By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.5) on Sunday, February 09, 2003 - 11:05 pm:

Edna Wright,now theres a name.
yet another remarkable talent that has given me so much pleasure throughout the years.Mostly as her other name of Sandy Wynns.
But over the years I found out in depth a lot about her and her amazing career as a singer.
Edna first joined Los Angeles Gospel group the COGIC singers(church of god in christ)in 1960.
Other members included:
Frankie Karl,Gloria Jones,Billy Preston,Blinky Williams and Andrea and Sandra Crouch and together they toured the U.S. extensively.With them cutting an album for Vee-Jay records and later re-issued on the Exodus label.

Ednas sister Darlene Love(yet another great talent)got her into session work with Phil Spector,as a background singer for the Righteous Brothers amongst others.


Later in 1964 both Edna and fellow COGIC Gloria Jones pacted with another famed west coast producer,
ED Cobb.
The connection may well have come through the COGIC's record company,Vee Jay,which at one time distributed Cobb's record label,Champion.
The result was success for both girls-Gloria scoring with 'Heartbeat' and Edna,now renamed Sandy Wynn's,hitting with 'Touch of Venus'.
The follow up was yet another rare/northern soul dancer as with Gloria's tracks.
The follow up was 'Love belongs to everybody'.At the time these were recorded they were of a similar nature to Motown in some ways,which is'nt surprising as Ed Cobb was ,at that time,also producing Brenda Holloway for Tamla.

She then cut a one off for the Bell distributed Simco Label.Called 'I'll give that to you/you turned your back on me'.
Next she was on the Canterbury record label still as Sandy Wynn's and with the talents of H.B.Barnum cut 'How can something be so wrong'but it was the flip called 'Loves like Quicksand'and the arrangement of Jack Eskew that made it a rare/northern soul favourite as well.

Around this time,
Edna was also recording solo material but still carried on with her background work.
This gave her a steady income as she recorded behind the likes of Ray Charles and even toured as a Raelet.


Back in Detroit at this time,
Holland-Dozier-Holland were after their release from the Motown label.
In anticipation of there release from Motown,they started to assemble there own independent labels and artists.

Out of all this was formed
The Honey Cone.(AROUND 1968).
The group had Edna on lead vocals,with 2 other ex-session singers,
Carolyn Willis and Shellie Clark.both in support.Later that year H-D-H assigned producing/writing responsibility for the Honey Cone to Ronald Dunbar who took the trio into our good friends (ralph Teranna)Terra Shirma Studios in Detroit.

Thats where I leave it as from here on it has been well talked about on the forum and 1970 and above is not my forte.
But the awesome talent all around not just with Ednas early releases but on her Hot Wax sessions etc I do know are second to none.
Many thanks Edna/Sandy.
mel.
ps
A still hard to find record is the ultra rare
uk recording of The Touch Of Venus on the Fontana Label.
Gloria Jones had a few rare dancers also on uk labels.But her best known was Tainted Love that was brutalised by an english singer.
This is still sought after on the Champion record label.

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 07:42 am:

More than one name.....again.......
I have been communicating with Dorothy Moore recently. Dorothy was a member of the Poppies (Epic) back in the 60's and it has been stated that she was also lead with Dorothy & the Dolletts on ABC and Dorothy & the Hesitations.
She however says she doesn't think she had recordings issued under these names (but does say one of the other Poppies was in D & D's, most confusing).

She does state though that solo cuts by her (in the 60's) were released under the name of Dottie Cambridge (MGM 45's).

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.44) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 07:48 am:

Spot on JSmith.
We had a thread covering this in the past,but well worth a re-spin.
Mel.

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.26) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 02:29 pm:

John,

Ask her if she is Doty Roy on Tribe - it's unlikely but a remote possibility. Tribe was one
of Huey Meaux's labels best known for the Sir
Douglas Quintet

Finally ! - confirmation that she IS Dottie
Cambridge.

Check the archives and you'll find a thread about
her where I listed all the info. I have on her
early records.

The Dolletts / Dorothy and the Hesitations
records were almost certainly lease-deals from
MAC Productions (Bob McCree, Cliff Thomas, Ed
Thomas) - Dorothy may not be aware of the tracks
actually being released.

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.79) on Tuesday, February 11, 2003 - 04:35 pm:

Davie,
are we talking Tribe Label as in Barbara Lynn as well?
mel.

By Davie Gordon (193.122.21.26) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 03:07 pm:

Mel,

Yes - same one