Search - Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers :: Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers

Reissue the reissue!

William Blackshear | West Orange, NJ USA | 12/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This out of print reissue cd of the group's one and only commercial release album from that era warrants re-release on the market. The haunting ballad "Does Your Mama Know About Me", storying interacial love, circa 1969, is an old-school classic. It and the oft-overlooked "Melinda" catapult the lp to a 5 star status, even before a few other interesting songs are explored. The writer is fortunate enough to possess both the lp and cd and can somewhat understand the hefty bounty placed on both when for sale on the market, due to the rules of supply/demand. Unless the cd is re-released, this lp or cd (a must have for any soul record/music collection of depth) will press a potential buyer to reach deeper to acquire."

A True Classic, but buy the less pricey Taylor Anthology

tHE JB Experience | Chicago, IL USA | 08/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like Brother Hershel, I suggest that listeners pick up the Bobby Taylor Anthology which has all of the cuts on this CD, plus material from Bobby Taylor's solo LPS (47 cuts in all) at a fraction of the price. I was fortunate enough to get this CD before it went out of print. And why did I have to have this CD?: No, not for the two listenable covers of the Temptaions' "Fading Away" and "It's Growing." No, not for the almost straight rip of the Fantastic Four's "Everything's Alright." No, not for "Does Your Mama Know About Me" a forever popular groundbreaking single about an interracial relationship that still sounds as fresh now as it did when it was released in the late 60s. No, not for the great song "Malinda", a songwriting classic with three clever well-written verses which end by rhyming Malinda. My favorite:

"Ain't gonna let no Jill or Jane or Brenda

Come between me and my Malinda

I'll never let another girl hinder

The chance that Malinda's gonna spend her

Every night and day..." (Well you get the idea.)

Malinda is a Chicago steppers classic that brings back golden memories and always makes me smile. But the reason that I had to have the CD is because of the classic jam that too many Brothers and Sisters slept on when it was released, "I Am Your Man." This is #6 on my list of top 100 slow jams of all time. There is no greater expression of a man's love for a woman on wax than this song and Bobby sings it with such sincerity & passion. Fellas, if you put this record on and sing it to your lady, it's guaranteed to melt her heart. I literally wore the grooves off my 45. I never really got into the rest of the songs on the CD (especially their awful version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - after Gladys Knight & Marvin Gaye, why bother?) But based on the strength of the three classic cuts mentioned above, it's well worth 5 stars."

Due For A Re-Issue

William Blackshear | 08/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Judging from the price for this 12-track CD, now out of print, it has become a collector's item.



Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, had their best years with the Motown subsidiary Gordy in the late 1960s, scoring three hit singles in 1968. The first turned out to be their best with Does Your Mama Know About Me? reaching # 4 R&B/# 29 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in May b/w Fading Away. Later that fall I Am Your Man struggled to a # 40 R&B/# 85 Hot 100 b/w If You Love Her, and in December Malinda peaked at # 16 R&B/# 48 Hot 100 b/w It's Growing.



The sextet - consisting of Taylor on vocals, Robbie King on keyboard, Wes Henderson on bass, Ted Lewis on drums, and Edward Patterson and Tommy Chong [who would later team up with Richard Marin to form the comedy due Cheech & Chong] on guitar - was a racially mixed group whose fame, unlike most Motown congregations, was short-lived.



In 1975 Taylor, who would also be credited with discovering The Jackson 5, had a minor solo hit with Why Play Games [# 83 R&B b/w Don't Wonder Why] for the Playboy label. but neither is included here. What is nice about this CD is that it gives you all six sides of their three Gordy hits, although I doubt if too many will be ordering one at the used price indicated.



Why not re-release with a couple of added tracks, i.e., the Taylor solo sides. That way, those having copies of the original release can continue to regard it as a collector's item."