The Shades Of Blue were three guys and a girl from just outside Detroit - her name was Linda (sorry, cannot right now remember her second name).

The lead vocalist was a guy called Nick Marinelli and originally, before recording, they were four guys but when one dropped out, they replaced him with Linda.

Anyway, you said you thought they might have been a black group but the joke is - when they first tried to sign with Golden World (who had produced the Reflections), Ed Wingate said he liked their sound but would not sign them as he was fed up with white groups and only wanted to sign black acts!

Edwin Starr is credited with penning the song, but they say that in fact two members of Shades Of Blue worked on Edwin's original idea, but were never credited. He also wrote their follow-up "Lonely Summer".

Shades Of Blue still perform, hut as far as I know, Nick is the only original member still with them, and they are now made up of four males.

• RE: Shades Of Blue - John 01/30/2009 13:28:01 EST (1)