This post was inspired by a recent post on
Soul Discovery website
by respected rare soul DJ Dave Thorley. He tells the story of how he
researched the group The World Column and tracked down a surviving member of the group, Bob Redding.
"So Is The Sun" was one of the biggest tunes on the Northern Soul scene around 1975. I
believe it was first 'broken' at Cleethorpes Pier / Winter Gardens and
eventually gained a UK release in Feb 1976 by Capitol. As Dave's article
alludes, many thought at the time that The World Column were a white rock
group as around the same time another big tune was Babe Ruth's
"Elusive" who 'were' a white rock group! The publicity photo above
shows that they were a mixed race group and Dave has debunked the myth as
Bob Redding is African American.
Discogs states that they were from Munster, Indiana which is on the
outskirts of Gary (although Dave's article suggests that they were from Gary) which in turn virtually converges Chicago. They were
originally called the Seagrams but didn't release any recordings under
that name. The original members of Seagrams included Dave Meyer (vocals), Joel Kaplan
and Dan Boller. Bob Redding (vocals), Joe Odum (vocals) and Delroy Bridgeman
(vocals) were brought in sometime in 1968 after their first single, which is
very psych rock, to give the group a more soulful sound and renamed The
World Column.
They released two singles as The World Column, the first on Atco in July 1968
followed by their best known on Tower in Oct 1969.
The group underwent some line-up changes and eventually Bob Redding and
Delroy Bridgeman became The Love Column who were joined by Miss Madeline
(Madeline Strickland) on their only recording, a cover of "You Made Me So Very Happy" and "Can't Get Enough" on Chicago label Duo.
Miss Madeline was previously a member of The Young Folk (previously Baby
Miracles) recording a solitary single "Joey"/ "Lonely Girl" on Mar-v-lus in 1967. Later that year she recorded a solo version of
"Lonely" along with "Behave Yourself". She later went on sing backing vocals for Loleatta Holloway on her
1978 album "Queen Of The Night" and "Love Sensation" in 1980.
"Can't Get Enough" sounds like an answer song to "You Made Me So Very
Happy" written by Floyd Smith (who was married to Loleatta Holloway, so
there's the connection, and Smith has been mentioned on the blog previously
on
Loleatta Holloway Discography
and the post on
The Look On Your Face) and Leo Graham who later wrote and produced several hits for The
Manhattans ("Shining Star") and Tyrone Davis ("Turning Point") and others
including Jackie Wilson and Linda Clifford often performing backing
vocals.
By 1972 The Love Column had morphed into New World with Bob Redding and Delroy
Bridgeman being joined by Doyle Cole and Maxine Crayton who had recorded
a single "Don't Take Your Love" / "You Better Stop" on Gordon Keith's Steeltown label in 1967. Gordon Keith is credited
as discovering The Jackson Five who recorded their first single "Big Boy" on Steeltown in 1968.
They recorded "Help The Man" / "We're Gonna Make It" on Polydor in 1972,
with the latter being an in-demander written by Curtis Mayfield.
The Numero Group unearthed two previously unreleased recordings by New
World which they passed to Dave Thorley for his radio shows. They have
subsequently been released on vinyl 7" by Eastern Artists Recording
Studio in 2020 and even in such a short time are fetching almost £500 on
Discogs!
The World Column
Love Column
New World
2020 - Lolita
/
Stand By Me
[Eastern Artists Recording Studio #EARS 003]
So is the sun (on a capitol demo) was given away at the Cleethorpes Pier 1st Anniversary in February 76. The niter also featured a live set by the Trampps. What a night!
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