The D.C. Playboys, "You Were All I Needed" c/w "Too Much," Arock AR-1009 (rel. 5/1964)
The D. C. Playboys made one single—that’s it. Both sides were written and produced by the great Van McCoy, whom, in 1964, was on a roll as songwriter and producer (and sometimes-vocalist).
The group did come from the Washington D.C. area. They started out as a group of musical youth singing on street-corners. They called themselves The Vells and entered a talent contest. The prize was a week’s paid gig at The Howard Theatre, located at 620 T St. NW. The magnificent building, erected in 1910, is on the National Register of Historic Places and underwent a $30M restoration in the last decade. The Howard was one of the premier black theaters in the Northeast, equivalent to the Apollo in Harlem.
At this gig, The Vells met Freddy Smith, a vocalist in The Starlighters, an r&b combo led by Van McCoy. They recorded for End Records, and that reminds me that I have their 1959 single “I Cried;” I oughta play that here! Smith took the group under his wing and coached them. He introduced the group to Van McCoy, who heard them and was impressed. McCoy suggested
they choose a snappier name—something that would stand out in the crowd of
r&b vocal groups. Since they were indeed in D.C. they renamed themselves
The D.C. Playboys. McCoy wrote two songs for them and took them into the
recording studio. McCoy insisted that one of the group’s background singers,
Irving “Scacy” Haywood, take the lead on both recordings. The resultant single,
issued on the Arock label, got a good response in the Northeast but failed to
make a national splash. None of the music trade magazines reviewed it and it sank.
The Playboys
disbanded after the record’s tragic demise; its members joined other
D.C.-area groups. These two sides are the sole record of this original group.
My copy of this single, which I found in a dollar bin, is covered with
teenage writing in pencil. The original owners favored the topside; they
apparently didn’t like “Too Much,” as they scratched out its title in pencil lead.
(The image used here, as often, is taken from scans on the Internet. While the
intense jottings on my copy are fascinating, you can’t really read the label
information.)
Arock had their singles manufactured at the most cut-rate company, Shelley Plastics of New Jersey. They're infamous for their poor QC, which includes labels that were applied with the idea of adhesion; they're prone to fall off, and it results in mystery singles. Soundwise, they hew to the middle range of sound. Highs and lows are dulled and prone to distort. Everyone used Shelley, from Motown to Columbia Records. They're a bane in the existence of the 45-rpm format.
Onto the record:
“You Were All I Needed” is a primo piece of sweet soul, sounding like a
lovestruck version of The Impressions but with funkier harmonies. The lo-fi
production includes brass and a chiming keyboard I can’t identify. The warm
blend of the group’s voices is moving; there’s so much talent, hope and
sincerity in their singing. If Haywood felt nervous to be in the lead role, it
doesn’t show in his performance. His ebullient voice is perfect for the
hymn-like song’s emotions. It’s a beauty.
Arock had little luck getting their records publicized or reviewed. In 1964, Cash Box deigned to review one of their releases (the prior single in their catalog) but their singles show up on playlists and in lists of uncharted records that had strong regional interest.
“Too Much,” the
side the teenagers disliked, is a vocal powerhouse that suggests the members of
the Playboys had some gospel music experience. Their harmonies and vocal attack
are superb, and the slightly ragged production adds to the atmosphere. Listen
to how Haywood sings in unison with another Playboy in some passages.
To my ears, this
is the more triumphant side. It captures what this group had to offer and
reward multiple listens. I often feel a sense of loss when I encounter a
one-record group or artist; the pang is exquisite here because these two sides
are so warm and affecting. I wish there were more recordings by this group,
made at this time, but…
Members of this
group went to other combos such as The Ascots and, later in the decade, Scacy
and The Sound Service, who made some D.C.-based soul/funk records that are
sought-after by music collectors.
Wow! Love these--thanks for the post, Frank! I agree with the Impressions reference you made...I'm a sucker for anything with that Chicago Soul feel... the writing structure, the approach to harmony vocals, the horn parts. Really nice vocals on these two tracks. Very natural and unaffected. I'm wondering if the chiming keyboard part you mentioned may have been a glockenspiel or other xylophone-like instrument?
ReplyDeleteTwo cool songs! To my ears these guys portend the harmony and funk sounds ahead that McCoy will use in his work with the Stylistics in the early '70s.
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