The Impacts (1) aka The Blue Chips (2)

The Impacts (1) (Brooklyn, New York)
aka The Blue Chips (2)

Personnel :

Kenneth Seymour (Lead and Baritone)

Steve Liebowitz (Tenor & Baritone)

Horace Brooks (Tenor)

Robert Baber (Bass)

Helen Powell  (Tenor)

Discography :

The Renditions(with Steve Liebowitz)
Unreleased :
1957 - Roses
1957 - My Juanita

The Impacts (1)
Singles :
1959 - Now Is The Time / Soup (Watts 5599)
1959 - Croc-O-Doll / Bobby Sox Squaw (RCA 7583)
1959 - Canadian Sunset / They Say (Watts 5600/RCA 7609)
1961 - Help me Somebody / Darling Now you're Mine (Carlton 548)
1965 - Just Because / Pigtails (DCP 1150)
Unreleased :
1958 - Here I am (End)

Kenny & The Impacts (1)
1965 - Wishing Well / Heartaches (DCP 1147)

The Blue Chips (2)
1961 - Puddles Of Tears / The Contest (RCA 7923)
1961 - Let It Ride / Adios Adios (RCA 7935)
1962 - Promise / One Hen (Groove 0006)

The Impact
1967 - My World Fell Down / Could You Love Me (MGM 13726)

Biography :

In 1957, Steve Liebowitz with his Brooklyn group the "Renditions" recorded a two-sided acappela Demo, "Rose" and "My Juanita". Steve would unite with fellow Bedford Styvesant Brooklynites, Horace Brooks (Tenor), Robert Baber (Bass), Kenneth Seymour (Lead and Baritone) and a Female tenor, Helen Powell who Steve eventually marry. They would record the novelty record "soup" backed with "Now is the Time" for the small Watts label in 1958. They left them for End records later in 1958, Recoding a song called "Here I am" which never came out.

   A year later they signed a contract with RCA where 4 sides were recorded and released. Steve Liebowitz was away on these recording and was replaced with Charles 'Churchill' Mattocks. After some personnel changes (Paul Fulton and Sammy Strain replaced Powell and Baber), the Group had one release for Carlton Records.  The Two new members were both from the Chips "Rubber Biscuit" and Sammy Strain also sang with the Fantastics, later with the Imperials and the O'Jays.

They Moved back to RCA (Two new releases) and would record for the Groove subsidiary but due to contractual problems they were forced to change their name to The Blue Chips. Bert Can now joined the group replacing Paul Fulton. Through their association with Richard Barret, they backed Pookie Hudson as his Spaniels and Earl Wade. They did Backup for Lenny Welch and Little Peggy March.

     
Pookie Hudson                                     Earl Wade                                             Little Peggy March                                          Lenny Welch

 Kenny Seymour saw the music scene changing and along with Sammy Strain he was joined by Harold Jenkins and Renaldo Gamble both from The Kodaks and The Schoolboys. The Group was rounded out by adding Allen Morton (Also from The Chips). The Group had two releases on DCP, the second as Kenny & The Impacts and a final release on MGM as the Impact.
Thanks to Robert Baber



Songs :

The Impacts (1)

       
Now Is The Time                        Soup                               Croc-O-Doll

         
Bobby Sox Squaw                 Canadian Sunset                   They Say

         
Help me Somebody            Darling Now you're Mine             Just Because


Pigtails

Kenny & The Impacts (1)

 
Wishing Well


The Blue Chips (2)

       
Puddles Of Tears                      The Contest                                     Let It Ride

     
Adios Adios                              Promise                                      One Hen

 The Impact

  
My World Fell Down                  Could You Love Me

....