Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers

Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers
Bobby Taylor (far left) and the Vancouvers circa 1966, when the group was known as "Little Daddy & the Bachelors"
Background information
Also known as	Little Daddy & The Bachelors Four Niggers & a Chink Bobby Taylor & the New Vancouvers
Origin	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	R&B, soul
Years active	1963–1969; 1990
Labels	Gordy (Motown), Motorcity
Associated acts	The Jackson 5
Past members	Bobby Taylor Tommy Chong Wes Henderson Eddie Patterson Robbie King Ted Lewis

Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. The group recorded for the Gordy Records division of Motown Records in 1968, where they had a top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside and outside of Motown. Taylor is most notable for discovering and mentoring The Jackson 5.Tommy Chong was a member of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers before he became famous as a comedian.

Bobby Taylor, born February 18, 1934 in Washington, DC, was raised in Washington. As a young man, he moved to New York City and sang in doo-wop groups with singers who later joined successful acts such as Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and Little Anthony and the Imperials. In 1958 he began his music career as a member of The Four Pharaohs, who released a few locally-selling recordings in the Columbus, Ohio area.

In the early 1960s, while they were in San Francisco, Taylor met Little Daddy and the Bachelors, made up of vocalist Tommie Melton, guitarist Tommy Chong, bassist Wes Henderson, pianist Bernie Sneed, drummer Floyd Sneed (later the drummer for Three Dog Night) While in Calgary they were known as the Calgary Shades. The word Shades in the group's name referenced the fact that the band was interracial. Chong (later famous as one-half of comedy duo Cheech and Chong) is half Chinese. The other members were black, white, and Aboriginal. Taylor was of African-American, Puerto Rican, and Native American heritage.