Splendor

Splendor was an American soul-funk band that released a 1979 self-titled album on Columbia.

Members: Bobby Nunn, Billy Nunn, Richard Shaw, Sasha Meeks

Background

Splendor emerged in early 1978 in Buffalo through sessions behind the solo debut by Rick James, who hired keyboardist brothers Billy and Bobby Nunn for the project, along with singer Sasha Meeks and bassist Richard Shaw.

The Nunn brothers grew up in the Fruit Belt section of Buffalo in a musical family. Their father, William Nunn Sr., operated Jan’s Supper Club and founded Mo Do Records, which recorded local Buffalo acts from a studio in the basement of the Nunn family home.

Bob & Gene

In 1967, Bobby Nunn teamed with schoolmate Eugene Coplin Jr. as the vocal duo Bob & Gene. Nunn was fifteen and Coplin was fourteen when they began writing and recording songs for Mo Do. The label opened its catalog with the duo’s first single: “You Gave Me Love” (b/w “Your Name”), released in 1967 as Mo Do 101.

Bob & Gene continued with the 1968 singles “I Really Really Love You” (b/w “Which Love”) and “Sailboat” (b/w “I Can Be Cool”). Mo Do followed in 1969 with “It Won’t Go” backed with their version of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet “If This World Were Mine.” The duo also recorded enough material for a projected album, but Mo Do folded with no LP release. Coplin remained in Buffalo and later entered church work.

Meanwhile, Billy Nunn started organ in the summer preceding his senior year at Hutchinson Central Technical High School. At nineteen, he joined vibraphonist Johnny Lytle for a three-year road stint. Billy subsequently worked with the Softones and toured Japan.

Splendor

Billy Nunn returned to Buffalo in 1977 and connected with Rick James, who recently arrived from Toronto in search of musicians for a new project. Nunn and James wrote together and assembled locals for sessions at Cross-Eyed Bear Studio in Clarence. The recordings included keyboardists Billy and Bobby Nunn, bassist Richard Shaw, drummer Lorenzo Shaw, and singer Sasha Meeks on background vocals. Billy Nunn co-wrote “Mary Jane” with James.

James shopped the completed tapes to labels in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy Nunn formed Splendor from the Buffalo contingent. James secured a contract with Motown imprint Gordy through Iris Gordy. Motown brought members of the Buffalo group to New York for additional work at the Record Plant, including a new recording of “Mary Jane.” The sessions became Come Get It!, the 1978 debut album by Rick James and the Stone City Band.

Splendor developed separately as James established the Stone City Band. Billy encountered Philip Bailey in a Los Angeles music store and gave the Earth, Wind & Fire singer a tape of Bobby Nunn material. Bailey contacted Bobby and later traveled from an EW&F concert at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium to the Nunn home, where Splendor performed for him. Bailey subsequently brought the group to Columbia A&R executive Gerry Griffith, who signed Splendor to Columbia.

Discography:

• Splendor (1979)

References:

• Buffalo Music Hall of Fame — Billy Nunn. Strongest source for Billy: Hutch-Tech, organ introduction, Johnny Lytle, Softones/Japan, return to Buffalo in 1977, Rick James sessions, Splendor formation while James shopped the tapes, Columbia deal, and “Mary Jane” co-writing. (Billiard Hall of Fame)
• Buffalo Music Hall of Fame — Bob & Gene. Bobby born in 1952; father William Nunn Sr.; Mo Do Records; Bobby and Eugene Coplin; 1967 “You Gave Me Love”; subsequent Buffalo activity. (Billiard Hall of Fame)
• Sascha Rose / She Is The Music. Rose identifies herself as a member of Splendor in Buffalo, confirms her background-vocal work on Rick James’s Come Get It!, and states that Philip Bailey brought Splendor to Columbia. (She Is The Music)
• Bobby Nunn interview material. Nunn recounts Billy meeting Bailey in a Los Angeles music store, the demo handoff, Bailey contacting Bobby, Bailey visiting the Nunn home after an Earth, Wind & Fire Buffalo concert, and Gerry Griffith signing Splendor to Columbia. This survives through a later web archive of the 2015 interview material. (Kiwix Server)
• Earth, Wind & Fire concert chronology. Confirms the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium show on February 8, 1978, which supplies the date for Bailey hearing Splendor at the Nunn home. (Concert Archives)
• Billboard, December 16, 1978. Contemporary notice describes Splendor as a new six-member male/female Buffalo group, names Bobby Nunn as leader, confirms the Columbia signing, and states that Bobby and Philip Bailey were co-producing the LP. (World Radio History)
• Cash Box, December 16, 1978. Independently corroborates the six-member configuration, Columbia signing, Bobby leadership, and Bailey/Bobby production arrangement. (World Radio History)
• Album/session credits. Confirms Bobby and Billy Nunn, Richard Shaw, Sasha Meeks, Lorenzo Shaw, and Eric Salter among the personnel associated with the 1979 album. (sessiondays Sessiondays » sessiondays)