(L to R) Stan Bracely, Carl Jones, Mickey Stevenson & Joe Miles
The Mello-Dees (Detroit)
aka The Love-Tones
Personnel :
Carl Jones (Lead)
Mickey Stevenson (Tenor)
Joe Miles (Baritone)
Stan Bracely (Bass)
Discography :
Herman Griffin & The Mello-Dees
1960 - Hurry Up And Marry Me / Do You Want To See My Baby (Anna 1115/Stepp 237)
Tall Tonio (Tony Clark) & The Mello-Dee’s
1960 - Hod Rod Car / Ten Reasons (Stepp 235)
Marvin Gaye & The Love-Tones
1962 - Soldier's Plea / Taking My Time (Tamla 54063)
Gino Parks & The Love-Tones
1962 - For This I Thank You / Fire (Tamla 54066)
Henry Lumpkin & The Love-Tones
1962 - Mo Jo Hanna / Break Down And Sing (Motown 1029
Mary Wells & The Love-Tones
1962 - The One Who Really Loves You / I'm Gonna Stay (Motown 1024)
1962 - You Beat Me To The Punch / Old Love (Let's Try It Again) (Motown 1032)
1963 - Laughing Boy / Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right (Motown 1039)
Biography :
Just
as The Andantes were Motown's female backing singers of note, so The
Love-Tones were briefly their male equivalents. When the Teardrops
dissolved after one single for Sampson in 1952/53, Stan Bracely &
Carl Jones stayed together and with baritone Joe Miles and second tenor
Mickey Stevenson, they formed the Mello-dees. Initially, they backed
Herman Griffin & Tony Clarke’s first single under the name of Tall
Tonio for Mickey Stevenson's Stepp Records in 1960, but when Stevenson
quit singing to concentrate on producing, they changed their name to the
Love Tones and became the in-house male backing group.
Tony Clark (Tall Tonio)
Although their contributions were usually credited, they were seldom
if ever allowed to release anything under their own name, with the
result their contribution to Motown would be easy to overlook. However,
Carl Jones, Mickey Stevenson, Joe Miles and Stan Bracely had recorded
under their own name.
Mary Wells
Gino Parks
Marvin Gaye
Whilst at Motown they appeared on recordings by Marvin Gaye (Soldier
Boy), Henry Lumpkin (Mo Jo Hanna), Gino Parks (For This I Thank You),
Mary Wells on her big 1962 hits, “The One Who Really Loves You” and “You
Beat Me To The Punch” and many other singers, sometimes credited. They
exited Motown in 1962 and seemingly broke up thereafter, although they
reformed for a series of recordings for Ian Levine's Motorcity label in
the 1990s.
Songs :
Herman Griffin & The Mello-Dees
Hurry Up And Marry Me / Do You Want To See My Baby
Marvin Gaye & The Love-Tones
Soldier's Plea Taking My Time
Gino Parks & The Love-Tones
For This I Thank You Fire
Henry Lumpkin & The Love-Tones
Mo Jo Hanna Break Down And Sing
Mary Wells & The Love-Tones
The One Who Really Loves You I'm Gonna Stay You Beat Me To The Punch
Old Love (Let's Try It Again) Laughing Boy Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right