the masqueraders - i"m just an average guy This incredible deep soul cut is from a group that the term "journeymen" could describe incredibly well; leaving their homes in Dallas, TX with the drive to make it in Detroit, the group released a few sides and then moved on … En route they stumbled on a recording studio owned by La Beat label owner Lou Beatty, who would go on to release five Masqueraders singles ("The Family," "I'm Gonna Make It," "Together That's the Only Way," "Be Happy for Me" and "I Got the Power") spread across 1966 and 1967. If you are a fan of classic soul and you watch America’s Got Talent you might have been surprised to see a singing trio that appeared on the show a few years back. For one thing, who would have thought that a singing group that was started in Dallas, Texas, in the early 60s would be an up-and-coming group to be reckoned with in 2001? Masqueraders Theatrical Society is a Nuneaton based amateur theatre group made up of local people aged from 8 to 80 who have taken their love of singing in the shower one step further! According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas, Texas in 1958 — middle-schoolers Charlie Moore (lead vocals) and Robert Tex Wrightsil (first tenor) formed the earliest incarnation of the group, then dubbed "the Stairs," with brothers … Love Anonymous appeared later that same year, but HBS then declared bankruptcy and the Masqueraders spent the remainder of the decade without a recording contract, although they cut a series of still-unreleased demo sessions in addition to maintaining a relentless touring schedule. The Masqueraders released two good singles on Hi Records in ‘73 and ‘74 before hooking up with Isaac Hayes for two albums and three singles on HBS/ABC (‘75-’77). and is a must-have for any serious fan of romantic Soul balladry. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. The Masqueraders finished in sixth, seventh or eighth place in America's Vote. 57 on the Hot 100 in 1968, and was The Masqueraders' only track to impact Billboard's charts. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. Their next single as headliners, 1968's "I'm Just an Average Guy," was their first true national hit -- released via Moman's AGP label, the record reached The group would proceed to record a total of eight singles at Moman's American Studios beginning with 1967's "I Don't Want Nobody to Lead Me On" -- licensed to the New York label Wand, the song was a minor regional hit, and was later recorded by both former NFL star Rosey Grier and the Gentlemen Four. Lee Hatim, Robert Wrights II, David Sanders, Harold Thomas, Sammie Hutchins. Ten years after they first got together, the Masqueraders had their first national hit. 2017 sees us entering our 27th year our 54th and 55th shows. Back then, they were called The Stairs, and they recorded singles like “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” “Caveman Love,” and “Flossie May” before some members left the group. This long-overdue and much-appreciated anthology finally gives The Masqueraders a fitting retrospective (with some previously unreleased tracks to boot!) The Masqueraders' Week 2 Quarterfinals performance in Episode 1213 consisted of singing their original song "I'm Just an Average Guy", originally recorded in 1968. After two Darryl Carter-produced singles -- "Let the Love Bells Ring" and "Wake Up, Fool" -- Hi terminated the Masqueraders contract; after a quarter century with the group, he co-founded, Charlie Moore decided he'd had enough and resigned in 1974, paving the way for Lee Evans to return. For the record, “I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else” reached No. During this time, the Masqueraders also contributed backing vocals to sessions by blue-eyed soul combo the Box Tops. The Masqueraders discography and songs: Music profile for The Masqueraders, formed 1958. The Masqueraders, America's Got Talent, Memphis Soul. Albums include Take Me to the River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977, Everybody Wanna Live On, and I Ain't Got to Love Nobody Else / I Got It. During this time, the Masqueraders also contributed backing vocals to sessions by blue-eyed soul combo the Box Tops. The Masqueraders were standing by the stage waiting to go on and Cowboys wasn't with them. Their next single as headliners, 1968's "I'm Just an Average Guy," was their first true national hit -- released via Moman's AGP label, the record reached the number 24 spot on the national R&B charts. Two more singles for AGP followed, but neither did as well, and it was time for the Masqueraders to go home. During this time, the Masqueraders also contributed backing vocals to sessions by blue-eyed soul combo the Box Tops. I understand what you're going through and the group can go on without you." After 50 years, the group makes a proves that it’s never too late to go after your dreams. Genres: Soul. Terms of Use; Privacy Policy; About Our Ads; Advertising © 2019 Billboard. Circa 1959, the Stairs recorded at least three singles for the local South Town label -- "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man," "Caveman Love," and "Flossie Mae" -- before the Davis brothers left the group and Gibson enlisted in the U.S. Army. All Rights Reserved. To avoid contractual snafus, Moman credited the Masqueraders as Lee Jones & the Sounds of Soul for the 1968 follow-up "This Heart Is Haunted," which he licensed to the Amy label. According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas, Texas in 1958 -- middle-schoolers Charlie Moore (lead vocals) and Robert Tex Wrightsil (first tenor) formed the earliest incarnation of the group, then dubbed "the Stairs," with brothers … After signing with the Atlanta-based Bang label, in 1980 the Masqueraders released a self-titled LP that remains their final recorded work to date; Moore eventually returned to the lineup, however, and as of this writing, the group remains a going concern some four decades beyond its inception. After cutting 1965's "Talk About a Woman" for the Houston label Soultown, the Masqueraders traveled to Detroit to audition for Motown -- informed that their style and approach were too similar to that of the Temptations, the group found themselves stuck in the Motor City with no money to return home, hatching a plan to perform at the local Twenty Grand Club to earn enough cash for return fare. The Masqueraders fell through the cracks and did not get much recognition even at a time when Soul Harmony vocal groups were everywhere. The group said he was not feeling well. I ran upstairs to the dressing room to see if he was OK. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. The Masqueraders Group Members: Harold Thomas , David Sanders , Charlie Lee Moore , Lee W. Jones, Jr. , Lee Hatim , Sammie Hutchins , Robert Wrightsil , Oberdean Deloney The Masqueraders comprised of: Lee Hatim Robert Wrights II David … According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas, Texas in 1958 -- middle-schoolers Charlie Moore (lead vocals) and Robert Tex Wrightsil (first tenor) formed the earliest incarnation of the group, then dubbed "the Stairs," with brothers Johnny and Lawrence Davis in the second and third tenor slots and "Little" Charlie Gibson singing bass. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. They’re a little older now, but you probably did a double-take when you realized that these three guys were, in fact, the Masqueraders, a group that hadn’t been heard from since 1980 but had sent several … According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas,… Read Full Biography. Review: Soul4Real's latest seven-inch release is rather special for one specific reason: it boasts two previously unheard 1968 recordings by Dallas vocal soul group the Masqueraders.Both were recorded at the legendary American Sound Studio in Uptown Memphis at a time when an astonishing 25% of the records in the Billboard Top 100 (according to the label's liner notes, … I said, "Cowboy, don't worry about singing. After one final AGP single, "Love, Peace and Understanding," the Masqueraders finally left Memphis and returned home to Dallas, establishing their own Stairway label to release 1971's "Let Me Show the World I Love You"; with little promotion and no national distribution deals to speak of, neither the single nor its 1972 follow-up "The Truth Is Free" attracted any notice outside of Texas, and in 1973 the group returned to Memphis, this time landing with Willie Mitchell's famed Hi label. About Billboard. Moore and Wrightsil scrambled to find replacements, with Moore eventually moving to baritone to accommodate new lead vocalist Lee Wesley Jones; tenor Harold Thomas, and bass David Sanders filled out the new lineup, which toured relentlessly throughout Texas. Georgette Heyer Fans: The Masqueraders August 2017 Group Read Spoilers thread: 54 41: Aug 31, 2017 12:09PM Georgette Heyer Fans: The Masqueraders August 2017 Group Read Chapters 1-16: 74 37: Aug 14, 2017 03:53PM Reading Addicts: July Classic BOTM-The Masqueraders: 1 7: Jul 01, 2016 09:45AM Get all the lyrics to songs by The Masqueraders and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics. The Masqueraders perform a selection of the biggest and best party/feel-good hits from the 50s to the present day. They often appeared in small towns under the guise of national chart groups, easily emulating the style of any act they so chose -- as a result, they officially renamed themselves the Masqueraders, making their recorded debut under that name with 1963's "A Man's Temptation.". In 1968 Moman released “I’m Just an Average Guy” on his own AGP label, and it went all the way to #24 on the R&B chart. According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas, Texas in 1958 -- middle-schoolers Charlie Moore (lead vocals) and Robert Tex Wrightsil (first tenor) formed the earliest incarnation of the group, then dubbed "the Stairs," with brothers … In 1979 Harold released one gospel single on his Gospel City Records label, and the whole group cut many sides in the hope of striking a deal with Pathfinder in the late 70s. After "Do You Love Me Baby" failed to generate much interest, Wand dropped the Masqueraders, and Moman negotiated a new deal with Amy's parent label, Bell -- the three singles that resulted (the minor hit "I Ain't Got Nobody Else," "How Big Is Big," and "Steamroller") represent the creative zenith of the group's career, boasting a gospel-influenced deep soul sound gilded by American Studios' crack session crew. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. Read Full Biography, The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. Things were not looking positive for the Masqueraders a year ago. The Masqueraders is a 1928 novel written by Georgette Heyer.It is set in Britain at a time shortly after the 1745 Jacobite rising and is concerned with a … Back in 1968, the group actually had their chance to come up with an original song “I Ain’t Got To Love Nobody Else.” Their song even landed on the Hot 100 and seized the moment. According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas,…. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. In the Judges' Choice, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell voted for them, but Howie Mandel and Mel B did … The Masqueraders first got together in 1958 in Dallas, Texas, and their original lineup was made of five members. The Masqueraders were the only act to record for Hot Buttered Soul besides Isaac Hayes and his band the Movement. According to an interview with soul collector and historian Greg Tormo, their origins date back to Dallas,… In the Dunkin' Save, they received fewer online votes than Evie Clair. The band boasts an extensive repertoire of over 200 songs and covers a wide range of musical styles, including pop, rock, rock 'n' roll, disco, soul, funk, jazz, swing and blues. Lee Hatim, Robert Wrights II, David Sanders, Harold Thomas, Sammie Hutchins, Talk About A Woman / That's The Same Thing, I Don't Want Nobody To Lead Me On / Let's Face Facts, I Got The Power / Together That's The Only Way, One More Chance / Together That's The Only Way, I'm Just An Average Guy / I Ain't Gonna Stop, I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else / I Got It, Love, Peace And Understanding / Tell Me You Love Me, Let Me Show The World/ Masqueraders Theme, I Want You Back / I'm Just An Average Guy, Your Sweet Love Is A Blessing / Please Don't Try (To Take Me Away To The Sky), (Call Me) The Traveling Man / Sweet Sweetning. Their next single as headliners, 1968's "I'm Just an Average Guy," was their first true national hit -- released via Moman's AGP label, the record reached the number 24 spot on the national R&B charts. None of their La Beat singles made a commercial impact, however, and the Masqueraders next traveled to Memphis to audition for producer Chips Moman. Biography ↓ Discography ↓ Songs ↓ Credits ↓ In fact, the group are still very much together, although all the members currently hold full time non-singing jobs and have relegated the Masqueraders to part time status. They are also split between Dallas where Charlie Moore, Lee Jones, and David Sanders live and Memphis where Robert Wrightsil, Sam Hutchins, and Harold Thomas live. Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell gave them standing ovations. The Masqueraders would seem an ideal act to embrace by La Beat in an effort to create the labels version of The Temptations who at the time were arguably the biggest singing group in the country. Billboard is a subsidiary of Valence Media, LLC. The Masqueraders were one of the longest-lived yet little-known groups in soul music history. In 1975 they signed with Isaac Hayes' HBS label, soon releasing their first-ever full-length album, Everybody Wanna Live On. 2018 sees us entering our 28th year our 56th and 57th shows. 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