 |
        |
Plays: 30682
Views: 32653 |
Official Site: www.fourhavens.com
iSound Site: www.isound.com/four_havens_ny
|
|
|
The Four Havens
In the music industry there are Records there are Hit Records and there are Monsters.....
Back in time back in the day. The Phil Spector era the beginning of Motown. The Four Havens were formed in New York City. They met as teenagers on West |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
The Four Havens
In the music industry there are Records there are Hit Records and there are Monsters.....
Back in time back in the day. The Phil Spector era the beginning of Motown. The Four Havens were formed in New York City. They met as teenagers on West 115 street in Harlem. Loving Rhythm and Blues music the group sang in hallways practiced on street corners and rehearsed in Wagner Community Center in East Harlem. Coming from different singing groups learning the craft of R & B singers. After a name change (Sammy and The Argons) and the addition of a lovely young lady a pretty kitty to the group they began entering talent shows appearing on playgrounds, community centers, New York City Youth Board Shows (booked by Mr. Bunn) then dance halls in New York: Carlton Terrace, Celebrity Club, Connie's Inn, Small's Paradise, The Hotel Theresa, Embassy Ballroom, Riviera Terrace, night clubs in Queens, upstate New York, and through-out the Northeast corridor: Boston MA, Philadelphia PA, Baltimore MD, and Washington DC.
Sammy and The Argons, now The Four Havens, were community center, school yard legends in East Harlem, one of the best singing groups in New York.
The Four Havens auditioned for Laurie Records and were offered a contract. Laurie at the time was a Monster Record company with Monster artists and Monster songs: Randy and The Rainbows-"Denise", Dion and The Belmonts-
"I Wonder Why", "Teenager In Love", "Where or When", The Chiffons-"He's So Fine", "One Fine Day". Laurie Records wanted to change the groups name. The Chiffons weren't signed to Laurie they were signed to Bright Tunes Productions, (The Tokens-"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), a production company. Laurie only released their records and payed Bright Tunes on 800,000 records sold on The Chiffons-"He's So Fine". This was a chance to sign a potential group as good as The Chiffons directly. Laurie wanted to change the groups name to The Laurels. Laurie brought in Monster writer Ernie Maressca-"Shout Shout" (Knock Yourself Out), to work with the group. One of The Havens talking with The Chiffons backstage between shows at the Apollo in New York told them of the offer from Laurie. The Chiffons in laughing conversation told him how nice Bright Tunes had fixed up their offices with wall to wall carpet and new furniture with their money and they had a new manager Stan Allen.
The Chiffons ask if The Four Havens have a manager.
Stan Allen manager of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons met and liked the group and became their manager. Stan Allen flipped quarters for hundreds of dollars. Allen immediately got the group work including opening for future label mates Randy and The Rainbows and others in Long Island NY. In financial discussions with Laurie and The Four Havens Laurie withdrew their contract offer. The Four Havens never knew why. Mystery. Allen and the group parted. Years later The Havens heard Stan Allen had a piece of a race track in California and retired with a television soap opera actress.
Now with no record deal and no manager, The Four Havens were back to square one.
The Four Havens keep working and begin getting background session work.
The Bass singer now also worked in a dry cleaners delivering clothes. A regular customer, Steve Mogul was a music publisher. Mogul discovered the delivery guy could sing, and had a group. Mogul got them an audition with FGG Productions/Grand Canyon Music, and FGG offered the group a contract. The Four Havens had a record deal.
FGG was a Monster Production Company that had written and produced Monsters: The Angels-"My Boy Friends Back", The McCoys - "Hang On Sloopy", Millie Smalls-"My Boy Lolly Pop", The Strange Loves-"I Want Candy", The Jive Five-"What Time Is It", Bo Diddley and Bobby Comstock. FGG took The Four Havens to United Artist Records they auditioned for UA A&R man Jack "Bobby Goldsboro" Gold and Gold signed an independent production aggrement with FGG to produce The Four Havens for United Artist Records.
United Artist starts a new label, Veep Records.
The FGG formula pre-recording preparation included: The Four Havens learning four new songs, meeting the arranger Leroy Glover and recording a piano and vocals demo of the songs. Glover taught them different and new vocal changes.
FGG recording schedual: four hours to record tracks: rhythm and horns, lead and group vocals, percussion, mix and mastering. Sixteen hours. Their first session for United Artist/Veep, The Four Havens recorded four songs in four hours:
"Let's Have A Good Time Baby", "Gee But He's Fine", "I Go For You" and a remake of the R&B Classic "What Time Is It". Arranged by Monster arranger Leroy Glover Local 802 AFM NY (musicians and group: union scale: double for leader).
Glover also arranged The Jive Five version of "What Time Is It". The four tracks rhythm/horns, were recorded at night at a studio on 7th avenue in Manhatten, the lead/group vocals were recorded morning at a studio in mid-town Manhatten, bells and chimes added morning at a studo in mid-town Manhatten, mixed and mastered at night at Columbia Records. The Four Havens - "What Time Is It"/"Let's Have A Good Time Baby" (Veep 1214). The Four Havens first record.
And then along came a Monster...
FGG gave The Havens a record release party. Some solid sounds in this well produced teen ballad.....Billboard Magazine gave The Four Havens - "What Time Is It" an above average review. And then Monster. The James Bond motion picture "Goldfinger" starring Sean Connery was released world wide. The title song from the movie soundtrack was a Monster record, the Shirley Bassey - "Goldfinger", released on United Artist Records parent company of Veep. The Four Havens - "What Time Is It" recieved some airplay and interviews in New York and several markets around the country but the major United Artist Records promotion was on Shirley Bassey - "Goldfinger". One afternoon a Haven ran into two of
The Chiffons on a street corner. The Chiffons were going to sign with Mercury Records, and lead singer Judy Craig was getting married to one of The Romantics of Ruby and The Romantics ("Our Day Will Come").
Music Note: Sylvia Peterson of The Chiffons had also sung with Little Jimmy and The Tops ("Puppy Love").
The Four Havens still can't get a Hit record.
FGG got the group background session work, one of these sessions includes a Monster.
Toba Talent Managment now managed the group.
Traveling in a station wagon full of Havens, washing up in gas station bathrooms with cold water and hard paper towels. A summer seventeen day one nighter Rhythm and Blues Review starting in Allentown PA. Driving back after a show in Poughkeepsie NY to New York with no heater at night in the dead of winter in the cold and the rear windshield missing is a Monster. Working the Women's House of Detention was a nice Monster. Some shows were rough, almost as bad as having a bottle thrown at you one night on 115th street, not that bad but close. One night after a show before a rude crowd the Four Havens tensions were on edge, in front of the building two of the group got physical with each other wound up on the hood of a car and had to be seperated. Auditions in The Hotel Theresa, Bell Sound, The Brill Building, 1650 and 1697 Broadway. Then FGG got them a session with a Monster, a perennial holiday favorite a Halloween standard. The Four Havens added the background vocals and sang as The Cryptkickers on The Bobby "Boris" Pickett - "The Monster Mash".
The Four Havens want a Monster!
The Four Havens have a new release, written and produced by New Orleans Slick.
The Four Havens - One Note Too High: Urban/R&B/Pop Cross Over/Love Song.
Brand New Old School Style, 3:55.
The Four Havens hope it's a "Monster".
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you...
Rare Soul Man/on-line Record Store sells The Four Havens - "What Time Is It"/"Let's Have A Good Time Baby",
Veep: #1214 DJ $60.99.
The Four Havens are where our Sigils make their individual homes, though at any
time there is little knowing where a Sigil might truly be...
The Four Havens: R&B vocal group from New York NY, USA. One of the smoothest and most engaging acts on our roster, always appearing in full custom tailored evening wear, the groups line up brings effortless motion, spins, synchronized dance steps and hand claps that dazzle with elegance and showmanship. It is not enough to describe The Four Havens as just a vocal group, these four distinguished gentlemen and one lovely young lady are something special indeed. Each member of The Four Havens is a lead singer, able to step out front and take the lead with solid sales authority. From the moment they come on stage The Four Havens offer even more than great music.
Here and now for all time, smooth, stylish and sophisticated truly one of the most entertaining groups in show business, The Four Havens singing "One Note Too High".
A&R Department
New York City Music
Branden Music ASCAP
Toba Talent Management
All copyrighted photographs, materials, and music on this web site are used pursuant to Branden Music ASCAP,
fee-based Digital Internet License.
|
|
| Saturday, September 1st, 2007
One Note Too High
(I Can Handle It)
(New Orleans Slick)
It seems I've always loved you
Just like a dream
You said I love you too
But I think maybe I love you too much
And it shows
So many times
You play games with my mind
You only do it 'cause you know
It tears me up inside
But your love is so good
And you're loving so hard
I'm going out of my mind
Lover you're driving me wild
You've got me loving
One Note Too High
You've got me dancing
One Note Too High
You've got me singing
One Note Too High
Lover you're taking me
One Note Too High
But I can handle it
Branden Music ASCAP (C)(P) 98R2000
One Note Too High (I Can Handle It)
Performed by The Four Havens
Exclusively on New York City Music
Toba Talent Management
| | Posted By four havens (NY) @ 11:00 AM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contact Artist
Add to Profile
Add to station