The
Magic Tones rejoined forces with Mike and resuscitated his MAH'S label with a breath of well-timed opportunism. Their
song, "Together, We Shall Overcome," was uncannily recorded
just before the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther
King, in April 1968, and thus coincided with the sense of
despair and outrage that swept across America and around the
world.
It's
difficult to ascertain just how many copies sold, but it was
a lot. Even though it doesn't have the dubious distinction
of making Billboard's chart it was a red-hot song and lead
singer Calvin Stephenson told me about his group's claim to
fame: "We cut it at Magic City (studio on Grand River
Avenue) on four track. We'd finished working on the tune,
and the next day, that's when Martin got killed. I called
Mike Hanks and said, 'Look, man, we got the perfect
record for this situation.' He sent me down to United
Sound and I mastered it. At the time Archer on Davidson was
pressing 'em. We put it out the next day and (record store
owner) Coachman was the first one to play it on his
amplification (system) on the street. That's how the record
got going. He called Mike and said, 'Man, I'm selling 'em
as fast as I can get 'em!' My understanding is it sold
100,000 in the Detroit metropolitan area. Mike was making
money distributing them himself."
Mr. Ed
Wingate, the wealthy owner of Ric-Tic Records, had the song
re-pressed in the hope of making it an even bigger hit. But
things didn't live up to expectations, chiefly because Mike
didn't do the deal until a couple of months after Dr King's
death, by which time the tune was effectively out-of-date.
Although the chance of a coast-to-coast smash had gone the
incredible local popularity of "Together, We Shall Overcome"
guaranteed the group a prime spot on the Ric-Tic Review at
the 20 Grand that summer. Long queues lined up to get in to
the famed club and the event broke Chuck Jackson's
three-year-old attendance record.
The Ric-Tic distributed pressing has a different B-side to the
poignant and beautiful balled, "Fun To Be Young," which has
Calvin Stephenson leading soulfully on the deceivingly
jaunty title. This second release has a Northern Soul
flavored song - "It's Better To Love" - on the flip, and
these two songs were originally released on each side of a
Solid Hit label 45 in 1967: a super-rare piece of Detroit
vinyl.
The Magictones on all these sessions were Calvin Stephenson -
who later joined the Undisputed Truth, Tyrone Barkley - who
went on to cut a thumping record on the local Midsong label,
ex-Baron Tyrone Douglas and Paul Willis.
They
followed up their MAH'S hit with another 45, "Let's Let Our
Love Roll On." This record preceded Mr. Wingate's sell-out to
Motown later in 1968, at which point the group then opted to
join Armen Boladian's fledgling Westbound label; a venture
that Mike had instigated.
Notes thanks to Graham
Finch
image must not be
reproduced, used or copied photograph
credits at end of webisode
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DESIGN AND
GRAPHICS BY
LOWELL BOILEAU
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