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FALCONS

“YOU’RE SO FINE”

 (Willie Schofield, Lance Finney, Robert Ward)

Unart 2013

No. 17    July 13, 1959

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Eddie Floyd (b. June 25, 1935, Montgomery, Al) was black, Bob Manardo was white.  They met in 1955

while working together in a jewelry shop in Detroit.  After learning of each other’s interest in what was

then called “race music,” they talked of forming a vocal gruup and began practicing together after work.

Eddie (lead vocalists) suggested they include a friend of his named Arnett Robinson (second tenor).  Bob

(first tenor) recommended Tom Shetler (baritone).  Completing the line-up was a street singer, Willie

Scohofieild (bass).

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Luckily for the Falcons–a timely “bird” name that Arnett had proposed–Eddie’s uncle, Robert West,

owned and operated a number of Detroit record labels (Contour, Kudo, Flick, LuPine, and Silhouette).

After a quick listen, West offered to manage the group.

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West got the group a number of club dates, plus a one-off release on Mercury Records in 1956.  When

Bob Manardo was drafted and Tom Shetler enlisted, two former members of the Fabulous Four–Lance

Finnie (first tenor) and Four Top Levi Stubbs’ brother Joe (lead vocals)–joined the Falcons.  A month

later, Arnett Robinson left and was replaced by Bonny Mack Rice (baritone), a former member of the 5

Scalders.

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After a few highly-collectible false starts were issued, the gospel gritty  “You’re So Fine,” with a one-of·a·

kind lead vocal by Stubbs, was let loose upon the world.  Stubbs only remained with the group through

1960; his replacement, brought in by Schofield, was a young Wilson Pickett (b. Mar. 18, 1941. Prattville,

Ala.).  With ”Wicked Pickett” front and center, the group entered the pop charts for the last time.   “I Found

A Love” (#75, 1962) was possibly the Falcons’ greatest number but rendered only a moderate pop·chart

mover.

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Willie Schofield was drafted.  Floyd and Pickett were not always available, and finally, early in 1963, the

group scattered.  In an effort to keep the name alive and the money flowing, West, according to Whiskey,

Women and .. .’s Marv Goldberg, took a group variously called the Ramblers or the Fabulous Playboys–

comprising Johnny Alvin, James Gibson, Frank Holt, and Carlis “Sonny” Monroe–and renamed them the

Falcons.   This second unit carried on through the late ’60s.