Devotion, originally The Superbs, were a female group from New York. Formed in the 1960s, they are remembered for their 1970 hit " Dawning of Love".

Background

They were signed with

Colossus Records Colossus Records was an American record label founded in 1969 by Jerry Ross, who had also founded Heritage Records the year before. Like Heritage, Colossus was distributed by MGM Records. In the autumn of 1969, Jerry Ross was in Europe looking ...

and released exclusively on

Paul Kyser Paul Kyser (born December 6, 1943) is an American promoter, record label owner, singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger. He wrote and co-produced the hit " Dawning of Love" with Tom Vetri for Devotion. He also wrote " Body and Soul (Tha ...

's Silver Dollar label.''Billboard'', May 8, 1971 �
Page 6 General News Record Firm Is Formed By Kyser
/ref> Their singles " Dawning of Love" and "So Glad You're Home" (1970) were written by Kyser and co-produced by him and Tom Vetri.45Cat �
The Devotions (New Jersey) – Discography
/ref> "Dawning of Love" became a hit on the US R&B chart, getting to no. 49 in 1970.

Career

The Superbs

An early line up of the group included former lead singer of The Teardrops, Rhonda Franklin, who joined the group some time around or prior to 1968. Franklin's group had recorded "Wait For Me" backed with "Birdies and Memories" which was on Gossip TKT-2121 in 1964. With

in his first time as a horns and strings arranger, The Superbs recorded "Love's Unpredictable" with Phillis Harris on lead vocals. Kyser co-produced it with Stan R. Krause. The song, backed with "Happiest Girl in the World", was released on Catamount 2122 in 1968.Soul Source �
I'm A New Member, By Guest Paul Kyser February 11, 2009 Guest Paul Kyser Posted February 11, 2009
/ref>Popsike �

/ref> The next single credited to The Superbs was "The Dawning of Love" backed with "So Glad You're Home" on Symbol 8.Gripsweat �
THE SUPERBS The Dawning Of Love SYMBOL NORTHERN SOUL USA 45
/ref> The group was photographed for a promotional picture. By the time they were photographed Rhonda Frankin had left the group. Pictured were Phillis Harris, Arnita (surname unknown) and Harris' sister.

Devotion

" The Dawning of Love" was released a second time by Kyser in 1970 on Colossus C 126 and credited to Devotion. It became a hit and went to no. 49 on the ''Billboard'' chart, and no. 41 in the ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' chart. According to Kyser in the ''Music Executive Paul L. Kyser of Trumpet records Sit Down Documentary'' by Champagne Filmmaker, Kyser and co. went to Cleveland, Ohio and everything was going well, and the girls were set to appear at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

. Unfortunately, the group's lead singer had a medical issue and went to hospital. After that he got a replacement line up. The Devotion line up became Retta Young, Bertha and Madge Quince. They did a show in Baltimore, Maryland. They did a prom there with The Moments. This was where Kyser introduced

Al Goodman Alfred Goodman (August 12, 1890 – January 10, 1972) was a conductor, songwriter, stage composer, musical director, arranger, and pianist. Early years Goodman was born in Nikopol, Ukraine, (another source says that he was born in Odessa, Ukrai ...

of The Moments to Henrietta Young. Interestingly, Young, Bertha Addison, and Madge Quince are credited with composing "Stuck To You Like A Magnet" which was registered for copyright in 1968. The first Devotions recording featuring Young was "The Saga of Will-E Jones" (1971), which was composed by Kyser and Vetri. They were listed in the Campus Attractions section in the March 27 issue of ''Billboard'' as an act available for a college date. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' reported in the August 14, 1971 issue that Silver Dollar Records, having had local success with "Ain't it Good Enough" by New Sound Express Ltd. were getting ready to ship nationally the single by a dynamite female group, the Devotions. The single, "The Saga of Will-E Jones" was the first Jamie / Guyden release on the Silver Dollar label. In the March 17, 1973 issue of ''Record World'',

Dede Dabney DeDe, De De, Dedé or Dédé may refer to: People Nickname or stage name * Dedé (Angolan footballer), born Adérito Waldemar Alves Carvalho * Dedé (footballer, born 1978), Brazilian footballer born Leonardo de Deus Santos * Dedé (footballer, b ...

in her Soul Truth column had "So Glad You're Home" as one of Dede's Ditties to Watch. *Note: "The Saga of Will-E Jones" 1971 release and info by Kyser suggests that Retta Young did not sing on earlier recordings such as "The Dawning of Love."

Later years

Retta Young went solo and had a hit with " Sending Out An S.O.S.". The record would eventually peak at No. 88 in the U.S. on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts and No. 28 in the U.K.''MusicVF''.com �
Sending Out an S.O.S. By: Retta Young
/ref>

Discography

References

{{Reflist Musical groups from New Jersey R&B musical groups from New Jersey African-American girl groups Soul musical groups American soul musical groups Colossus Records artists American R&B girl groups