The Fabulous Flames (2) (San Francisco)

 

Personnel :

Louis Madison

J.W. Archer

Willie "Snake" Johnson

Bill Hollings

Discography :

1961 - Do You Remember? / Get To Stepping (Bay-Tone 102)
1961 - Do You Remember? /  I Need You, Dear (Bay-Tone 102)
1961 - Lover / I'm So Alone (Bay-Tone 105°


Biography :

The James Brown's singing group, The Famous Flames, After the group's initial breakup in 1957, with original group members Bobby Byrd, Sylvester Keels, NaFloyd Scott, Nash Knox, and Johnny Terry leaving the group due to the group's managers Clint Brantley and Ben Bart giving James Brown top billing, Brown was having trouble keeping The Flames together.

James Brown & The Famous Flames

Several members came and went over the next several months, including Willie Johnson , Big Bill Hollings, J.W.Archer,  Louis Madison and others. One of the bigger bust-ups occurred in the spring of 1959. Hollings, Madison and Archer, who had sung on 'Try Me', had a big confusion out in Oakland, California  following a show at the Oakland auditorium at which they opened for Jackie Wilson, Ray Charles, and Hank Ballard & the Midnighters and James Brown left 'em all out there. The then-Flames claimed that Brown refused to pay them, while Brown claimed it was because of alcohol and drug use on the road. 

Bay-Tone label owner Brad Taylor & The Fabulous Flames :Madison, Archer, Johnson and Hollings

It led to one of the many confusing backwaters of Famous Flames discography Of the marooned ex-Flames, Madison was the busier, forming  a group called The Fabulous Flames . They recorded three singles in 1959 for the Bay-Tone, a San Franciscan outlet started by Bradley Taylor. Either way, they were fired by Brown, who, by this time, had assumed full literal and financial control of the Famous Flames following the departure of group founder Bobby Byrd.

The Famous Flames (l to r): Bobby Byrd, Bobby Bennett & “Baby” Lloyd Stallworth

Lloyd was recruited as a replacement member of the group one year later, along with Bobby Bennett, and returning members Bobby Byrd and Johnny Terry.These men, along with Brown, became the permanent Famous Flames lineup.

Songs :

The Fabulous Flames (2)

  
Do You Remember? / Get To Stepping     I Need You, Dear

    
Lover                                    I'm So Alone                   Do You Remember (alt.)


James Brown & The Famous Flames


Try Me

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