Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a soul

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 band from Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Briefly signed to Motown Records

Motown Records

Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...

 in the late 1960s, they had one top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside and outside of Motown. Taylor is most notable for discovering and mentoring The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...

. Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...

 was a member of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers before he became famous as a comedian.

Career

Bobby Taylor, born February 18, 1934 in Washington, DC, was raised in Washington. As a young man, he moved to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and sang in doo-wop

Doo-wop

The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...

 groups with singers who later joined successful acts such as Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and Little Anthony & the Imperials

Little Anthony & The Imperials

Little Anthony and the Imperials is a rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott...

. In 1958 he began his music career as a member of The Four Pharaohs, who released a few locally-selling recordings in the Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

 area.

In the early 1960s, while they were in San Francisco, Taylor met Little Daddy and the Bachelors, made up of vocalist Tommie Melton, guitarist Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...

, bassist Wes Henderson, pianist Bernie Sneed, drummer Floyd Sneed

Floyd Sneed

Floyd Sneed is a black Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the band Three Dog Night....

 (later the drummer for Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...

) While in Calgary they were known as the Calgary Shades. The word Shades in the group's name referenced the fact that the band was interracial

Interracial

Interracial is an adjective related to a supposed racial group. It can have different connotations in different contexts:* Interracial marriage is marriage between two people of different races....

. Chong (later famous as one-half of comedy duo Cheech and Chong

Cheech and Chong

Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for...

) was Chinese and Scottish-Irish. The other members were black

Black

Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...

, white

White people

White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

, and Aboriginal

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

. Taylor was of African-American, Puerto Rican, and Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 heritage.

"Little Daddy & The Bachelors", recorded a single, "Too Much Monkey Business" / "Junior's Jerk". Melton and Chong opened a Vancouver dance hall in 1962 called the Blues Palace, which was formerly a movie theatre. They brought in the Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...

 Revue who had never been to Vancouver before. They drew a small crowd and Melton and Chong broke even on that one.

Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers join Motown

In 1965, Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...

 members Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson (singer)

Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...

 and Florence Ballard

Florence Ballard

Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown group The Supremes. From 1963 until 1967, Ballard sang on 16 Top 40 hit Supremes' singles, ten of which hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1967, Motown CEO Berry Gordy decided to remove Ballard from...

 heard the band — whose repertoire consisted primarily of Motown covers — at the Elegant Parlor in Vancouver, and alerted Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr.. Gordy brought the Vancouvers to Motown Records in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

, and signed them to his Gordy Records imprint. By this time the evolving lineup consisted of Taylor, Henderson and Chong along with guitarist Eddie Patterson, organist Robbie King, and drummer Duris Maxwell

Duris Maxwell

Duris Maxwell , also known as Ted Lewis, is a Canadian drummer who has played with many bands, including Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, Powder Blues Band, Doucette, The Temptations, Jefferson Airplane, and Skylark...

 (aka Ted Lewis), the latter three having come as a package when the original Vancouvers merged with another local group, the Good Shepherds. Claims have been made that future star guitarist Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

 played with them in those early days, but Chong has been quoted as saying that any such appearance is a product of Taylor's "imagination." Hendrix and Taylor knew each other from their early days in the Seattle-Tacoma area, and Hendrix later jammed onstage with the Vancouvers in Europe.

The group recorded its debut album, an eponymous release, and their debut single, the Tommy Chong co-composition "Does Your Mama Know About Me," peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

.
For a July, 1968 engagement at Chicago's Regal Theater

Regal Theater, South Side (Chicago)

The Regal Theater, located in the heart of Bronzeville, was an important night club and music venue in Chicago.Part of the Balaban and Katz chain, the lavishly decorated venue, with plush carpeting and velvet drapes featured some of the most celebrated black entertainers in America.The Regal also...

, Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers had a local-area family band, The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5

The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...

, as their opening act. Impressed with the group, Taylor personally brought them to Detroit and the Motown offices, arranging an audition for them with Motown executive Suzanne de Passe

Suzanne de Passe

Suzanne de Passe is an American television, music and film producer. As well as the Co-Chairman of de Passe Jones Entertainment Group-Career:Suzanne began her career at Motown as Creative Assistant to company founder, Berry Gordy...

. de Passe and Berry Gordy were impressed with the Jacksons, and the group was signed to the label within a year.

They released two further singles, "I Am Your Man," (US #85, US R&B #40) produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson

Ashford & Simpson

Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....

, and the Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson

William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...

-written and produced "Malinda" (US #48, US R&B #16). The Vancouvers ended up performing in support of Motown artist Chris Clark

Chris Clark (singer)

Chris Clark is an American soul singer who recorded for Motown Records. Clark became famous in England as the "white Negress" , because the six-foot platinum blonde, blue-eyed soul singer toured with fellow Motown artists who were predominantly black.Recording on the Motown V.I.P...

. Tommy Chong and Wes Henderson were fired by Clark and Motown producer Johnny Bristol

Johnny Bristol

Johnny Bristol , was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s...

 for missing a gig to apply for Green cards. 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

The Temptations

The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...

 (following David Ruffin

David Ruffin

Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...

's expulsion from the group), but was turned down.

Taylor on his own

After the Jackson 5 signed to Motown in March 1969, Taylor became the group's first producer. He supervised the bulk of their first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5

Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5

Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 is the debut album from Gary, Indiana-based soul family band The Jackson 5, released on the Motown label in December 1969...

, recording the Jacksons on a number of soul covers

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

, including The Miracles

The Miracles

The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...

' "Who's Lovin' You

Who's Lovin' You

"Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham,...

". Berry Gordy would later move the group to California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 and take personal control of their sound. Although Taylor would briefly join the Jacksons in California, he did not receive credit for working on the group's early singles such as "I Want You Back

I Want You Back

"I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents...

" and "ABC

ABC (song)

"ABC" is a 1970 number-one hit song by The Jackson 5. "ABC" was written with the same design as "I Want You Back", and was first heard on American Bandstand in February 1970. "ABC" knocked The Beatles song "Let It Be" out of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970...

" alongside Gordy's team known as The Corporation.

As a solo artist, Taylor was shifted to Motown's V.I.P. label and continued as a solo artist. Although his "Oh, I've Been Blessed" later attained a cult status, Taylor's solo singles failed to sell well. By 1971

1971 in music

-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...

, Taylor had departed Motown because of a financial dispute, recording sporadically into the mid-1970s.

Taylor later successfully sued Motown for a substantial amount of money. Moving to the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Taylor started an offshoot group, Bobby Taylor & the New Vancouvers, and recorded an album for Ian Levine

Ian Levine

Ian Levine is an English songwriter, producer, and DJ. He is also a well-known fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who.Levine attended Arnold School in Blackpool from 1963 to 1970...

's Motorcity Records

Motorcity Records

Motorcity Records is a British record label formed by producer Ian Levine in 1989. The label aimed to record new material with former Motown artists.-History:...

. His later musical efforts were tempered by bouts with throat cancer

Head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...

, which he had treated by various holistic doctors. Despite that, the group's recording of a medley of The Originals

The Originals

The Originals were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm For Real", "The Bells" and the disco classic, "Down to Love Town"...

' Baby I'm For Real with The Bells,
( a/k/a "The Bells I Hear" ), found on the two-volume CD "Motown Sings Motown Treasures" has become increasingly popular.

Bobby now (2011) lives in Hong Kong and plays in the Skylark Lounge on Wyndam Street in Central every thursday to Saturday.

Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers discography

All items issued on Gordy Records unless otherwise noted.

Singles

• 1968: "Does Your Mama Know About Me" (US #29)
• 1968: "I Am Your Man" (US #85)
• 1968: "Malinda" (US #48)

Album

• 1968: Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers
• 1990: Find My Way Back (Motorcity Records
  Motorcity Records
  Motorcity Records is a British record label formed by producer Ian Levine in 1989. The label aimed to record new material with former Motown artists.-History:...
  
  )

Bobby Taylor solo discography

• 1969: "Oh, I've Been Bless'd" (V.I.P. Records)
• 1969: "Blackmail" (V.I.P. Records, promo-only)
• 1969: "My Girl Has Gone" (Gordy Records)
• 1971: "Hey Lordy" (Mowest Records)
• 1972: "There Are Roses Somewhere In The World" (Sunflower Records)
• 1973 "I Can't Quit Your Love" (Tommy Zs7 Records)
• 1973: "Why Play Games" (Playboy Records)
• 1973: "I Can't Quit Your Love" (Philadelphia International, by "BT & TB" -- Bobby Taylor and Thom Bell
  Thom Bell
  Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
  
  ).