In early 1951, the Moonglows, mostly featuring Fuqua on lead vocals, began recording, first for Freed's Champagne record label and then for Chicago's Chance Records, achieving local success in the midwest with a bluesy sound. By mid 1954, the group had become more polished (as evidenced by their Lester-led cover of Doris Day's "Secret Love"), and signed with the bigger Chess Records label. Their first Chess record was also their first R&B hit, the Fuqua-penned "Sincerely" (1954), with a lead vocal by Lester (and covered for the pop market by The McGuire Sisters). "Sincerely" was followed by a series of original R&B hits in 1955 and 1956, including "Most of All", "In My Diary" (later recorded by The Spinners), "When I'm With You" (all led by Lester) and the uptempo "See Saw" (featuring Fuqua). 1957 saw the release of the Fuqua led "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (originally by Percy Mayfield in 1950).
Through this period, the group perfected their patented, breathy, "blow harmony," which inspired countless 1950s doo-wop groups and 1960s soul groups, and even the 1970s The Chi-Lites.
Generally, Fuqua sang lead on the uptempo and blues-based tunes, while Lester was the group's romantic lead. Occasionally, on songs like "We Go Together" (1956), they sang a duet lead. Fuqua and Lester also "Moonlighted" on the Checker Records label as the "Moonlighters", recording a local hit "Shoo-be-doo (My Lovin' Baby)" in 1955. The group appeared in Rock Rock Rock a movie produced by, and starring Alan Freed. The last recording by the original five was the hit "10 Commandments of Love" (released in early 1958). It featured Fuqua on lead, with Billy Johnson doing the spoken recitation. By 1957, Fuqua had begun to re-assert himself as lead vocalist and manager, with Lester being pushed to the background. This created a great deal of friction within the group.[citation needed]
Also in 1957, a Washington, D.C. based group known as The Marquees was struggling to make it. The members were Marvin Gaye, Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons, and James Knowland. They decided to give an impromptu audition to Fuqua, as the Moonglows had come to town for a concert. Fuqua was so impressed with them that he decided to fire the entire group and take on the Marquees as the "New Moonglows." Fuqua recorded with these four (later including fifth member Chuck Barksdale), as Harvey & The Moonglows through 1960, when the group dispersed. Gaye went on to a huge solo career.
Fuqua produced the Spinners in the early 1960s, even singing on a few of their records (but not 1961's "That's What Girls are Made For", which featured Bobby Smith imitating Harvey's style). Fuqua became a staff writer and record producer for Motown Records through the 1960s, and later road-managed Smokey Robinson. Lester returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky and opened a nightclub. Barnes moved to Mississippi and retired from professional singing after an automobile accident in 1969.
Meanwhile, in 1964, Pete Graves restarted the Moonglows with Doc Green of The Drifters, George Thorpe, and Bearle Easton. This group recorded briefly for Lana Records, Times Square Records, and Crimson Records.
Yet another new Moonglows formed in 1970, featuring Lester and a Louisville group called the Aristocrats, who consisted of Lester's cousin Gary Rodgers, plus Albert Workman, Robert Ford, and Billy McPhatter (son of Clyde McPhatter). This group performed once in 1971 at a show in New York, but the Aristocrats decided to return to Louisville. Dallas, inspired by the reception his group received, reunited with Harvey Fuqua and Pete Graves, plus new members Doc Williams and Chuck Lewis, and the Moonglows were back.
They recorded an LP released on RCA Records in 1972, charting their last single, "Sincerely '72", a funky re-working of their 1954 hit.
This line-up split up after 1972, and Lester began singing with local Louisville singers again, including at times Rodgers, Ford, Robert Lee Davis, Bruce Martin, and Peter Lawford. This group recorded a mostly a cappella, live album Moonglows in 1979.
Lester died in his hometown of Louisville from cancer in 1980, and Billy McPhatter returned to the group, with Rodgers taking over most of the leads in what was now billed as "Bobby Lester's Moonglows." McPhatter was later replaced by Bobby Lester, Jr. Harvey reunited with the remainder of his 1972 Moonglows in 1983 for a Grammy performance (minus Lester, and Barksdale who had rejoined The Dells, and plus guitarist Johnson), and they toured until 1986 as Harvey & the Moonglows.
In 2000, Bobby Lester's Moonglows, consisting of Rodgers, Martin, Lawford, and Gene Kelly, appeared on the PBS special Doo Wop 50, backing up Harvey Fuqua on "Sincerely" and "10 Commandments of Love." Fuqua, now in his mid-70s, still sings occasionally, sometimes backed up by Lester's Moonglows, sometimes a 50s R&B group called the Magnificents, and sometimes by local "pick-up" groups. Fuqua also produces and manages gospel acts. Reese Palmer is a member of The Legendary Orioles, as well as leading a new version of The Marquees. Chuck Barksdale is still with the Dells. Billy Johnson died in Los Angeles in 1987, Gary Rodgers died in 2005, and Prentiss Barnes died in 2006.[1].
Harvey Fuqua passed away in 2010.
The Moonglows were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. They were also inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2000. "Sincerely" was named one of The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll.
Secret Love
The Moonglows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love
Became impatient to be free
So I told a friendly star
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
Now I shout it from the highest hill
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my heart's an open door
My secret love's no secret anymore
Now I shout it from the highest hills
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my heart's an open door
My secret love's no secret anymore
The Moonglows' Secret Love is a classic love song about releasing one's innermost feelings for someone special. The singer opens up about a secret love that he harbored for a long time, but that continued to grow stronger and stronger inside him. However, it seems that the love became too much to bear inside, and the singer needed to confess his feelings to someone.
The lyrics reveal that the singer sought out a friendly star to confide in, much like other dreamers. The star was a symbol of hope, inspiration, and guidance, someone to entrust with his deepest feelings. The singer appreciated how wonderful this person was, and that was why he was so deeply in love with them. The lyrics further reveal that the singer had kept this secret love to himself for far too long, and it was time for him to share it with the world.
In the chorus, the singer declares that he is no longer keeping his secret love a secret. He is now free to shout it from the highest hills, tell the golden daffodils, and let the world know that his heart is now an open door. The song's message is one of liberation, release, and joy, as the singer comes to terms with his feelings and shares them with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had a secret love
I used to have a special feeling for someone that I kept hidden from everyone else
That lived within the heart of me
It was a feeling that was deep and meaningful, something that I held in my heart
All too soon my secret love
Unfortunately, that feeling didn't stay hidden for long
Became impatient to be free
It started to weigh on me, and I felt like I had to tell someone
So I told a friendly star
I confided in something that I trusted and felt was a good listener
The way that dreamers often do
I shared my feelings in a way that is often associated with those who dream and have big aspirations
Just how wonderful you are
I expressed just how special that person was to me
And why I'm so in love with you
I tried to explain what it was about that person that made me feel the way I did
Now I shout it from the highest hill
Now I'm not afraid to tell anyone how I feel, and I want everyone to know
Even told the golden daffodils
I even shared my feelings with things that are typically thought of as inanimate objects, like flowers
At last my heart's an open door
My heart is no longer hidden or closed off - it's open to the world
My secret love's no secret anymore
Now that I've shared my feelings, my secret love is no longer a secret
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALICE PEACOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rudeboysandokhan442
Hands down my favourite rendition of this song.
@dodgelandesman
I heard this on Sirius XM and it floored me. Love Doris Day but this version was soulful and powerful. An easy candidate for one of earliest soul songs
@lynnwalker9015
Fabulous early 50s group with 2 great leads, Bobby Lester & Harvey Fuqua. Unforgettable music from an era with tough competition!
@eileenmendez7454
Love Everything the Moonglows sang!!
@cookieceo3938
Love everything the Moonglows have done.
@prestonbarnes1796
Great voice.
@jeffpower1490
The Late Great Bobby Lester
@kevinhutchins4222
The late, great Bobby Lester.
@samanthagrantpopsoulrbdoow115
If it weren't for these groups then wouldn't be music today.
@miltonkanfer4229
Who among us hasn't had a "Secret Love?"