Song:Ten Commandments Of Love
Album:A Bronx Tale
The Moonglows were one of the best doo wop groups and their influence transcends the 1950s. Group leader Harvey Fuqua is a significant figure in black music outside The Moonglows. He was born July 27, 1929 in Chicago and grew up in Louisville, KY. His uncle was Ink Spots guitarist Charlie Fuqua. He got together with high school classmate Bobby Lester, Prentiss Barnes & Danny Coggins and formed The Crazy Sounds in Cleveland in 1949. They started out as jazz singers but met Cleveland DJ Alan Freed in 1952 and he turned them in a different direction. They recorded for Freed's Champagne label. Coggins left and was replaced by Alex Walton & Alexander Graves. Fuqua & Lester usually sang lead and wrote most of the songs. The Moonglows signed with Chess Records in 1954 and they had several R & B hits. But Fuqua & Lester were fighting over control of the group and they split in 1957. But Fuqua continued to use The Moonglows name for the 1958 hit Ten Commandments Of Love. It was credited to Harvey & The Moonglows. The song reached #22 on the pop charts. No one really knows who backed up Fuqua on the record but he soon recruited a Washington, DC group called The Marquees and they were now The Moonglows. One of the members of that group was Marvin Gaye. This soundtrack to the 1993 film A Bronx Tale has several oldies on it. Harvey Fuqua soon moved to Detroit and became pals with Berry Gordy, married his sister Gwen and was a big part of the early days of Motown. Fuqua's work over the years with Marvin Gaye, Junior Walker & New Birth has made him one of the all time greats of black music. Bobby Lester led his own version of The Moonglows and died in 1980. Fuqua reformed The Moonglows and performed Ten Commandments Of Love on the PBS doo wop special.
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