Prentice Moreland (March 4, 1925 – September 1988) was an American R&B and

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

singer of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Early life

Moreland was born on March 4, 1925, in

East St. Louis, Illinois East St. Louis, also known as ESTL, is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is directly across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro East ...

. At some points in his life, he claimed to be related to comedian

Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actor in several films. Ear ...

; although he called Mantan his uncle and the two men got along well, Moreland's daughter says there was never any confirmation of an actual familial relationship.

Career

Moreland was a member of many vocal groups including

The Dominoes Billy Ward and his Dominoes were an American R&B vocal group. One of the most successful R&B groups of the early 1950s, the Dominoes helped launch the singing careers of two notable members, Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson. Early life B ...

, The Du Droppers, The Chanteclairs, The Cadets, The Crescendos, The Colts, The Fortunes, The Hollywood Flames, and possibly The Sevilles (the group that had a hit with "Charlena" in 1961). Moreland replaced Ted Taylor (who had left for a solo career) on The Cadets' "Stranded In The Jungle" session and was the one who came up with the "Great Googa Mooga! Lemme outta here!" line in the song. Aaron Collins of The Cadets said of Moreland's line "I think he picked that up from Rochester (Anderson). Prentice knew Rochester pretty well." At the same session, he recorded a solo version of "Memories Of You," a song that had been done by

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American vocal pop group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style predated the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ...

in 1939; it was released on RPM Records in 1957. He recorded along with

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...

, Milton Merle, and Cliff Givens in The Dominoes in 1955, later returning to the group a few more times. With the Crescendos, he recorded "Finders Keepers" and "Sweet Dreams" for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in 1956, alongside Bobby Relf of The Laurels,

Young Jessie Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie (December 28, 1936 – April 27, 2020) was an American R&B, rock and roll and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flair ...

The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an United States, American doo-wop musical ensemble, group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members i ...

, and Bobby Byrd of The Hollywood Flames. He was asked by

Buck Ram Samuel "Buck" Ram (November 21, 1907 – January 1, 1991) was an American songwriter, and popular music producer and arranger. He was one of BMI's top five songwriters/air play in its first 50 years, alongside Paul Simon, Kris Kristofferson, Ji ...

to join

The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

but Moreland refused because he had to take care of one of his daughters (Arlene Eunice Moreland) Around the same time that Moreland recorded with The Chanteclairs on

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

in 1954 (as "Prentice Moore"), there was a Dot recording called "You Gave Me Heartaches" by Prentice Miller. It is possible that "Prentice Miller" is actually Prentice Moreland. Moreland's name is listed as "Prince Moreland" for the recordings he did for

Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...

' Dig Records in 1956. One of the songs, "My Mother's Eyes" was previously sung in the 1929 film ''Lucky Boy'' by George Jessel. Moreland also sang two

Ivory Joe Hunter Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid-1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recordi ...

songs, "I Almost Lost My Mind" and "I Need You So." In the '60s, Moreland was a member of several imposter and spin-off

Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American vocal pop group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style predated the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ...

groups, including those fronted by Cliff Givens, George Holmes, and Orville Brooks. He was never a member of the original Ink Spots that recorded for

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

. According to singers

and Bobby Nunn,

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including "Searchin'", "Young Blood (The Coasters song), Young Blood", "Charlie Brown (The Coasters song), Charlie Bro ...

' big hit "

Searchin' "Searchin" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for the Coasters. Atco Records released it as a single in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the ''Billboard'' s ...

" from 1957 had originally been put together by Moreland,

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René un ...

Earl Nelson Earl Nelson, ''of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey'', is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 November 1805 for the Rev. William Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson, one month after the death of his youn ...

, and

's house about three years before it was recorded.

Jerry Leiber Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

and

Mike Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

heard their song and wrote more lyrics to the song, adding references to movie detectives. Moreland worked in the clubs in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, until he died in September 1988,Propes, Steve (2000). "The Legendary Dig Masters Volume 5: Group Harmony And Jump" ce CDCHD 759 Liner Notes. a year after Ted Taylor (whom Moreland had replaced in The Cadets) had died in a car crash.

Discography

Solo singles and recordings

* "Memories of You" (Modern) (unreleased) (September 1956) (backup by The Cadets) (contains original chorus, different from the RPM #487 release in 1957) * "Believe Me Beloved"/"I’ve Never Been There" (RPM #475) (October 1956) (as Prentice Mooreland) * "I Almost Lost My Mind" (Dig) (unreleased) (1956) (as Prince Moreland) * "I Need You So" (Dig) (unreleased) (1956) (as Prince Moreland) * "My Mother’s Eyes" (Dig) (unreleased) (1956) * "Marie My Love"/"Memories of You" (RPM #487) (February 1957) ("Memories Of You" is overdubbed over original chorus) * " Please, Please, Please"/"Oh Pretty Baby" (Edsel #778) (1959) * "Chinese Junk"/"Looking For Your Heart" (Donna #1320) (1959) * "Wagon Wheels" (Del-Fi) (1960) (unreleased) * "Holy Mack'rel"/"Teacher Drives Me Crazy (Challenge #9134) (10 February 1962) * "Chubby Ain’t Chubby No More"/"

You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is an American standard of old-time and country music and the state song of Louisiana. Its original writer is disputed. According to the performance rights organization BMI, by the year 2000 the song had been recorded by ...

" (Challenge #9154) (1962) * "Lover Supreme"/"

For Your Love "For Your Love" is a rock song written by Graham Gouldman and recorded by the English group the Yardbirds. Released in March 1965, it was their first top ten hit in both the UK and the US. The song was a departure from the group's blues roots ...

" (Challenge #9176) (1962) * "Limbo Party"/"Come On Pretty Baby" (Challenge #9181) (1963)

Group singles and recordings

* "I've Never Been There" (Groove) (18 March 1954; unreleased) (The Du Droppers) * "You've Been Good To Everybody" (Groove) (18 March 1954; unreleased) (The Du Droppers) * "Just Whisper"/"How Much Longer" (Groove #0013) (April 1954) (The Du Droppers) (sings lead on "How Much Longer") * "Baby Please"/"Someday Love Will Come My Way" (Dot #1227) (1954) (The Chanteclairs) (may have been recorded without Moreland) * "Believe Me, Beloved"/"I’ve Never Been There" (Dot #15404) (1955) (The Chanteclairs) * "Can't Do Sixty No More"/"If I Never Get To Heaven" (Federal #12209) (February 1955) (The Dominoes) (Moreland sings lead on "If I Never Get To Heaven") * "Give Me You"/"

Over The Rainbow "Over the Rainbow", also known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", is a ballad by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz'', in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role ...

" (King #1502) (August 1955) (The Dominoes) (Moreland appears on "Give Me You") * "Bobby Sox Baby"/"How Long, How Long Blues" (Federal #12263) (April 1956) (The Dominoes) (Moreland appears on "Bobby Sox Baby") * "Stranded In The Jungle"/"I Want You" (Modern #994) (1956) (The Cadets) (Moreland appears on "Stranded In The Jungle") * "Finders Keepers"/"Sweet Dreams" (Atlantic #1109) (September 1956) (The Crescendos) (Moreland sang first tenor) * "Never No More"/"

The Sheik Of Araby "The Sheik of Araby" is a song that was written in 1921 by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler, with music by Ted Snyder. It was composed in response to the popularity of the Rudolph Valentino feature film '' The Sheik''. "The Sheik of Araby" w ...

" (Antler #4003) (1957) (The Colts) * "Guiding Angel"/"The Sheik Of Araby" (Antler #4007) (1957) (The Colts) * "Tarnished Angel"/"Who Cares" (Decca #30541) (1958) (The Fortunes) * "How Clever Of You"/"Trees" (Decca #30688) (1958) (The Fortunes) * "Alone In A Crowd" (Liberty) (unreleased) (about 1958) (The Dominoes) (Moreland sang lead) * "I’m Always Chasing Rainbows" (Liberty) (about 1958; unreleased) (The Dominoes) (Moreland sang lead) * "I’ll Be Seeing You"/"Sweet Dreams" (Atlantic #2014) (2/1959) (The Crescendos) * "Louella"/"Salt Mine" (JC #118) (1961) (The Sevilles) (probably included Prentice Moreland) * "Stompin'" (Savage Kick SK 502) * "Holy Mack'rel"

Various artists compilations

* ''Del-Fi Doo Wop Volume 3: Honey For Sale'' (Del-Fi #71258) (1998) * Johnny Otis Orchestra: ''Rock 'N' Roll Hit Parade'' (Ace #774) (2000) * ''Group Harmony & Jump: The Legendary Dig Masters'', Volume 5 (Ace #759) (2000) * ''Dot Doo Wop'', Volume 6 (Dot #1016) * ''Dot Doo Wop'', Volume 7 (Dot #1017) * ''Holy Mackerel!: Pretenders To Little Richard's Throne'' (Ace #1121) (2009)

References

External links

"Stranded In The Jungle"

at Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks

at Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks

at Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks

at Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks {{DEFAULTSORT:Moreland, Prentice 1925 births 1988 deaths People from East St. Louis, Illinois American rhythm and blues singers RPM Records (United States) artists Challenge Records artists Groove Records artists Dot Records artists King Records artists Modern Records artists Atlantic Records artists Decca Records artists 20th-century American singers The Cadets (group) members Musicians from Illinois