The Monitors (3)
aka The Majestics (15), aka
The New Monitors
(Detroit, Michigan)
Group members:
Richard Allen “Strick”
Street (lead / background vocals)
Sandra Fagin (lead /
background vocals)
John “Maurice” Fagin
(background vocals)
Warren “Sonny” Harris
(background vocals)
Discography:
The Majestics (15)
1964 – Hello Love* / The
Further You Look, The Less You See (V.I.P. 25010) [not issued]
1965 - Say You / All For
Someone (V.I.P. 25028) [promo copies only]
*version 2
The Monitors (3)
Singles:
1965 - All For Someone /
Say You (V.I.P. 25028)
1966 - Greetings (This Is
Uncle Sam) / Number One In Your Heart* (V.I.P. 25032)
1966 - Since I Lost You
Girl / Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today (V.I.P. 25039)
1968 - Bring Back The Love
/ The Further You Look, The Less You See** (V.I.P. 25046)
1968 - Step By Step (Hand
In Hand) / Time Is Passin’ By** (V.I.P. 25049) [not released]
1968 - Step By Step (Hand
In Hand) / Time Is Passin' By (Soul 35049)
1972 – Fence Around Your
Heart / Have You Seen Her (Buddah BDA 278)
[Credited to “The New
Monitors” on the U.K. release Buddah 2011-118.]
*recorded in 1965
**recorded in 1966
Album:
1968 – {Greetings!...
We’re The Monitors} Bring Back The Love / Share A Little Love With Me** / Step
By Step (Hand In Hand) / The Further You Look, The Less You See** / Since I
Lost You Girl / Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music / Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)
/ Time Is Passin’ By** / Say You / Number One In Your Heart / Serve Yourself A
Cup Of Happiness** / You Share The Blame * (Soul LP S714/SS714)
*recorded in 1965
**recorded in 1966
Motown / V.I.P.
unreleased:
1963 - Anything
1963 – Cry (version1)
1963 - Guilty
1963 - Hello Love (version
1)
1964 – Cry (version 2)
1964 - Hello Love (version
2)
1965 - I Can't Get Along
Without You
1965 - I'm In Love With
You Baby
1965 - Just Too Much To
Hope For
1965 - Show Me You Can
Dance
1965 - Words
1966 - Crying In The Night
(version 1)
1966 - Doctor Of Love
1966 - Don't Put Off Till
Tomorrow What You Can Do Today
1966 - It Only Happens When
Love Is Gone
1966 - You're So Fine And
Sweet
1967 - Crying In The Night
(version 2)
1967 - My Love Grows
Stronger
1967 - Poor Side Of Town
1967 - Too Busy Thinking
About My Baby
1968 - Just To Keep You
Satisfied
1968 - The Letter
Biography:
Singer and pianist Richard
Street attended high school with future Monitors-mate Warren Harris, Otis
Williams, and cousin Melvin Franklin. Warren was part of a group called The Distants, along with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, but he departed as The
Distants merged with The Primes, to form The Temptations. Warren and Richard
were part of a group called The Fagins, before a name change, calling
themselves The Majestics. Thomas Mealey (listed as Meatley in B.M.I.), Pedro
Maneka, Maurice Fagin, and Warren Harris were The Majestics who recorded for
Chex Records in 1962. In 1963 Street and Harris formed a new Majestics group
together with married couple Sandra and John Fagin, and the group signed with Motown.
“Hello Love” was written
by Street, Harris and Thelma Gordy, and was scheduled for release on V.I.P. in
1964, backed with “The Further You Look, The Less You See” written by two
Motown legends, Smokey Robinson and Norman Whitfield. Unfortunately V.I.P.
25010 was cancelled.
In 1965 The Monitors
finally received the greenlight for a released single (“Say You” b/w “All For Someone”). After the initial pressing, Motown learned that a white group named
The Majestics had been recording on the Linda label. And so The Monitors were
born. “Say You” was eventually released on V.I.P. 25028. The song peaked at #36
on the Billboard R&B charts.
The Mickey Stevenson, Hank
Cosby, and Ronnie Dunbar production, “Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam)” (backed with "Number One In Your Heart") was the
closest The Monitors got to hit status, at #100 Pop and #21 R&B in 1966.
This song was originally recorded by The Valadiers and reflected the concerns
of the younger generation regarding the Vietnam War at the time.
The Monitors released a
couple of further releases for the V.I.P. imprint, including “Since I Lost You
Girl” b/w “Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Do Today” (in 1966) and “Bring
Back The Love” b/w “The Further You Look The Less You” (in 1968).
After an internal move to
Motown's Soul Records label, the group released “Step by Step (Hand in Hand)”
b/w “Time Is Passin’ By” in 1969. The single proved to be their last release
for the label, however, a parent album was released, entitled “Greetings! We're
The Monitors”, in 1968. It was originally scheduled for release on V.I.P. but surfaced
on the Soul label. The album was kind of a disappointment as it didn't include
all the B-sides from their five singles, and the material wasn't up to Motown's
usual standards.
When Paul Williams was
forced to depart The Temptations due to the failing health, however, Richard
Street stepped in for him in 1971 and The Monitors’ fate was sealed. As a
result of his new affiliation, The Monitors quietly faded into history; as The
New Monitors the remaining group members did manage a single release on Buddah
in 1972.
Richard Street in 1972 |
Richard Street passed away
in 2013 at the age of 70.
Richard Street, Sandra Fagin, John 'Maurice' Fagin and Warren Harris |
Sources:
Songs:
All For Someone
Say You
Greetings (This Is Uncle
Sam)
Number One In Your Heart
Since I Lost You Girl
Don't Put Off Till
Tomorrow What You Can Do Today
Bring Back The Love / The
Further You Look, The Less You See
Step By Step (Hand In
Hand)
Time Is Passin’ By
Fence Around Your Heart
Have You Seen Her
Share A Little Love With
Me
Baby Make Your Own Sweet
Music
Serve Yourself A Cup Of
Happiness
You Share The Blame
Anything
Cry
Guilty
Hello Love (version 1)
Cry (version 2)
Hello Love (version 2)
I Can't Get Along Without
You
I'm In Love With You Baby
Just Too Much To Hope For
Show Me You Can Dance
Words
Crying In The Night
(version 1)
Doctor Of Love
Don't Put Off Till Tomorrow
What You Can Do Today
It Only Happens When Love
Has Gone
You're So Fine And Sweet
Crying In The Night
(version 2)
My Love Grows Stronger
Poor Side Of Town
Too Busy Thinking About My
Baby
Just To Keep You Satisfied
The Letter