TEDDY PENDERGRASS - IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME Documentary On SHOWTIME 2/08/2019

I have been waiting anxiously to see this documentary ever since I heard about it last year. So happy to see that it will be telecast this Friday on Showtime at 9 p.m. My DVR is already programmed to record it.

The untold and ultimately inspiring story of legendary singer, Teddy Pendergrass, the man poised to be the biggest R&B artist of all time until the tragic accident that changed his life forever at the age of only 31.



https://www.sho.com/video/65624/tedd...u-dont-know-me

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/ted...me-1202989506/


https://www.broadwayworld.com/articl...rstar-20181030

Thanks! Will definitely see it.

Been getting into Teddy a lot recently!! I would like to watch this sometime. :)

This should be very worthwhile. Thanks, Milven.

I don't know what you are going to find out....that you don't already know!!!

I want to see this, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQQHO9w7Giw

Wow, thanks for the notification.

I hope they’ll spill more tea about his tenure as a Blue Note. I’ve read so many stories from then and after he left the group.

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Originally Posted by jboy88

I hope they’ll spill more tea about his tenure as a Blue Note. I’ve read so many stories from then and after he left the group.

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Likewise! Teddy had a whole history with them for half a decade especially with Harold.

I'm confident that it will include his tenure with the Blue Notes. The documentary's title is one of their songs, IF YOU DONT KNOW ME BY NOW.

His start as a drummer with the group, his taking over lead, his dispute with Harold that he wanted more pay, the changing of the group's name to Harlod Melvin & the Bluenotes featuring Teddy Pendergrass. There is a lot to tell about his tenure in the group and it would not be much of a documentary if it did not include that.

When I was quite young, I bought a 45 rpm single called MY HERO by the BLUENOTES. But I had no idea that group later became Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. Also, when I first heard Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, I thought it was Harold Melvin on lead.

There is a lot to tell. Someone above said, "I don't know what you are going to find out....that you don't already know!!!"

Maybe nothing. But there is an interesting story there and I am looking forward to watching the documentary

Thanks for the news Milven. I'll be watching this one too.

I'm still mad Unsung never brought up that he performed at Live Aid!

I may have to get the Showtime free 30 day trial to watch this. I still hate that I missed their Roberta Flack documentary and I have not been able to find it anywhere online.

Teddy Pendergrass was very unique. His life was not all tragic. He was the best of them all at and during his time [[1976-82). No other single male artist could touch him during those years in terms of vocal ability and overall appeal,especially with the women.

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Originally Posted by milven

I'm confident that it will include his tenure with the Blue Notes. The documentary's title is one of their songs, IF YOU DONT KNOW ME BY NOW.

His start as a drummer with the group, his taking over lead, his dispute with Harold that he wanted more pay, the changing of the group's name to Harlod Melvin & the Bluenotes featuring Teddy Pendergrass. There is a lot to tell about his tenure in the group and it would not be much of a documentary if it did not include that.

When I was quite young, I bought a 45 rpm single called MY HERO by the BLUENOTES. But I had no idea that group later became Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes. Also, when I first heard Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, I thought it was Harold Melvin on lead.

There is a lot to tell. Someone above said, "I don't know what you are going to find out....that you don't already know!!!"

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Harold Melvin & the Blue notes have been on my want list for an Unsung for quite some time. I’ve heard many stories about them from before, during and even after Teddy left. They have more unspilled tea than the Boston harbor.

This is a gripping documentary.

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Originally Posted by midnightman

This is a gripping documentary.

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It was very good but I would have liked to know more about his beginnings in show business. They went straight from him watching acts at the Uptown to him and the Blue Notes singing on SOUL TRAIN.

I wonder....what Jessie Jackson has to say about the documentary!!

I never knew that Teddy sang LADY til I watched this documentary. Lionel may have written the song for Kenny Rogers, but after hearing Teddy's version, Teddy Bear owns it.

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

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Originally Posted by milven

I never knew that Teddy sang LADY til I watched this documentary. Lionel may have written the song for Kenny Rogers, but after hearing Teddy's version, Teddy Bear owns it.

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

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My first time seeing this. He killed it!!!!

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Originally Posted by reese

It was very good but I would have liked to know more about his beginnings in show business. They went straight from him watching acts at the Uptown to him and the Blue Notes singing on SOUL TRAIN.

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They did get into some parts of Teddy's childhood including the time cops pulled him over at 14 for something he didn't do. I guess his rise was one of those "plucked out of nowhere" events than what one expects [[I haven't read his autobiography yet). I mean they did mention him being a drummer until he started singing and he got with the Blue Notes.

I notice one fact though: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes didn't become Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes until they signed with PIR! YIKES.

The Jesse info was actually one of the eye opening pieces of the film. Makes you hate the man even more.

They went into great detail on how pioneering the ladies' only shows were and how a black man made ladies of all races scream for him. I didn't realize how groundbreaking that was even in 1978 when it was always assumed it was a racial utopia, but of course it wasn't. Teddy wanted to be a crossover artist but still remain Teddy.

Had that accident never happen, we would be seeing a different story of Mr. Pendergrass.

Also realized how tabloid-ish JET could be at times!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by milven

I never knew that Teddy sang LADY til I watched this documentary. Lionel may have written the song for Kenny Rogers, but after hearing Teddy's version, Teddy Bear owns it.

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

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That was amazing to listen to. What a voice that man possessed. He reached heights few baritones ever reached besides Junior Marvin!

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Originally Posted by midnightman

They did get into some parts of Teddy's childhood including the time cops pulled him over at 14 for something he didn't do. I guess his rise was one of those "plucked out of nowhere" events than what one expects [[I haven't read his autobiography yet). I mean they did mention him being a drummer until he started singing and he got with the Blue Notes.

I notice one fact though: Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes didn't become Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes until they signed with PIR! YIKES.

The Jesse info was actually one of the eye opening pieces of the film. Makes you hate the man even more.

They went into great detail on how pioneering the ladies' only shows were and how a black man made ladies of all races scream for him. I didn't realize how groundbreaking that was even in 1978 when it was always assumed it was a racial utopia, but of course it wasn't. Teddy wanted to be a crossover artist but still remain Teddy.

Had that accident never happen, we would be seeing a different story of Mr. Pendergrass.

Also realized how tabloid-ish JET could be at times!

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Are you totally sure about that...?

There's some 45's by them from the late 60's credited to "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" as the one from 1967 on Arctic Records [[and I think there's some others on Jammie-Guyden and Harthon also...?):

http://globaldogproductions.info/a/arctic.html

Somebody please spill the tea about Jesse Jackson for those of us without Showtime access!

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Originally Posted by sansradio

Somebody please spill the tea about Jesse Jackson for those of us without Showtime access!

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Taaz Lang, Teddy's manager, was murdered under mysterious cirumstances. During her funeral service, Jackson was questioning the reasons why and he cut his eyes at Teddy, and gave innuendoes suggesting Teddy might have been involved.

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Originally Posted by reese

Taaz Lang, Teddy's manager, was murdered under mysterious cirumstances. During her funeral service, Jackson was questioning the reasons why and he cut his eyes at Teddy, and gave innuendoes suggesting Teddy might have been involved.

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Wow.........

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Originally Posted by manny

Are you totally sure about that...?

There's some 45's by them from the late 60's credited to "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" as the one from 1967 on Arctic Records [[and I think there's some others on Jammie-Guyden and Harthon also...?):

http://globaldogproductions.info/a/arctic.html

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Interesting. I watched the documentary, which I should watch again when repeated, and it did mention some sort of surprise that the group's name was changed to Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes. I tried doing a search to see when the name was actually changed, but, yes, there seems to have been records with that billing prior to them being signed to PI. Does anyone have any info on this?

Attachment 15013

In my first few months of living in the Philly, Teddy had a second serious traffic accident out near me in Lower Merion Twp. Was this 1985 accident mentioned at all?

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Originally Posted by milven

Interesting. I watched the documentary, which I should watch again when repeated, and it did mention some sort of surprise that the group's name was changed to Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes. I tried doing a search to see when the name was actually changed, but, yes, there seems to have been records with that billing prior to them being signed to PI. Does anyone have any info on this?

Attachment 15013

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In the documentary, Blue Notes member Lloyd Parks attributes the revised billing to the I MISS YOU release on Philadelphia International and says that Melvin told Gamble and Huff that the guys were ok with it but that they had no idea. Gamble says that Melvin wanted to strengthen his identity because Teddy was dominating the group and people thought he was the leader when Melvin really was. So Gamble says he suggested renaming the group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.

Of course, the Artic release pictured above was released in 1967, according to my Goldmine record guide, and five years before I MISS YOU. But it seems after the Artic release, they went back to being just "The Blue Notes" for releases on Checker and Uni.

So once I MISS YOU was a hit, I gather the revised billing became more of an issue, along with Melvin's dominance. As I kid, I can remember thinking that Teddy was Harold Melvin because he was the lead on all the hits I knew. When they did a group intro on a tv show and he said his name was Teddy [[or Theodore) Pendergrass, I was shocked. I imagine other people were as well. And then of course, the billing was revised again later to give a featuring credit to Teddy.

Thanks Reese. That explains a lot. As a kid, I bought MY HERO by the Bluenotes. In the seventies, I knew that they were the ancestors of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes but did not know of any history in between and the various name changes back and forth.

You were a kid thinking that Harold was singing those leads on HMBN Philly hits. I was a grown-up and also thought the same for a while. Usually, when someone leaves a successful group for a solo career, it kind of uspsets me. But when Teddy left, I was glad. How deceptive to have Teddy doing all the leads and have someone else headlned in the billing. But it is not unprecedented.

Billy Ward and the Dominoes did it too and had to go through a whole array of lead singers who got no recognition. Clyde McPhatter was one of his underappreciated and underpaid singers. He left to start his own group, the original DRIFTERS.

By the time that I got to know the group in the late fifties, BillyWard and the Dominos had two big hits, STARDUST and DEEP PURPLE. Knowing nothing about the group, I thought that Billy Ward was singing lead. Later I found out it was someone named Gene Mumford. I think in an earlier incarnation , even Jackie Wilson was part of the group.

Back to the Bluenotes, it would be great if UNSUNG did a show about this group. There is a lot of history there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marv2

In my first few months of living in the Philly, Teddy had a second serious traffic accident out near me in Lower Merion Twp. Was this 1985 accident mentioned at all?

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Not that I know of, no.

Yeah, reese, that's what I was mentioning about the name change. Harold made it out like the others were cool with it but apparently it didn't because Teddy was PISSED [[and rightfully so) lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by milven

Thanks Reese. That explains a lot. As a kid, I bought MY HERO by the Bluenotes. In the seventies, I knew that they were the ancestors of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes but did not know of any history in between and the various name changes back and forth.

You were a kid thinking that Harold was singing those leads on HMBN Philly hits. I was a grown-up and also thought the same for a while. Usually, when someone leaves a successful group for a solo career, it kind of uspsets me. But when Teddy left, I was glad. How deceptive to have Teddy doing all the leads and have someone else headlned in the billing. But it is not unprecedented.

Billy Ward and the Dominoes did it too and had to go through a whole array of lead singers who got no recognition. Clyde McPhatter was one of his underappreciated and underpaid singers. He left to start his own group, the original DRIFTERS.

By the time that I got to know the group in the late fifties, BillyWard and the Dominos had two big hits, STARDUST and DEEP PURPLE. Knowing nothing about the group, I thought that Billy Ward was singing lead. Later I found out it was someone named Gene Mumford. I think in an earlier incarnation , even Jackie Wilson was part of the group.

Back to the Bluenotes, it would be great if UNSUNG did a show about this group. There is a lot of history there.

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Billy Ward ran things like a military/family and if one of the Dominoes messed up, he would be fined or worse. No one deserves that kind of treatment.

I think those two were the only groups to do that too [[have it be named after the supposed leader but not the lead vocalist, etc.) unless there are more I'm missing [[and I could be missing a few bands who did that).

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Originally Posted by manny

Are you totally sure about that...?

There's some 45's by them from the late 60's credited to "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" as the one from 1967 on Arctic Records [[and I think there's some others on Jammie-Guyden and Harthon also...?):

http://globaldogproductions.info/a/arctic.html

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I think in means of Teddy joining them and them signing with PIR. They might've been HM&BN's before then with Harold singing lead prior to Teddy joining them [[the Blue Notes started off in 1954 with Harold and a different group of singers than the ones who joined the classic '70s lineup).

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Originally Posted by midnightman

I think in means of Teddy joining them and them signing with PIR. They might've been HM&BN's before then with Harold singing lead prior to Teddy joining them [[the Blue Notes started off in 1954 with Harold and a different group of singers than the ones who joined the classic '70s lineup).

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Harold Melvin was never the primary lead singer. The first single release with his name in front was “Get Out”, with John Atkins [[ Teddy’s predecessor) singing lead. By that point all the other original Blue notes from the 50s had left and Harold had taken over control of the group once and for all.

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Originally Posted by jboy88

Harold Melvin was never the primary lead singer. The first single release with name in front was “Get Out”, with John Atkins [[ Teddy’s predecessor) singing lead. By that point all the other original Blue notes from the 50s had left and Harold had taken over control of the group once and for all.

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The only lead by Harold Melvin was " I Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" with Sharon Paige.

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Originally Posted by marv2

The only lead by Harold Melvin was " I Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" with Sharon Paige.

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Actually, Harold Melvin co-leads with Teddy on many album cuts! Basically, he would be Bobby Smith to Teddy’s Philippe Wynn. The only lead he had by himself in the PIR era was the title track to the “To Be True” LP. However, “HTWCBTS” was the only lead released as a single!

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Originally Posted by marv2

The only lead by Harold Melvin was " I Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" with Sharon Paige.

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Yet he needed Teddy to help him in the middle of his lead lol

Everybody have a good day!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpm-sTrOm24