Nathaniel Mayer & The Fabulous Twilights (Detroit, Michigan)
Personnel :
Nathaniel Mayer (Lead)
Henry Ferguson
Harold Smith
Robert Coates
Robert James
Charles ? Rufus ? and Dorothy ?
Discography :
Biography :
Born in Detroit on February 10, 1944, Nathaniel Mayer was just 18 years old when he began his recording career for the local small, independent Fortune Records, which had been in operation since 1946 under the ownership of the husband-and-wife team of Jack and Devora Brown. Known affectionately as Nay Dog, his energetic antics on stage coupled with his powerfully-raw vocals put one in mind of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
But, unlike Brown who would score well over 100 hit singles and many best-selling albums on his way to the R&R Hall Of Fame (1986), Mayer is forever a member of the One-Hit Wonder Club, that being his May/June 1962 # 18 R&B and # 22 Billboard Pop Hot 100 Village Of Love, billed as Nathaniel Mayer & His Fabulous Twilights (again emulating Brown's Famous Flames) on Fortune 449 b/w I Want A Woman.
The complete make-up of The Fabulous Twilights, however, has never been fully established with the only known names being Henry Ferguson, Harold Smith, Robert Coates and Robert James who, with other so far unidentified members, seemed to alternate from record to record. This Village Of Love was not only the best nationally-charted hit for Fortune, but seemingly their ONLY hit, tells you that, despite a distribution arrangement with United Artists, they simply could not compete with the big boys when it came to funding promotion.
