Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers

True Love (Is A Terrible Thing To Waste)

Ed Townsend's last album was with his three sons from two marriages, David & Mike Townsend and David Rogers. This came out in 1979 on Chocolate City/Casablanca Records with again Rene Hall as arranger. On True Love Is a Terrible Thing To Waste the sharing of the vocals works well, other fine tracks are You Can and It's A Pleasure To Have Loved You.
Ed Townsend had come through an alcohol and drug addition period, the song Marvin Gaye used as Let's Get It On was originally a song about getting on with life after alcohol addiction and rehabilitation.

Before this album He had given the Impressions a No. 1 hit with I Finally Got Myself Together another rehab song (Amy Winehouse See - you're not on you're own). He wrote & produced some of the groups best 70's tracks; Sooner Or Later; Old Before My Time; First Impressions and many more.

One of his most memorable performances was on the "Doo Wop Gold" television series that featured many doo wop legends as they performed at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 16 and 17, 2000. DVDs of the event were sold as fund raisers for PBS stations nationwide.

Ed Townsend was married twice, had two sons and one daughter. He died on August 13, 2003 in San Bernardino, California at the age of 74 - we thank your for your music.

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.

Dee Dee Warwick

Where Is That Rainbow (album stereo mix)

This is my 'all-time' greatest soul track, Where Is That Rainbow. There you go I've said it. The tightness of the production, Rene Hall by the way, when the fugal horns take over with the strings, the tears arrive every time. I remember playing it vividly on-air listening to it through the small studio speakers and thinking; "can this be effecting others like me" - I hoped so (perhaps it's just me, ooh well).

Then I have to listen a comment like; "the 45 version is better" it's different I'll agree to that, the 45 is a remix and personally I think it looses it's stepper feel. Anyway albums rule; sound quality; sleeves; wall-hanging you name it.

The first time I heard it was a soul-nite at The Canal Tavern, Thorne, about 100 miles east from my home town but we'd gone because Sam Dees was to make a guest P.A. and when the DJ put Dee Dee on I was gob smacked. (incidentally I was that close to Sam Dees he was spitting in my eye as he sang - he was fantastic though) The journey back though, was rough, through 50 miles of thick fog at about 15 mph, a night to remember.

I later found a copy of the Foolish Fool album in glorious stereo, courtesy of a friend and DJ, Dean Johnson in Manchester. Then it turned out to be produced by Ed Townsend, well I searched out all Ed's work and was never disappointed. The whole of this album rocks. It has three 2Steppers and two Northern/Modern dancers (Don't Ever Give Up On Me/When Love Slips Away), one gospel type song and two nice ballads. Whatever the man asks for this LP pay him!

Dee Dee Warwick is, as most know by now Dionne Warwick's sister and sadly has not been so successful, chart wise anyway. Northern collectors search out Worth Every Tear I Cry the 'b' side of Lover's Chant only issued on UK single, was also though on her other US stunning Mercury LP with two titles: I Want To Be With You/I'm Gonna Make you Love Me. The UK 45 has changed hands for up-to £343 ($686 usd).

Sad News: Dee Dee Warwick has now died. She was 63 years old. She died on Saturday 18th. October 2008 the day after Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops died. She was at a nursing home in Essex County, and had been in failing health in recent months. Dionne was with her when she died. In January 2008, Dee Dee is featured in the title song from Dionne's gospel album 'Why We Sing' and continued background vocal chores with her sister, also in February 2008, Dee Dee toured with Dionne's one woman show 'My Music and Me' in Europe. Dee Dee was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of Whitney Houston. Dee Dee Warwick was an R&B Foundation Pioneer Awardee, and was also was a two-time Grammy Award nominee. Thanks for the great music and please rest in peace.

Photos; UK Single, Canal Tavern-Thorne, Foolish Fool LP cover & Sam Dees at Thorne.