Curtis Blandon

Best known for his brilliant Northern soul perennial "In the Long Run," singer and songwriter Curtis Blandon was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. The product of a musical family -- his older brother Richard was a member of doo wop hitmakers <a href="spotify:artist:33rjua7RFjy9GwqKWnbnGJ">the Dubs</a> -- Blandon also attended high school alongside future Motown performers <a href="spotify:artist:2Uuon75BhnuuxdKLYn4wHn">Eddie Kendricks</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3J11x63maeBtbx8zXgzftQ">Shorty Long</a>. He left Birmingham in 1960, briefly settling in Chicago before moving on to New York City, where Richard introduced him to producer and publisher <a href="spotify:artist:44zDMAXem8B6CrNIkqYodn">Teddy Powell</a>. Beginning with the Fabulons' "This Is the End," Blandon sold a number of his songs to <a href="spotify:artist:44zDMAXem8B6CrNIkqYodn">Powell</a> before replacing Joe Duncan in the doo wop quartet <a href="spotify:artist:5oMIX3vxKJto485rdpTqn3">the Vocaleers</a>; he then wrote "Cootie Snap," his debut effort with the group, but became so frustrated by Atlantic Records' lack of promotional push that he left <a href="spotify:artist:5oMIX3vxKJto485rdpTqn3">the Vocaleers</a> soon after. After recording the 1963 solo singles "Soul" and "Mr. Imagination," the following July Blandon was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving a two-year tour in Germany; upon returning to New York, he recorded the single "I Need You" for Capitol's Tower subsidiary. A subsequent deal with Buddah Records went nowhere, and Blandon briefly joined a reconstituted <a href="spotify:artist:33rjua7RFjy9GwqKWnbnGJ">Dubs</a> lineup on tour, appearing on their LP The Dubs Meet the Shells; finally, in 1972 he signed to Wand, traveling to Chicago for the <a href="spotify:artist:52uMkSFt2RVO6XxTEt5VeW">Gene Chandler</a>-produced sessions that would yield "In the Long Run." A buoyant, up-tempo soul tune notable for its regal brass arrangement and Blandon's searing vocals, the single was a favorite of legendary R&B DJ <a href="spotify:artist:60tIXDRHzWWRX6TGdtESHP">Frankie Crocker</a> and enjoyed significant regional success, but failed to take off nationally. A disheartened Blandon at that point turned almost exclusively to songwriting, authoring a series of disco anthems. Most notably, he wrote three songs -- "Let's Make a Deal," "Do It Right," and "Let's Make Love" -- included on the 1976 <a href="spotify:artist:6V6WCgi7waF55bJmylC4H5">Gloria Gaynor</a> album I've Got You. "In the Long Run" is today deservedly included on a number of different Northern soul compilations. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi