Excerpts from Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records and the Rise of Philly Soul
When Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes performed on Landa, Phil-LA of Soul and Arctic Records, the gorup included, besides Harold Melvin, John Adkins as the lead singer Lawrence Parks and Bernard Wilson. Richard Barrett, the former lead singer of the Valentines and the man who discovered Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and the Chantels, wrote and produced “Get Out (And Let Me Cry),” the Blue Notes’ only Landa single (Adkins handled the lead vocal). It was a #38 R&B hit in early ’65, the ethereal ballad “You May Not Love Me” gracing the flip. Meanwhile, former member Bernard Williams had formed the Original Blue Notes and released “Needless To Say” on Harthon.
The Blue Notes stayed loyal to the Jamie/Guyden family by turning next to Arctic in 1967. Harold Melvin wrote the breathtaking ballad “Go Away,” its sophisticated arrangement lending classy, pop-accessible ambiance. The infectious mid-tempo flip “What Can A Man Do” was the first Gamble and Huff composition that the Blue Notes waxed. The group moved on, pausing for late ‘60s one-offs at Checker and Uni before reuniting with Gamble and Huff at Philly International.
By then they’d added Teddy Pendergrass to their payroll. Melvin had lost his entire group in 1970 and reached out to a phony bunch of touring Cadillacs as replacements. Teddy came in as road drummer before his incredible pipes forced Harold to elevate him to primary lead status. As soon as Teddy Bear roared “I Miss You” in 1972, Melvin and the Blue Notes finally made all those years of gigging on the lounge circuit pay dividends: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “The Love I Lost,” and “Bad Luck” were among their mega-hit followups.
After a few years of fame and fortune together, Pendergrass left the group in 1976, launching an extremely successful solo career at Philly International prior to the tragic 1982 auto accident that paralyzed him. Melvin soldiered on until a stroke that he never fully recovered from led to his March 24, 1997 death in Philly. Wilson died December 26, 2010 in New Jersey.
