THE ESQUIRES: ‘HOW COULD IT BE’ 1968 45 BUNKY CHICAGO GREAT R&B ~ NORTHERN SOUL

Description

THE ESQUIRES: ‘HOW COULD IT BE’ 1968 45 ~ BUNKY #7756~  NORTHERN SOUL
ARTIST: THE ESQUIRES
TITLE: ‘HOW COULD IT BE’ b/w ‘I KNOW I CAN’
1968
LABEL: BUNKY # 7756
(CHICAGO)
(DISTRIBUTED BY SCEPTRE)
MATRIX:
B-1309 IC (stamped) -- B-1322 IC (etched)
FORMAT:
7"
45 RPM
US Release
GRADING:
VG++/EX-
Very Clean Pristine Vinyl
GENRE: SOUL, R&B, NORTHERN SOUL
PRODUCER: BILL SHEPPARD
PUBLISHER: Flomar Music ~ Hi-Mi ~ Planetary Music
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This is a great little upbeat soul R&B single by the Esquires, who had a string of hits for the small Bunky label out of Chicago in the mid to late 60s.
I’m not sure what the A-side was supposed to be for this release. It’s not clearly labeled. But I know what my choice would be!
“How Could it Be” is a great upbeat, Northern Soul style dancer. Great feel and great beat. Sounds fantastic. Written by Esquires lead singer Gilbert Moorer.
“I Know I Can” is a slower paced song, sung with a great voice that reminds me of early Curtis Mayfield. This is the early pressing with “Endorsed by the N.A.T.R.A.” under the title.
A very nice soulful 45 out of Chicago, recorded in 1968.
The record is in excellent condition but has 2 minor issues. Firstly, it has a BB hole thru the label, suggesting it was withdrawn. It’s to the right of the ‘B’ in Bunky on the ‘How’ side. Secondly, on the ‘I Know’ side there is a small tear in the label where it looks like a tiny sticker was removed. The ‘How’ label looks perfect. The vinyl looks perfect on both sides. See the photos below.
A great upbeat R&B song in that fun Northern Soul style.
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Formed in 1957 as 'Betty Moorer and the Esquires,' the band was based around various talented members of the Moorer family: Gilbert, his brother Alvis, and their sister Betty. When their sister, the lead singer, left, the group shortened its name to The Esquires, and Gilbert became the lead singer. The band was named after the classy gentlemen’s ‘Esquire’ magazine that was popular back then.
They went through many lineup changes over their first decade. In 1961, Sam Pace joined as a tenor.
In 1966 they moved to Chicago and auditioned for Curtis Mayfield, who turned them down. They got a deal with a local label, Constellation Records, but the record label went under in 1966, just as the band got their break. Constellation was absorbed by Bill Sheppard’s new ‘Bunky’ records and the Esquires signed with them.
Their debut record for Bunky was "Get on Up" (1967), becoming a major hit.
It peaked at #11 as a pop single but reached #3 on the R&B charts and got them much attention. Gilbert Moorer wrote "Get on Up" and was the Esquires' lead singer. He had a voice and style similar to Curtis Mayfield.
Following the release they played all the big soul clubs: Chicago's Regal Theater, Philadelphia’s Uptown club, and the Apollo Theatre in New York City. They were also a popular opening act for other big-name bands that passed thru Chicago. The Esquires became one of the biggest R&B acts to come out of Milwaukee in the 1960s. The Esquires music was upbeat, bouncy and catchy, what some call Northern Soul today.
Follow up singles, like this great one, were also successes, and the group released one full-length LP. The Esquires had at least nine singles make it into the R&B top 50 between 1967 and 1971.
All their early hits, like this one, were on Bunky records. Bunky was a local small Chicago label, formed in 1966, which was distributed by Scepter. Wanting more national attention, the Esquires signed with Scepter in 1968 and eventually with Capitol Records by 1970. They cut one single for Capitol, "Reach Out", but music was changing by then and their stream of hits came to an end. They continued recording and performing into the mid 1970's.
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The record is in terrific condition. Clean, no obvious flaws or damage. Both the vinyl and labels look great. See the enclosed photos for the best sense of condition.
Add this classic, timeless slice of 60s R&B and Soul to your collection today.
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