1957 - Hop Scotch Rock / Jungle Baby (Mercury 71154)
1962 - Been A Long Time / Get To School On Time (Harvey 114)
The Quails (2)
1962 - My Love / Never Felt Like This Before (Harvey 116)
1962 - I Thought / Over The Hump (Harvey 120)
Biography :
The Five Quails debuted on Mercury Records in 1957 and cut three
singles on Harvey Records in the early '60s. Originally, the Five Stars
formed at Kennard Junior High in the mid-'50s with William Fulgham
(lead), Harold Sudberry (second lead), Donald Brown, James Williams, and
Clarence Williams (no relation). Like most groups, the members changed
for a myriad reasons; the changes continued when they graduated to East
Technical High and became the Five Quails. With a lineup of Billy
Strawbridge, Billy Fulgrum, Art Kirkpatrick, Donald Brown, and James
Williams, they cut "Jungle Baby" b/w "Hop Scotch Rock" on Mercury in
1957.
The Five Stars
The novelty didn't chart, but they found work backing singer Chuck
Willis, touring with him briefly before he passed in April of 1958.
Harvey Fuqua befriended the Quails in the basement of the Apollo Theater
in New York when they were touring with Willis. Discovering they were
from Cleveland (his old stomping grounds), he promised to help them one
day.
Harvey Fuqua Kirkpatrick & Woodall
After the Willis experience they toured Canada for a year. In 1961,
Harvey Fuqua left Chicago for Detroit and hooked up with Gwen Gordy. The
two started Tri-Phi and Harvey Records and Fuqua fulfilled his promise
to help the Quails. Their
first song was a two-sided classic that sold regionally: "Got to Get to
School on Time" and the exquisite ballad "Been Such a Long Time." Junior
Walker & the All Stars backed them on the Harvey sessions. In
1962, they cut two more singles on Harvey records changing their name to
the Quails.
