Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-07-31, Page 17Crossroads the *0.01tlyItem** Ywel, Baa.her, -11/1.001101 4r*seer TWO SO Meant Ore/ftcfe. +der*te fi x read 0.)"03_40p ,the 44beurtl d4. westtere" (Based_ on 34 reader* In ,e;ch' of SAO homes.) in The Listowel Banner, The Wingham Advance -Times t Forest Confederate by Wenger Oros. Limited. A touch, just a touch of the "glamour of "big-time" fell Norris Vines' way a while back. He's out to catch a switchback now. The Platters were " a black group, popular in the 1950s and early 1960s with hits such as, Twi- light Time, The Great Pretender, .and My Prayer. They were in- .( variably put in the same category *, as the tremendously popular Temptations, The Four Tops and the Drifters. But their appeal began to de- cline around' 1960. Norris Vines had joined the group in 1959. The group continued to pros- per, but only with hits from the past -- nothing new. After 12 years of singing the same songs, Norris decided to call it quits with The Platters and struck but on his own calling his group, Norris Vines and The International Set, Featuring the Best of the Platters. Since 1971, with a number of changes within the new group, 'Norris has been touring' Canada and the U.S., particularly South- western Ontario. His group makes periodic appearances at Twin Gables, Listowel. A record entitled Norris Vines and Company will be cut shortly in Toronto. It will be basically original material composed and arranged by Mark Hawkins, organ player in the band. Through the release of the record Norris and. "his company" pin their hopes on making a name in their own right, leaving The Platters firmly but fondly behind. The Platters The original group, made up of four male and one female vocal- ists hit their stride in the mid- 1950s. It was a creation of Buck Ram, a California piano player - composer -producer who wrote a few of their . hits including The Great Pretender and. Twilight Time. The Platters broke up in 1958 and regrouped the next year with Norris replacing the lead singer. Two of the originals, Tony Williams and Herbie Reed also have groups now that basically rest on the laurels " of The Platters. Buck Ram, however, feels that he has exclusive rights to the name and - has taken others to court for using it. Although Norris' group is sometimes billed The Platters, he maintains that the title which includes, "featuring the best of The -Platters", is a disctinction he feels is fair. While they perform. Platters hits, usually to the delight of the audience, they do sing modern numbers. In fact this is what con- tributed to Norris' decision to leave the original Platters in 1971. "All they wanted to do was the old stuff. I wanted to try some' modern numbers," Norris said. A crucial part of the act is Norris himself and his, interac- tion with the audience; Risque jokes, pointing out the obvious — that he's black -4- and teasing some of the women in the audience spice up the songs which range from ballads to up- beat material. "Audience participation is the most important thing," he said. During the songs which vary according to who sings lead, the others move in unison in a style reminiscent of the black groups of the 1950s. "Singing is not enough. You have to offer something else. When I go on stage I belong to the people. I forget all my problems or stomach aches. They don't want excuses — they waist to hear you sing and they want to see something." After travelling around as a single a few years ago, Norris formed The International Set and has done well since — in fact he is pocketing -more now than he ever did when he was with the original Platters under Buck Ram. He now does most of the organizing and stays in contact with 11 his booking agent who was primarily responsible for the group touring Canada. Groups have always comeUp tb Canada to "get " their act together", he said. So it a)$d • not be surprising to anyone tD;e a Black American group waiftng and performing in the Canadian clubs. Canada A Paradise? °6 Back-up -singer Bob Suttgd, who by his own admissio has "been around," said that asR far as he's concerned Canada ` u black man's paradise." .x4 Bob, like Gene Cary, .;.ane r front-line member, and Norr, was born and raised_ i the southern U.S., Norfolk, Va. they all grew up in an atmosphere where blacks were supplied whh different bathrootns and=dreinitipg fountains than "white folks "I've had a pretty rough life;" Bob said. Raised in a strick Bap's t household, Bob joined the US. Arny and became a sargeant`:iin his nine years of active service.. "I enjoyed military life," he said. "But nothing comes bef .e my music." He said that while the army he formed a group and continued his singing. He joined Norris a few months ago and is willing to put up with the "grinding" he experiencedjl his earlier years. Bob, who would only admit to being somewhere over 30 -years -old, explaine&that "grinding" is doing two shows night, six days 'a week, with at best one or two short vacations through the year. '"It's like startinvit the bottof. - again," he said. :fiBut I Oil doing what I'm doing. When I make people happy, I'm happy." Growing up in Norfolk, Va., where he knew Norris and Gene; was an experience in musical training. Not many realize it, he said, that Norfolk is a mini - center for musical talent. He joined a few singing groups in high school as did Gene and Norris. As far as living in Canada, he's not sure he'd move here perma- nently although he's sure it is different than the U.S. He told a story about Peter- borough, Ont:, where for ong reason or another, the shoes that he wears in the act were missing. He went downtown to pick up a pair that came close to matching, but found he was short on cash. The merchant told him that he would take whatever Bob had with him as a final price. But Bob insisted on coming back to make up the difference. When asked if that kind of thing could happen in the U.S., both Bob and Gene answered with a laugh, "No way." An Interior Decorator? Gene, or ."Gino" as he likes to be called, gave up the glamour and glitter of putting things "on' stage" for putting himself there. At the time he received a call from "Pee Wee" (how he,refers to boyhood friend Norris), he was making a good living as a display dresser through a U.S. federal government grant progm. He also grew up in the ."Nash- ville of the eastern seaboard", Norfolk, singing with various groups. After graduating from trade school for interior decorat- ing, Gino dabbled a little into it, but joined a singitig;_grgpp. a; few' years later. For a while he said, he worked with Boli in the :same group, although he ,never; sang with Norris 'until :19n. Although he doestS't enjoy the traveling; he;said, -"FM, enjoying what I'm into. But this is my last trip on the road." He said he would stay with Norris and,"see this thing through" before quitting. Speaking as a black man he said, "You get more respect up here. You meet, many beautiful people but there's no place like home." He has no doubts he will return to Norfolk when his sing- ing days are over. "The temptation is Yery. great 41 ty _..here.-y-tho�Ugh. I �lo1,e- 4 anati the atr iospliere: Hut 1 have too many roots in Norfolk." What Gino has to return to in Virginia is a close-knit family. His father, who worked for years as a barber in his own shop, is in semi -retirement now. He ad- mitted that his father would have liked nothing better than to have his son take over the shop and become a barber. "But I couldn't stand still," he said referring to the time a barber must stand in one place while cutting hair. Viewing Gino on stage will prove the point. Referred to as J. J. (comical, skinny character on U.S. TV show) "Good Times" Gino is the dancer -performer of the act managing splits and kicks all in time to the upbeat music. -Although Gino didn't listen to his folks' suggestions about his . career, he'll tell you that one thing he has adopted is their atti- tude on life. "My mother always said, `Be nice,". The "be nice" covers a broad spectrum of views on life, but particularly how to treat your fellow -man. "She used to say you shouldn't do anything to hurt anybody — unless they hurt you:" And that can be hard advice growing up in an area that treated blacks as second-class citizens until a few years ago. Gino, not the • hard -driver Norris is, said that the group has a "good shot" at attaining the type of success they want. "I'm going to see it to the end. Norris really has something with the people there." The Something Norris, group leader with his rough, gravel voice that can turn mellow • and melodic at a mo)Ief t'$ totice,. is the center of attragtipn on and off stage. . He's anxious to break com- pletely away from The Platters. Heys after a "hit" in his own right. Singing is second nature to him and has been with him all his life. Growing .up in a project, (a government housing apartment complex tending to be populated mainly by blacks), was an educa- tion, he said. "You don't have to have a $1,000. to have fun." Norris, like the others in his neighborhood, sang with groups throughout high school. . The son of a retired 30 -year ..uavy_.man.1Norfo1k has a . Major U.S. naval base), Norris was brought up in a strict Baptist home. He stays in relatively close contact with his family which includes a brother in the U.S. government. Norris himself served overseas in Vietnam in 1965, for a year. Before that, however, Norris received a one-year scholarship and attended colleges in Norfolk, Florida and North Carolina. He taught physical education in Vir- ginia Beach (near Norfolk) for a few years before joining The Platters. A free -wheeling and indepen- dent hustler, he said working with The Platters under Buck Ram was like being under a foot- ball coach who watches every- thing, from what time he went out to what he wore. Referring to. his heritage, Norris said he is proud to be black.."Nodoby is going to put us down again," he said. He added, however, that he has taken his father's advice that "you don't forget but you don't , carry it around with you," - He said that he was not a mili- tant and does not hate whites as some blacks from the same background might. "I can't stomach prejudice. I don't see the difference between white and black." Referring to the black history of being put in slavery by many whites he added, "Why should we go by history?" `-- Although he hasevery intention of remaining a U.S. citizen he said he likes. Canada: c,In Many ways however, Canada .and the U.S. are the same, he added. He was first introcduced to this country by his boo sent him to' Vancouver ; + Norte Wag; ate playing single with only limited auk. Since forming itis new grou, ..there has never Peen a prehleM in booking dates. No matter what happens ,Torris and Companywilt" take care +of themselves, "I could live without mon; again," Norris said. But on the positive side, ��`1.Ve'' professionals. Once' mui is ii work with Me, they with an atteur group. `f'We don't look at each . when`; *ere on. We know', But he is Viking -up -upau ti top nwhere he'. was .Qircc^ 'coo enough �t+agot a. good bard lou Teasing,and charming the young ladies, Norris dazzles the crowd. An incredulous Norris watches Gino "do his stuff" during a performance at Listowel's Twin Gables. Gino went right into a split from this lofty height. Norris Vines (right) and Company, featuring the best of The Platters, are trying to leave the past behind by making their own mark in the music world. Bob Sutton ( left) and Gene Cary (second left) "dance to the music".