HARVEY (FUQUA), "COME ON AN ANSWER ME" C/W "MEMORIES OF YOU," TRI-PHI TP-1024 (REL. 4/1963)

 

Harvey Fuqua was at the end of his career as a performer with the demise of Tri-Phi, a short-lived but influential Detroit imprint. Fuqua, seen at top left in the photo on the marquee, first hit the musical world with his group The Moonglows, whose 1954 smash "Sincerely" was one of the first r&b discs to break big into the (white) pop mainstream. It inspired hit versions by white trio The McGuire Sisters and country duet Johnnie & Jack and can be said to be THE record which brought the impending rock 'n' roll sound to a broad audience.

Though "Sincerely" is just a classic doo-wop ballad with a dynamic and ambitious middle section, its popularity was among the first sparks of a musical revolution. Within a year, Black artists who weren't of the Nat "King" Cole/Roy Hamilton variety of easy-going pop began to infiltrate the pop scene, to the immense betterment of the music.

By 1963, Fuqua had moved from Chicago to Detroit and rubbed shoulders with all the key players at Motown. At the suggestion of Leonard Chess, Fuqua worked with the Anna label, which was Motown-adjacent and has much cross-pollination with Gordy's musical empire.

Fuqua married Gwen Gordy, Barry's sister, and became one of the family. He brought The Spinners and other acts onto Motown and was soon writing and producing for the many artists who populated Gordy's labels. Tri-Phi and Harvey were Fuqua's two labels of note in this period. Shorty Long and Junior Walker first recorded for those imprints as well; both went on to do good business for Gordy.

Fuqua had recorded solo for several years and chose his first name as performer. For both labels, he performed on several sterling sides, including the huge soul/deejay cult item "Any Way You Wanta." That single goes for three figures even in so-so shape--it's that much in demand.

The final release on Tri-Phi, released the same month as myself, was Harvey's follow-up, and it's just as good as that previous single, though ignored by the taste-makers. (When did that ever stop us here?)

"Come On An Answer Me" feels like the first funk record to these ears. It begins with a sharp, discordant riff and features a prolonged, humorous call-and-response by Fuqua and (I'm guessing) The Spinners. All this and, for the cherry on top, one killer groove, with stinging guitar, brass fills and excellent percussion. Harvey's voice has a wry, almost mocking tone, and I love how the backup singers mimic his every intonation.

This is ahead of the musical curve and shows the way that Black music would pursue as the 1960s moved forward at warp speed, with constant changes and innovations at every turn.

On the flip is "Memories of You," a ballad that, at first, sounds like a million others. It too reaches into the future of Black music. I can hear Stevie Wonder's 1970s ballads lurking in its embryonic mix. A more intimate sound, with a gorgeous, louche guitar a counterpart to Fuqua's passionate voice, it was a bittersweet final moment for Tri-Phi, whose 27 releases contain some of Detroit's finest music of the day. (Search on this blog for The Challengers III's "I Hear an Echo," a recording of a chilling beauty and powerful mood unlike any other I can think of. But not 'til you've heard "Memories of You!"

Cash Box gave this single a positive review, seen below. Fuqua had one more recording on his Harvey label--a dynamite duet with Ann Bogan (of The Challengers III--and until The Moonglows reformed in 1972, that was the last he was heard from as a vocalist. Motown kept Fuqua busy as a songwriter and producer and he did well throughout the '60s. 

In the early 1970s, Fuqua moved to RCA-Victor. In that decade, he discovered the queer soul-disco artist Sylvester and The Weather Girls. A return to Motown saw him produce Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," among other notable tracks. He moved to Las Vegas, but was in Detroit when he passed on in 2010. Fuqua is a giant figure in Black music and his legacy is staggering.

Tomorrow: we begin a week-long visit to 1964--a game-changing year in vernacular music. First up is the blue-eyed soul of Bob Meyer and The Rivieras, with a Lawn Records single that's considered a classic of the Carolina beach music style.