The Natural Four -

The Natural Four were an American soul group from Oakland that recorded Good Vibes for ABC before a three-album Curtom run between 1974 and 1976.

Their early chart entry “Why Should We Stop Now” preceded the Curtom singles “Can This Be Real,” “Love That Really Counts,” “You Bring Out the Best in Me,” “Heaven Right Here on Earth,” “Love’s So Wonderful,” “It’s the Music,” and “Free.” Willie Hoskins produced their debut before Leroy Hutson oversaw their Curtom period with sessionists Lowrell Simon and Richard Evans.

Across their run, the group placed close lead-and-reply vocals inside string, horn, and rhythm arrangements that shifted from early-Seventies harmony soul toward late-decade dance-band rhythms.

Members: Chris James (lead vocals), Allen Richardson (1969-72), John January (1969-72), Al Bowden (1969-72), Darryl Cannady (1972-76), Steve Sriplin (1972-76), Delmos Whitley (1972-76)

Background

The Natural Four formed in 1967 in Oakland after singer Chris James met Al Bowden, a fellow employee at the General Motors plant in Fremont. They assembled the first lineup with Allen Richardson and John January.

James grew up in a singing family in the Bay Area, where he learned vocals from his mother. He first sang with The Underwood, a high school doo-wop combo, then played in a junior-college band before military service in Germany. Richardson worked as a longshoreman. January worked as a custodian at Berkeley High School.

The Natural Four secured management in producer Fred Ivey, the owner of Tape Town, an Oakland record shop. Ivey put them in contact with booking agent Lou Besson, who linked them with Willie Hoskins, the Boola Boola Records founder who arranged their first single: “I Thought You Were Mine,” a Lonnie Cook composition released in 1968 with “You Did This For Me,” credited to John Lehman.

Hoskins took their February 1969 followup “Why Should We Stop Now” (b/w “You Did This For Me”) to ABC Records in Los Angeles, where local airplay spread to neighboring markets and pushed the single to No. 31 on the R&B chart.

Good Vibes

The Natural Four released their debut album, Good Vibes, in 1970 on ABC. The quartet recorded ten songs for the LP, including remakes of “Going in Circles,” “All God’s Children Got Soul,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Message from a Black Man.”

“Why Should We Stop Now” carries the album’s early-single profile through a lead-and-reply vocal pattern. “I Thought You Were Mine” tightens the same vocal focus into a compact pleading song. “Going in Circles” slows the middle register around sustained group support. “Blue Velvet” extends the second side through a longer cover reading. “Message from a Black Man” closes the set with firmer ensemble weight.

Good Vibes credits roughly twenty backing players, including guitarist Eugene Blacknell, drummer Gaylord Birch, trumpeter John Coppola, violist Ed Bogas, and violinist Nathan Rubin.

A1. “Why Should We Stop Now” (3:17) – Ricky Jones
A2. “I Thought You Were Mine” (2:35) – Cook
A3. “The Situation Needs No Explanation” (2:41) – Randle
A4. “Same Thing in Mind” (3:19) – Ricky Jones
A5. “Stepping On Up” (2:44) – Bowden, Gregory, James

B1. “Hurt” (3:10) – Holmes
B2. “Going in Circles” (3:21) – Poree, Peters
B3. “All God’s Children Got Soul” (3:09) – Booker T. Jones, Bell
B4. “Blue Velvet” (5:53) – Wayne, Morris
B5. “Message from a Black Man” (3:27) – Whitfield, Strong

The Natural Four recorded Good Vibes at Sierra Sound Laboratories in Berkeley with producer Willie Hoskins.

ABC lifted “Why Should We Stop Now” as a May 1969 single (b/w “You Did This for Me”), which reached No. 31 on the Billboard R&B chart. “The Same Thing in Mind” later appeared on an ABC single backed with “The Situation Needs No Explanation.”

The Natural Four

The Natural Four released their self-titled second album in 1974 on Curtom. The quartet recorded nine songs for the album at Curtom Studios in Chicago.

“Can This Be Real” glides behind saxophone lines with compact group answers to Chris James’ lead. “You Bring Out the Best in Me” rides a heavier bass line with strings, keyboard touches, and short horn figures. “Try Love Again” crowds its vocal handoffs with horns and strings.

“You Can’t Keep Running Away” snaps through guitar figures and clean handoffs between lead and group parts. “Love That Really Counts” slows to reverberant guitar, restrained percussion, soft horns, and tender group support.

A1. “Can This Be Real” (3:28) – Janice Hutson, Leroy Hutson, Hawkins
A2. “You Bring Out the Best in Me” (4:37) – Leroy Hutson, Hawkins
A3. “Try Love Again” (4:28) – Reaves, Leroy Hutson, Hawkins
A4. “You Can’t Keep Running Away” (3:28) – Leroy Hutson, Hawkins
A5. “This Is What’s Happening Now” (4:08) – Tribble, Davis

B1. “Love That Really Counts” (4:20) – Janice Hutson, Leroy Hutson, Hawkins, Reaves
B2. “Try to Smile” (2:58) – Brownlee, Simon
B3. “Love’s Society” (3:20) – Leroy Hutson, Scott, Anfinsen
B4. “Things Will Be Better Tomorrow” (3:30) – Tufo

The Natural Four recorded the album at Curtom Studios in Chicago with producers Leroy Hutson, Lowrell Simon, and Joseph Scott and engineers John Janus and Roger Anfinsen.

Curtom lifted “Can This Be Real” as a November 1973 single (b/w “Try Love Again”), which reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 10 on the Billboard R&B chart.

“Love That Really Counts” became the second single in April 1974 (b/w “Love’s Society”) and reached No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 23 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Curtom followed in July 1974 with “You Bring Out the Best in Me” (b/w “You Can’t Keep Running Away”), which reached No. 20 on the Billboard R&B chart. The album reached No. 36 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

Heaven Right Here On Earth

The Natural Four released their third album, Heaven Right Here on Earth, in 1975 on Curtom. The quartet recorded eight songs with a production team headed by Leroy Hutson.

Heaven Right Here on Earth retains the Curtom vocal-harmony format in a softer setting, with Leroy Hutson-linked material and rounded choruses. The title track glides through a smooth refrain and blended group responses. “Love’s So Wonderful” saunters through a teenage-infatuation text over a light mid-pace rhythm. “Count On Me” and “While You’re Away” extend the album’s harmony-first material,

A1. “Heaven Right Here on Earth” (4:15) – Reaves, Hutson
A2. “Love’s So Wonderful” (3:25) – Hutson
A3. “Count On Me” (4:05) – Simon, Tufo, Green
A4. “Baby Come On” (3:40) – Scott

B1. “What Do You Do” (2:53) – Reed, Wright, Joseph, Tufo, Green
B2. “Give This Love a Try” (3:43) – Dixon, Thompson
B3. “What’s Happening Here” (4:32) – Wright, Joseph, Tufo, Green
B4. “While You’re Away” (3:15) – Hutson, Hawkins

The Natural Four recorded Heaven Right Here on Earth at Curtom Studios with producers Leroy Hutson, Joseph Scott, Quinton Joseph, and Rich Tufo and engineer Roger Anfinsen. The album credits pianist Ronald Coleman and hornist Lenard Druss among the backing players.

Heaven Right Here on Earth appeared in a sleeve with design and photography by Bruce Steinberg.

Curtom lifted “Heaven Right Here on Earth” as a March 1975 single (b/w “While You’re Away”), which reached No. 68 on the Billboard R&B chart. “Love’s So Wonderful” followed in August 1975 (b/w “What’s Happening Here”) and reached No. 87 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Heaven Right Here on Earth reached No. 182 on the Billboard 200 and No. 49 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

Nightchaser

The Natural Four released their fourth album, Nightchaser, in 1976 on Curtom. The quartet recorded nine titles with production divided among Leroy Hutson, Chuck Jackson, Lowrell Simon, and Richard Evans.

Nightchaser moves the quartet into late-seventies dance-band rhythm, with harmony parts fitted to denser low-end movement. “It’s the Music” snaps over a heavy bass figure and group-vocal returns. “Free” rides the album’s dance backbeat with a broad group-vocal release.

“Night Chaser” charges through brisk chorus responses. “Get It Over With” follows with compact uptempo vocal turns. “How Have You Been?” drifts below the dance tracks, with ballad tempo and sweetened lead placement.

A1. “It’s the Music” (3:17) – S. Harris, Hutson
A2. “Free” (2:59) – Jackson, Yancy
A3. “I Think I Found That Girl” (3:04) – S. Harris, Hutson
A4. “Night Chaser” (3:17) – Jackson, Yancy

B1. “The Pacifiers” (4:16) – Simon, Brownlee, Hunter
B2. “How Have You Been?” (3:08) – Simon, Brownlee, Hunter
B3. “Get It Over With” (2:56) – Simon, Brownlee, Hunter
B4. “Nothing Beats a Failure (But a Try)” (2:37) – J. Wilson, Hutson
B5. “It’s the Music (Instrumental)” (3:17) – S. Harris, Hutson

The Natural Four recorded Nightchaser with producers Leroy Hutson, Chuck Jackson, Lowrell Simon, and Richard Evans and engineers Fred Breitberg and Roger Anfinsen.

Nightchaser appeared in a sleeve with art direction by Ed Thrasher and cover photography by Mario Casilli.

Curtom lifted “It’s the Music” as an April 1976 single (b/w “It’s the Music (Instrumental)”), which reached No. 82 on the Billboard R&B chart. “Free” followed in July 1976 (b/w “Nothing Beats a Failure (But a Try)”) and reached No. 71 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Discography: