Timeless Legend

Columbus, early 1970s-mid 1980s

Columbus' Timeless Legend released several highly regarded records during the 1970s. They kept their soul vocal group sound intact while adding contemporary disco beats and recorded 4 45s and an LP. The group included Jackie Hogg, Allen Burney, Donald Harmon, and Michael Harmon. There may have been another member or two but we don't have the details.

The first appearance of the group on record was for the 1972 "Talent Expo" LP, a super obscure LP that was a document of the Inner City Talent Expo in Columbus, intended to spotlight Columbus' young black performers. The group does a moody version of the Carpenters' big hit "Close To You". The group is backed by the Suspicious Can Openers.

Carl Fagain became the group's manager and started the Black Forest label as part of his Mo-Soul productions. The group. again backed by members of the Suspicious Can Openers, recorded a couple songs at Appalacia Sound in Chillicothe for the label. Dean Francis, working on his own after the dissolution of Capsoul, wrote the songs. The midtempo  "Baby Don't DO This To Me" is a really strong recording with vocal, band, arrangement all working. The original pressing was done my Musicol on a light blue label. The record seemed to sell a few copies but is still highly in demand in the worldwide soul collecting scene. A few month after the initial release, Fagain made a deal to have the record distributed by an out of state operation (from Memphis or Nashville?) and the 45 was re-released on a green label, changing the publishing credits.

The group was popular enough where Fagain went all in on an LP, so the group recorded all new material at Kingsmill studios and released it on another label he created, Pendulum records. The LP contained several extended songs of polished mid 70s soul and sold well locally, and has become, like all the TL recordings, a sought after collectors item.

In 1980/1 the group, still under Fagain's management, released two more 45s. Like many soul artists arond that time, they had to change their sound to appeal to the disco scene, including recording a uptempo dance song "Everybody Disco". The other 45 included one of their best songs, "I Was Born To Love You", which does a fine job of paring their strong energetic vocals to a dance beat.

The group released one more record in 1985, using the then popular 12" single format. On this release the group's name is shortened to Timeless and executive producers are Frank Thomas and Anthony Littlefield, no mention of Carl Fagain. 

The group seems to have ended in the mid-late 1980s. More info would be most welcome.

Discography:
(Baby Don't Do This To Me / Where There's Love There's A Way - Black Forest 900 (green issue), No # (Musicol pressing 102115/6) 1975
LP= Synchronized - Pendulum 101, 1976
Everybody Disco Part 1 / Everybody Disco Part 2- Dawn-Lite no #, Musicol pressing 102999/3000, 1979
I Was Born To Love You Part 1 / I Was Born To Love You Part 2 - Dawn-Lite no #, Dec 1980
Do You Love Me / You're The One - Pendulum No #, June 1985