When I first embarked on this post I had no idea it would lead me down several different paths. The Hamilton Movement have connections with The Moovin', Groovin' Stone Funk Band whose members included Melvin Brown & James Matthews. Also the Look-Out label owner Dick Melvin had connections with another label. So the post is much longer than expected but makes sense keeping the connections together as I hope you'll agree there are some top quality tunes here.
The Hamilton Movement were from Indianapolis. I found an interview with them on WFYI Indianapolis from Nov 2019.
I read somewhere that the members were Melvin Brown, James Mathews, King Solomon, Wayne Ewing and Johnny Davis, but after listening to the interview with 3 members Bobby Banner, Richard Mitchell (guitar) and Tyrone Caldwell (drummer) it looks like the source may inaccurate or perhaps these were the members of The Movin', Soothin' & Stone Funk Band who they evolved from. King Solomon Prather was mentioned in the interview as the lead singer on 'She's Gone'. Melvin Brown & James Matthews were definitely members of MS&SFB. No mention of Wayne Ewing or Johnny Davis.
The interview is a bit disjointed but, from what I can establish, the group originated from Hamilton Ohio (hence the name) and members came and went.
Tyrone Caldwell and Richard Mitchell were Indianapolis locals who played with many local bands before Hamilton Movement such as The Fabulous New Breeds (with Raphael Barnes who later joined Amnesty), The Monacos, Baby Lyon (of The Presidents), The Girlwatchers, Butternut Band and Prince & The Mysterious Knights (with Tony Milan).
Bobby Banner came from St Louis and moved to Indiana in 1969 having worked with Big Daddy Graham and then with Billy Ball & The Upsetters, I wonder if he was on Tighten Up / You Got Me Diggin' You on King?
They opened for B.B. King and toured with Rudy Ray Moore who made the cult classic 1975 comedy movie Dolemite in the mid 70s and with Z.Z. Hill as his backing band until around 1982 when 'Cheatin In The Next Room' broke and then Z.Z. Hill decided to change the band. The group disbanded not long afterwards around the time that Z.Z. Hill died in April 1984.
Look-Out was an Indianapolis label owned by Dick Melvin who also co-wrote their killer cut 'She's Gone'. All 5 releases listed are from Hamilton Movement except one by Funk Dogg which looks out of place but on closer inspection was produced by D. Melvin.
Discography
1975 - Send Me Some Love / Love Circuit [Look-Out 521-16]
1976 - We're Gonna Party / She's Gone [Look-Out LOR-007]
1976 - Your Love (Brings Out The Man In Me) / Having A Set (At The Disco) [Look-Out LOR-008
1977 - Love Man (That's What I Long To Be) / We're Gonna Party [Look-Out LOR-009]
1977 - Love Man (That's What I Long To Be) / We're Gonna Party [Soundwaves SW-4547]
Their first 45 was credited as The Hamilton Movement & Stone Funk Band. Most of their 45s consisted of a funky/dance tune backed with a deep soul ballad.
The Hamilton Movement [1976] - She's Gone [Look-Out LOR-007]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.75
This track has a broad appeal northern, modern, crossover and even a bit funky. If your feeling flush then, at time of writing, there is one (NM) for sale on Discogs for a mere £7,500.
The latest one listed on Popsike (8th Dec 2019) was only VG- and had WOL and sold for $5,156 / £4,015.
'She's Gone' was bootlegged in 2014 on an Austrian label Soul Mafia with Nat Hall - Why (I Want To Know) on the other side. It has also been 'reissued' on Look-Out in 2020. A comment on Discogs states 'Think this has been pressed using audio from a you-tube video. Sounds absolutely terrible and I assume it's a bootleg', so from that I would guess it is.
'She's Gone' was bootlegged in 2014 on an Austrian label Soul Mafia with Nat Hall - Why (I Want To Know) on the other side. It has also been 'reissued' on Look-Out in 2020. A comment on Discogs states 'Think this has been pressed using audio from a you-tube video. Sounds absolutely terrible and I assume it's a bootleg', so from that I would guess it is.
The Hamilton Movement [1975] - Send Me Some Love [Look-Out 521-16]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 7.7
Deep soul.
The Hamilton Movement [1977] - Your Love (Brings Out The Man In Me) [Look-Out LOR-008]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.4
Deep soul.
The Hamilton Movement [1977] - Love Man (That's What I Long To Be) [Look-Out LOR-009]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.2
Deep soul ballad.
The Montecarlos [`1971] - If You Leave [Mel LS-7122]
Group soul harmony, co-written by Dick Melvin and released on his Mel label.
The Movin' Soothin' & Stone Funk Band [1973] - Cryin' For Love [Philmore Sound]
Deep soul group harmony.
Joy Incorporated [1973] - Cryin' For Love [Philmore Sound]
Also released as Joy Incorporated but it's exactly the same just different band name.
Melvin Brown & James Matthews [1976] - Love Stormy Weather [Philmore Sound 6071-21]
SoulStrutter's Rating: 8.85
70s Modern soul from 2 members of The Moovin', Groovin' Stone Funk Band. This has now been reissued twice, first on Grapevine in 2002 and more recently in 2017 on Izipho Soul.
Melvin Davis & James Matthews [2017] - Cryin' For Your Love [Izipho Soul ZP-03]
Yet another version of Crying' For Your Love. This is a previously unreleased version by Melvin Brown & James Matthews recorded at the same session as 'Love Stormy Weather' but remained in the can until Patrick Bickerstaff of Izipho Soul unearthed it and released in in 2017
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