greater personality attributes. God rest Ed Townsend, and help his family find comfort.

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.164) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 11:16 am:

Ed working with Marvin was a "Legend" - another one in the big GIG in the Sky!

RIP ED!

John

By soultwine (195.93.34.9) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 11:41 am:

I especially liked his work with Dee Dee Warwick on recordings for Blue Rock & Mercury records like "We're doing fine"," "Do it with all your heart" & "Foolish fool".
A great talent.
Phil

By Vickie (198.81.26.170) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 12:49 pm:

Thank you Ed for the music and inspiration..

say hey to Marvin for us..

Vickie

By Soul Sister & Jimmy Scott (65.43.154.6) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 01:35 pm:

Jimmy & I are truly saddened by Ed's loss, may he rest in peace. We know he's coaching the other acts on the big soul show extravaganza in soul heaven. He is a massive talent in the feild of R&B and Soul!! I say IS because a talent such as his never dies. God Bless...

By Thommygirl_70 (64.12.97.7) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 01:50 pm:

Wow, this is too much I saw Mr. Townshend performing on one of the PBS specials a few months ago. Thank you, sir, for everything that you brought to us. You will not be forgotten.

By Joe Moorehouse (64.12.97.7) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 02:13 pm:

There are a few names that all soul collectors know are like Trademarks of Quality--you see them on an old 45, you buy it without needing to hear it first. Van McCoy, Horace Ott, Mike Terry, Dale Warren, and a select few others. It's an exclusive club, and Ed Townsend was a prized member. I can't count the number of great records I own because I saw his name on them. This is really a major loss to the soul community.

By stephanie (68.50.216.139) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 02:18 pm:

He was great on the PBS special this is really sad news..RIP Ed you were one of the best..
Stephanie

By Eli (151.197.127.100) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 04:00 pm:

An invitation has been sent out to you to join the Heavenly Choir as their new director.
So don your robe, pick up your baton and....1-2-1-2-3-4-..... "ah, ah, ah ,ah..For your love.....

By marv (152.163.252.68) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 07:56 pm:

This is indeed sad news. I was lucky enough to catch Ed Townsend on the PBS Special last year. He did a wonderful rendition of his signature song "For Your Love (I Would Do Anything)" He was a great interpreter of lyrics as well as writer. God Bless you Mr. Townsend!

By tony drake (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 06:06 pm:

Ed Townsend,Was one of the all time great men of music the last of a great sound,sad news

By Mark Speck (199.183.107.22) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 10:34 pm:

Respect due to Mr. Townsend, truly a man of immense talent. May he rest in peace.

Best,

Mark

By Lonnie Cook (198.81.26.170) on Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 02:08 pm:

Of the productions that Ed was responsible for (that I knew of, did not know one of my favorites "Do it with all your heart" was his)I have always been partial to "Miracle Woman", "If it's in you to do wrong", and "We go back aways", truly great music.


The last project that Ed engineered was the formation of a nonprofit that produced a play and cd, both aimed at showcasing the talents of the homeless. The cd contains performances by a number of persons that were at on time homeless or yet are. The org. is headquartered on Hollywood Blvd. right here in Los Angeles and tried for many years to get sufficient support to fully produce the play, now maybe many will rally behind it.

Here is the story from the times:


By Dennis McLellan, LA Times Staff Writer

Ed Townsend, a singer, songwriter and producer best known for his 1958 pop single "For Your Love" and for writing and co-producing Marvin Gaye's No. 1 hit "Let's Get It On," has died. He was 74.

Townsend, a Sun City resident, died of heart failure Wednesday in a San Bernardino hospital.

"For Your Love," a lush ballad that rose to No. 7 on the R&B charts and reached the U.S. Top 20, was Townsend's biggest � and most enduring � hit as a recording artist. "He had a very rich baritone voice and [the record] struck a responsive chord with anybody who was in love," Dick Clark, who met Townsend when he sang the song on Clark's "American Bandstand" in 1958, told The Times. Clark added that "Let's Get It On," a million-selling 1973 hit for Gaye, who co-produced it with Townsend, "was one of the milestone Marvin Gaye recordings, one of his top three."

With its overt sexual theme, "Let's Get It On" generated controversy. But Townsend, who had recently undergone drug and alcohol rehabilitation, insisted the song was actually about getting on with life.

He wrote more than 200 songs, including writing and producing the Impressions' 1974 No. 1 R&B hit "Finally Got Myself Together (I'm A Changed Man)."

Born April 16, 1929, in Fayetteville, Tenn., Townsend sang in his minister father's African Methodist Episcopal Church choir. He graduated from Arkansas State College and taught briefly before joining the Marine Corps. He served two years in South Korea.

After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s, Townsend wrote songs that were recorded by Nat King Cole, Etta James and other artists.

He was playing a demo record of "For Your Love" for Capitol Records executive Joe Zerga when Zerga suggested that Townsend record it himself.

"The simplicity of the song was what makes it enduring to the people," said Clyde Otis, chairman of the Clyde Otis Music Group and a friend of Townsend's since the 1950s. "Ed had no idea it would become that popular."

He is survived by his wife, Janice; his sons from his first wife, Cherrigale, David and Michael, both of Reseda; a daughter, Kathryn Griffin of Houston; a brother, Earl of Los Angeles, a sister, Helen McDonald of Sun City; three stepdaughters; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Salvation Army Riverside Corps chapel, 3695 1st St., Riverside. A viewing will begin at 11 a.m.

By MEL&THEN SOME (217.14.178.67) on Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 04:23 pm:

Didnt Ed
once do a track on the Casablanca Label with his 3 sons and with Ed on Lead as his sons backed him.

It was a jazzy/funky thing as far as I recall and it was credited on the Label as
Townsend.Townsend.Townsend&Rogers.

MEL.

By Don (68.75.60.155) on Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 04:46 pm:

I just got wind of Mr. Townsend's passing, I heard it on the radio today believe it or not. You know alot of people may or may not know he is credited with the Marvin Gaye Lp Let's Get It On. I remember hearing of his rep as a writer, arranger, producer, and musician from the eastcoast. Alot of people may not know this but he actually discovered The Moments before Mr.& Mrs. Joe and Sylvia Robinson, although they may not have had the same lineup at the time, Al Goodson I think was in this lineup at the time. Alot of people don't know it Mr. Townsend did quite a bit of lending of his talents here in chicago. Though I was a big fan of his new jersey soul productions. I was a bit surprised and disappointed of learning of his passing.

By Lonnie Cook (198.81.26.170) on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 01:50 pm:

Mel

I remember the album with Ed and three other people all neckup headshots, stairstepped,and sepia or maroon colored. That is probably the lp that your refer to.

By Fury13 (12.2.196.17) on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 03:20 pm:

Ed Townsend... truly one of American music's major talents. He will be missed.

By MEL&THEN SOME (217.14.178.21) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 09:36 am:

Thanks Lonnie
mel

By RD (65.150.228.76) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 09:54 am:

The original Moments were Mark Greene, Richie Horsley and John Morgan.

Joe and Sylvia signed Billy Brown's group the Broadways a.k.a. the Fabulous Broadways to a contract and they were supposed to cut "Not On the Outside" but Brown was unavailable (because he had a job with Ford Motors). After an unsuccessful stint with MGM records Brown wasn't about to leave his job. So the Broadways were let go and Sylvia and Joe cut "Not On The Outside" on the Moments. Al Goodmen was not a member of the Broadways or the original Moments.

When the song started hitting, Joe Robinson fired the Moments, all except John Morgan, and enticed Brown to quit his job at Fords with a $500 a week salary, a hit record and hopefully more to come. It was Brown they wanted in the first place, his group the Fabulous Broadways were very popular in New Jersey. Al Goodmen was already signed to All Platinum as a solo artist/songwriter and had already recorded some unreleased duets with Sylvia Robinson. Goodmen, Morgan, and Billy Brown became the new Moments. Their first release was Sunday/Somebody Loves You Baby.

I'm unsure which group Ed Townsend discovered: the original Moments or the Broadways.

By don (68.77.32.28) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 03:14 pm:

To RD. The last thread we both would comment to each other, well this gentleman was there too and this was in the 60'S. I think I know where you're getting you're info from? Back in the day guys we're freelancing but there may be some truth, what you see is what you've read, because I was there!

By RD (65.150.229.62) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 03:33 pm:

Don, I was there too. Lots of people were. I was simply relating the Moments/Broadway scenario. I'm not saying Ed Townsend didn't have a hand in discovering one of the groups, I just wondered which one Townsend was referring to when he said the Moments, the original group or Billy Brown's group the Broadways. I suspect the latter.

BTW, I get my info from the sources. Then I check other sources if possible and verify what I can. I don't get my info, except for discographies, from books or message boards. If something I see here peak my interest I check it out for myself. I don't go by what somebody on here states, if I don't know better, at face value.

By Lucky (209.215.117.4) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 04:33 pm:

I'm curious about Mr. Townsend's royalty situation. Of course, many black songwriters recording artists of his generation were exploited. Did he suffer the same fate?

By Eli (141.151.87.9) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 04:47 pm:

The practice was not limited to African American artists, as everyone got ripped off during that era unless they were fortunate enough to have great legal representation..

By RD (65.150.229.62) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 05:16 pm:

It's a shame Ed Townsend never wrote a book because he had a lot of interesting accounts. It was Townsend's studio that the Isley Brothers recorded "It's Your Thing." Motown filed a lawsuit claiming the song was theirs because they had the Isley's under contract. Motown won, but before they did, Townsend's studio mysteriously burned down.

Kenny Stover wrote "Let's Get It On" as a protest song, Townsend came into the studio and declared it a love song and changed the lyrics. When the song came out only Marvin Gaye and Townsend's names were credited. Funny thing is, Kenny says it didn't bother him a bit; he was working for Marvin and appreciated just being there.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 07:36 pm:

A sad week in music, indeed....

In addition, Ed also spent a couple of years at Scepter/Wand Records in the 1960s as a producer.

Thank, Ed - for the great music...

"For your love....I would do anything..."

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By HW (68.39.190.250) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 09:55 pm:

Kenny Stover?

By Common (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:03 pm:

RD:I thought the Isleys won their suit against Motown. At least, this is what Ron Isley had said & what had been published in a couple of Motown books. Is this info incorrect? I'm just confused because I read & heard differently.

Peace!

By RD (65.150.228.16) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:07 pm:

HW: Kenny Stover is Elgie Stover's brother, they're Harvey Fuqua's nephews. Stover wrote "You're the Man" for Marvin Gaye. When Motown was in Detroit he was Berry Gordy Jr.'s Mother chauffeur. When they moved West he worked with Marvin Gaye. Elgie, btw, co-wrote "The Bells" and other songs. Stover was also a member of the Motown group Finished Touch. Kenny now resides in Cleveland again where he spent his formative years with his brother Elgie.

By RD (65.150.228.16) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:16 pm:

Kenny Stover was also a member of Leo's Sunship with Johnny Simon and Allen Few. Simon passed before the album they were working on was completed so it was finished without him. Simon was the lead singer of the Wallace Brothers out of Atlanta, GA. He also sang background for Marvin Gaye on the road.

By dvdmike (68.23.177.184) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:29 pm:

Does anyone have the techical info on "For Your Love?"