The Ravens
The Ravens | |
|---|---|
| Genres | R&B,doo-wop |
| Years active | 1946–1958 |
| Labels | Hub,National,King,Columbia,OKeh,Mercury,Jubilee |
| Past members | Jimmy "Ricky" Ricks Warren "Birdland" Suttles Leonard "Zeke" Puzey Ollie Jones Maithe Marshall Joe Medlin Richie Cannon Louis Heyward Joe Van Loan Louis Frazier Jimmie Steward Tommy Evans Willie Ray Willis Sanders Bob Kornegay David "Boots" Bowers Paul Van Loan James Van Loan Aaron "Tex" Cornelius Grant Kitchings |
The Ravenswere an AmericanR&Bvocalgroup,formed in 1946 by Jimmy Ricks and Warren Suttles.[1]They were one of the most successful and most influential vocal quartets of the period, and had several hits on the R&B chart in the late 1940s and early 1950s.[2]
Career
[edit]Jimmy "Ricky" Ricks was born inAdrian, Georgia.His mother was 14 when he was born. She went toFloridato find a better job. Jimmy lived with his aunt and uncle, Marnie and Luther Ricks until he was 13 and moved toJacksonville, Floridato be with his mother.[3]DuringWorld War II,Jimmy moved toNew York City,where he worked as a waiter inHarlemand met Warren "Birdland" Suttles fromFairfield, Alabamawhich is southwest ofBirmingham, Alabama.In early 1946, they decided to form a vocal group and recruited Leonard "Zeke" Puzey, who had recently won a talent contest at theApollo Theater,andOllie Jones.They found a manager, Ben Bart, and an accompanist,Howard Biggsand made their first recordings for Bart's small Hub record label.[3]They called themselves the Ravens thus initiating a trend for vocal groups to name themselves after birds—groups who later followed includedthe Orioles,the Crows,the Larks,the Robinsandthe Penguins.
Although the group was strongly influenced bythe Ink Spots,the Delta Rhythm Boys,andthe Mills Brothers,they used Jimmy Ricks'bassvoice, rather than a more conventionaltenor,as the lead on many of their recordings. It became their trademark style.[1]Their material was also more varied, including elements ofpop,jazz,R&B, andgospelstyles.
After their initial single, "Honey", Jones left the group and was replaced by Maithe Marshall. The contrast between Ricks' bass voice and Marshall's tenor became integral to their success. In 1947 the Ravens left the Hub label to joinNational Records,and had immediatehitson what was called at the time the "race records"chart with a version of"Ol' Man River"(from the musicalShow Boat) and "Write Me A Letter", which rose to no. 5 on the "race" chart and crossed over to the pop chart.[3][4]Their run of successes on what came to be known as theR&B chartcontinued through to early 1950, with the basic line-up of Ricks, Suttles, Puzey, and Marshall essentially remaining together for several years. Their version of "Count Every Star"(1950) was later used in thefilmRevolutionary Road.[citation needed]
The Ravens primarily existed to showcase bass singer Ricks; they were very successful and Ricks' voice became the standard against which every rhythm and blues bass was measured for the next generation. Although the group had relatively few chart hits, they were popular inconcert,commanding a fee of $2,000 a night.[1]The group recorded forColumbia Recordsand its subsidiaryOKehin 1950, before moving to theMercurylabel. In 1951 Marshall and Puzey both left; Joe Van Loan became a long-term replacement for Marshall as lead tenor, and there were various other shorter-term group members.[3]The group had its final hit on the R&B chart in late 1952, when "Rock Me All Night Long" rose to no. 4, the highest position the group reached in their career.[4]
In 1953 they moved to theJubileelabel, but with the rise ofrock and rolltheir style became increasingly unfashionable.[1]After several earlier breaks from the group, Suttles left for the final time in 1954. Ricks left for asolocareer in 1956. After his departure, the group was led by Joe Van Loan, who at one point brought his brothers Paul and James into the group; however, the group finally disbanded in 1958.[3]
Ricks recorded as a solo singer without notable success for a number of labels, includingAtlanticwhere he also recorded withLaVern BakerandLittle Esther.In 1971, he and Suttles temporarily revived the Ravens, with additional membersGregory Carrolland Jimmy Breedlove. At the time of his death, at the age of 49 in 1974, he was the vocalist for theCount Basieorchestra.[1]Suttles, Puzey and Marshall also appeared together, with Evans, as the Ravens in 1974.[3]Another reunion was held by the United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA) in 1987. The reunion again featured Suttles, Puzey, and Marshall as well as Jones. As both Ricks and Evans had passed away (in 1974 and 1984 respectively), lead on "Without A Song" was sung by Suttles.
The Ravens were inducted into TheVocal Group Hall of Famein 1998.[5]In 2006, Suttles accepted the Harlem Jazz & Music Festival 2006 Rhythm & Blues award on the group's behalf.[3]
Group members
[edit]Original members
[edit]- Jimmy "Ricky" Ricks (James Thomas Ricks, August 6, 1924 – July 2, 1974)[6](member 1946–1956)
- Warren "Birdland" Suttles (February 20, 1925 – July 24, 2009)[7][8](1946–1948, 1949–1950, 1952–1954, 1974, 1987)
- Leonard "Zeke" Puzey (August 20, 1926 – October 2, 2007)[9](1946–1951, 1953, 1974, 1987)
- Henry Oliver "Ollie" Jones (December 9, 1923 – October 4, 1990)[10](1946–1947, 1987)
Later members
[edit]
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Piano
[edit]- Howard Biggs (1946–1949)
- Bill Sanford (1949–1957)
- Bill Chambers (1957–1958)[3]
Discography
[edit]Singles
[edit]| Year | Song | US R&B [2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | "Be on Your Merry Way" | 13 |
| "Bye Bye Baby Blues" | 8 | |
| "It's Too Soon to Know" | 11 | |
| "Ol' Man River" | 10 | |
| "Send for Me If You Need Me" | 5 | |
| "Silent Night" | 8 | |
| "Write Me a Letter" | 5 | |
| 1949 | "Ricky's Blues" | 8 |
| "White Christmas" | 9 | |
| 1950 | "I Don't Have to Ride No More" | 9 |
| 1951 | "Honey I Don't Want You" | – |
| 1952 | "Rock Me All Night Long" | 4 |
References
[edit]- ^abcdeEder, Bruce."The Ravens | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links".AllMusic.
- ^ab"The Ravens Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography".Music VF.Retrieved16 April2022.
- ^abcdefgh"Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks – The Ravens – Part 1".Uncamarvy.com.
- ^abWhitburn, Joel(1996).Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995.Record Research. p. 364.
- ^"The Vocal Group Hall of Fame: The Ravens".Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.
- ^ab"The Dead Rock Stars Club – The 1970s".Thedeadrockstarsclub.com.
- ^"The Dead Rock Stars Club 2009 July to December".Thedeadrockstarsclub.com.
- ^Hinckley, David."As an era fades, another voice - Warren Suttles - is gone".New York Daily News.Archived fromthe originalon March 22, 2016.Retrieved16 April2022.
- ^"The Dead Rock Stars Club 2007 July To December".Thedeadrockstarsclub.com.
- ^Talevski, Nick (April 7, 2010).Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door.Omnibus Press. p. 320.ISBN9780857121172– via Google Books.
- ^"The Dead Rock Stars Club – The 1980s".Thedeadrockstarsclub.com.
- ^Liner notes by Joel Dorn on Austin Cromer's LP (vinyl)Sings for HerAtlantic 8107.
External links
[edit]- The Ravensdiscography atDiscogs
- Detailed history of group,byBilly Vera,2003
- Detailed discography
- 'The Ravens'Vocal Group Hall of FamePage
- Jimmy Ricks discography
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