Longtime Friend Bob Riley Looks Back on a Long Career the Manhattans Were Very Much Into Like All Families, We Sometimes Went In
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the manhattans A PERSONAL COMMENT Longtime Friend Bob Riley Looks Back On A Long Career The Manhattans were very much into Like all families, we sometimes went in what I commonly refer to as "my kind of different directions; but all the while work- music," the ballad - filled with that old ing toward the ultimate goal - making The street corner churchy harmony. I had Manhattans. The times were rough! I took listened to them for years on Jo Evans' Car- them into some little back woods club in the nival Records. But in 1972, there we were, middle of corn fields, way out in the middle face-to-face in the Starday-King Record's of nowhere. Blue and the fellows often want- office in Nashville, Tenn. ed to strangle me, but we always found My normal function with King had been something comical about the situation - strictly national R&B promotion. That par- like as many people sometimes looking ticular morning, Hal Neely, the president, through cracks in the walls as there were had requested that I make certain I was in paying people inside. There has always the city for I was to meet with The Manhat- been something warm enough and strong tans and their manager, Hermi Hanlin. enough between us to carry us through the I walked in expecting to meet another most difficult situations. cocky group with a manager full of "why Strange Experiences Hots" and "how comes." My notes were Perhaps the two things that stand out in ready to cover the last single release, "A my mind most vividly from The Manhattan Million To One," the "why Hots" and "how yesteryears are the night in Chattanooga comes." Instead, here sat five guys smiling when things had been going so bad, so and an oval -faced, jovial female who im- terribly bad - places with just a few people mediately said, "okay Bob Riley, when do - and even when there was a good house, Leo Graham in the studio. we start cutting our first hit record?" It was a staying on the heels of the promoter trying challenge - more in jest. Although I had to get some money. This particular night, Producer Leo Graham's Key to Hit produced some Joe Henderson, Joe Tex Gerald seemed to be at the bottom. We and a couple of Midnighter sides along the were playing the Riverside Club and Gerald Records Is Grounded In Teamwork way, I thought what kind of joke is this? Me, said, "Bob, I'm going to leave in the morn- For Leo Graham, the songwriter/pro- it's like home. The Manhattans feel comfor- Bob Riley, producing The Manhattans! ing. I can't handle it anymore." I put my arm ducer responsible for The Manhattans' table there; they trust my judgement, and But this is what Hal and Hermi had around him and we walked out of the club singles "ShiniçStar," "Girl Of My Dream" with the help of Columbia, how can we agreed on prior to my arrival. Immediately, and walked down by the riverside. I told and the current release, "I'll Never Find lose?" He singles out Columbia's vice it was a warm and open thing which him, you are too close. You finally have the Another (Find Another Like You)," the key president of national A&R, Mickey Eichner. seemed to flow among the seven of us - record, "Kiss and Say Goodbye." We to successful recordings is a team effort. As "Mickey is stern and strict in the way he the five Manhattans, Hermi and myself. We talked again the next morning without the he observes, "I work with good people; it's selects material. He and his staff pick out actually forgot Hal was there for a few rest of the group. Some kind of way he impossible to do it all by yourself. There's what they think is best for an act. He takes minutes as we talked about many things, believed me. I guess because I really my associate producer and arranger, the time to listen closely, and he gets in- mostly outside the realm of music. believed myself, and for one memorable James Mack, my writing partner, Paul Rich- volved. It's not just a guy doing a job." It was agreed that I was to take the group time I was right. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" is was mond, my engineer, Stu Welder, and the Graham himself is no stranger to musical down to Macon, Ga. to King's other studio history. The other time the night which was handled by Bobby Smith, the ac- Richard Taylor stepped to the microphone people I work with at Universal Studios - success. After early experience in Chicago tual discoverer of Otis Redding. The ses- as the fellows always did as Blue in- In singing with a couple of vocal groups and Travelling Comfort leading his own band, he got involved in sion became a team effort with the greater troduced them one -by -one and Richard the other With Bus Associates songwriting for Tyrone Davis at Dakar. His position of the input flowing around suddenly, to the amazement of through Blue, Hermi and myself. This ses- four guys and myself, plus the audience, When The Manhattans are on the road in hits included "Was I Just A Fool," "Was It a good album, out of which simply stated, "This will be the last time the U.S., their transportation service is Bus Just A Feeling," "Your Love Keeps sion produced came one hit song, "One Life To Live." you'll be seeing me as a Manhattan." I have Assoc., a company set up by Jack Bart, Haunting Me," "Without You In My Life," As we prepared to leave, Hermi said, never really gotten an answer to this one. who is also the president of the group's "There It Is" and "Could I Forget You" (the I we I a member of The, Manhattan booking agency, Universal Attractions. latter three made the pop charts). In 1976, "partner, think got one." took the Being partner to be just an expression. But in true Family is one of the warmest and most Bus Assoc. was formed 51/2 years ago, he scored with his first production on Davis' Head, we are rewarding experiences of my life. It was the Bart says, "because many artists booked "Turning Point." When Davis moved to Hermineese, she said, "Shit a helluva and the looks of The Manhattan Family and my by Universal and other agencies couldn't Columbia late in the year, Graham con- going to be team" - support many afford the regular charter companies' rates tinued producing him and came up with and hugs from the fellows sealed the team. wonderful family that helped me in so ways pulling through and had to cancel jobs that were already "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)," "Love And We became one family with everybody unforgettable toward a hour period. I am booked because it was too expensive to get Touch" and the later "In The Mood." His dedicated to the success of The Manhat- three heart attacks in 24 tans. I became the out -front guy, staying on thankful to the Master above I am alive and there. I felt we could form a bus leasing work with Davis caught the ear of Joe news- receive this hard earned company that could provide transport at a McEwen of Eichner's staff while The top of the stations, the small clubs, able to see them was well recognition. livable price because we didn't have the Manhattans were involved in cutting "After papers and whatever. My contribution and deserved Bob Riley high overhead and large staff other charter Midnight." A meeting was arranged that led promotion. companies have. We're not competing with to Graham co -writing and producing the companies offering very fancy equipment album's singles, "Shining Star" and "Girl Of like the buses with videotapes that My Dream." supergroups use. You might say we're like "I thought 'Shining Star' had potential," the low-cost airline that flies to Europe - it he recalls, "although I didn't think it would gets you there, but we have no frills. We be as big a success as it was. I think it had a currently have five buses on the road, and little taste of the country flavor, and that for the past 51/2 years, we've had a perfect enhanced it a bit. After it was recorded, we safety record. We haven't once had an ar- knew and felt it was a hit; but how big a hit, tist come late or miss a date. Our we didn't know." customers have included Bill Curtis & the Since then, Graham has cut the two new Fatback Band, Ray, Goodman & Brown, the tracks included on The Manhattans' Stylistics, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, "Greatest Hits" - "I'll Never Find Another Instant Funk, BT Express, Wilson Pickett (Find Another Like You)" and "Do You and The Manhattans, who have used the Really Mean Goodbye?" He has also nearly service for a year and now have a perma- completed the next Manhattans album, nent lease on one of our big sleeper which will be released early in 1981. buses." "The Manhattans are lovable guys to Bart stresses that Bus Assoc. is not work with," he says, "very nice guys. They limited to Universal Attractions artists. "It's write songs and have great ideas them- two separate companies, and we don't give selves.