The Vanguards were a 60s/70s soul group from Indianapolis,
IN, led by James Davis and consisting of Paul Irvin, Dickey Pierson, Von
Wheeler, Elaine Livingston and Wilbur Winston. They were LAMP (Layden And Miller Productions) Records only
top 100 Billboard R&B charting group who hit twice with their debut
single, the lowrider classic, "Somebody Please" (#49) in 1969 followed by another lowrider "It's Too Late To Love"
(#33) the following year. "Somebody Please" was initially released on
L&M (a forerunner to LAMP) records in Jun 1969 which commands a much higher price tag than the
second issue on Whiz (a subsidiary of Hollywood's Double Shot) in Aug 1969.
After graduating, Davis enlisted for 3 years duty in the military forces,
joining the infantry. It was there he came up with the bands future name
'The Vanguards' from the Vanguard rocket ship programme and formed the group
which were to become a big hit performing for the armed forces until his
3-year stint was up.
The Vanguards released around six singles on Lamp in 1970-71 followed by a couple on Indiana label Shirley in 1975 with their last release billed as Vanguards & The Lady.
"Good Time Bad Times" along with the flip "Man Without Knowledge" is arguably their rarest and most sought after outing for the LAMP label, and with the help of Now & Again (who released a compilation in 2019 "LAMP Records -
It Glowed Like The Sun: The Story Of Naptown's Motown 1969-1972") and with
the blessing of LAMPS's owner Herb Miller, Alan Kitchener's Soul Direction
label has fully licensed both tracks for release on 7" vinyl on 25 Mar
2022.
"Man Without Knowledge" was released earlier as the flip to "Girl Go Away
(It's Wrong To Love Two)" (Lamp LA-81) but to acquire an original copy of
"Good Time Bad Times" would now require well into four figures with the
latest sold listing on Popsike fetching
£2,081.
The single is available now from Soul Direction or from your regular vinyl dealer.
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