Biography
The Marquees formed briefly in Washington, D.C., after splintering off from the Rainbows. Chester Simmons, Reese Palmer, James Nolan, and Marvin Gaye each performed with the Rainbows at different points, with Simmons among the original members and the other three appearing as stand-ins for absent singers. The quartet belonged to a network of district vocalists who assembled regularly in Bo Diddley's basement studio, a space crowded with other talents including Billy Stewart and the Four Jewels.
Diddley arranged a recording contract for the mellow-singing Marquees with Okeh Records, which issued "Hey Little Girl Schoolgirl" b/w "Wyatt Earp" in 1957. Gaye proudly showed his religious father a copy of the single as proof of his move into secular music, yet Marvin Gaye, Sr., responded with displeasure and irritation. Momentum slipped once the release failed to connect, but the group continued pursuing opportunities.
Strong admiration for the Moonglows drove Gaye to seek out Harvey Fuqua when that group reached the Howard Theater. Repeated requests persuaded Fuqua to hold an alley audition outside the venue after the performance; the Marquees made a strong impression, leading Fuqua to dismiss the Moonglows and recruit the newcomers in their place. He canceled a Baltimore date and transported the singers to Chicago, where he added Chuck Barksdale, recently departed from the Dells, and cut "12 Months of the Year" in 1959 as the New Moonglows; the lineup also supplied backing vocals for Chuck Berry's "Almost Grown" and "Back in the U.S.A."
Later that year the New Moonglows released a follow-up single, "Mama Loochie," with Gaye handling lead vocals. Finding the new lineup lacked the original Moonglows' distinctive quality, Fuqua disbanded the group in 1960 and sent the members back to Washington except for Marvin Gaye and Chuck Barksdale, who stayed in Chicago and rejoined the Dells. Fuqua and Gaye then moved to Detroit, where Fuqua launched several labels that he later sold to Berry Gordy. Both men married sisters of Gordy; Fuqua directed Motown's Artist Development Department while producing and writing, and Marvin Gaye emerged as a superstar whose life ended tragically at the hands of his father in 1984.
Diddley arranged a recording contract for the mellow-singing Marquees with Okeh Records, which issued "Hey Little Girl Schoolgirl" b/w "Wyatt Earp" in 1957. Gaye proudly showed his religious father a copy of the single as proof of his move into secular music, yet Marvin Gaye, Sr., responded with displeasure and irritation. Momentum slipped once the release failed to connect, but the group continued pursuing opportunities.
Strong admiration for the Moonglows drove Gaye to seek out Harvey Fuqua when that group reached the Howard Theater. Repeated requests persuaded Fuqua to hold an alley audition outside the venue after the performance; the Marquees made a strong impression, leading Fuqua to dismiss the Moonglows and recruit the newcomers in their place. He canceled a Baltimore date and transported the singers to Chicago, where he added Chuck Barksdale, recently departed from the Dells, and cut "12 Months of the Year" in 1959 as the New Moonglows; the lineup also supplied backing vocals for Chuck Berry's "Almost Grown" and "Back in the U.S.A."
Later that year the New Moonglows released a follow-up single, "Mama Loochie," with Gaye handling lead vocals. Finding the new lineup lacked the original Moonglows' distinctive quality, Fuqua disbanded the group in 1960 and sent the members back to Washington except for Marvin Gaye and Chuck Barksdale, who stayed in Chicago and rejoined the Dells. Fuqua and Gaye then moved to Detroit, where Fuqua launched several labels that he later sold to Berry Gordy. Both men married sisters of Gordy; Fuqua directed Motown's Artist Development Department while producing and writing, and Marvin Gaye emerged as a superstar whose life ended tragically at the hands of his father in 1984.
Singles
