Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights

Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights (Detroit, Michigan)

Personnel :

Nathaniel Mayer (Lead)

Henry Ferguson

Harold Smith

Robert Coates

Robert James

Charles ? Rufus ? and Dorothy ?


Discography :

1962 - My Last Dance With You / My Little Darling (Fortune 542)
1962 - Village Of Love / I Want A Woman (Fortune 545 /UA 449/UA 1625)
1962 - Well, I've Got Good News (For You) / Work It Out (Fortune 550)
1962 - Well, I've Got Good News (For You) / Mr. Santa Claus (Bring Me My Baby) (Fortune 550)
1962 - I'm Not Gonna Cry / I Had A Dream (Fortune 554)
1962 - Hurting Love / Leave Me Alone (Fortune 487 /UA 447)
1963 - Going Back To The Village Of Love / My Last Dance With You (Fortune 557)


Biography :

Born in Detroit on February 10, 1944, Nathaniel Mayer was just 18 years old when he began his recording career for the local small, independent Fortune Records, which had been in operation since 1946 under the ownership of the husband-and-wife team of Jack and Devora Brown. Known affectionately as Nay Dog, his energetic antics on stage coupled with his powerfully-raw vocals put one in mind of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

But, unlike Brown who would score well over 100 hit singles and many best-selling albums on his way to the R&R Hall Of Fame (1986), Mayer is forever a member of the One-Hit Wonder Club, that being his May/June 1962 # 18 R&B and # 22 Billboard Pop Hot 100 Village Of Love, billed as Nathaniel Mayer & His Fabulous Twilights (again emulating Brown's Famous Flames) on Fortune 449 b/w I Want A Woman.

The complete make-up of The Fabulous Twilights, however, has never been fully established with the only known names being Henry Ferguson, Harold Smith, Robert Coates and Robert James who, with other so far unidentified members, seemed to alternate from record to record. This Village Of Love was not only the best nationally-charted hit for Fortune, but seemingly their ONLY hit, tells you that, despite a distribution arrangement with United Artists, they simply could not compete with the big boys when it came to funding promotion.

 And that's too bad because they did cut some discs with artists like Nolan Strong, Andre Williams & The Don Juans, John Lee Hooker and Big Maceo. And certainly, had these releases by Nathaniel Mayer been handled by a larger independents such as the Motown empire, or one of the giants like RCA Victor or Columbia, you just know some - if not all - would have gotten him back on the national charts:


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

     
My Last Dance With You          My Little Darling                 Village Of Love

     
I Want A Woman               I'm Not Gonna Cry              I Had A Dream

     
       Hurting Love                  Leave Me Alone          Going Back To The Village Of Love

     
Well I've Got Good News (For You)            Work It Out       Mr. Santa Claus (Bring Me My Baby)



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