The Mad Lads was an American rhythm and blues vocal group, who recorded on the Stax subsidiary label Volt within the Sixties. Their largest hits have been “Don’t Have To Store Round” (1965) and “I Need Somebody” (1966).
The group was fashioned at Booker T. Washington Excessive College in Memphis, Tennessee. The unique line-up comprised John Gary Williams, Julius E. Inexperienced, William Brown and Robert Phillips.
They have been initially known as The Emeralds, however modified their identify as a result of there was one other group of that identify; the identify “Mad Lads” was prompt by Stax worker Deanie Parker in response to the group’s conduct and in addition in recognition of native disc jockey Reuben “Mad Lad” Washington.
They first recorded for Stax in 1964, releasing “The Sidewalk Surf”, co-written by Isaac Hayes below the identify Ed Lee, which was not a success. Nevertheless, their second report, “Don’t Have To Store Round”, rose to no. 11 on the Billboard R&B chart, and no. 93 on the pop chart. That includes organ by Hayes and piano by Booker T. Jones, it has nonetheless been described as “curiously anachronistic, owing extra to doo-wop than southern soul,” and featured “the excessive, harmless tenor of John Gary Williams.”
They adopted up with “I Need Somebody”, “I Need A Lady” and “Patch My Coronary heart”, which have been all R&B hits in 1966. Nevertheless, in direction of the top of the 12 months Williams and Brown have been drafted. The group continued to make reside appearances with the pair being changed by Sam Nelson and Quincy Billups Jr., however the brand new line-up’s recordings weren’t as profitable.
After Williams returned from army service, he was reinstated within the group, over different members’ protests, on the insistence of report firm co-owner Jim Stewart. The group continued to have R&B chart hits by means of to 1969, their ultimate hit being a model of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” which additionally reached the pop chart. In 1972, the group continued for some time and eventually cut up up.
Williams recorded a solo album, The Complete Rattling World Is Going Loopy, at Stax in 1973. He later labored exterior the music enterprise in Iowa and Los Angeles, earlier than forming a brand new touring model of the Mad Lads in 1984. The brand new group recorded an album, Madder Than Ever, in 1990.
Julius E. Inexperienced died on January 14, 2013. William C. Brown III died on July 24, 2015, aged 69.
