Edna Wright
(2 Feb 1945 - 12 Sep 2020) was born in Los Angeles and had most success
as the founder and lead singer of a girl group trio,
Honey Cone, formed in L.A. in 1968 who were signed by Holland, Dozier, Holland to
their Hot Wax label of which Eddie Holland was the president and sole
shareholder.
They had a Hot 100 and R&B #1 hit with "Want Ads" and a R&B #1 with the follow up "Stick Up" in 1971. The trio achieved a total of nine R&B Top 40 hits, five
of them Top 10, between 1969-1972. In that time they released four
albums and another ("When Will It End") that remained unreleased.
Wright was the younger sister of Darlene Wright (who used the stage name
Darlene Love) and began singing aged 15 for The COGIC (Church of God
in Christ) Singers which included amongst its members Gloria Jones,
Billy Preston, Sondra Williams (aka Blinky) and Andraé Crouch. She
made her recording debut through her sister who introduced her to Phil
Spector and she sang on a single "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" by Hale and
the Hushabyes which was an alias for Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Sonny
& Cher and Jackie DeShannon.
She released five singles as Sandy Wynns. Her first "The Touch Of Venus" (initially released on Doc and then Champion, bootlegged on O.O.T.P.
and even got a UK issue on Fontana and an Australian issue on Phillips)
has been regarded as a Northern Soul classic 'forever'. It was recorded,
but not released, by Marvin Gaye until it appeared on the "Motown
Unreleased 1964" compilation and another previously unreleased version
by Patrice Holloway surfaced on a 2002 compilation. Patrice was the
younger sister of Brenda Holloway and was an in-demand session singer in
L.A. and released a handful of singles mainly on Capitol between
1966-72, although she did have an earlier one on Motown's V.I.P. in 1963
after a release on Taste the same year when she was just 12 years old.
She also recorded as part of trio Josie & The Pussycats which
included Charlie's Angels actress Cheryl Ladd and also as The Belles on
Mirwood, with her sister Brenda and Sherlie Matthews, as well as The
Sequins on Renfro and a few others.
The song was written by Ed Cobb and arranged by Lincoln Mayorga and the
backing track has some connection to the Motown's west coast operation
as it was published by Jobete Music (Motown's publishing company)
produced by Hal Davis and Marc Gordon.
An unissued 8" Gold Star Recording Studios acetate by Charlotte O'Hara
was unearthed in Oct 2020 when her daughter was sorting through her
mother's musical artefacts. Thanks to Anthony Reichardt who posted it on
his excellent YouTube channel which specialises in Gold Star recordings
(video below). Charlotte's real name was Charlotte Ann Matheny who
was Bonnie in Bonnie & The Treasures, a trio of Bonnie (Charlotte),
Sherlie Matthews and Clydie King who released just two singles, one on
Phi-Dan in 1965 and another on Pablo in 1966. By the second single
Matthews and King were replaced by Marva Holiday and Nancy Padròn as
their services were in demand as session singers. Charlotte recorded
under various other aliases. You can find a good article about her on
SpectroPop
if interested in finding out more.
Also, a Doc acetate instrumental version credited to Lincoln Mayorga
& His Orchestra turned up, Anthony says in 2013, but I'm sure I have
a CDR with it on given to me by the late UK rare soul DJ Tony Warot
around 2000, so it may have been known about long before.
She also recorded one single, "Meet Me At Midnight" / "Sir Galahad", for Era subsidiary In-Sound as Cindy Lynn
& The In-Sounds in Oct 1967. It was reissued by Outta Sight in 2014
paired with another In-Sound recording "I Get A Feeling" by Bonnie & Clyde who Discogs
states was Brenda Holloway and Robert D. Jackson who was Gloria Jones'
brother. They recorded the song in 1963 on Era as The Soul-Mates but is a slightly different to be a different mix.
(Thanks to the anonymous comment as we originally missed this
one).
Edna then became a backing vocalist for the Righteous Brothers, Johnny
Rivers and Ray Charles with Charles asking her to join his resident
backing group The Raelettes which included many notable members over the
years including Minnie Riperton, Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Marilyn
McCoo and Mable John to name a few.
Fate was in her favour when she stood in for sister Darlene who wasn't
able to make an appearance on an Andy Williams TV special in 1968. She
asked friends Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark to join her and invited
Holland, Dozier and Holland to watch the show. They were impressed and
asked her to sign to Hot Wax as a solo artist but she preferred to be in
a group so all three were signed and became The Honey Cone.
Whilst at Hot Wax she met Greg Perry, who co-wrote and produced many of
The Honey Cone's recordings with General Johnson (Chairmen Of The
Board), and they married.
Willis left The Honey Cone in 1973 and they tried to replace her but
none of the new members fitted in well enough so they disbanded the same
year. Hot Wax was in financial difficulty and folded not long afterwards
although there was an effort to resurrect the label in 1976 and they
released a single by The Honey Cone in 1977 with none of the original
members.
The same year Wright released her only solo album "Oops! Here I Go Again" on RCA Victor. Husband Perry co-wrote all of the songs, mainly with
Angelo Bond, and also arranged and produced the album which included
some of Detroit's well know faces such as H.B. Barnum, McKinley Jackson,
Ray Parker Jr., Sidney Barnes. Only one single materialised from the
album, "You Can't See The Forest (For The Trees)" / "Nothing Comes To A
Sleeper (But A Dream)", although the title track has long been played on
the UK modern soul scene.
In the 80s and 90s she reverted to session work. She had previously lent
her voice in the 60s and 70s to artists such as Righteous Brothers,
Freda Payne, Lamont Dozier, Peggy Lee, Weather Report, Funk Inc. Nancy
Wilson, Z.Z. Hill , Cher, Betty Everett, Stanley Turrentine to name a
few. After her album she sang on recordings by Elkie Brooks, Robert
John, Andraé Crouch, Scherrie Payne, her sister Darlene Love, U2, Kim
Carnes and Aaron Neville .
Sadly she suffered from COPD and died suddenly of a heart attack on 12
Sep 2020 aged 75. Her family musical legacy continues through her
daugther Melodye Perry, now Melodye Perry-Teamer since she married
another musician Alex Teamer. Husband Greg Perry is one of five brothers
Dennis, Zachary, Leonard and Jeff Perry (aka Jeffree), all involved with
music. I'm not sure if Greg is still living, I haven't found anything to
the contrary, and he did appear at the 6Ts Soul Weekender in 2014 with
Edna.
Album Discography
The COGIC Singers
1966 - It's a Blessing [Exodus #EX 54]
Honey Cone
1970 - Take Me with You
1970 - When Will It End (unreleased)
1971 - Sweet Replies
1971 - Soulful Tapestry
1972 - Love, Peace & Soul
Edna Wright
1977 - Oops! Here I Go Again [RCA Victor #APL1-1912]
Single Discography
Sandy Wynns
1964-12 - Touch Of Venus / A Lover's Quarrel [Doc #DC-103]
1965-01 - The Touch Of Venus / A Lover's Quarrel [Champion #14001]
1965-05 - Love Belongs To Everyone / Yes I Really Love You
[Champion
#14002]
1966-04 - I'll Give That To You / You Turned Your Back On Me
[Simco #30,001]
1967-12 - How Can Something Be So Wrong (And Always Feel So
Good) / Love's
Like Quicksand [Canterbury #C-520]
Cindy & The In-Sounds
1967-10 - Meet Me At Midnight / Sir Galahad [In-Sound #402]
Honey Cone
1969-05 - While You're Out Looking For Sugar? / The Feeling's Gone
[Hot Wax #HS
6901]
1969-09 - Girls It Ain't Easy / The Feeling's Gone [Hot Wax #HS 6903]
1970-03 - Take Me With You / Take My Love [Hot Wax #HS 7001]
1971-03 - When Will It End / Take Me With You [Hot Wax #HS 7005]
1971-03 - Want Ads / We Belong Together [Hot Wax #HS 7011]
1971-07 - Stick-Up / V.I.P. [Hot Wax #HS 7106]
1971-11 - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Part I / One
Monkey
Don't Stop No
Show - Part II [Hot Wax #HS 7110]
1972-02 - The Day I Found Myself / When Will It End
[Hot Wax
#HS 7113]
1972-07 - Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' For The Hurt To Come)
/ It's Better To
Have Loved And Lost [Hot Wax #HS 7205]
1972-09 - Innocent Til Proven Guilty / Don't Send Me An Invitation
[Hot Wax #HS
7208]
1972-11 - Ace In The Hole / O-o-o Baby, Baby [Hot Wax #HS 7212]
1973-03 - If I Can't Fly / Woman Can't Live By Bread Alone
[Hot Wax #HS
7301]
Honey Cone Featuring Sharon Cash (No original members in group)
1977-07 - Somebody Is Always Messing Up A Good Thing /
The Truth Will
Come Out [Hot Wax #ZS8 9255]
Edna Wright
1977 - You Can't See The Forest (For The Trees) / Nothing Comes To
A Sleeper (But A Dream) [RCA
victor #JH-11014]
