Curtis Blandon
Interview 8 April 2004 (Part One)
Interviews Menu – Interviews
Well
start by picking up bits and pieces from you past, and deal first off with the
pre Scepter years. I’ll link this
back to the bio on your site; so I won’t repeat everything hear because what
you have put down is pretty comprehensive.
You
were born in the Deep South into a musical family. Did any of them sing professionally or in bars or anything?
my
family sung and played piano in the church no one played in bars or
clubs.
At what age were you when you
moved to New York – was that the start of your musical career or had you done
anything locally. At what time
would we be here? Looking for fame fortune and the lifestyle eh? How did it go, Did it look like things
were really going to take off?
i moved to new york at the age of 19
yrs old i was writing songs and recording in B.ham ala, i also played in local
night clubs with different bands the local bands all new me and would let me
sit in with them they used to call me little ray charles because i idolized ray
so much i tryed to play piano and sing like him, i also sung in the
church.
You were very close to
your brother at this point and your first impressions of New York must have
been great, then the Vocaleers, it was all happening?
Richard
and i were very close, my first impression of new york was "WOW" i
fell in love with ny right away, coming here was a dream come true, i met
Melvin Walton, Joe Duncan and Leo Fuller all members of the Vocallers, they had
heard about me thro my brother Richard , i auditioned with the group and became
a member of the vocaleers, i wrote and recorded some songs with the group but i
soon realized singing with vocal groups was not my thing i wanted to be a soul
singer.
But you decided to go solo,
what about 1963 – how did you come to make this decision. You recorded Soul and Mr
Imagination. What happened to
those cuts.
my
brother richard introduced me to Pete Alonzo ceo of "Port records pete
heard the song i had written Titled "SOUL" he loved it and recorded
"SOUL and "MR.IMAGINATION" nothing happened
with that record no promotion, i dont know who have the masters of those
recordings.
Then the draft – but you managed to keep busy in
music?
i
was drafted into the army july 1st 1964 i spent 18 months in germany i formed a
band we played the local clubs in Baumholder Germany on the weekends, i was
still writing songs every chance i got.
Then
meeting Sammy Turner led to a few good things – a production deal, and ‘I need
you’. What was the New York scene
like around this time, the mid 60’s, and how visible in it were you. Were you gigging or just writing
stuff. What kind of people were
around. Were you moving out of New
York at all.
meeting
Sammy Turner was a blessing sammy is truly a very nice guy, he helped me a lot,
the new york sene in the 60's was pure excitement there were plenty on night
clubs, and the Apollo Theater , i had a band we were playing 7 nights a week,
we played some of the best clubs in new york uptown and down town we also
played USO shows for the military i was also still writing and recording i was
trying to do it all, people in that era were different than the people of
today everyone new how to have a good time without the violence there are too
many guns
today.
Then it must have looked as if it was all going to come
together at Tower….but it didn’t.
What went wrong? They
weren’t really committed to the music?
yes Robert Banks and Richard Pittman
Produced an Recorded my 45 single "I NEED IT" they let "Tower
" records hear the finished product they flipped they loved it and signed
me to a record deal, i think they were committed they just didn't know how to
promote R&B music at that time
Tell me about
Sammy…….you were great friends
Sammy
Turner is a great singer and song writer some of the songs he wrote were
recorded by some well known recording artist, Sammy and .
i
did not hang out a lot together every time i would go down town i would almost
allways run into sammy we would sometimes have a drink together and discuss the
music industry he an i was allways so busy with our career's there wasn't much
time to
socialized.
And Bunny Jones, and how
she got the deal with Buddah but they didn’t promote either?
Bunny Jones was one hell of a lady she
new how to get you a record deal she was tough when she had to be but most of
all she was a very sweet lady, she produced me and got me the record deal with
Buddah Records they also did not promote my records i was giving my all but
getting nothing in
return.
Then you joined the
circuit with Richard and the Dubs.
This must have been good experience and as you say good for the
ladies..but hard work. Some of
those shows. I have been told were amazing, can you remember any billings you
were on and who you shared stage with.
There was camaraderie with other artists but also great competition too,
right? What’s your take on the
whole thing. Can you paint a picture of what it was like.
yes
it was truly a joy working with my brothers group the "Dubs" it was
different having been a single artist for so long and now singing with vocal
group again, it was a good experience i learned a lot and ladies nothing but
ladies beautiful ladies every where, yes i can remember sharing the stage with
the "Isly Brothers" , Little Joe (peanuts), "The Chantels,
Eugene Pitt and the Jive Five, the Mighty Dells, Major Lance(monky time) and
many more great groups, thare was always a little camaraderie among the groups
but i've never seen anyone fight over it was mostly talk about who's getting
top billing. i loved every minute
of it i wish it was possible to go back in time a relive those great times, the
best picture i can paint of those wonderful times is every day every minute was
like living a dream you never want to wake
up.
Theres a whole heap of
stories about life back then, music business being controlled by hoods, mafia
or both, the racism and so on. How did these kind of things effect you.
Whatever I guess it was pretty tough trying to break through.
The
mob did control the music industry they called all of the shots, having grown
up in B'ham ala and seeing and experiencing the ugly face of Racism i learned
not to let it get to me i just did what i had to do, but i did not experience
the racism in new york that i experienced in alabama,
What kind of popularity
did you have at this time and how difficult was it to break through in this
era. Was there ever any interest from overseas that you were aware of. Were you doing anything other than
music, i guess you were. What other things were you doing - did you have
a family by this time.
as
far as popularity i was always trying let the world know that i was here trying
to expose and promote my music have not been easy, i did not receive any
interest from overseas, i was so surprised to find out recently that my music
was so well known in the UK and Japan it really made me feel good to learn this
i said to myself that it was not all a waste after all. i have allays keep
a job with the music business up and down i had to maintain an income, i worked
in the Medical field i was a "Telemetry Technician " i am now
retired. i married in 1966 i have one daughter i was married for 20 years i
divorced in 1985.
Did you ever get back
home or was home by now New York.
i never went back to B,ham ala to live
just to visit my family i made new york my home.
Next time we will move
on to the Scepter years and beyond……….
Visitors: