THE MAJORS, "OOH WEE BABY" C/W "I'LL BE THERE (TO BRING YOU LOVE,) IMPERIAL 66009 (REL. 1/1964)

As with racial harmony, gender fluidity was commonplace in mainstream pop music though not accepted by the mass public of the 1960s. In Black music, less masculine male voices filled an intersexual void where the sound and emotion expressed were all that mattered. From the ethereal voice of William “Smokey” Robinson of The Miracles to Nolan Strong of fellow Detroit group The Diablos to Frankie Valli of white group The Four Seasons, intersexual voices abound in early ‘60s pop music. Roy Orbison is another example of the intersexual voice—neither male or female but an indelible blend.

Such a voice was Ricky Cordo’s. The lead singer of pop r&b combo The Majors registers as a theoretical third gender. Most of the listeners who made their 1962 single “A Wonderful Dream” a Hot 100 hit, if pressed, might have said “that’s a woman’s voice.” Cordo’s soaring falsetto coaxed a different affect from Valli’s or Orbison’s. Its timbre is more feminine than masculine, and its liminal quality proves an irritant to some listeners. When I posted another Majors single four years ago, a reader complained about Cordo’s singing style.

Today we hear them on their final single for Imperial Records, released in 1964 as the wave of British rock and pop bands—many who recorded material similar to this record—overwhelmed native efforts off and on for several months. This flop 45 showcases a dynamic song by Van McCoy paired with a beat-ballad penned by Jerry Ragovoy, the group’s producer who wrote songs under the name Norman Meade. His most famous effort as Meade, “Time is On My Side,” had its potential hit stolen from Irma Thomas by The Rolling Stones, in a very 1964 move or cultural appropriation.

“Ooh Wee Baby” is McCoy’s song. Bluesy and swinging to its core, its churchy organ and twangy guitar kick off an irresistible track that was the most r&b this easy-going group ever got. Cordo’s voice leads the other Majors (three hes and a she) in close, funky harmony. Here’s another record that anticipates the sound of soul with one foot still in the early ‘60s vibe. This limbic approach suits Cordo’s voice to a T.

He gets het up towards the end and emits several piercing “whoop”s to delightful effect. This is the best recording The Majors made and it was thrown away on the B-side of a single released to fulfill the group’s contract. Imperial had no interest in furthering the group’s work. They’d put out an album on the group (seen in the marquee) and seven singles in two years—not a bad output at all. This side shows that The Majors were able to adapt to changing trends, and it’s a pity they didn’t tough it out a few years more.

Cash Box dished out their litany of adjectives for this 1964 release.

“I’ll Be There (To Bring You Love)” is Ragovoy’s song, and it sounds radio-friendly. Its “Twist and Shout” Latin beat gets a bright presentation on a number aimed at the pop charts, which it missed by several points—it got to #117 (“Bubbling Under the Hot 100”), which was better than many similar discs of its year achieved, but the writing was on the wall. Imperial was intent to get into the soul market. They’d signed Irma Thomas and would, in 1966, revive the Minit imprint with a focus on this new trend in Black music. The Majors sounded quaint by that time.

That said, Cordo’s double-tracked voice is riveting here, and the overall sound is pleasing and ingratiating. In 1964, that wasn’t enough to make a good record into a hit. Things got much tougher in 1965, when thousands of worthy singles bit the dust the moment they were released.

The group made a final single for ABC-Paramount in 1966 as The Performers. This record leans into the soul sound and Cordo’s voice is relegated to the second lead. This record, which can be heard on YouTube, shows them quite capable of succeeded in this vein, but the record didn’t click and the group called it a day.

Tomorrow: zesty teen rock ‘n’ roll from The Miamians, via a 1958 Amp 3 single. One side’s a song about a groom chickening out at the altar—unusual stuff for rockabilly!