The Winstons

A Washington, D.C.-based soul act led by Richard Spencer, the Winstons signed to Curtom in early 1968 and lasted there for one single, the rousing "Need a Replacement." They had a sound that was somewhat similar to the Impressions, but were unfortunate enough to have signed with Curtom before the label had national distribution, and the single never got the play it should have. A year after leaving Curtom, they hit for the Metromedia label with a huge single called "Color Him Father," which became a Top Ten R&B and pop hit, just missing number one on the R&B list and also earned a Grammy for Best R&B Song. It was both a great tribute number and outstanding lead vocal from Richard Spencer, along with Ray Maritano, Quincy Mattison, Phil Tolotta, Sonny Peckrol, and G.C. Coleman. (Mattison and Coleman were veterans of Otis Redding's band.) The Winstons eventually toured as the backup band for the Impressions, but never again made any noise on the charts. Coleman's drum break in "Amen, Brother," the B-side of "Color Him Father," became one of the most frequently sampled pieces of music in hip-hop and several styles of electronic dance music. Various versions of the group recorded and performed across the next several decades. ~ Ron Wynn & Bruce Eder