Fantastic Four -

The Fantastic Four were an American soul group from Detroit. The group formed in 1965 and first recorded for Ed Wingate’s Ric-Tic label, where James “Sweet James” Epps led a lineup completed by Ralph Pruitt, Joseph Pruitt, and Wallace “Toby” Child. Cleveland Horne and Ernest Newsome entered before the group’s main Ric-Tic chart run.

Between 1967 and 1968, the Fantastic Four reached the R&B chart with “The Whole World Is a Stage,” “You Gave Me Something,” “I’ve Got to Have You,” and “I Love You Madly.” Motown acquired Ric-Tic in 1968 and issued the group’s Best of the Fantastic Four compilation on Soul in 1969. The group later recorded for Eastbound and Westbound, where Alvin Stone and Night People placed the quartet inside longer 1970s rhythm arrangements.

Members: “Sweet” James Epps, Ralph Pruitt, Joseph Pruitt, William Hunter, Wallace Childs, Cleveland Horne, Ernest Newsome

Inception

The Fantastic Four formed in Detroit in 1965 after Ralph Pruitt heard James “Sweet James” Epps sing as a teenager. Epps became the group’s lead voice, with Ralph Pruitt, Joseph Pruitt, and Wallace “Toby” Child in the first lineup. Child and Ralph Pruitt left before the group’s main Ric-Tic run; Cleveland Horne and Ernest Newsome completed the quartet that cut the group’s breakthrough sides.

Ric-Tic Singles

The group entered Ed Wingate’s Golden World/Ric-Tic system, where producer Al Kent placed Epps’s high, strained lead lines against hard Detroit rhythm tracks and tightly blocked background vocals. Ric-Tic first scheduled “Can’t Stop Looking for My Baby” backed with “Can’t Stop Looking for My Baby (Part 2)” in 1966, but the single remained unissued in that form. Ric-Tic introduced the group publicly in August 1966 with “Girl Have Pity” backed with “(I’m Gonna) Live Up to What She Thinks,” then issued “Can’t Stop Looking for My Baby” backed with “Just the Lonely” in September.

“The Whole World Is a Stage” became the group’s first major chart record in January 1967, backed with “Ain’t Love Wonderful.” The single reached No. 6 R&B and No. 63 pop. “You Gave Me Something (And Everything’s Alright)” followed in May 1967, backed with “Romeo and Juliet’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Without You,’” and reached No. 12 R&B and No. 55 pop. Ric-Tic issued “As Long as I Live (I Live for You)” backed with “To Share Your Love” in August, then “As Long as the Feeling Is There” backed with “Goddess of Love” in December.

Ric-Tic continued the sequence in January 1968 with “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” backed with “Goddess of Love.” “Man in Love” appeared in March, backed with “No Love Like Your Love.” “I’ve Got to Have You” followed in April, backed with “Win or Lose (I’m Gonna Love You),” and reached No. 23 R&B. “I Love You Madly” appeared on Ric-Tic in September 1968 with an instrumental version on the B-side. Motown then acquired the remaining Wingate operation and reissued the same single on Soul in October 1968. “I Love You Madly” reached No. 12 R&B and No. 53 pop, giving the group its last Top 20 R&B entry of the decade.

Soul/Motown Singles

Soul issued the group’s first full Motown-era single, “I Feel Like I’m Falling in Love Again” backed with “Pinpoint It Down,” in February 1969. The label then compiled the group’s Ric-Tic-era sides as Best of the Fantastic Four in March 1969. The album carried 11 previously issued single sides: A-sides “I Love You Madly,” “The Whole World Is a Stage,” “You Gave Me Something (And Everything’s Alright),” “I’ve Got to Have You,” “Can’t Stop Looking for My Baby,” “As Long as I Live (I Live for You),” and “Man in Love,” plus B-sides “To Share Your Love,” “Goddess of Love,” “Romeo and Juliet’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Without You,’” and “Just the Lonely.” Soul closed the group’s 1969 release schedule on September 23 with “Just Another Lonely Night” backed with “Don’t Care Why You Want Me,” the second Motown-produced Fantastic Four single.

The Fantastic Four closed their Motown period on April 23, 1970, when Soul issued “On the Brighter Side of a Blue World” backed with “I’m Gonna Carry On.” Al Kent produced the single after the group’s earlier Motown sides failed to restore its Ric-Tic chart position. Motown planned a full Soul album, How Sweet He Is, with the 1970 single, “I Feel Like I’m Falling in Love Again,” “Just Another Lonely Night,” and additional material, but the label left the album unissued.

After the Motown break, the group re-entered release schedules through Armen Boladian’s Eastbound label. Eastbound issued “If You Need Me, Call Me (And I’ll Come Running)” backed with “I Had This Whole World to Choose From (And I Chose You)” in June 1973. The single put the group back on Detroit-linked independent distribution after the Hitsville period.

“I’m Falling in Love (I Feel Good All Over)” appeared on Eastbound in January 1974, backed with “I Believe in Miracles (I Believe in You).” The single completed the group’s pre-Alvin Stone sequence and supplied the B-side later reused on Westbound’s 1975 “Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster)” single.

Fantastic Four Uncover Alvin Stone: The Birth and Death of a Gangster

Fantastic Four released Fantastic Four Uncover Alvin Stone: The Birth and Death of a Gangster on April 8, 1975, on Westbound.

The album resets the group inside a six-track crime-story program. James “Sweet James” Epps leads with high lead lines over extended rhythm tracks, brass punctuations, and tightly stacked background responses. Paul Riser arranged the album, and Al Kent produced the sessions.

“Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster)” opens the album with a long-form narrative vocal over a steady dance-floor pulse. “Have a Little Mercy” and “Let This Moment Last Forever” stretch the group’s background-vocal blocks across longer side lengths. “County Line” gives the album its shortest cut, while “My Love Won’t Stop at Nothing” closes the program across an eight-minute arrangement.

A1. “Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster)” (6:48)
A2. “Have a Little Mercy” (5:34)
A3. “County Line” (3:23)

B1. “Let This Moment Last Forever” (6:07)
B2. “Words” (5:48)
B3. “My Love Won’t Stop at Nothing” (8:37)

Fantastic Four recorded Alvin Stone with producer Al Kent, arranger Paul Riser, and engineer Ken Sands. Jack Levy handled the cover design and art direction.

Westbound issued “Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster)” as a 7-inch in 1975, backed with “I Believe in Miracles (I Believe in You).” The single reached No. 95 pop and No. 74 R&B. “Have a Little Mercy” followed on Westbound in 1975, backed with “County Line.” Alvin Stone reached No. 33 R&B and No. 99 pop.

Night People

Fantastic Four released Night People on September 1, 1976, on Westbound.

The album narrows the group’s Westbound format into longer club-length arrangements. Epps places lead lines against repeated background figures, while Al Kent’s production builds the tracks with a fixed pulse, string lifts, and brass accents. The title medley fills most of side one with a two-part sequence, and the second side breaks the program into shorter dance-oriented cuts.

A1. “Medley: Night People / Lies Divided by Jive” (10:57) — James Epps
A2. “If I Lose My Job” (6:05) — Albert Hamilton

B1. “Hideaway” (5:30) — Albert Hamilton
B2. “By the River Under the Tree” (4:32) — Joseph Pruitt
B3. “Don’t Risk Your Happiness on Foolishness” (4:13) — Albert Hamilton
B4. “They Took the Show on the Road” (4:10) — Albert Hamilton

Fantastic Four recorded Night People at Pac Three in Detroit. Tom Moulton mixed the album for Westbound, with remix work at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

Westbound issued “Hideaway” backed with “They Took the Show on the Road” in 1976. “They Took the Show on the Road” also appeared as an A-side, backed with “Don’t Risk Your Happiness on Foolishness.”

Got to Have Your Love

Fantastic Four released Got to Have Your Love in September 1977 on Westbound.

The album sets the group’s lead-and-response vocal format against longer rhythm tracks, string lines, and brass accents. Dennis Coffey produced the main run with James Epps on selected tracks, while Al Hamilton produced “Ain’t I Been Good to You.” Tom Moulton mixed the album for extended club play.

A1. “She’ll Be Right for Me” (3:17)
A2. “Mixed Up Moods and Attitudes” (5:33)
A3. “There’s Fire Down Below” (6:23)
A4. “Ain’t I Been Good to You” (3:04)

B1. “Cash Money” (4:45)
B2. “I Got to Have Your Love” (5:10)
B3. “Disco Pool Blues” (4:46)
B4. “Give Me All the Love You Got” (3:37)

Fantastic Four recorded Got to Have Your Love for Westbound with producers Dennis Coffey, James Epps, and Al Hamilton. Tom Moulton mixed the album.

Westbound issued “I Got to Have Your Love” as a 7-inch in 1977, backed with “Ain’t I Been Good to You.” “Disco Pool Blues” followed in 1978, backed with “Mixed Up Moods and Attitudes.”

B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Funk)

Fantastic Four released B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Funk) on November 15, 1978, on Westbound.

Dennis Coffey produced the album and arranged the main tracks around clipped rhythm guitar, group-vocal blocks, and extended dance-side timing. James Epps and Cleveland Horne share co-writing presence on the title track, while the second side places “Sexy Lady” and “Realize (When You’re in Love)” before the six-minute title cut.

A1. “Super Lover” (5:11)
A2. “I Just Want to Love Ya Baby” (5:04)
A3. “Shout (Let It All Hang Out)” (4:53)

B1. “Cold and Windy Night” (4:25)
B2. “Sexy Lady” (4:31)
B3. “Realize (When You’re in Love)” (3:20)
B4. “B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Funk)” (6:02)

Fantastic Four recorded B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Funk) for Westbound with producer–arranger Dennis Coffey.

Westbound issued “Sexy Lady” as a 7-inch in 1978, backed with “If This Is Love.”

“B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Funk)” followed on Westbound in 1979, also backed with “If This Is Love.” The title track reached No. 77 R&B and No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart.

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