The Spokesmen

Last updated
The Spokesman in 1965: left to right: David White, John Madara, Ray Gilmore The Spokesmen.jpg
The Spokesman in 1965: left to right: David White, John Madara, Ray Gilmore

The Spokesmen were an American pop music trio. They scored a hit single in the U.S. in 1965 with the tune "The Dawn of Correction", which was a partially sarcastic counterpoint and answer record to Barry McGuire's protest song, "Eve of Destruction". The song was written by the group's members, John Medora, David White, and Ray Gilmore, the latter a long time radio personality at WIBG (Wibbage) 990AM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The tune hit #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They also released a remake of the Beatles' "Michelle" as a single on Decca Records that got significant airplay on WIBG. [1]

Contents

Co-composers White and Medora had previously co-written several hit singles, including "At the Hop" for Danny and the Juniors; "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore; and "1-2-3" for Len Barry. White died on March 16, 2019, at the age of 79. [2]

Members

Discography

Album

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Turtles</span> American rock band

The Turtles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby" (1966), "Happy Together" (1967), "She'd Rather Be with Me" (1967), "Elenore" (1968), and "You Showed Me" (1969).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve of Destruction (song)</span> 1965 song written by P. F. Sloan

"Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1965. Several artists have recorded it, but the most popular recording was by Barry McGuire, on which Sloan played guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Goffin</span> American lyricist (1939–2014)

Gerald Goffin was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", and "Go Away Little Girl". It was later said of Goffin that his gift was "to find words that expressed what many young people were feeling but were unable to articulate."

An answer song, response song or answer record is a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer songs were also popular in country music in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, sometimes as female responses to an original hit by a male artist or male responses to a hit by a female artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny & the Juniors</span> American doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group

Danny & the Juniors was an American doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally consisting of Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova, the group was formed in 1955. They are best known for their 1957 no. 1 hit "At the Hop" and their 1958 follow-up hit "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Williams (singer)</span> South African singer (1942–2005)

Danny Williams was a South African-born British pop singer who earned the nickname "Britain's Johnny Mathis", for his smooth and stylish way with a ballad. He is best known for his 1961 UK number one version of "Moon River" and his 1964 U.S. top ten hit, "White on White".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Robinson (record producer)</span> American record producer and songwriter

Morgan Clyde "Bobby" Robinson was an American independent record producer and songwriter in New York City, most active from the 1950s through the mid-1980s.

<i>The Ultimate Collection</i> (Barry White album) 2000 compilation album by Barry White

The Ultimate Collection, aka Gold and, later, Icon 2, is a retrospective 2-disc set of Barry White's career that was released in 2000. In 2008, it was substantially re-released as part of Universal Music's Gold series with the addition of the song "Baby, We Better Try To Get It Together" and the removal of the song "Love Makin' Music".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miki Howard</span> American singer (born 1960)

Alicia Michelle "Miki" Howard is an American R&B singer who had top 10 hit songs in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, including "Baby, Be Mine" (1987), "Come Share My Love" (1986) and "Love Under New Management" (1990). "Ain't Nobody Like You" (1992) and "Ain't Nuthin' in the World" (1989) both peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeToya Luckett discography</span>

The discography of LeToya Luckett, an American R&B singer-songwriter consists of three studio albums, sixteen singles, seven promotional singles and ten music videos.

<i>Orange Blossom Special</i> (album) 1965 studio album by Johnny Cash

Orange Blossom Special is the 21st album released by musician Johnny Cash on Columbia Records in 1965. The recordings include country and folk standards, such as "The Long Black Veil", "When It's Springtime in Alaska", "Danny Boy" and "Wildwood Flower".

<i>Diana!</i> 1971 soundtrack album by Diana Ross

Diana! is the first solo television special of American singer Diana Ross and aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The special was choreographed by David Winters of West Side Story fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and television shows. The special featured performances by The Jackson 5, and also included Jackson 5 lead singer Michael Jackson's solo debut. Michael Jackson performed Frank Sinatra's "It Was a Very Good Year", which drew laughter as its adult-themed lyrics were changed to fit his age. Other guests included Danny Thomas and Bill Cosby, who would be featured on a similar television special by the Jackson 5 a few months later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">At the Hop</span> 1957 single by Danny & the Juniors

"At the Hop" is a 1950s pop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957 and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958. "At the Hop" also hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers list. Somewhat more surprisingly, the record reached #3 on the Music Vendor country charts. It was also a big hit elsewhere, which included number 1 for 3 weeks in Canada and a number 3 placing on the UK charts.

John L. Medora, also known as John or Johnny Madara, is an American singer, songwriter, composer and record producer best known to have teamed up with David White and Arthur Singer to write the 1957 hit song "At the Hop".

David Ernest White, also known as David White Tricker, was an American singer and songwriter. He formed the doo-wop quartet Danny & the Juniors, as well as being a founding member of the pop trio The Spokesmen. He wrote "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" and co-wrote a number of other hit songs, including "At the Hop", "You Don't Own Me", and "1-2-3".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe</span> 1974 single by Barry White

"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" is a song written, recorded, and produced by American musician Barry White. Released in June 1974 as the first single from his third album, Can't Get Enough (1974), the song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B charts. It became one of White's signature tunes and achieved gold record status in the US. It was also his second American chart-topper, after "Love's Theme".

The History of Rock and Roll is a radio documentary on rock and roll music, originally syndicated in 1969, and again in 1978 and 1981. It is currently distributed as both a 2+12-minute short feature on internet networks, and a two-hour weekly series hosted by Wink Martindale, distributed to radio stations nationwide. This list below reflects the contents of the more widely heard 1978 version of The History of Rock & Roll.

<i>Pleasure Train</i> 1978 studio album by Teri DeSario

Pleasure Train is the first album by singer, songwriter, producer and composer Teri DeSario, released in 1978 by Casablanca.

<i>The Message Is Love</i> 1979 studio album by Barry White

The Message Is Love is the self-produced tenth album by American R&B singer Barry White, released in March 1979. It was White's first release on his own CBS-affiliated custom label, Unlimited Gold, following his departure from long-time label 20th Century-Fox Records, and advance interest was high. The album however proved a disappointment both critically and commercially. However, the album was still certified RIAA Gold. The Message Is Love stalled outside the R&B album top 10 and only reached number 67 on the Billboard 200. The poor performance of the album set the pattern for White's career slump in the early 1980s, which saw him fail to place any other album on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade.

References

  1. The Spokesmen at Allmusic.com
  2. "David White, 'At the Hop,' 'You Don't Own Me' Songwriter, Dies". Bestclassicbands.com. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  3. "The Spokesmen - The Dawn Of Correction". Discogs. 1965. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  4. "The Spokesmen Discography - USA". 45cat.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.