the Soul Superbs / Nytro
Columbus, early 1970s-1980s
1976 with the band at the top, Norman Whitfield and Walter Ainsworth below
The Soul Superbs started about 1970-1 when most or all of the members were in high school. Anthony Ludaway was the drummer and described as a founder in his obituary (2009). Arnett Howard from Columbus posted a feature on his blog My People: The Soul Superbs, 1973 (mayorarnett.blogspot.com)
The band, according to Howard, included Ludaway, Ernest "Pepper" Reed on guitar, Bobby Payton on guitar, Larry Ferris on bass, Robert aka Frankie Justice on vocals, and Chris Powell on sax. Billy Taylor made a post on the same blog saying that he was the singer.
The band was playing in 1971, a couple shows at the Electric Playground in Columbus, and the Carousel Ballroom in Sidney, billed as featuring electric saxophones.
The story by Arnett Howard covers about a year in the band's history. They recorded their 1st 45 during that time, a Musicol production with two original songs.
The band split with Howard and eventually moved to Los Angeles. Some of the members appeared on the legendary Stevie Wonder album "Songs In The Key Of Life" under the name of Ohio Silver. Typically, the band had some personnel turnover. They got a record deal with Whitfield records, a label run by former Motown producer Norman Whitfield. The band changed their name (or was forced to change) to Nytro. A July 1976 story in Billboard mentions the signing. A couple months before, the band was recording in Pasadena's 54 East recording studio.
The first album was released with the single "What It Is", written by Reed. The record got some airplay on R&B stations but noe enough to make it a hit. The band members included Pepper Reed, Robert Justice, and Chris Powell from the Soul Suspects lineup. Lamorris Payne on trumpet was also a Columbus native. The other members were Dennis Smithson on drums, Kenneth Scott on trumpet, Benjamin Wilber on keyboards, and Theodore Willingham on bass, per the credits on the first LP.
The band recorded a second LP "Return to Nytropolis" in 1979, with new members John Jackson on drums and Ronald Smith on keyboards. There were four more 45s released, all the A sides from the LP with one non-LP B side. Seven of the 8 LP songs were issued on 45, three of them edited. None of them was the hit they were seeking. A 1978 newwpaper article mentions Al Campbell as a touring keyboard player for the band.
The band split in 1980.or so. In addition to their work on the Stevie Wonder LP, Nytro members also played on recordings by Rick James and the Stone CIty Band, the Undisputed Truth, Junior Walker, Metropolis (all artists who recorded for Whitfield) and others. They could be considered a 'house band' for Whitfield.
Discography:
Just Ask Me / Cannibals - Musicol 101781/2, 1974
the following records as Nytro
What It Is / Give Me One More Chance - Whitfield 8356, April 1977
LP - Nytro - Whitfield 3019, 1977
I Paid My Dues / Radio Queen - Whitfield 8690, Oct 1978
Nytro Express / Return To Nytropolis - Whitfield 8780, March 1979
LP - Return to Nytropolis - Whitfield 3275, 1979
High On Disco / Make It - Whitfield 49003, July 1979
Oribit Of The Sun / Could This Be The Night - Whitfield 49105, Oct 1979