Future Tones / Futuretones

Cleveland, 1955-1965

The Futuretones were one of Cleveland's most popular R&B groups of the late 1950s. They are often relegated to a footnote as the group's founder, and lead singer was Charles Edwin Hatcher, who used the profressional name Edwin Starr and recorded some all-time classics for the Motown family. However, the focus here is on the Futuretones. For all pre-1965 references we will use Charles and for any later reference we will use Edwin.

The group was started by Charles Hatcher when he was a student at Kennard Junior High School in Cleveland. Intially he rounded up some other Kennard students, most if not all younger than him. The details of their beginnings are hard to pin down but by 1957 they were actively performing at talent shows and parties, typical of younger teen groups in Cleveland who were too young for the clubs.

This show from 1958 was the result of winning a competition on a Cleveland TV show, according to a interview with Edwin in the 1990s. They also won an orthopedic mattress which they sold.

The original lineup is also not known to us. A November 1957 newspaper clip mentions Charles, Richard Isom, Roosevelt Harris, John Berry, and Parnell Burks. The 1959 group included Charles, Richard, Parnell, John, Roosevelt, Calcey Brown, and Russell Evans. Evans played guitar and the others were singers. Most if not all were Kennard students, who later moved to East Tech High School.

The group recorded one 45, a really nice vocal group sound with Charles singing lead. "Roll On" was the A side according to the record label and "I Know" was the flip.The songs were written by Charles, according to copyrights filed on April and December, 1958. The record was released on the Tress label, and a Flemington New Jersey origin. A 1994 interview with Edwin says the record was "A byproduct of a contest we won". The label address may have been a ploy to get more national ariplay as Cleveland was not known for any successful record labels.

May, 1959 article...we could not find anything about a record by the Meltones.

The record was listed in an May 1959 Call and Post article. Most online sources give a 1957 release but the April 1959 date seems right, factoring in the copyright dates. By the time the record was released, Charles was a junior at East Tech while the others seemed younger. 

Charles' family was helping ou at this contest. Could the song they mention be a cover of the Metrotones' "Skitter Scatter"?

The group remained active until mid 1960, when Charles was drafted. That was not the end of the group, as is usually claimed by the standard Starr-oriented bios. Over time they became a self contained band, with Russell Evans leading. The rest of the lineup is not known but Gus Hawkins played with them. The band version of the Futuretones didn't make any recordings to our knowledge but were a steady band in the local club scene. 

The point when they moved from vocal group to band is not clear. One or two sources claim it was during Charles' time but the 1959 listing gives the singers and Evans, so it would have most likely been after Charles' departure.

The band was active into January 1966 according to the club listings. About that time - not sure if he quit or the band broke up - Russell Evans became a member of the O'Jays band as they started to have regional hits. He is heard on their 1966 Minit label recordings. Russell had been playing sessions while leading the Futuretones and can be heard on Way Out label recordings.

The fate of the other members is not well known. Prior to the Futuretones Richard Isom had been in the short-lived Orientals with future Hesitations/Wigs member Art Blakey.

Discography:
Roll On / I Know - Tress 1/2, c. April 1959