Quiet Elegance: The Complete Quiet Elegance on Hi (2003)

Quiet Elegance formed in Detroit, MI, with seasoned soul singers Yvonne "Frankie" Gearing, Mildred Vaney, and Lois Reeves. Vaney (aka Mildred Scott) sang with the Glories and Cut Glass with Orthea Barnes (J.J. Barnes' sister) after Quiet Elegance. Reeves replaced Betty Kelly in her sister's group, Martha & the Vandellas, in 1968 and remained until Martha disbanded the group to seek a solo career in 1972. Gearing (the lead singer and catalyst) had sung with the Glories, the Laddins, and the Steinway's. Signed to Hi Records, they were produced by Willie Mitchell and Dan Greer and recorded for Mitchell's Hi Records in Memphis. Acting independently, both producers whip up a batch of hot, tough Southern sounds that were under-performed when released but are getting recognized decades later. Their interpretations of Al Green's 'Tired of Being Alone' and 'Have You Been Making Out O.K.' are pieces of slow Southern brilliance, as are Betty Crutcher and Bobby Manuel's 'Mama Said,' 'I'm Afraid of Losing You' (their first single), and 'How's Your Love Life Baby?' (their final single). Greer is the songwriter, producer, and male lead on 'You Brought the Sun Back Into My Life'. None of Quiet Elegance's seven Hi singles did much except anchor on the lower rungs of Billboard's R&B chart. Hi strung the 45s out over a five-year period - from 1972 to 1977 - and dropped an LP, but they never really surfaced as recording artists. Quiet Elegance toured the world many times with Al Green, the Temptations, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Tom Jones. They disbanded after the Hi contract ran its course. Vaney-Scott and Reeves returned to Detroit. Reeves still gigs occasionally as a Vandella, but mostly works at her full-time day job. After a couple releases with Cut Glass in 1980 for 20th Century Fox Records, Vaney has been quiet. Gearing, however, has stayed active; she cut solo recordings on Beale Street Records before returning to St. Petersburg in 1978 to care for her ailing grandmother and mom and has been an entertaining staple there every since, appearing in nightclubs, concerts, and plays. http://www.allmusic.com/
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