The Valadiers - What's Wrong With Me Baby

The Valadiers were Motown's first official white group, but fooled everybody because lead singer Stewart Avig's voice sounded so black. Despite recording a multitude of songs between 1960 and 1963, they only had three singles released, their huge hit "Greetings This Is Uncle Sam", released in October 1961 on the Miracle label, and their two follow ups, "Because I Love Her", in May 1962, and "I Found A Girl" in January 1963, both on the Gordy Label. The last of these was released in England on the Oriole label's Motown series. The group never actually split up, but changed their name to the Latin Counts, and became a more multi-racial group, as Stewart changed members of his group over the years. The Latin Counts have had many local Detroit releases on independant labels through the last forty years. When we arrived in Detroit, in March 1989, original members Stewart and Sal came to see me at the St. Regis Hotel, and asked me to record them, if they changed their name back to The Valadiers. The black guy, Don Revels, now in their group, used to also be in The Royal Jokers, who were signed to Golden World before Motown absorbed them into its ever growing empire. This song that the Valadiers are performing here, "What's Wrong With Me Baby" was an old Northern Soul classic, originally performed by The Invitations, and this priceless footage was shot at that amazing Motorcity Records weekend, at the Pontchartrain Hotel in Detroit in August 1990.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Motown
• Northern-Soul
• Detroit
• Motorcity
• Male-Vocals
• Soul-Groups

[125or200px]

Well Ian,you seem to be the master illusionist.I own this tune on cd,have heard it hundreds of times up and down the country on scooter rallies and soul nights BUT it never occurd to me the singer was white.And,if you didnt have video evidence,i would call you a liar.Amazing voice.

[IanLevine]

Yes but The Invitations did it too, and they were all black.

[davig23]

The group, The Valadiers were the first white group Motown Records ever signed. They had a hit song in 1961, Greetings This is Uncle Sam. Lead singer Stuart Avig, who is singing above never sang with The Reflections on Romeo and Juliet. He was with them when they recorded it in Chicago, but did not sing on it. He was recording as a solo artist the same day with, "Oh Angelina". Stuart now sings with The Shades of Blue, who had a hit song, "Oh How Happy"!

[IanLevine]

Do you know, even after recording loads of stuff with him, I never ever twigged that Stuart Avig was Stuart Ames. Wow. Amazing.

[motownman20]

Great video!! Stewart has such a pretty lead.

[madog20]

yep

[doddlesock]

didnt the toys do a version of this on their attack LP ?

[adriansmartuk]

Superb - if anything better than the original

[hitsvillechalky]

This is a fantastic version , Stuart is a awesome singer and one of the nicest guys I've have ever Met ! looking forward to seeing him soon and his Family.

[davig23]

That is correct Ian! I have the record framed in my basment. Stuart sang Danny Boy on a recent cruise and orginal Flamingo Tommy Hunt said, "That guy gave me goose bumps."!