THE DELEGATES, "MOTHER'S SON" C/W "I'M GONNA BE GLAD," VEE-JAY 243, REL. 4/1957)

There is so much backstory to the performers of today’s record that I must again refer you to Marv Goldberg, that master historian of the Black vocal group sound.* 

The Delegates were first conceived as a one-off group who were The Kool Gents in disguise. As such, they recorded a novelty called “The Convention,” which took place at an imaginary “Association for the Preservation of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Besides the vocal group, Vee-Jay president Calvin Carter and other label members appear on this silly, chaotic side.

The binding agent of Kool Gents and Delegates is singer Dee Clark, whose beautiful, soaring voice soon made him a solo star with several hit singles—and some Northern Soul favorites—in the years to come.

For reasons lost to time, Vee-Jay decided to do a non-novelty follow-up with The Delegates. The label had them do a cover version of a recording they had leased from a smaller Chicago label. “Mother’s Son” is a moody item first recorded by The De Bonairs, whose Ping Records original goes for big bucks. Vee-Jay could have reissued that group’s single, as they had purchased the masters, but perhaps Calvin Carter heard an opportunity for Dee Clark to shine—as he does on this handsome remake.

It opens with solo string bass and remains sparse—no drums that I can discern. A busy sax noodles underneath the group’s dense thicket of vocal harmony. Each time I hear this record, I get lost in the layered voices on this moody blues. Clark’s lead vocal is memorable and foreshadows things to come in his career. (At this session, two tracks were recorded that would be released after Clark went solo and credited solely to him.)

Hear it >>>>> HERE. <<<<<

On the flip, “I’m Gonna Be Glad” is a gospel-style rouser with a lead vocal by John McCall. Suddenly there is piano—and drums! McCall’s voice is a ringer for Dee Clark’s, but lacks the better-known singer’s more pronounced hard consonants and a more Southern accent to certain phrases.

This is a Kool Gents original and might have been a good candidate for a legit A-side, had Vee-Jay realized an obvious hit when they heard it. I think their major concern was getting “Mother’s Son” back into circulation. At this time, a bigger Vee-Jay group, The El Dorados, broke up, and as Dee Clark segued into solo stardom, the label had the Kool Gents record under that more famous name, with the original lead single Pirkle Moses. Ya can’t keep a good franchise down!

Hear it >>>>> HERE. <<<<<

* If you wish, here is Mr. G’s account of the group for extra credit:

https://www.uncamarvy.com/KoolGents/koolgents.html

Tomorrow: first responders to rock ‘n’ roll, pt. VII, as white pop chanteuse Vicki Young tackles two recent r&b hits in impressive pop versions. It’s possible Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller might have supervised this 1954 session.