Top Willis Miller & John McGueBottom : Charles Godfrey, Luther Bond, Sedrick Cox & Clyde Giles

Luther Bond & The Emeralds (1)  (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Personnel :

Luther Bond (Lead)

Sedrick Cox (First Tenor)

Charles Godfrey (Second Tenor)

Willis Miller (Baritone)

Clyde Giles (Bass)

John McGue (Guitar)

Discography :

Singles :
1954 - What If You / See What You Done ((Savoy 1124)
1954 - Starlight, Starbright / You Were My Love (Savoy 1131)
1955 - It's Written In The Stars / I Won't Believe You Anymore (Savoy 1159)
1956 - I Cry / He Loves You Baby (Federal 12279)
1959 - Gold Will Never Do / Jitterbug Jamboree (Showboat 1501)
1959 - Old Mother Nature / Six Foot Hole (Federal 12368)
1960 - Someone To Love Me / Should I Love You So Much (Showboat 1505)

Unreleased:
1954 - Chica-Lee (Savoy)
1954 - Love Again (Savoy)

Biography :

The Emeralds got together in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio during the spring of 1953. The members of the group were lead singer Luther Bond, baritone Will Miller, tenor voices Charles Godfrey and Sedrick Cox, and bass Clyde Giles. As they worked on their harmony and stage presence, they were encouraged to try their hand at area amateur shows. Soon they had themselves a manager who was a local radio personality named Ernie Waits. He searched around looking for a chance for the new vocal group to have an opportunity to record and soon they hit paydirt with the Savoy Record Company located in Newark, New Jersey.  

   

A short time after New Year's Say in 1954, The Emeralds gathered in their home town for a session with the label. With some session musicians (Russ Hampton, Edwin Conley, Wilbur Jackson, and Charles Montgomery) they recorded the songs "See What You Done" and "What If You" on # 1124. The record was listed as by Luther Bond "And His Emeralds". In June of the year Savoy releases two songs from the January session - "You Were My Love" and "Starlight, Starbright" on Savoy # 1131.  The group had another recording session for the label in late March of 1955, again in Cincinnati.

By this time Wardell Fallon had replaced Charles Godfrey with the group. "It's Written In The Stars" and "I Won't Believe You Anymore" were released by Savoy on # 1159. Two other tunes were recorded - "I'll Love Again" and "Chicka-Lee" but were never issued. By the end of 1955, the Emeralds had split up . Willis Miller, Clyde Giles, and Sedrick Cox then got back together with Charles Godfrey, and, with the addition of lead tenor Harold Davis (a neighborhood friend), they formed the Victorials.

The Victorials : Charles Godfrey, Willis Miller, Harold Davis, Sedrick Cox & Clyde Giles

By the beginning of the new year (1956) Luther Bond had put together a new group of Emeralds consisting of John Johnson, Willie King, and Robert Trice. John McGue was the group's accompanist on guitar. This time they scored a recording deal with home town company Federal Records. In September of 1956 Luther Bond & The Emeralds recorded "I Cry" and "He Loves You Baby" on Federal # 12279. By November it was a pick hit in the trade press especially in Cincinnati. The record however never really took off and The Emeralds receded into R & B oblivion - for a couple of years anyway.

The Emeralds : Charles Godfrey, Jerry Rembert, Luther Bond, Robert Trice & Willie King

In the summer of 1959, Luther Bond & The Emeralds hooked up with Showboat Records based in Nashville, Tennessee. This label was in partnership with New York based Apollo Records and recorded the group with the tunes "Gold Will Never Do" and "Jitterbug Jamboree" on Showboat # 1501. The record got initial airplay in the cities of Nashville and Memphis, but sales went flat and did not get national attention. In November Federal Records released two songs by the group that had been held in the can for two years. The songs "Old Mother Nature" and "Six Foot Hole" were released on # 12368. Not helping the group's attempt at resurrecting their career, Ray Scrivener was involved in selling off his Republic Records label and also buying out his share of Showboat Records from Apollo.  The group had one more recording session that resulted in "Someone To Love Me" and "Should I Love You So Much" on Showboat in early 1960. Soon after that record also failed to get much attention, Luther Bond & The Emeralds called it quits.
http://www.uncamarvy.com/Emeralds/emeralds.html




Songs :

     
     What If You                       See What You Done                 Starlight, Starbright

     
You Were My Love              It's Written In The Stars                         I Cry           

  
       Gold Will Never Do / Jitterbug Jamboree           Old Mother Nature / Six Foot Hole      

  
          Someone To Love Me       Should I Love You So Much      

…