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 genre 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, Chica ...

singer of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Early life

Moreland was born on March 4, 1925, in East St. Louis, Illinois. 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 actress in several films. E ...

; 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, 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 Ted Taylor may refer to: *Ted Taylor (physicist) (1925–2004), Theodore Taylor *Ted Taylor (footballer) (1887–1956), Edward Taylor *Ted Taylor (ice hockey) (born 1942) *Ted Taylor (singer) (1934–1987), American R&B and soul singer See also *Te ...

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

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

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

, 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 its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

in 1956, alongside Bobby Relf of The Laurels,

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

The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an American doo-wop 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 included Richard Berry (writer o ...

, 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, J ...

to join

The Platters The Platters was 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 ac ...

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 1956, the company moved ...

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; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, and talent scout. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He ...

' 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 recordin ...

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

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. 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. Beginning with " Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producin ...

' 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'' sing ...

" 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 younge ...

, and

's house about three years before it was recorded.

Jerry Leiber Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...

and

Mike Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such Crossover music, crossover hit songs ...

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 (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, 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 "Please, Please, Please" is a rhythm and blues song performed by James Brown and the Famous Flames. Written by Brown and Johnny Terry and released as a single on Federal Records in 1956, it reached No. 6 on the R&B charts. The group's debut ...

"/"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 a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louis ...

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

For Your Love "For Your Love" is a rock song written by Graham Gouldman and recorded by 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" (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" was ...

" (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