You’ve probably heard "The Monkey Time" at a wedding or on a "Best of the 60s" compilation and thought it was just another catchy soul tune. But there is a lot more to Major Lance than a few dance-floor hits. He wasn't just a singer; he was the face of a specific, shimmering kind of Chicago soul that eventually took over dance floors from the South Side to Northern England.
Honestly, the guy was a force of nature before he even picked up a microphone. Born in Winterville, Mississippi, in 1939, Major (and yes, "Major" was his actual legal name, not a stage title) moved to the Cabrini-Green projects in Chicago as a kid. This wasn't exactly a quiet neighborhood. It was a high-stakes environment where you either had talent or you had grit. Major had both.
The High School Connection That Changed Music
It’s one of those weird historical coincidences that sounds fake, but it's 100% real. While attending Wells High School, Major Lance became friends with a young guy named Curtis Mayfield.
Imagine that for a second.
You’re walking down the hallway and you bump into the future architect of socially conscious soul and the man who would define the "Chicago Sound." They played basketball together. Mayfield once described Lance as a "sparkly fellow" who was constantly digging through Mayfield’s bag of songs, looking for the ones the Impressions hadn't recorded yet.
Major wasn't a one-trick pony, either. He was a competitive boxer and a featured dancer on Jim Lounsbury’s local TV show Time for Teens. That dancing ability was the secret sauce. When he finally signed with Okeh Records in 1962, he didn't just sing the songs; he performed them with a rhythmic agility that made people want to move.
The Okeh Years: When Everything Clicked
The partnership between Major Lance, Curtis Mayfield (as songwriter), and Carl Davis (as producer) was basically the soul music equivalent of a "Supergroup."
In 1963, they dropped "The Monkey Time." It wasn't just a hit; it was a phenomenon. It hit number 2 on the R&B charts and cracked the Pop Top 10. For Okeh Records, it was their first major hit in a decade.
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Then came "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" in 1964.
It’s a song with a title that sounds like a mistake, but it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains his most recognizable track, defined by that smooth, almost conversational delivery that became his trademark.
Other hits followed in rapid succession:
- "The Matador" (the rare hit not written by Mayfield)
- "Hey Little Girl"
- "Rhythm"
- "Come See"
By the mid-60s, Major Lance was outselling almost everyone in the R&B space. But the music industry is notoriously fickle. When Carl Davis and Curtis Mayfield moved on to other projects, Lance’s chart dominance started to cool off.
The British Second Act and the Northern Soul Cult
By the early 70s, the American mainstream had largely moved on to funk and disco. Major Lance was increasingly seen as an "oldies" act.
But over in the UK, something strange was happening.
Working-class kids in Northern England were obsessed with "Rare Soul"—fast, rhythmic American R&B records that had failed to find a massive audience. This movement, known as Northern Soul, turned Major Lance into a deity.
He moved to England in 1972 to capitalize on this. He wasn't playing small bars; he was headlining legendary venues like The Torch in Stoke-on-Trent. His live album, Major Lance's Greatest Hits Recorded Live at the Torch, is often cited by collectors as one of the best live soul documents ever captured.
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British fans loved him because he gave "110% at every performance." Even when his American career was in a slump, he was a superstar across the Atlantic. Interestingly, during his 60s UK tours, his backing band (Bluesology) included a young keyboard player named Reggie Dwight. You know him better as Elton John.
Hard Times and the Comeback That Almost Was
Life wasn't all stage lights and applause. The late 70s were rough. In 1978, Major was convicted of cocaine possession and served nearly four years in prison. It’s a period of his life that his family, including his daughter Keisha Lance Bottoms (who famously served as the Mayor of Atlanta), has spoken about with painful honesty.
After his release, he tried to get back into the game. He found a new audience on the "Beach Music" circuit in the Carolinas—a regional scene that, much like Northern Soul, prized that classic, upbeat 60s sound.
Tragedy struck in 1987 when a heart attack severely damaged his health. Glaucoma eventually took most of his sight, making a full-scale return to the stage nearly impossible. He gave his final performance at the Chicago Blues Festival in June 1994, just months before he passed away in his sleep at the age of 55.
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Why You Should Still Listen to Major Lance
Major Lance wasn't just a singer who got lucky with a few catchy songs. He was the bridge between the doo-wop of the 50s and the sophisticated soul of the 70s. He had a "Latin-tinged" sound that felt modern even when it was simple.
If you want to actually understand his impact, don't just stick to the hits.
Actionable Steps to Experience the Legend:
- Listen to "The Matador": It shows a different side of his vocal range, proving he could handle more than just Mayfield’s specific writing style.
- Find the "Live at the Torch" Recording: This is the raw, high-energy Major Lance that the UK fell in love with. It’s much more aggressive and soulful than the polished studio versions.
- Check out "Stay Away from Me": Recorded on Mayfield's Curtom label in the early 70s, this track shows how Major was trying to adapt to the more "cinematic" soul sound of that era.
- Look for the Okeh Anthologies: Sony released a 40-track collection called Everybody Loves a Good Time. It’s the definitive look at his peak years and includes B-sides that are arguably better than the hits.
Major Lance remains a cornerstone of Chicago’s cultural history. He was a kid from the projects who, through sheer charisma and a killer sense of rhythm, became a global soul icon. Whether you're a casual listener or a hardcore crate-digger, his discography is a masterclass in the "Chicago Sound" that still influences R&B today.