THE FALCONS, "BABY THAT'S IT" C/W "THIS DAY," MERCURY 70940x45 (REL. 8/1956)

 

Three years before they got a national pop hit with “You’re So Fine,” as members of Detroit’s top Black vocal group, The Falcons, members Eddie (“Knock on Wood”) Floyd and Bob Marando (soon to be drafted) entertained each other during dull stretches at a day job. When no one patronized the jewelry store where they worked, they harmonized in song; there had to’ve been a few times when a customer’s entrance startled all parties involved. In 1956, the public sight of a Black man and a white man singing together might’ve shocked some people. The two felt their voices had a great blend. When bass singer Willie Schofield entered the scene, he agreed; Marando had invited his friend Tom Shetler to sing baritone.

In its first phase the group was racially diverse and much smoother than they’d later become. They were a fixture in Detroit nightclubs and toured the northeast chonk of the US. In 1956, they decided they were ready to record. They’d heard Mercury Records had an open-door policy for new performers to audition; to Chicago they went, in search of imminent fame.

In the Windy City, a Mercury receptionist corrected them: those auditions were in New York—a far piece for such an impulsive move. The Falcons told their tale of woe and got an audience with legendary blues performer Willie Dixon. He liked their sound and agreed to try them out for one single. Four tracks were recorded in the early summer of ’56; two remain unreleased. Here’s the ones that got out, to little notice, and are the summation of Falcons 1.0.

Eddie Floyd takes lead on “Baby, That’s It,” his own song. It’s got that mambo-tastic sound of many mid-decade doo-wop records. Their vibe is much like The Clovers, who were near the end of their hit days with Atlantic Records, on this bubbling bopper. The uncredited percussionist is a hero of this side; focus on his performance and realize how much this side succeeds due to his work. Add a stinging guitar solo, a bass sequence by Willie Schofield and solid backup vox by the white members of The Falcons and you’ve got…not a hit, but an excellent piece of Windy City doo-wop.

Mercury didn’t promote it; the record was a grand gesture by Willie Dixon, whom I hope the group remembered when they achieved fame three years hence.

Cash Box was game; no one else shared their admiration.

On first hearing, I dismissed “This Day” as another paint-by-numbers r&b ballad. It has real soulfulness and rewards a second listening. That pungent guitar adds some spice, and lead vocalist Arnett Robinson (a second tenor recruited for this session) gives a passionate, elegant performance. The other Falcons deliver solid harmonized syllables throughout on a short but powerful side. This is a far cry from the raspy-voiced likes of “You’re So Fine” and other Detroit-made sides by later iterations of The Falcons, but it’s an assured start of a long, complicated career.

Those who wish a deeper dive are directed to Marv Goldberg’s detailed history of this group and its many personnel changes:

https://www.uncamarvy.com/Falcons/falcons.html

Tomorrow: Mary Ann Fisher, deep-voiced r&b diva, with two excellent sides for the Seg-Way label from 1961.