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London Fog & The Continentals Story

London Fog & The Continentals Story

Around 1966, after performing acappella for a couple of years, The Continentels were in a search for a band, after all, everyone else had one, so, although we always killed with our harmony, our humor, and our infectious hand-clapping, we decided that we needed a band.
Bozie and I were both students at Dunbar H.S., while Quinn went to Chaminade, He brought us together with some friends of his from school who were starting a band called the London Fog. (yes, from the raincoat.) It was fun from the jump, and we were ecstatic to finally have a band. (Sidebar; there was another brighteyed, personable young man from Chaminade who we all liked upon meeting him. He expressed an interest in singing with us, but we never got the chance to work him in. His name? Johnnie Wilder (guess he got over it and moved on huh? Our loss.) . I must confess a sense of pride in seeing a Heatwave concert
containing elements of LF&C shows, guess someone was taking notes.
We attacked our stageshows with total abandon, once we had music behind us. The Fog were great pupils of the funk that I taught them to play for us. I like to call them the AWB of the 60’s. They maintained their own identity as well, opening our shows with some Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears. Then we came out, suited, tuxedoed, and gowned, to slam you with some Tempts, some Aretha, or even some Linda Jones or Gene Chandler, before wearing you out with an Otis Redding or James Brown medley to take home with you! We came on stage looking like dignitaries, and left the stage looking like we’d been shot out of a cannon, emotionally and physically drained. And me usually with my pants split. But I digress……
We were ground-breakers as Dayton’s 1st fully integrated band and group, this diversity gave us the ability to kick ass on “either side of the bridge” , so to speak. (Yeah, we caught some flak for it too). We felt that if the show was good enough, People would forget about skin color, and we were right! We were accepted in black and white venues.
We also became the 1st group to have our own television show. It was in 1969. 1:00 on Saturday afternoons, and it was called “Do Your Thing“. We guest hosted many of the artists mentioned, in the DMG. The show ran for two years.
We also cut a hit single, called ‘Easy Mover’ which Loretta sang lead on, written by Brenda Lee Jones.
We did extensive tours of the east coast, enlisting many Dayton artists to fill-in as hosts on the show. (Roger, the Del-vons, the Players etc……)
Besides our club dates, we acted as openers for acts such as David Ruffin (at the Palladium, in fact!). Sam and Dave and the Bee Gees (yes, I said the Bee Gees). From the Diamond Club to the Ebony Club, It was a great, wild ride, and a part of my life that I’ll never forget, or ever regret.
Unfortunately, there is very little paraphenelia that was saved from our group. Hell, we didn’t
know we were making history, (I don’t think that anyone did at the time!). I do know that there is a picture in the Afro-American museum at Wilberforce.

I just thought of something else ; The London fog was’nt our 1st band, we did a short stint with the Fabulous Originals, Lester Mulberry, RAYMOND Mulberry and Bobby Allen. We quit in a labor dispute. We used to do Sunday afternoon matinees at the Palace theater and we found out that while we were paid $5 per show, the band was making $8! Bobby’s grandmother, Angel, handled the finances.

By John Mortimer. (RIP John. We miss you)

January 27, 2016 Posted by dmgmaster | HOME, Stories | Leave a comment

The New DMG

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We are finally updating the Dayton Music Guide. During the Construction please visit the old site at Dayton Music Guide

Yes, it was about 43 years ago. The Ohio Players were promoting the record, “PAIN”, at the Lakeview Paladium, and our group, The Stone Soul Image got the opening act gig. We were seasoned veterns of three years. We had opened for the Delfonics twice, David Ruffin and had two Motown auditions under our belts.

At some point after the show, I had a chance to chat with one of OP lead singers, Leroy Bonner – Sugarfoot. He grinned at me and said “you can sing.” All I could say was “thanks but I aint no Sugarfoot.” He said, “naw, I can sang, but you be singing.”

I never forget that brief conversation, but it wasn’t until last Sunday that I came to know what he meant. Sugar had been my Sensei and the Palladium stage was his dojo.

When he made the distinction between sanging and singing, I didn’t grasp the idea of the raw vocal gymnastics that he had developed after years of starring a girl in the eye and making her feel his voice rumble through her body. He was an entertainer. I, on the other hand had studied vocal training and harmony in the evenings with Charles Spencer and sang tenor in the male chorus at Colonel White, under Ms.Carol Harris. They taught us melody and sight reading. What I was doing was art. What Sugar was doing was craft.

Sunday night, I did a show, backing up another colorful Dayton musician, Alan Foster. It was pure craft. Alan had a group of sweet harmony singing ladies, and I was just there to bring 43 years of craft to the table, filling in any hole in the harmony – in real time, while looking the ladies in the audience straight in the eye, so they felt that the songs we sang were directed at them.

Now to the point.
That same night, Alan introduced his audience to a young man named Abraham. This guy can sing. He is blessed with a set of vocal pipes that allow him to push notes above a musical bed and let you almost breath his melody, and he does it with seemingly total ease. It was at that moment that I saw the difference in what he does and what I do. He sings, and I sang, and with that knowledge, passed down from sensei – Sugarfoot, 43 years ago, I earn my wings. I used to sing, but now I can sang.

November 12, 2015 Posted by dmgmaster | HOME | Leave a comment

Sing, Sang, Song

Yes, it was about 43 years ago. The Ohio Players were promoting the record, “PAIN”, at the Lakeview Paladium, and our group, The Stone Soul Image got the opening act gig. We were seasoned veterns of three years. We had opened for the Delfonics twice, David Ruffin and had two Motown auditions under our belts.

At some point after the show, I had a chance to chat with one of OP lead singers, Leroy Bonner – Sugarfoot. He grinned at me and said “you can sing.” All I could say was “thanks but I aint no Sugarfoot.” He said, “naw, I can sang, but you be singing.”

I never forget that brief conversation, but it wasn’t until last Sunday that I came to know what he meant. Sugar had been my Sensei and the Palladium stage was his dojo.

When he made the distinction between sanging and singing, I didn’t grasp the idea of the raw vocal gymnastics that he had developed after years of starring a girl in the eye and making her feel his voice rumble through her body. He was an entertainer. I, on the other hand had studied vocal training and harmony in the evenings with Charles Spencer and sang tenor in the male chorus at Colonel White, under Ms.Carol Harris. They taught us melody and sight reading. What I was doing was art. What Sugar was doing was craft.

Sunday night, I did a show, backing up another colorful Dayton musician, Alan Foster. It was pure craft. Alan had a group of sweet harmony singing ladies, and I was just there to bring 43 years of craft to the table, filling in any hole in the harmony – in real time, while looking the ladies in the audience straight in the eye, so they felt that the songs we sang were directed at them.

Now to the point.
That same night, Alan introduced his audience to a young man named Abraham. This guy can sing. He is blessed with a set of vocal pipes that allow him to push notes above a musical bed and let you almost breath his melody, and he does it with seemingly total ease. It was at that moment that I saw the difference in what he does and what I do. He sings, and I sang, and with that knowledge, passed down from sensei – Sugarfoot, 43 years ago, I earn my wings. I used to sing, but now I can sang.

November 12, 2015 Posted by dmgmaster | Stories | Leave a comment

Greetings

…Those who grew up in the Dayton, Ohio area between the mid 60s and the early 80s can testify to the bold funk and musical excellence of the many talented musicians, singers, and all around entertainers that evolved. Some of these groups rose to the heights of popular music, and are still entertaining the troops, in old school shows. Those who were there to witness the caliber of entertainment that we took for granted will always wonder why more of the Dayton Funksters never made it to the top. This Website won’t answer that question, but it is a fantastic voyage back into your memories. For 10 years now, this has been the old school library of all things Dayton – the original Unsung. Here we stockpile the pictures, the stories, and the music of Dayton. Now we can all commune and network together on the interactive DMG playground that has been formed on facebook. God Bless social Networking. I urge you to join that DMG group and add your voice to the chorus.
If you have a biography or information that you would like to see included, drop us a line.

“All we’re selling in this business is fantasy, and memories”
-George Clark.

December 27, 2014 Posted by dmgmaster | HOME | Leave a comment

ARCHIVES – Floyd Bailey Collection

Floyd Bailey Collection

Before she left for Atlanta, Dayton native Dottie Peoples worked in clubs around the Gem City as Lil Dot. Not sure where this gig is at, with that wooden pole up front, but that looks like Mike Manley(aka: Mikael Man) on guitar on the right. Who are the other guys pictured here?	Billy Brooks, I think Floyd and Sugarfoot at Gilly’s jazz club.
This looks like Lakeside with Marvin Craig and Stevie Shockley on the stage, is that Terry Williams on drums? Up front it looks like Tiemeyer McCain, Thomas Shelby, and Mark Wood.	Floyd Bailey and Marshall Jones of The Ohio Players jamming.