The Lavenders (2)

 The Lavenders (2) (Camden, PA.)


Personnel :

Cal Tilley (Lead)

Brent Edwards

Leon Huff

Kelvin Nesmith

Buster Williams (Bass)

Discography :

The Lavenders (2)
1961 - Slide / Angel (CR 1003)   
1961 - That Lucky Old Sun / Cool It Down (CR 1005)

Brent Edwards
1962 - Time After Time / Satin Doll (Karen 57)
1963 - Pride / Over The Weekend (Karen 60)  

Biography :

After one single with his Overbrook High School group, Dale & The Cashmeres on the tiny label Matt Records, Lead singer Brent Edwards joined another group fronted by future legendary Leon Huff. Leon Huff, born April 8, 1942 and raised here on Ferry Avenue, was exposed to music through his mother, who played piano and organ in Camden for the 19th Street Baptist Church choir. Huff participated in several Camden "doo-wop" groups, including the Dynaflows, which auditioned for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour. Leon Huff was the piano player.

The Dynaflows with Leon Huff (piano)

With some personnel changes the group evolved into The Lavenders.  In 1962 songwriter/record producer John Madara visited a club in West Philadelphia. There was the Lavenders and the piano player was Leon Huff. ohn Madara was so impressed with Leon that he invited him to play on some of his and partner, Dave White's, productions. John and Dave's offices were in the Shubert Building in Philadelphia. The Shubert building, like the Brill Building in New York, housed some of the most successful songwriters and artists in the business -- Linda Creed, Thom Bell and an unknown at the time by the name of Kenny Gamble, who worked with record producer Jerry Ross.

   
Leon Huff                                                                 Brent Edwards    

JHuff’s Earliest recordings happened with the Lavenders. The group recorded  "Slide" b/w "Angel" (CR 1003) and was an early Jerry Ross production of a song written by his partner Murray Wetch. “The Slide,” which was typical of the dance fad genre so popular during that era, was a commercial failure, but it is a fine anticipatory example of Huff’s rollicking, staccato-like boogie-woogie piano groove. Huff teamed with Kenny Gamble to become one of the most prolific songwriting teams in Rock ‘n’ Roll history.

Gamble and Huff 

Huff traveled regularly to between Philadelphia and New York City, becoming a well-known figure on the recording studio scene in Manhattan, and becoming acquainted with a host of major league songwriter/producers, such as Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and Phil Spector. After leaving the Lavenders in 1962,  Brent Edwards recorded "Time After Time" b/w "Satin Doll" for Karen Records, a label formed in Philadelphia in April 1962 by Ed Barsky who ran a local distribution firm. In 1963, he is still with Madara & White for his second single on the label with  "Pride" b/w "Over The Weekend".


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Lavenders (2)

  
Angel                                                  Slide

  
That Lucky Old Sun                               Cool It Down

 

Brent Edwards

  
     Pride                                       Over The Weekend


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