Shades Of Brown

A classic 1970s Chicago soul outfit fronted by vocalist Bill Brown and featuring Christopher Allen (aka Chris Bernard), Charles Scott IV, and Earle Roberts started life as the Fortrells. During a brief ABC Records tenure the quartet adopted the name the Mentors and cut two singles comprising four tracks total, although none of those recordings ever saw release. Upon moving to Cadet Records, the Chess subsidiary imprint, the group adopted the name Shades of Brown. Initial sessions with producer Billy Davis gave way to greater momentum once Dells maestro Bobby Miller assumed production duties. Bolstered by striking arrangements from Richard Evans and Charles Stepney, Shades of Brown issued three singles and the album S.O.B. on Cadet, yet none achieved notable commercial traction. After departing Chess the ensemble tracked unreleased material for Clarence Johnson, then delivered a final single produced by Calvin Carter, “How Could You Love Him” b/w “He Ain’t Heavy,” on the On Top Records label in the early ’70s before disbanding. Their polished Northern soul ensemble style, recalling Motown through the lens of the Dells, never translated into mainstream success, though the lone album later attained cult status, especially among samplers. Dusty Groove brought S.O.B. back to compact disc in 2008.