The Monitors (3)

The Monitors (3)

aka The Majestics (15), aka The New Monitors

(Detroit, Michigan)

 

Richard Street, Sandra Fagin, Maurice Fagin, Warren Harris

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:

 The Monitors biography by Andrew Hamilton at All Music

 The Majestics biography by Andrew Hamilton at All Music

The Monitors biography by Joe Marchese at The Second Disc

The Monitors biography by Toby Walker at Soulwalking

The Monitors biography by An-Dinh Nguyen at Soully Oldies

Richard Street interview at SoulMusic

The Monitors discography by Ritchie Hardin and Keith Hughes at Don’t Forget The Motor City

The Monitors discography at Soulful Kinda Music

The Monitors label scans at 45cat

The Monitors record reviews at Motown Junkie

The Monitors CD review by Tony Rounce

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