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The Roberson Brothers Musical Exploits November 18th 1999
Members of the Cleveland based Roberson family have been involved with the record industry now for almost 30 years. Tony Roberson started the brothers musical adventures back in 1970. By the mid 70's
twins Dennis & Danny had joined in and a few years later they brought youngster Jeff in to back them. In the 90's it became Jeff's turn to take centre stage.
It all started one day in 1970 when Tony, who worked in a print shop, was relieving the boredom of his task by tapping along with the establishments printing machinery. He was keeping perfect time and
this impressed a customer who came into the shop to collect some work. The customer was Lou Ragland, making a pick up on behalf of Way Out Records. Although Lou was currently employed at Way Out's Recording Studio,
he was looking to form a new group and was in real need of a good drummer. He decided on the spot that Tony had what was required to become that drummer and he pitched the idea to Tony. The 17 year old and his
parents took some convincing that this was a path he should follow but Lou eventually convinced them.
Thus with Lou on lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitar, Tony on drums and George Pickett on bass, the group Hot Chocolate was formed. They quickly progressed from playing live in a tiny lounge
bar to cutting records. A single 'We Had True Love / Good For The Gander' ( Co-Co Cleveland ) was issued in 1970 with a 7 track album following in 1971. Although only pressed in limited quantities, due to financial
constraints, this album has with the passage of time become recognised as a funk classic. Due to it's cult status it has just been re-issued in the UK by Soul Brother Records. The groups reputation continued to
grow, to obtain a fuller sound they expanded to 7 members and then embarked on a 25 day US tour. During this, a new song 'Since You Said You'd Be Mine' was written and incorporated into their live act.
On their return to Cleveland they went into the studio and cut the song. Warner Brother Records licensed the track and released it on single in 1973 under Lou's name. The groups name had become a
problem, due to the clash with the identically named UK group and so a change to Seven Miles High was made. Warner Brothers decision to put just Lou's name on the record started a rift in the group and a while
later the group and Lou went their separate ways. The group soldiered on and in 1981 they secured a deal with Chicago based Gerim Records, who released their single 'She's Gone Away / Do It To You'.
Meanwhile back in Cleveland, teenage twin brothers Dennis & Danny Roberson, following Tony's example, replaced two members in the group Errol Gaye & the Imaginations. This outfit enjoyed a
single release, 'You Don't Want My Love / Love & Affection', on the Steel Town label in 1975. By 1976 though Dennis and Danny had recruited Jimmy Fleming and had formed their own 3 strong group, Cash. The
trio honed their performances supporting top soul acts and in 1977 they secured a recording deal with LA based Greedy Records. The 45 'I Love You Still / There Is You' was released and was well enough received to
gain the group spots on the 'Soul Train' TV show and at New York's famed Apollo Theatre.
In 1981 the group supported Cameo and this resulted in then Cameo member Kevin Kendrick, taking an interest in them. Shortly afterwards Kendrick became a member of the Dazz Band and in conjunction
with Mike Calhoun, he produced a recording session on the group at After Dark Studios in Parma, Ohio. An outlet was required for this work and so Cash's manager Winston Gragg, started his own label, Casbar Records.
In 1984 one of the tracks produced by Kendrick and Calhoun, 'Hot Thang' was released as a single on Casbar. The group were to enjoy two further releases on Casbar, 'I Want To Be Loved By You / Breakstreet ' in 1984
and 'The Joy Of You / Love Your Lovin'. Cash continued to make numerous live appearances, performing with Bill Withers, War, Stevie Wonder and B.B. King amongst others. They were kept busy enough to require their
own 5 piece backing band and the Roberson's younger brother, Jeff, was recruited to act as this outfits drummer. Although the group had enjoyed their fair share of success, they hadn't managed to make the national
breakthrough its members had hoped for and so in 1993 they broke up.
Backing Cash, Jeff Roberson learnt the business and matured musically and in 1990 he struck out on his own. While attending Ohio University, he started to collaborate and write songs with fellow
students J.D.Bismuke Jr. and Lawrence Harris. They decided to form a group, Smooth Approach, and when Kerry Willis was recruited the four strong line-up they had aspired to was complete. They developed a live act
and secured bookings, opening for acts such as the O'Jays, Zhane, Ginuwine and 702.
The group commenced recording and their first release sold well locally. In 1998 a maxi single was issued on Executive Hits Entertainment, the featured track on this being 'Push Em Up' with
'Don't Worry' and another track also included. This again did well and so the group went back into the studio to record sufficent tracks to allow a full album to be released. Over a dozen extra, mainly self written
songs, were cut. In late summer 1999 the 16 track CD 'You Got It' was released in conjunction with a 80 minute long movie featuring the songs included on the album. The group has it's own web site
www.smoothapproach.com and copies of their CD have now started to sell internationally.
No doubt members of the Roberson family will continue to enjoy success in the entertainment business and it can only be hoped that Smooth Approach enjoy the major commercial breakthrough
that eluded earlier groups that the Roberson brothers participated in.
JOHN SMITH, Nov 1999
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