By Rita Charleston
For the Times
Not long after they were formed in 1954, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes became synonymous with the Philly Soul scene of the 1960s and ’70s.
The group’s legendary founder, Harold Melvin, was born in Philadelphia and started his singing career at high school functions, on street corners and in area nightclubs. Melvin’s first record, My Hero, which is now a collector’s item, led to a string of hit records.
And although Melvin is gone — he died in 1997 — today’s Blue Notes continue to make audiences happy with their special sound, as they will do once again when they join the Spinners for a special Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 14 and 15, at the Tropicana Casino and Resort Showroom in Atlantic City.
Currently, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes lineup includes Donnell Gillispie, Rufus Thorne, John Morris and Tony Brooks.
Brooks said he was only about 7 or 8 years old when he first heard about the group.
“But I had the privilege of running into Mr. Melvin in 1969 and worked with him as an opening act for a time,” Brooks said.
“In those days Sharon Page came along, and Teddy Pendergrass had just been hired. Teddy was the drummer, and Mr. Melvin brought him up front to sing. Teddy went out and did a Harold Melvin Revue with Sharon Page and my group, which was called the Wonders. Mr. Melvin called us that because he thought we were so fabulous.”
Brooks added, “(At the time, everyone trained with Melvin,) who had a unique way of coaching you, teaching you to be an entertainer rather than just a singer. And today, everyone in the group, except John Morris, who came along about four or five years ago, was trained by Harold.
“(Melvin) hand-picked and trained each one of us, but I was much more than just an employee. He was a musical father for me in ever aspect, plus a great friend.”
Although the men currently performing as the Blue Notes may not be the original members, their style mimics the original group.
“Today’s audience goes for the music itself and our interpretation of the music, so we rarely hear anyone complain that we’re not the ‘original’ group,” said Brooks. “They want to hear the music. That’s what counts. Also, if they are real Blue Notes fans, they’re happy to see that the stage show and the choreography are still the same.”
He said the Blue Notes are committed to keeping Melvin’s dream alive.
“We try to do exactly what he taught us to do,” said Brooks.
“The choreography that we use is based on the choreography of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s just been refined a little bit. The vocal arrangements are still the same. We still do the same songs and have added some more just to make our show a little more diverse.”
For the group members, there is an incentive to continue traveling and working so hard.
“We love what we do,” Brooks said. “Seeing those smiles on the faces of the audience tells us they love what we do, too. I think that’s what pumps us up. I don’t care how tired you are. When the audience lights up, so do we.”
With the Blue Notes currently celebrating their 50th anniversary, Brooks said their future continues to look bright.
“Right now, we are trying to train younger entertainers to do what we do,” he said. “We want to keep the legacy, the music, going as long as possible. So here we are again. We’re impressed that in this hip-hop age that there are younger acts that want to know what we know. And we’re only to happy to teach them.” ••
For times and ticket information, call Ticketmaster at 800-736-1420.