The Moonglows
(1957 - 1960)

Chuck Barksdale, Marvin Gaye, James Nolan, Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons
Harvey Fuqua

In late 1957, a pair of sides were recorded featuring Fuqua and possibly Johnson, and in early 1958, a new single appeared entitled "Ten Commandments of Love," featuring Fuqua as a speaker. It reached number nine as an R&B hit and number 22 as a pop single, the group's best pop performance in two years and one of their biggest sellers, except that it wasn't credited to the Moonglows -- rather, it was also credited to Harvey & the Moonglows, and precisely who was singing on it behind Fuqua is still a matter of conjecture; some sources attribute the back-up to the original Moonglows, whereas others say with assurance that it was Fuqua's "new" Moonglows, actually formerly known as the Marquees, a Washington, D.C., outfit consisting of Marvin Gaye, Reese Palmer, James Kolan, and Chester Simmons. What is clear is that they accompanied Fuqua over the next year or so, credited as Harvey & the Moonglows. The group's ranks changed quickly -- though he kept Gaye, who had sung lead on the group's recording of "Mama Loocie," with him -- and eventually included a young Chuck Barksdale, from the Dells.

In addition to his work with the new group, Fuqua was featured on solo singles throughout 1958, including "Don't Be Afraid of Love," which he co-authored with Berry Gordy Jr. and Billy Davis, and he also turned up in the last (and best) of the Freed showcase films, Go Johnny Go.

Harvey Fuqua's professional association with Berry Gordy had begun when they met, on the Berry's visit to Chess Records to license the early sides of the Miracles.