Carl Rogers, James Pate, Edison Thompson (top), Leroy Smith, Charlie Harris & Paul McCoy

The Drivers (1) (Cincinnati, OH)

Personnel :

Charlie Harris

Leroy Harmshaw

Carl Rogers

Leroy Smith

Willie Price

Discography :

The Drivers (1)
1956 - Women / Smooth, Slow And Easy (De Luxe 6094)
1957 - My Lonely Prayer / Midnight Hours (De Luxe 6104)
1957 - Dangerous Lips / Oh Miss Nellie (De Luxe 6117)
1957 - Blue Moon / I Get Weak (RCA 7023)
1958 - Teeter Totter / A Man’s Glory (Lin 1002)
1962 - Mr. Astronaut / Dry Bones Twist    (King 5645)

Charlie Harris
1959 - Won't You Come Back? / Because Of My Love For You (King 5238)   

Biography :

Five drivers of a transport company in Cincinnati, Ohio , met in his spare time to make vocal harmonies in the garages of the company. A simple fun in the beginning but they was absorbing more time and finally decided to pursue it professionally. They started singing in various clubs rhythm & blues songs, with great success of the parishioners. 

The Drivers on RCA - Leroy Smith, Carl Rogers, Paul McCoy, James Pate, Charlie Harris & Edison Thompson

They were lucky that there was a musician who worked in a record store and, impressed with the boys, he mentioned it to his boss. This was told to turn to Sydney Nathan, head of King Records, the influential and legendary local record, who joined them shortly thereafter. Nathan tested them in its subsidiary DeLuxe, with the single "Women" b/w "Smooth, Slow And Easy".

   

They followed "My Lonely Prayer" b/w "Midnight Hours"(1957) and "Dangerous lips" (1957), with the great gospel-rock "Oh Miss Nellie" on side B. They had only accepted locally, perhaps because of the lack of promotion and runs suited to their talent, so his contract with the powerful RCA, which had set them sold.  There they released one single, "Blue Moon", the classic doo-wop but with rhythms of cha-cha-cha. It was stupid, especially taking into account that on side B was infinitely superior "I get weak."

  

They also made one Single on the modest stamp Lin "A man's Glory" b/w "Teeter tooter". After having changed much of their training, Paul McCoy as were James Pate and Edison Thompson, they  returned to King, who  now depended almost exclusively on the successes of James Brown. To join the bandwagon, Drivers  somewhat altered his style, making a curious mixture of du-DUA and soul that he was imposing, resulting in hybrid, not bad, "Mr. Astronaut" ( 1962). It is a good topic, but had to decant and drivers did not, so the absence of a great success decided to separate.

Songs :

The Drivers (1)

     
Women                        Smooth, Slow And Easy                  My Lonely Prayer

     
Midnight Hours                      Dangerous Lips                      Oh Miss Nellie

     
Blue Moon                           I Get Weak                                  Teeter Totter

     
A Man’s Glory                   Mr. Astronaut                          Dry Bones Twist 




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