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  1. #1
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    Rick, Robin & Him - two white kids from Alma, Mich?

    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?

  2. #2
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    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.

  3. #3
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    They could be the duo Berry Gordy refers to as the vocals on "'Cause You Know Me" sound very Sonny Bono influenced.

  4. #4
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  5. #5
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    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WvKnLr7ZuQs

    "Three choruses of despair" VIP

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by 144man View Post
    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.

  7. #7
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    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.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by snakepit View Post
    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.

  9. #9
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    Yes I think the 2 Berry refers to are them.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance View Post

    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.
    A couple of the shots that appeared on e-bay.
    Name:  RR&H [[2).jpg
Views: 735
Size:  5.9 KB
    Name:  RR&H [[3).jpg
Views: 738
Size:  6.4 KB

  11. #11
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    Thank you for that...never seen before

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance View Post

    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
    Last edited by roger; 10-28-2018 at 06:37 AM.

  13. #13
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    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.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by snakepit View Post
    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.

  15. #15
    Name:  ronnie-and-robyn-cradle-of-love-funckler-s.jpg
Views: 936
Size:  14.3 KB
    Quote Originally Posted by roger View Post
    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...

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by lockhartgary View Post
    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.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by booty View Post
    A couple of the shots that appeared on e-bay.
    Name:  RR&H [[2).jpg
Views: 735
Size:  5.9 KB
    Name:  RR&H [[3).jpg
Views: 738
Size:  6.4 KB
    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.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by roger View Post
    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/articl...e-robyn-r3834/

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance View Post
    Is Rick, Robin and Him the same as Ronnie and Robyn? Check this out...

    https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articl...e-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.

  20. #20
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    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.

  21. #21
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    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.

  22. #22
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    Here's an old SDF thread...note the comment from Bob Ohlsson.
    https://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/...tml?1026442125

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