Biography
Mid-1965 marked the formation of the Bleus, a blue-eyed soul combo, in Gadsden, AL. The original roster included singer/percussionist Tony Lumpkin along with guitarists Larry Sivley and Paul Smith plus bassist Terry Moore; after Cliff Blackwood joined on drums, Lumpkin shifted exclusively to vocals. Dana Loconto came aboard on keyboards to round out the group, and that fall the Bleus made their first public appearance right after a high-school football game. They next entered a string of battle of the bands contests, one of which, held in Tuscaloosa, saw them defeat the Hour Glass, whose lineup at the time featured the then-unknown Duane and Gregg Allman. Regional popularity soon led the band to sign with the Southeastern Attractions booking agency, where they quickly became the firm’s top-earning act.
Early 1967 brought local musician and promoter Fred Styles aboard as manager, and he promptly arranged the Bleus’ initial recording date. Their first single, a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic “Stubborn Kind of Fella,” appeared on the Swing-Ltd. label and scored a local hit. Producer Eddie Hinton next took the helm for a version of the Bacharach/David classic “I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself,” cut at the famed Muscle Shoals studio and issued on New York City’s Amy label; the same imprint released the follow-up “Milk and Honey,” which featured studio support from the aforementioned Allman brothers. Amy affiliate Bell put out the Bleus’ fourth single, “Julianna's Gone,” yet mounting frustration over the label’s scant promotion prompted the group to issue their next effort, “I've Been in Love Before,” under the name the Colours. Producer Chips Moman, convinced the track would succeed, created the Blue Seal label solely for its release, but the record failed to chart.
After cutting “What'Cha Gonna Do” for the small Diamond Records imprint, Blackwood departed the Bleus in 1968 to enlist in the U.S. Marines. Bobby Sproul, formerly of the Soul Machine, stepped in on drums; when Smith later exited, Loconto switched from keyboards to guitar. One last single, the Certron release “Everything's Gonna Be Alright,” was credited to the Electric Hand Band without the Bleus’ approval. Moore enlisted for Navy duty in 1969, after which new bassist Philip Howell joined and the band continued until its dissolution in 1971. Surviving members Lumpkin, Sivley, Smith, Moore, Loconto, and Sproul regrouped in 2001 for live performances and additional studio work; their earlier singles were later assembled on the 2004 collection The Complete Recordings 1966-1971.
Early 1967 brought local musician and promoter Fred Styles aboard as manager, and he promptly arranged the Bleus’ initial recording date. Their first single, a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic “Stubborn Kind of Fella,” appeared on the Swing-Ltd. label and scored a local hit. Producer Eddie Hinton next took the helm for a version of the Bacharach/David classic “I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself,” cut at the famed Muscle Shoals studio and issued on New York City’s Amy label; the same imprint released the follow-up “Milk and Honey,” which featured studio support from the aforementioned Allman brothers. Amy affiliate Bell put out the Bleus’ fourth single, “Julianna's Gone,” yet mounting frustration over the label’s scant promotion prompted the group to issue their next effort, “I've Been in Love Before,” under the name the Colours. Producer Chips Moman, convinced the track would succeed, created the Blue Seal label solely for its release, but the record failed to chart.
After cutting “What'Cha Gonna Do” for the small Diamond Records imprint, Blackwood departed the Bleus in 1968 to enlist in the U.S. Marines. Bobby Sproul, formerly of the Soul Machine, stepped in on drums; when Smith later exited, Loconto switched from keyboards to guitar. One last single, the Certron release “Everything's Gonna Be Alright,” was credited to the Electric Hand Band without the Bleus’ approval. Moore enlisted for Navy duty in 1969, after which new bassist Philip Howell joined and the band continued until its dissolution in 1971. Surviving members Lumpkin, Sivley, Smith, Moore, Loconto, and Sproul regrouped in 2001 for live performances and additional studio work; their earlier singles were later assembled on the 2004 collection The Complete Recordings 1966-1971.
Albums