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VALADIERS
The Valadiers formed in
Detroit,
MI, in 1959; Stuart
Avig (lead), Martin Coleman (lead, bass, baritone), and
Art Glasser (second tenor) went to Oak Park High, and Jerry Light (bass,
baritone) attended Detroit Mumford. Early influences include Jerry Butler &
the Impressions, the Dells, the Flamingoes, and Jackie Wilson. They
auditioned at Hitsville USA one day after high school, secured a three-year
contract, and became Motown's first white group.
Greetings,
This Is Uncle Sam
Their initial recording session produced "Nothing Is Going to Change It,"
and "Somebody Help Me Find My Baby," which Motown shelved. Nothing happened
until their next session that produced the self-written "Greetings, This Is
Uncle Sam," and "Take a Chance," the B-side. According to Avig, "the
sessions took one or two hours for both the vocals and the music." The
Valadiers wrote "Greetings," but everyone wanted a piece of the songwriters'
credits, the 45 listed only P. Bennent -- who nobody knew -- as the
songwriter. When it appeared on a compilation album, the credits listed
Robert Bateman, Brian Holland, and Ronnie Dunbar. B.M.I. lists Bateman,
Holland, Dunbar, and the Valadiers as the writers. "Greetings" was popular
in the East and the Midwest.
The Valadiers appeared in Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Flint, Baltimore,
Washington, and other cities with the top names in R&B. On a memorable show
at the Cleveland Arena with Marv Johnson, the Isley Brothers, and Wilbert
Harrison, the blue-eyed soul singers received a louder ovation than the
Isleys. They enjoyed playing hometown spots like the 20 Grand Lounge and the
Graystone Ballroom. Lead, Stuart Avig, a 5'4" dynamo, had voice that was a
cross between Jackie Wilson and Smokey Robinson; his showstopping voice and
demeanor wowed audiences.
The Valadiers' next recordings appeared on the Gordy label. "When I'm Away"
(released the summer of 1962) and "I Found a Girl" (January 1963) received
little promotion and there were no other releases, and they disbanded by
1964. The Monitors redid "Greetings" on Soul Records and out-charted the
original. The Isley Brothers also cut a version that remained in Motown's
vaults until the mid-'80s. Stuart cut some solo tracks at Golden World
Records as Stuart Ames. He tried to bring Marty Coleman along but the owner,
Ed Wingate, only wanted Stuart and squashed the record in its promotional
stage. He recorded some tracks, uncredited, with the Reflections ("Just Like
Romeo and Juliet") on Golden World.
After that experience Stuart sang around town in various clubs solo, or as
the Valadiers, when he could assemble a group. Coleman concentrated on
songwriting; B.M.I. lists 38 songs by him, but he wrote more. His biggest
was "If This Is Love (Than I'd Rather Be Lonely)" by the Precisions on Drew
Records. He wrote and arranged for Detroit's Top Dog label, owned by Artie
Fields, and remain with the company until it folded after 11 single
releases.
One of Marty's Top Dog songs, "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music," was
redone by both the Spinners and the Supremes & the Four Tops on Motown; Joe
Towns recorded the original on Top Dog. When Motown absorbed Top Dog,
Coleman fell in as a staff writer, placing tunes with the Originals, Gladys
Knight & the Pips, and others. Britisher Ian Levine recorded the Valadiers
in the late '80s. Stuart Avig was the sole original member, the other spots
were filled by stand-ins. The material ran the gamut and included remakes of
the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody," the Isley Brothers' "I Guess I'll
Always Love You," and the Miracles' "Ooh, Baby, Baby" with Stuart sounding
as good as ever.
Light lives in St. Augustine, FL, while Glasser, Avig, and Coleman all
reside in the Detroit area. Avig, happily married for 30 years, has two sons
and works in the precious metals business. Glasser also works in greater
Detroit, but the once talented Coleman is dogged by substance abuse
problems. Stuart has fond memories of Motown and calls it "a rewarding
experience."
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