RONNIE SAVOY, "I HEAR VIOLINS" C/W "THE MARRIAGE," EPIC 5-9619 (REL. 3/1963)

Ronnie Savoy was the stage name taken by Eugene Hamilton, one of three brothers who created a Detroit soul legacy that stood in the shadows of Berry Gordy’s but realized some of the best-regarded material of the 1960s. Mention the names Golden World or Wingate to a soul fan in the know and they’ll perk up. They brought in outside talent and utilized the skills of those who’d fallen from grace in Gordy’s fickle world—or who rebelled against the assembly-line business model of Motown.

The Hamilton family moved to Detroit to escape the prejudice of the South and were somewhat prosperous. The family’s father harbored desires to be a songwriter and performer and encouraged his boys to follow their dreams—not work a factory job or other menial labor which was plentiful in the Motor City.

His son Robert took this advice to heart and began to compose and sing his own work. That got Eugene and Albert hooked, and sibling rivalry did the rest. The three brothers cited a concert by Billy Ward and His Dominoes—Federal Records’ successful Black vocal group—as the inciting incident that pushed them into music as a career. Eugene had plans to become a pro basketball player, but showbiz lure is strong and soon Eugene and Robert formed a vocal group called The Nite Caps. Working any connection possible, the group was signed by RCA-Victor for their r&b-centric Groove imprint. They had four singles on Groove and did many live shows, but fame eluded them, and Robert retreated to Detroit.

Eugene, who christened himself Ronnie Savoy and remained in New York. He made singles for Gone and M-G-M. For the latter label, he had a pop hit with “And the Heavens Cried,” his most common record and one often seen in dollar bins. Ronnie appeared on American Bandstand and toured the US and Central America—he recalled a narrow escape from a political revolution in Guatemala.

1962 found him on the roster of Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia. Epic was more pop-themed than Okeh, their Black music imprint, but did allow some r&b and soul. For them, Savoy made today’s quite scarce release, which came and went without notice in early 1963.

I found my copy of this record in a seller’s two-for-a-buck box. It looks un-played, and is, as seen in the marquee, a retail copy with a promotional sticker on one label. No other retail copies of this single have yet turned up; there must be more than one. I took a flier on it and hoped it wouldn’t be bland, watered-down stuff. To my delight, it is not.

“I Hear Violins” is a popcorn delight co-penned by Gwynn (Al) Elias and Sammy Lowe—the latter a fixture on NYC recording sessions as arranger and bandleader. This bluesy mood-piece has Ronnie joined by a soulful vocal chorus and, of course, a funky string section. This compelling song gets a touch of violin overkill—popcorn heaven—and its midtempo pace is also ideal for that musical cult. It’s a haunting song, and Ronnie’s performance (plus the femme soul chorus) make this a memorable side that nobody’s ever heard. Cash Box nor Billboard bothered to even mention its existence. It’s got that something that makes it a delightful discovery.

“The Marriage” gets into popcorn territory, with Vincent Bell’s water guitar bubbling in the background. This semi-schmaltzy ballad is rendered in bold brash strokes that uplifts it from the mundanity it tries to inhabit. Most vocalists wouldn’t give it the over-the-top emotions it needs to succeed. Ronnie hits that goal and saves a B-side from possible oblivion. Thank you, sir.

 

For a dense but compelling account of the Hamilton Brothers’ Detroit legacy, I direct you to this online essay:

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-articles/family-affair-hamiltons-detroit-soul/

And I bid you a happy Monday!

Tomorrow: future Four Seasons superstar makes manic, John Waters-worthy rock ‘n’ roll platter with producer Bob Crewe; a spendy 1958 Epic Records item I discovered by noticing a box covered up with other boxes. It pays to dig deep!