Biography
South Shore Commission earned renown through three disco staples—“Free Man,” “We’re on the Right Track,” and “Train Called Freedom”—each a mid-’70s hit written and produced by Philly soul artist Bunny Sigler. The tracks anchored the self-titled album South Shore Commission, issued by Wand/Scepter in December 1975. Tom Moulton, the club DJ celebrated for his Salsoul remixes of Bunny Sigler’s “Let Me Party With You,” Instant Funk’s “No Stoppin That Rockin,” Loleatta Holloway’s “Love Sensation,” and Eddie Holman’s “This Will Be a Night to Remember,” handled the LP’s mix. Vocalists Frank McCurry and Sheryl Henry, guitarists Sidney Lennear and Eugene Rogers, bassist David Henderson, and drummer Warren Haygood formed the lineup. The ensemble originated in Washington, D.C., in 1960 under the name the Exciters, a designation distinct from the New York vocal quartet that scored with “Tell Him” and “I Want You to Be My Boy.” By 1965 the unit served as backing musicians for the Five Dutones, then signed to George Lerner’s Chicago-based One-derful imprint; that act’s signature release, “Shake a Tail Feather,” reached number 28 R&B during summer 1963. Several Exciters relocated to Chicago and nearby Gary, Indiana. Following the Five Dutones’ 1967 dissolution, lead singer McCurry integrated with the Exciters, and the resulting collective adopted the name South Shore Commission. The group cut the 1970 Atlantic single “Right on Brother” and the 1971 Nickel single “Shadows.” New York’s Sceptor Records—already successful with Chicago acts such as the Independents (“Leaving Me,” featuring songwriting and production by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, who later scored hits with Natalie Cole and Ronnie Dyson)—placed South Shore Commission on its Wand subsidiary for the outfit’s sole album. While Dick Griffey contributed select production, Bunny Sigler oversaw the majority at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios, supported by Instant Funk’s core rhythm section of bassist Raymond Earl, guitarist Kim Miller, and drummer Scotty Miller. The finished record generated three Billboard-charting singles: the jubilant “Free Man,” which peaked at number nine R&B in spring 1975, the smooth “We’re on the Right Track,” and “Train Called Freedom.” Those cuts plus the album track “Handle With Care” became club staples that registered strongly on Billboard’s disco lists. The twelve-inch edition of “Free Man” extends into a hypnotic four-on-the-floor vamp that links directly to the disco-infused house music of the 1980s and the ambient techno of the 1990s.
Albums
