(L to R) Stan Bracely, Carl Jones, Mickey Stevenson  & Joe Miles 

The Mello-Dees  (Detroit)
aka The Love-Tones

 
Personnel :

Carl Jones (Lead)

Mickey Stevenson (Tenor)

Joe Miles (Baritone)

Stan Bracely (Bass)

Discography :

Herman Griffin & The Mello-Dees
1960 - Hurry Up And Marry Me / Do You Want To See My Baby (Anna 1115/Stepp 237)

Tall Tonio (Tony Clark) & The Mello-Dee’s
1960 - Hod Rod Car / Ten Reasons (Stepp 235)

Marvin Gaye & The Love-Tones
1962 - Soldier's Plea / Taking My Time (Tamla 54063)

Gino Parks & The Love-Tones
1962 - For This I Thank You / Fire (Tamla 54066)

Henry Lumpkin & The Love-Tones
1962 - Mo Jo Hanna / Break Down And Sing (Motown 1029


Mary Wells & The Love-Tones
1962 - The One Who Really Loves You / I'm Gonna Stay (Motown 1024)
1962 - You Beat Me To The Punch / Old Love (Let's Try It Again) (Motown 1032)
1963 - Laughing Boy / Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right (Motown 1039)

 

Biography :

Just as The Andantes were Motown's female backing singers of note, so The Love-Tones were briefly their male equivalents. When the Teardrops dissolved after one single for Sampson in 1952/53, Stan Bracely & Carl Jones stayed together and with baritone Joe Miles  and second tenor Mickey Stevenson, they formed the Mello-dees. Initially, they backed Herman Griffin & Tony Clarke’s first single under the name of Tall Tonio for Mickey Stevenson's Stepp Records in 1960, but when Stevenson quit singing to concentrate on producing, they changed their name to the Love Tones and became the in-house male backing group.

                                                                                                 Tony Clark (Tall Tonio)

Although their contributions were usually credited, they were seldom if ever allowed to release anything under their own name, with the result their contribution to Motown would be easy to overlook. However, Carl Jones, Mickey Stevenson, Joe Miles and Stan Bracely had recorded under their own name.

  Mary Wells                                                              Gino Parks                                                   Marvin Gaye            

Whilst at Motown they appeared on recordings by Marvin Gaye (Soldier Boy), Henry Lumpkin (Mo Jo Hanna),  Gino Parks (For This I Thank You), Mary Wells on her big 1962 hits, “The One Who Really Loves You” and “You Beat Me To The Punch” and many other singers, sometimes credited. They exited Motown in 1962 and seemingly broke up thereafter, although they reformed for a series of recordings for Ian Levine's Motorcity label in the 1990s.






Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

Herman Griffin & The Mello-Dees

Hurry Up And Marry Me / Do You Want To See My Baby


Marvin Gaye & The Love-Tones

  
Soldier's Plea                      Taking My Time



Gino Parks & The Love-Tones

  
For This I Thank You                                 Fire


Henry Lumpkin & The Love-Tones

  
Mo Jo Hanna                     Break Down And Sing


Mary Wells & The Love-Tones

     
The One Who Really Loves You           I'm Gonna Stay      You Beat Me To The Punch

     
Old Love (Let's Try It Again)            Laughing Boy            Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right






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