Ed Townsend

How Could You Do It

I've chose How Could You Do It track because of it's lovely slow build up to what only can have been a mad rage when experienced by the writer. Coming home to find your wife had run-off/left for another man and you didn't even see it coming. Found on the the Cutom album Now arranged by Rene Hall & Ed Townsend in the at Curtom studio's. Musicians are Phil Upchurch: Guitar, Arnold Blair percussion and Lucky Scott: Bass. Nice song about social change with Where Did Those The Signs Go, talking about Blacks only notices, etc. and fits into a Modern soul tempo along with This Too Shall Pass (at -2 bpm).

Born April 16th., 1929 in Fayetteville, Tennessee but moved to Memphis when his dad became a pastor their and helped his farther in church. After graduating he taught for a year, and frequently used his law training to help entertainers with recording contracts.

In 1951 he served in Korea in the Marines and after his discharge he recorded a number of singles. Give me One More Chance (Aladdin 3326) in 1956 was his first, but success came with seven singles for Capitol Records with the hit of For Your Love (Capitol 3926) in 1958. He had taken the demo to Capitol for the use of Nat King Cole, but impressed with his voice they put it out on him. It made US Top-20/R&B No. 7 and forged two albums with Capitol but he was to have no more hits on himself!

He did though soon have a hit with Ben E. King How Can I Forget and then wrote and produced Theola Kilgore The Love Of My Man, although my favourite of her Townsend songs is the lavish & soulful, he's coming back to me on KT Records (501). Fourteen singles on himself in various guises Perry & Harmonics, Ed Townsend & Townsmen, but no hits. With Mercury he produced & wrote most of Dee Dee Warwick's good stuff;"Tears Of Joy," "Hand It Over," "I Might Like It," "Since I Found You," and "Foolish Fool."

He was also A&R/Producer for Scepter Records during the 60's period. He entered the seventies with social political Colour Me Human/No (Polydor 14021) in 1970. Then worked with Marvin Gaye and his Hit Let's Get It On and negotiated a 50% deal with Motown, the likes not herd of before, looks like his law training helped here.

Photos: Now Cover, Theola Kilgore, Kilgore single and Perry and The Harmonics.