Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You are now tuned into the Sitting in the Park show. Today is a special show because we're starting off with an interview. I have a member of a Chicago group right here in the studio. She'll be telling her story about her group, and we'll be playing the records they cut. Hopefully, you'll stay tuned, because she has an interesting story to share. So first of all, would you like to introduce yourself?
Edith Andrews 00:41
My name is Edith Andrews, and I'm a member of the Love Masters.
Bob Abrahamian 00:45
So first of all, are you originally from—
Edith Andrews 00:49
Chicago? Yes, I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.
Bob Abrahamian 00:53
What part of Chicago are you from?
Edith Andrews 00:55
South Side Chicago.
Bob Abrahamian 01:00
What specific area of the South Side are you from?
Edith Andrews 01:06
It wasn't exactly Woodlawn, but it wasn't far from there. I grew up on 61st and Calumet.
Bob Abrahamian 01:13
And were you always living around that area most of your life?
Edith Andrews 01:18
For most of my childhood, yes.
Bob Abrahamian 01:21
And how did you get involved with singing?
Edith Andrews 01:25
I went to St. Anselm Grammar School, and we had a kindergarten band. Not only did we play rhythm instruments, but we also sang and danced. So that’s how I got involved in singing.
Bob Abrahamian 01:41
That sounds awesome! What instrument did you play?
Edith Andrews 01:45
I played the triangle and the tambourine. We danced to "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" in blue gowns, and a couple of other numbers. Some of the kids were really talented. There was a guy named Teddy—and Tommy too—they used to do the Temptations-style dance moves, and they were really good. We had an orchestra director, a kid like us—it was a whole kids’ thing. Everything was done by children.
Bob Abrahamian 02:23
So you had an actual whole kindergarten band, and it was mostly percussion, singing, and dancing?
Edith Andrews 02:32
Yes—singing, dancing, and percussion.
Bob Abrahamian 02:33
That sounds awesome.
Edith Andrews 02:37
It really was fantastic.
Bob Abrahamian 02:40
So after kindergarten, how did you continue being involved with music?
Edith Andrews 02:46
We sang the liturgy of the Mass. The kids sang all the musical parts. We learned Latin almost before English. Back then, Mass was conducted in Latin at Catholic schools, and we were taught all the liturgical songs. We had to go to Mass every day, so we did a lot of singing.
Bob Abrahamian 03:14
So through grade school, you were singing as part of Mass?
Edith Andrews 03:17
Pretty much, yes.
Bob Abrahamian 03:21
So how did you first get into singing secular music?
Edith Andrews 03:26
I was trained at the Chicago Conservatory of Music for piano.
Bob Abrahamian 03:31
How old were you when you started?
Edith Andrews 03:35
I was six. I studied there from age six to 14. My mother was trying to figure out what I was interested in, so I got involved in dance, piano, voice—and secular music too. In grammar school, we started singing in little studio groups, doing doo-wop songs. We knew all the Spaniels' music. We loved that old-school doo-wop.
Bob Abrahamian 03:59
So you were inspired by doo-wop groups like the Spaniels?
Edith Andrews 04:03
The Spaniels, the El Dorados, the Dells—a lot of Chicago groups.
Bob Abrahamian 04:08
Were there any female groups that inspired you?
Edith Andrews 04:12
Yes—the Chantels. I loved the Chantels. They were my favorite group.
Bob Abrahamian 04:18
So you actually had a group in grammar school? Like, in the schoolyard?
Edith Andrews 04:24
Yeah, we had several schoolyard groups. Everyone would split off into little sections, and we'd sing.
Bob Abrahamian 04:31
Is that how you learned harmony? Or did you already know it from Mass?
Edith Andrews 04:35
We were taught harmony in Mass, so I was singing harmony from when I was a little child.
Bob Abrahamian 04:42
Did you have any names for those grammar school groups?
Edith Andrews 04:44
No, we just sang.
Bob Abrahamian 04:46
What were some of the songs you sang?
Edith Andrews 04:54
We sang "The Wind" by the Diablos, "My Only Love"—oh my goodness, we did any doo-wop that was out at the time. We did a lot of Teenagers songs like "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." We loved the Teenagers.
Bob Abrahamian 05:19
And one of the members of your group was actually someone I had up here a few weeks ago, right? Dale Myrick—from the Voices?
Edith Andrews 05:24
Yes, that's right.
Bob Abrahamian 05:27
What school was that?
Edith Andrews 05:32
St. Anselm. It was located at 61st and Indiana. The school is still there. The church is still open.
Bob Abrahamian 05:41
So you first got involved in singing R&B music just in the schoolyard?
Edith Andrews 05:45
Yes, in the schoolyard.
Bob Abrahamian 05:49
When you got to high school, did you try to get more serious about forming groups? Did you sing in more groups?
Edith Andrews 05:54
We went to different high schools, but we stayed in touch. I was involved in three choruses and the band. I played trombone in the high school band. Dale and I kept in touch, and we formed a group called the Modern Misses during high school. We sang a lot of harmony—stuff by the Hi-Lo's and the Four Lads.
Bob Abrahamian 06:20
So it was more like modern harmony vocals?
Edith Andrews 06:22
Yes.
Bob Abrahamian 06:24
Did you ever perform?
Edith Andrews 06:24
Yes, we performed a lot with her father. Her dad had a combo, and we sang wherever we could—as long as it wasn't a club. If it was a private party or a set where alcohol wasn’t served, we could sing. So we did.
Bob Abrahamian 06:40
So you never tried to record or anything, just live sets?
Edith Andrews 06:46
Yeah, in high school we just did sets, nothing recorded.
Bob Abrahamian 06:50
And after high school, did you continue to stay involved in music?
Edith Andrews 06:54
Yes. About six years after high school, I started working at the First National Bank and got involved in a group called the Tonettes. It was three young white ladies and me. We did a lot of performances around the area. The First National Bank had a big chorus, and our group performed at places like Maria High School and local events.
Bob Abrahamian 07:32
How did you end up meeting and singing with three white ladies?
Edith Andrews 07:39
I was only the second Black person working at First National Bank at the time. The three white ladies also worked there, and we were all in the choir together.
Bob Abrahamian 07:49
Wait—the bank had a choir?
Edith Andrews 07:55
Yes! It did. A very good one, too.
Bob Abrahamian 08:00
Was it a religious choir?
Edith Andrews 08:03
No, we sang all kinds of music—show tunes, standards like West Side Story and My Fair Lady, and even a little bit of doo-wop.
Bob Abrahamian 08:25
That's really interesting. So it was just a thing at the bank—this tradition of having a choir?
Edith Andrews 08:33
Yes, it seemed to be. And I joined as soon as I started working there. That’s how the group with those ladies formed—we all liked doo-wop, so we started singing together.
Bob Abrahamian 08:52
So they didn’t already have a group—you just started one together?
Edith Andrews 08:55
Exactly. We started talking about music and realized we all loved the same things, so we began practicing. We sang a cappella—"Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop"—all that stuff.
Bob Abrahamian 09:24
Do you remember what year this was?
Edith Andrews 09:29
Probably around ’68 or ’69. Actually, at that time, I was singing with both the Tonettes and the Love Masters.
Bob Abrahamian 09:39
So you had already formed the Love Masters by then?
Edith Andrews 09:41
Yes.
Bob Abrahamian 09:46
And where was the First National Bank?
Edith Andrews 09:46
Downtown—on Monroe, near Dearborn. It was the original First National Bank building, before the big towers were built.
Bob Abrahamian 10:18
Like Madison and Dearborn?
Edith Andrews 10:21
Yes, that's right. That original building.
Bob Abrahamian 10:29
Okay, so we started getting into the Love Masters, but I’m curious what happened to the Tonettes. Did anything come of that group?
Edith Andrews 10:41
We went to Chess Records, and they wanted to sign us. But we turned it down. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you why, exactly—probably the way the contract was worded. One of the girls' fathers was an Army colonel, and he didn’t like what he saw in the contract. When we took it back to them, they weren’t willing to make changes.
Bob Abrahamian 10:59
That would have been interesting too, because you could have crossed over—three white girls and a Black woman—that’s a goldmine right there.
Edith Andrews 11:07
It really was, especially at the time. But there was just something about the contract wording. One of the girls' fathers looked at it—he was a colonel in the Army, had been in for years—and he didn’t like the language in it. When we asked for changes, they refused. So we walked away.
Bob Abrahamian 11:26
Okay. So let’s talk about the other group you were in that actually did record—the Love Masters. How did the Love Masters form?
Edith Andrews 11:38
I hadn’t sung in a couple of years, and in 1967, I decided to put an ad in the Chicago Defender looking for vocalists. Six people called me, four of them actually came by, and three kept coming back. That’s how it started.
Bob Abrahamian 12:07
So you were explicitly trying to form a vocal group?
Edith Andrews 12:11
Yes, that’s what I specifically asked for.
Bob Abrahamian 12:16
Did people do that a lot back then—put ads in the paper for singers?
Edith Andrews 12:28
I think so. I used to read the want ads in the Sun-Times and the Defender when I was looking to join a group. There were always ads for keyboard players or guitarists. Sometimes you'd see one for a singer. That gave me the idea.
Bob Abrahamian 12:52
Why didn’t you just try to join someone else’s group?
Edith Andrews 12:56
I’d been through that already. I wanted something fresh, something new. The Tonettes didn’t end badly—we just all started heading in different directions because of life stuff. But I didn’t want to stop singing, and I knew if I stopped, I might not get back into it.
Bob Abrahamian 13:25
So just to clarify—you took out the ad while the Tonettes were still kind of active?
Edith Andrews 13:22
Yes, around the same time. The Tonettes were starting to drift apart, and I didn’t want to lose momentum. I wanted to keep going.
Bob Abrahamian 13:37
Got it. So the Tonettes didn’t sign with Chess, the group started fading out, and that’s when you took the initiative to start something new.
Edith Andrews 13:54
Exactly. I didn’t want to quit.
Bob Abrahamian 13:59
So three of the people who responded to your ad ended up forming the group?
Edith Andrews 14:14
Yes. James Simmons, Michael Vaughns—with an “s”—and Ronald Murray. There was a fourth guy, but I can’t remember his name. The three I mentioned stuck around.
Bob Abrahamian 14:23
So—James Simmons, Michael Vaughns, and Ronald Murray. Did you have a concept in mind for the group? Like a particular sound or vibe?
Edith Andrews 14:39
I was into the Motown sound. So we did a lot of Gladys Knight & The Pips, Temptations—stuff like that. That was my thing.
Bob Abrahamian 14:49
Were you aiming for something like a female-led group with male backing vocals?
Edith Andrews 14:54
Not necessarily. I just wanted people who were serious about music and committed to success. I wasn’t looking to fool around—I wanted to take care of business.
Bob Abrahamian 15:13
Were you hoping to do music full-time?
Edith Andrews 15:18
I wanted to. But we all had day jobs, so we did it as much as we could.
Bob Abrahamian 15:27
Did your ad specify male vocalists, or was that just who responded?
Edith Andrews 15:33
I didn’t specify—I just said “singers.” But only men responded.
Bob Abrahamian 15:43
Interesting. Maybe women felt weird calling a number in the paper.
Edith Andrews 15:55
That too. It was probably intimidating.
Bob Abrahamian 15:58
So those three became the core members. Did you have a name for the group at first?
Edith Andrews 16:11
Yes—initially, we were called The Tornados. There was a car called the Tornado out at the time, so that’s where the name came from.
Bob Abrahamian 16:18
And why didn’t you keep that name?
Edith Andrews 16:22
There was another group down South, I think in Alabama, called the Coronados—or something similar—and they already had a record out. So to avoid confusion when we started recording, we decided to change our name. They had it first, so we moved on.
Bob Abrahamian 16:44
Okay. So once the group formed, what did you do first—start rehearsing or performing?
Edith Andrews 16:52
Two weeks after we formed, we opened for Tyrone Davis.
Bob Abrahamian 17:06
Where was that?
Edith Andrews 17:07
It was on 63rd, right off Cottage Grove—at the Tree of Life Ballroom.
Bob Abrahamian 17:19
There were a couple ballrooms around there, right?
Edith Andrews 17:22
Yes, this was one of them.
Bob Abrahamian 17:25
Do you remember how you landed that show?
Edith Andrews 17:37
Honestly, I don’t know. I think we knew the guy who was putting the show together. He needed an opening act—someone had canceled. I told him we’d only been together two weeks, but he said, “I don’t care.” So we did it. We performed a cappella—some Temptations songs—and it wasn’t bad!
Bob Abrahamian 18:06
Do you remember which songs you did?
Edith Andrews 18:10
We did “My Girl,” for sure. I forget the others. But Jimmy changed keys in the middle of it—it was almost a disaster!
Bob Abrahamian 18:19
Which part did you sing?
Edith Andrews 18:23
I sang second tenor. Michael Vaughns sang first tenor, Ron sang bass, and Jimmy sang baritone. Jimmy, Ron, and Michael all took turns leading, but Michael usually led.
Bob Abrahamian 18:40
So Michael was kind of like the Eddie Kendricks of the group?
Edith Andrews 18:43
Exactly. He had a great falsetto—really high, really smooth. He could really get up there.
Bob Abrahamian 18:53
Because on your records—it sounds like there are two women singing, but that’s actually just you and him, right?
Edith Andrews 19:05
That’s right. We used to cover a lot of girl group songs because Michael could sing so high. We covered The Chantels, The Emotions—we did “Come On Back,” “Best of My Love,” and songs like that. We had those high voices, so it worked.
Bob Abrahamian 19:55
And you were together for 10 years?
Edith Andrews 19:57
Yes, we were.
Bob Abrahamian 20:06
So when you did that show with Tyrone Davis—had “Can I Change My Mind” already come out?
Edith Andrews 20:16
No, it hadn’t come out yet. That was before he had a big hit. I think it was right before that—around 1967. He was recording, but nothing huge had hit yet.
Bob Abrahamian 20:31
Right. That makes sense. So at that point, did you eventually get your own band?
Edith Andrews 20:54
Yes. Our first band was called Soul Three—three kids, but they were amazing musicians. If you heard them without seeing them, you wouldn’t know they were kids. The guitarist was Herman Griffin, Muhammad Ali’s stepson at the time. He was only 13. Tommy was 15, and Leroy was 15.
Bob Abrahamian 21:19
How did you find them?
Edith Andrews 21:22
Our first manager—whose name I can’t remember—had a rehearsal space at 80th and Morgan. He hooked us up with the kids. They rehearsed in his basement, and we started working together. They were fantastic. So were we, honestly—it was a great combo.
Bob Abrahamian 22:09
How long were you together before you got that band?
Edith Andrews 22:13
About a year. Before that, we mostly performed with house bands—especially at clubs on the Scott Brothers circuit.
Bob Abrahamian 22:28
Once you had your own band, you could do more shows?
Edith Andrews 22:32
Absolutely. We were busy almost every weekend.
Bob Abrahamian 23:05
What kind of songs did you perform during those shows?
Edith Andrews 23:05
We did a lot of Gladys Knight, Temptations, “Friendship Train,” “Grapevine”—mostly Motown. Later we moved into the Philly Groove sound.
Bob Abrahamian 23:26
Let’s fast forward to your first recording. The Love Masters cut a record called Pushing and Pulling. Let’s play that now and talk about it after.
🎵 [music playing — “Pushing and Pulling” by the Love Masters] 🎵
Bob Abrahamian 26:22
Okay, that was The Love Masters with Pushing and Pulling—the only record released under that name. That came out around 1972 or 1973, after Rufus Thomas’s version of Push and Pull.
Bob Abrahamian 27:23
By then, were you still with the kiddie band?
Edith Andrews 27:23
No, by that time we had a new band—an adult band.
Bob Abrahamian 27:30
How did you get the second band?
Edith Andrews 27:35
We put another ad in the Reader. Rick Sankey (drums), Willie Riser (bass), and Phil Crow (guitar) responded. They called themselves the John Brown Memorial Rhythm Band.
Bob Abrahamian 28:06
So they became your new band, and you kept performing in clubs?
Edith Andrews 28:18
Yes, we played all over—Chicago, Iowa, St. Louis. We even played in a youth detention center in Clinton, Iowa. We also performed at Cook County Jail several times.
Bob Abrahamian 29:12
So how did you get your record deal?
Edith Andrews 29:39
We were playing at Bonanza when Donald Hughes approached us. He liked our sound and introduced us to Johnny Haygood—Darryl Fletcher’s manager and stepfather—who owned Jacqueline Records.
Bob Abrahamian 30:08
And Johnny liked the group?
Edith Andrews 30:13
Yes. He liked our mixed-race band, the female element, and the group’s chemistry.
Bob Abrahamian 30:50
Did your band play on the record?
Edith Andrews 31:06
No, Johnny hired studio musicians for that session.
Bob Abrahamian 31:50
So Pushing and Pulling was a dance song. Was it based on the Rufus Thomas version?
Edith Andrews 31:59
It came out around the same time. The dance itself was popular in Chicago, so the song was meant to ride that wave.
Bob Abrahamian 32:28
Can you describe how to do the Push and Pull?
Edith Andrews 32:30
It was kind of a mime-like movement. You’d pretend to push your partner and then pull them. It was usually done in pairs, like a line dance.
Bob Abrahamian 33:13
So it got pretty popular?
Edith Andrews 33:39
Yes, it was huge in Chicago. But Jody Gayles' version got more airplay. Certain DJs just didn’t support ours as much.
Bob Abrahamian 34:00
So her version got the push from radio?
Edith Andrews 34:04
Exactly. But we still got some play—in Gary and parts of Chicago—and even went on Soul Train (the Chicago version with Clinton and Jeff).
Bob Abrahamian 34:27
Did you perform the dance on the show?
Edith Andrews 34:34
Yes! Everyone was doing it. It was amazing to see.
Bob Abrahamian 35:01
Jody Gayles’ version had a more psychedelic feel, while yours was funkier.
Edith Andrews 35:29
We were heading in a psychedelic direction too. We dressed the part—hats tilted, wild styles.
Bob Abrahamian 35:44
So who sang lead on Pushing and Pulling?
Edith Andrews 36:04
Ron Murray.
Bob Abrahamian 36:07
And backing vocals?
Edith Andrews 36:11
Michael Vaughns (first tenor), Kennedy Vaughns (baritone—Michael’s cousin), and I sang second tenor. Jimmy wasn’t on the record—he joined later.
Bob Abrahamian 36:50
And the flip side, Love Train, was co-written by Don Mann?
Edith Andrews 37:20
Yes, Don Mann wrote a lot for us. He also wrote the B-side.
Bob Abrahamian 38:01
You also recorded a song under Ron Murray’s name—What If They Gave a War and Nobody Came—on Genna Records. Was that Johnny Haygood’s label too?
Edith Andrews 38:11
Yes, he had a stake in that one too.
🎵 [music playing — “What If They Gave a War”] 🎵
Bob Abrahamian 41:09
You’re listening to WHPK 88.5 FM, Sitting in the Park with Edith Andrews of the Love Masters. That was What If They Gave a War by Ron Murray—backed by the Love Masters.
Bob Abrahamian 42:03
Did that song get much play?
Edith Andrews 42:03
Quite a bit in Chicago. But surprisingly, Love Train got even more.
Bob Abrahamian 42:14
So the B-side got flipped?
Edith Andrews 42:17
Yes, and it became more popular.
Bob Abrahamian 42:39
Why did they start crediting Ron as a solo artist?
Edith Andrews 42:41
Because we parted ways with Jacqueline. It wasn’t working out, and we wanted to go in a different direction. Ron stayed, and it was an amicable split.
Bob Abrahamian 43:49
And you appear on other records like First Day of Spring and Ain’t Got Nobody?
Edith Andrews 44:45
Yes, I sang backup. First Day of Spring was written by Rick Sankey. It was deep—maybe too deep for people to understand.
Bob Abrahamian 45:23
And the flip was a Sly Stone cover?
Edith Andrews 45:31
Yes, I’m on that one too.
Bob Abrahamian 45:44
So what happened to the Love Masters after that?
Edith Andrews 45:48
We went back to doing clubs. Then in 1976, we signed with Curtom.
Bob Abrahamian 46:00
That was near the end of both Curtom and the Love Masters, right?
Edith Andrews 46:08
Yes. We sang for Curtis in person, and he liked our sound. We signed a recording contract—but never recorded anything.
Bob Abrahamian 46:57
So you were stuck in the contract and couldn’t record elsewhere?
Edith Andrews 47:16
Exactly. Just did clubs on the weekends.
Bob Abrahamian 48:02
When did the group finally end?
Edith Andrews 48:07
1977. We were tired. We needed a break. Things weren’t going anywhere.
Bob Abrahamian 48:43
Did you stay involved with music?
Edith Andrews 48:45
Yes. I sang with other bands—nothing that stuck—until the ’80s when I joined a band called Clever.
Bob Abrahamian 49:13
What kind of music?
Edith Andrews 49:20
Dance band stuff—Kool & The Gang, Prince, Michael Jackson. One singer sounded just like Michael!
Bob Abrahamian 49:58
Did Clever record anything?
Edith Andrews 50:02
Yes, but without me. They recorded in Minnesota with Prince. I didn’t go—I had a job and needed a steady income!
Bob Abrahamian 50:53
Are you still doing music?
Edith Andrews 51:02
Yes! I sing in church—Our Lady of Peace—and I’m working on starting a new band. Might even put out a CD.
Bob Abrahamian 52:07
What kind of music?
Edith Andrews 52:07
Old Motown, Philly groove, Memphis sound—stuff I love.
Bob Abrahamian 52:14
Well, let me play the B-side to Pushing and Pulling—this is Love Train by the Love Masters.
🎵 [music playing — “Love Train”] 🎵
Bob Abrahamian 55:39
That was Love Train, the B-side to Pushing and Pulling. Edith, thank you so much for coming in and telling your story.
Edith Andrews 56:10
It was one of the best times in my life.
Bob Abrahamian 56:15
Any final words for the audience?
Edith Andrews 56:19
Yes—especially to young musicians: never give up. Keep doing what you love. Stay original. The music business is hard, but now you have more control over your work. Be your own executive producer. Just don’t quit.
Bob Abrahamian 57:11
Well, you made great music—and no one can take that away. Thanks again for coming down.
Edith Andrews 57:15
Thank you for having me.