By breathtakingguy (65.238.91.135) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 07:14 pm:

Does anyone out there remember a 12" record by John Kydd, Scherrie Payne, Cindy Birdsong and Jayne Edwards of Up The Ladder To The Roof", from 1987? I always wondered who John Kydd was and where is he now? He had a nice, tenor voice. Wonder if this was a "one off"?

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 09:27 pm:

I remember seeing about it but I dont think I heard it. Who is Jayne Edwards? Did he do all the lead singing on it? How long was Cindy in the FLos at the beginning? I think he was from San Francisco.

By Linda Di. (66.67.194.109) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 11:07 pm:

I believe Jayne Edwards may have been a part of the original (or even pre-original) Bluebelles? Does that ring a bell with anybody?

John Kydd is living in LA, but originally from the DC area.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 11:24 pm:

No-Im pretty familiar with the Bluebelles and have never seen that,tho I did hear it in a discussion about that record. Who IS John Kydd?

By breathtakingguy (65.238.115.167) on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 09:08 pm:

This was really a great recording. All the girls, plus John Kydd did leads....it was a LONG version of Up The Ladder.....I believe Lynda Laurence also sang on it, though, for some reason....her picture wasn't on the cover/or back cover. Her name was mentioned and you could hear her really tearing loose, though. Cindy sounded great in her original parts. I have no idea who Jane Edwards was and why she was chosen for this recording? Wonder if John Kydd was a singer, or just did this on a lark?

By LaJolla (65.238.115.167) on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 09:13 pm:

I just read on the FLOS Yahoo site, that a guy will record this for you if you send him a tape. So, if you're curious.....this is your chance!!

By breathtakingguy (65.238.6.133) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:24 am:

Vandelron: Cindy was in the first incarnation of the FLO'S very briefly around 1985. It was Scherrie, Lynda and Cindy. As far as I know, she didn't get much further than rehersals. For whatever reason (I could think of several), Cindy bailed out. Jean was then brought in. The first FLO'S recordings were really good in that line-up. Jean took the bull by the horns and really tore loose! Actually, they all took leads and did a fine job. I have a lot of videos from that period of them and they were excellent. After Jean left, Sundray Tucker (Lynda's sister) came into the fold. She added a different flavor to the mix and at times sounded like Susaye. After Sundray left, so did I.

By kevin (81.101.22.243) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 05:13 pm:

Jayne Edwards was on the original bluebells single "Junkman" and when the record became a hit, patti and co rerecorded the song and toured as the bluebells. The original girl group took the record company to court but I have no idea what happend after that (maybe check patti's book). Jayne also around the time of "Up the ladder" cut a few singles including a version of "Im gonna let my heart do the walking" on RCA produced by Rick Gianarias(?) who did some great disco tracks including shirley bassey's "this is my life" and later did some things on motor city including Mary Wilsons best single since leaving motown "Ooh Child". John Whyman/John Kidd also recorded another single but up the ladder was hit greatest hit! at the time his version of the song ran neck and neck with Diana's dirty looks on the LA charts. This single really got people interested in the former ladies. Scherrie had recorded a couple of singles which included Mary Wilson on backing vocals and Freda also had "In motion" on sutra. All these records had on the label, stars on background... Back to Jayne, I have no idea what she's doing now and I dont know if the story I told at the begining is true but that was what I was told back in the day.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 05:51 pm:

I could swear I read that Lynda or Scherrie said it was Jean Cindy and Scherrie initially and then Cindy left and Lynda in. Was it true that at least part of the reason Jean left was that she refused to do an encore one night and Lynda said "u will never sing with us again?"

By Edgar (200.46.134.31) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 06:38 pm:

Kevin, Rick's last name is Gianatos. The best tracks Jean, Scherrie and Lynda of The Supremes (as they were initially called) ever recorded for Ian Levine were co-produced by Gianatos, especially "Crazy Bout the Guy". There's also Scherrie Payne's "Pure Energy" and Jean Terrell's "Too Many Memories", besides Mary Wilson's very good "Oooh Child". As for the best after-Motown material the former Supremes have recorded, I prefer Jean's solo A&M album and Mary's "Walk the Line", "Turn Around", the many mixes of "U" and the Gus Dudgeon-produced unreleased songs ("Save Me", "Love Talk", "Green River" and "You Dance My Heart Around the Stars".)

By breathtakingguy (65.238.140.81) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:01 pm:

Vanderlon: I do think you're correct with Jean, Scherrie and Cindy being the original FLO'S. Wouldn't it have been interesting to hear/see Cindy in that group? Wonder where things would have gone? Hmmm.

By Scratcher (65.238.127.18) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:27 pm:

Kevin your account is true. "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman" was credited to the Bluebelles but they didn't record it. It was a girl group from Chicago who happened to be in Philly that actually recorded the song. I can't think of their name offhand.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:39 pm:

The Starlets--according to Girl Groups book they were:MAXINE Hall,JANE Hall,Mickie McKinney, Jeanette Miles and Liz Walker aka Danetta Boone--looks like names of 2 sisters confused per Jayne Edwards--Jane that is. Maxine was lead singer for Junkman. Per the book Maxine left show biz and the others "disappeared.Jane had moved to California." The mystery deepens.

By Scratcher (65.238.127.18) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 07:43 pm:

That's them Vandelron, the Starlets. Hall was the sisters maiden names.

By ronni (65.238.140.81) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 08:08 pm:

Did Jayne Edwards possibly sing with the Elgins at one time or a male group fronted by a female singer?