(l to r) Prentiss Anderson, Lee Moore & George Miller Ross
Lee & The Leopards (1) (Toledo, Ohio)
Personnel :
Lee Moore (Lead)
George Miller Ross
Prentiss Anderson
James Porter
Discography :
Lee & The Leopards (1)
Singles:
1962 - Come Into My Palace / Trying To Make It (Gordy 7002/Laurie 3197)
1964 - What About Me / Don't Press Your Luck (Fortune 867)
Unreleased :
1964 - The Beatle Slide (Fortune)
The Rivieres (Lee & The Leopards backed by The Rivieres)
1964 - The Gypsy Said / Knock On Wood (K-Zee 811K-5218)
Biography :
Lee
and the Leopards, like many Toledo groups, were swept up in the
explosion of the Motown powered Detroit R&B/soul explosion of the
early 1960s. The group started around 1961, and included Lee Moore as
the namesake and lead singer, George Miller Ross, Prentiss Anderson, and
James Porter. Anderson had been in the Del-Rios (with William Bell) who
recorded for the early Stax records. but had moved to Toledo, where he
performed with a self-contrained group called the Gayhawks.. He was
recruited to join the group and after a few weeks, they auditioned for
Berry Gordy at Motown, who Anderson had met when he was touring with the
Del-Rios.
The
group had brought some of their own songs, but Gordy wanted them to
sing some of the in-house songs. The group went back to Toledo and they
reworked one of the songs "Come Into My Palace". The group returned to
Detroit a few days later and within a day, they had the song recorded at
Motown. James Porter was not able to make the session, so Prentiss
Anderson sang Porter's part, with Eddie Kendricks singing Anderson's
tenor part. The 45 was the first chronological release on Gordy,
although it was the second assigned catalog number. Porter was not
included on the contract.
The
record was a big hit on WOHO and WTOD in Toledo and also on Detroit
stations. The group did some promotonial shows with WTOD. The record was
picked up by Laurie records because the Motown operation did not have a
full scale national promotional system. The group recorded a second 45
at Fortune, and a final 45 for K-Lee label from Adrian, MI. For the last
record, the group recorded their own song "The Gypsy Said" backed by a
band called the Rivieres from Adrian. When the record came out, the
label credited the Rivieres instead of Lee and the Leopards. Some of the
copies had stickers for Lee and the Leopards. After the group ended,
Prentiss Anderson spent many years backing up various Motown related
groups.
Songs :
Lee & The Leopards (1)
Come Into My Palace Trying To Make It
Don't Press Your Luck The Beatle Slide
What About Me Don't Press Your Luck (alternate take)
The Rivieres
The Gypsy Said Knock On Wood