The Fingerprints of the “5” Royales Nearly 65 years after forming in Winston-Salem, the “5” Royales’ impact on popular music is evident today. Start tracing the influences of some of today’s biggest acts, then trace the influence of those acts and, in many cases, the trail winds back to the “5” Royales. — Lisa O’Donnell CLARENCE PAUL SONGS VOCALS LOWMAN “PETE” PAULING An original member of the Royal Sons, the group that became the The Royales made a seamless transition from gospel to R&B, recording The Royales explored new terrain in the 1950s, merging the raw emotion of In the mid-1950s, Pauling took over the band’s guitar duties, adding a new, “5” Royales, Clarence Paul was the younger brother of Lowman Pauling. songs that included elements of doo-wop and pop. The band’s songs, gospel with the smooth R&B harmonies that were popular then. That new explosive dimension to the Royales’ sound. With his guitar slung down to He became an executive in the early days of Motown, serving as a mentor most of which were written by Lowman Pauling, have been recorded by a sound was embraced most prominently within the black community. Some his knees, Pauling electrified crowds with his showmanship and a crackling and friend to some of the top acts in music history. diverse array of artists. Here’s the path a few of their songs took: of those early listeners grew up to put their spin on the Royales’ sound. guitar style that hinted at the instrument’s role in the coming decades. STEVIE MARVIN GAYE ARETHA “DEDICATED “THINK” “TELL THE JAMES BROWN STEVE CROPPER WONDER Paul, Gaye and William FRANKLIN Mr. Dynamite patterned his early band, the This Stax Records stalwart recalled seeing Pauling in Mem- “Mickey” Stevenson collabo- TO THE ONE A foot-stomping, rave- TRUTH” Famous Flames, after the Royales, fellow phis as a teenager. “It was the coolest thing I had ever seen,” Little Stevie bloomed into a rated on “Hitch Hike,” a 1962 The Queen of Soul recorded up, the first five seconds Southerners who understood that when the Cropper said. His tasteful, piercing licks on “Green Onions” and sensation under Paul’s su- “Until You Come Back to Me I LOVE” are rock ’n’ roll perfec- With John Tanner on lead hit for the up-and-coming vocals, the band dabbled spirit moves you, sometimes you gotta shout. other classics echo his idol Pauling. Never a guitar god in the pervision, breaking out with Gaye on the Tamla label, (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” Written by Lowman Paul- tion, heralding the arrival He later recorded his version of “Think” on classic sense, Cropper is most known for bursts of cool that “Fingertips Part II,” co-written a song Paul co-wrote with of Pauling as a major in doo-wop on this a subsidiary of Motown. ing and Ralph Bass, it’s infectious tune. his landmark Live at the Apollo album and serve, rather than upstage, the song. by Paul. That’s Paul conduct- The song’s stuttering intro Stevie Wonder and Morris the song most associat- guitar force. produced the Royales near the end of their ing the band and ushering became a touchstone for a Broadnax. Wonder recorded ed with the band. Eugene 20-year career. Stevie to the stage on a range of bands. the song in 1967 but it did not Tanner sang lead vocals highly viewed YouTube clip appear on any of his albums while Lowman Pauling’s TEMPTATIONS from an early performance until his 1977 anthology, Look- guitar crackled with (https://www.youtube.com/ ing Back. Franklin made it a classic blues licks. JAMES Lowman Pauling’s younger brother, Clarence PETE watch?v=2cSjOxqldFs). No. 3 hit on Billboard’s Paul, collaborated closely with the Tempta- Top 100 in 1974. BROWN tions, particularly in the early days. Otis AP PHOTO TOWNSHEND An early champion of the Williams, the last living Temptation, said that JIMI HENDRIX The Who guitarist called band, James Brown recorded the influence is most pronounced on Cropper “the most incredible SHIRELLES an uptempo version of “(Talking ’Bout) Nobody But My Baby,” the The most celebrated of guitarist in history,” in a 1968 “Think” that appeared on his B-side of “My Girl.” “When I listened to that the guitar gods, Hendrix Rolling Stone interview, say- ROLLING STONES The all-girl group first landmark Live at the Apollo song, I thought, ‘If that ain’t ‘5’ Royales, I don’t expressed his love of Pauling ing that Cropper’s aggressive recorded the song in 1959. A in 1963. An earlier version was know what is,’” Williams said. to Alvis Moore, the son of riffs were a big influence. Paul’s influence jumps the Atlantic when The re-released version in 1961 hit “5” Royales singer Jimmy the title track for his 1960 I.R.S. RECORDS PHOTO Stones record a version of “Hitch Hike” on their No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 100. album with the Moore, during an interview at 1965 album Out of Our Heads. Famous Flames. AP PHOTO Ohio State in the 1960s. “He mentioned Uncle Pete as an PETER BUCK AP PHOTO JACKSON 5 MICHAEL JACKSON inspiration, and that just lit In its 2011 listing of rock’s 100 RAY CHARLES The brothers Jackson emulated the Tempta- Jackson learned to command the stage up the interview,” Alvis Moore greatest guitarists, Rolling MAMAS AND tions’ smooth presentation, tight harmonies from James Brown, picking up the master’s recalled recently. Stone quoted this R.E.M. VELVET In a famous recording ses- and choreographed dance moves as early acute sense of showmanship. “Nobody has guitarist as calling Crop- THE PAPAS sion that yielded the smash as 1966 when the boys won a talent show in influenced me more than this man right here,” per “probably my favorite guitarist of all time. You can’t UNDERGROUND The California quartet “What’d I Say,” Charles also Gary, Ind., performing “My Girl.” Jackson said when presenting Brown with the think of a time when he really reworked the song to fit its recorded his version of “Tell BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. The New York City art rockers copped the ripped off a hot solo, but he folk sensibilities, turning it the Truth,” which became ABOUT opening riff of “Hitch Hike” for their song just plays perfectly.” “There She Goes Again,” which appears on their into a Summer of Love smash a vehicle for the Raelettes. ANYONE 1967 classic, The Velvet Underground & Nico. in 1967. With Michelle Phillips Charles included the song in his live album, In Person. APPLE CORPS LTD. PHOTO singing lead, the song peaked NEW EDITION WITH A at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top It later showed up on the GEFFEN RECORDS PHOTO soundtrack to Martin The boy wonders of the 1980s, New Edition BEYONCE DESIRE TO BEATLES 100, making it the band’s picked up the mantle from the Jackson 5, second-highest-charting Scorsese’s classic film, “He was magic. He PLAY ROCK SLASH The Beatles played around with “Hitch Hike” “Raging Bull.” bringing the tradition of slick choreography COLIN MELOY during their 1969 Let it Be sessions, a record- single. and soaring vocals to a new generation. was what we all This former Guns N’ Roses SMITHS strive to be,” Beyonce ’N’ ROLL guitar ace told Esquire in 2014 Meloy is a guitarist, vocal- ing of which is on YouTube (https://www. ist and songwriter for the Brit-pop faves from the 1980s engaged in youtube.com/watch?v=RGWVKoNnj1s). Paul said of Jackson upon that he also has a passion for their own riff-swiping, lifting the intro from his death in 2009. aggressive playing, an attri- Decemberists. Much of his McCartney later performed it at the Apollo JOURNAL FILE PHOTO work, particularly the band’s “Hitch Hike” for “There is a Light That Never Theater in 2011. His version also showed up Beyonce inherited bute he found in Townshend’s Goes Out.” Guitarist Johnny Marr told Select Jackson’s drive for rhythmic style. “As I started most recent album, The King on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/ TEMPREES MICK JAGGER BOYZ II MEN is Dead, is an homage to magazine in 1993 that although the music watch?v=uJP8sjxrb7E). pop perfection and to play guitar, I really started press believed he was lifting from the Velvet The Memphis soul group am- The Rolling Stone frontman These 1990s chart-toppers named his fanatical commit- paying attention to how he R.E.M. and the bright, jingly Underground, the true inspiration came from ped up the romance, turning and James Brown devotee themselves after a New Edition song and ment to execution. played,” he said. “Everybody’s guitar work that Buck was the Rolling Stones’ version of “Hitch Hike” it into a bona fide torch song. recorded “Think” on his are managed by Michael Bivins, a former She’s the Millennial tried to sound like Pete best known for. — which points back to the three guys from This version went to No. 93 1990 solo album New Edition member. They, too, are best generation’s tran- Townshend at some point or Detroit: Paul, Gaye and Stevenson. on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1972. Wandering Spirit. known for harmony vocals. AP PHOTO scendent icon. another and failed.” CASSANDRA SHERRILL/JOURNAL.