The Vanguards [2024] - The Ground That You’re Walking On / Before You Take Another Step Girl // Somebody Please (Long Version) [Hit And Run #HR 1557]

Garry J. Capes' Hit And Run records release their first pairing of 7" singles of 2024. The first consists of three tracks from Indianapolis sextet The Vanguards. All three tracks were released digitally by Now-Again on a 2019 compilation "LAMP Records - It Glowed Like The Sun: The Story Of Naptown's Motown 1969-1972")  from which two tracks "Good Times Bad Times" &/ "Man Without Knowledge" were also released on 7" by Soul Direction last year.

Hit And Run has selected three more tracks: "The Ground That You’re Walking On" & "Before You Take Another Step Girl" on the A side with "Somebody Please (long version)". They are all Lowrider style group harmony songs.

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.

The song, written by Davis & Irvin, was covered in 1969 by Billy Keene, initially on Dottie and then on Ronn, and has been covered by several others including Barbara Lynn on her 1996 LP "Until Then I'll Suffer", K-Ci & JoJo on "My Brother's Keeper" (2013) and many more. The most recent version, that we can recall, was by Trish Toledo in 2017.

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. 

They 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.

Available now to order by sending £15.00 each + £3.00 UK postage (good for 1-3 records) via Paypal (friends & family) to hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com

Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Group Harmony / Lowrider
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hit And Run
Cat No:	HR 1557
Date:	06/02/2024
Price:	£1

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