This is the Night for Love-- Arthur Lee Maye/Group-- LIVE 1989

Once again, let’s enjoy the powerful, and compelling voice of (Arthur) Lee Maye. Lee split his time between singing and baseball. He was an all-star player in an L.A. high school, but also sat in with some local rhythm n’ blues groups. He even recorded in 1954 with some west coast groups before signing with the Milwaukee Braves, and joining one of their minor league teams. His early career alternated between these two loves: baseball--roughly from March to September--and vocal group harmony in the off-season. After his first baseball season, Lee organized the Crowns consisting of himself as lead, Charles Colbert (tenor), Johnny Morris (tenor), Joe Moore (baritone), Richard Berry (baritone), and Johnny Coleman (bass). In late ‘54/early ‘55, Lee and the Crowns recorded a number of “classic” west-coast, vocal group harmony sounds: one for Modern, three for RPM, and one for Specialty. They were released between late 1954 and early 1956 while Lee was playing for as many as 3 different minor league teams. In late 1956, Lee also joined up part-time with Johnny Otis as part of the Jayos on the Dig label. Dig also released some songs by Lee/Crowns (though the Crowns were not credited) around the same time. Morris and Berry had left the Crowns by then and Charles Holmes joined. This tune was the first of the Dig releases. From 1957 through early 1959, Lee played for 4 minor-league teams before being called up to the majors by the Braves later that year. (From 1959 until 1972, he played with 5 major and a few minor league teams. He batted .274 with over 1100 hits, and almost 100 home runs.) On this song, from a UGHA meeting produced by Ronnie Italiano, who got many of these groups back together, Lee may be backed up by a group called the Blue Stars.

Added 26 Jul 2026