#12: Ten Commandments Of Love by Harvey and the Moonglows

City: London, ON
Radio Station: CKSL
Peak Month: October 1958
Peak Position in London ~ #3
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #40
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #22
YouTube: “Ten Commandments Of Love”
Lyrics: “Ten Commandments Of Love”

Harvey and The Moonglows were a doo-wop group from Louisville (KY). In 1951, with Bobby Lester (born in 1930 in Louisville, Kentucky), Alexander “Pete” Graves (born in Alabama in 1936), and Prentiss Barnes (born in 1925 in Magnolia, Mississippi), Harvey Fuqua (born in 1927 in Louisville, Kentucky), formed a vocal group, the Crazy Sounds, in Louisville. They added Billy Johnson. The group next moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There they were taken under the wing of disc jockey Alan Freed, who renamed them the Moonglows, after his own nickname, “Moondog”. The Moonglows’ first releases were for Freed’s Champagne label in 1952, beginning with “I’ve Been Your Dog (Ever Since I’ve Been Your Man)”. They recorded for the Chance label in Chicago, and released “Hey Santa Claus”, co-written by Fuqua and Alan Freed. The single “219 Train” was a solid R&B rocker. Another Chance label release was a cover of the Doris Day chart-topper “Secret Love”.

In 1954, the Moonglows signed with Chess Records. In early 1955, the Moonglows debut Chess single release was “Sincerely”, with Bobby Lester on lead vocals. It reached number-one for two non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Most Played in Juke Boxes R&B chart. It also topped the Most Played by Jockeys R&B chart for one week. It also peaked at #20 on the Billboard pop chart in February 1955. On the pop charts, the McGuire Sisters successfully covered “Sincerely” and it shot to number-one. It was number-one on the Best Sellers in Stores (6 weeks), Most Played by Disc Jockeys (10 weeks) or Most Played in Juke Boxes (7 weeks). The McGuire Sisters were variously on top of the pop charts with their cover from February 12 to April 16, 1955.

In the spring of ’55, the Moonglows had a #5 hit on the Billboard R&B charts with “Most Of All”. The following year, the group climbed to #9 on the R&B chart with “We Go Together”, and #6 with “See Saw”. The latter release also peaked at #25 on the pop charts and was featured in the teen rock ‘n roll flick Rock, Rock, Rock! A second track from the movie, “Over and Over Again”, didn’t chart. In the movie, the Moonglows starred alongside Teddy Randazzo, the Flamingos, Chuck Berry, the Johnny Burnette Trio, LaVern Baker, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

In 1957, the Moonglows recorded a cover of the number-one R&B hit by Percy Mayfield from 1950: “Please Send Me Someone to Love”. The Moonglows’ cover shot to #5 on the R&B chart, and was a minor pop hit stalling at #73.

In 1958, billed as Harvey and the Moonglows, the group released “Ten Commandments of Love”.

“Ten Commandments Of Love “was written by Marshall Paul. He wrote a few more songs, but is best known for writing liner notes for numbers of albums. This includes liner notes for albums recorded by Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, and Fontella Bass.

“Ten Commandments Of Love” takes its formula from the Biblical Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus.
The first commandment in the song is “Thou shalt never love another.” In the Ten Commandments, God instructs “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The second commandment in the song is “stand by me all the while.” While in the Biblical commandments, God promises to love those who love God back, and “show love to a thousand generations…”

The third commandment in the song is to “take happiness with the heartaches.”
This “commandment of love” understands that life has its ups and downs. Don’t expect every day to be unencumbered by setbacks and bad news.

The fourth commandment of love is “to go through life wearing a smile.”
Much as there are setbacks, hardships and suffering, it is beneficial in the day-to-day movement of life to find a way to be of good cheer.

The fifth commandment of love is “to always have faith in me in everything I say and do.”
If there is any reason why one partner in a relationship doesn’t have faith in their partner, they should clear the air, and seek to renew a deep faith in each other (assuming there has been no betrayal).

The sixth in the song is “love me with all your heart and soul, until our life on earth is through.” While in the Bible, one of the commandments is “thou shalt not commit adultery.”

A seventh commandment of love is to “Come to me when I am alone.”
This commandment recognizes that each person in the relationship needs be to comforted, and desired.

Eight is “Kiss me when you hold me tight.”
This commandment of love appeals to the need for physical intimacy and not to be halfhearted in expressing it to your partner.

Nine: “Treat me sweet and gentle,” and Ten: “When we say goodnight.” These “commandments of love” are a reminder not to go to bed angry, to be kind and sensitive to your partner. It is assumed that the couple say goodnight to each other in bed.

Unlike the Biblical commandments, Harvey and the Moonglows didn’t have to delve into prohibitions against murder, stealing, bearing false witness against your neighbour, coveting your neighbour or their possessions. The Ten Commandments of Love don’t address honouring the Sabbath. Nonetheless,

“Ten Commandments Of Love” was later recorded by Issac Hayes, Peaches & Herb, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Persuasions, Bob Marley & the Wailers, the Neville Brothers, and Aaron Neville.

“Ten Commandments Of Love” peaked at #2 in Wheaton (MD), #3 in London (ON), #6 in Bethesda (MD), and San Francisco, and #9 in Albany (NY). Elsewhere in Canada, the single climbed to #15 in Winnipeg, #27 in Toronto, and #40 in Vancouver.

In 1959, Harvey Fuqua appeared in the rock ‘n roll flick Go Johnny Go! He co-starred with Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Jimmy Clanton, Jackie Wilson, Jo-Ann Campbell, the Cadillacs, the Flamingos, Sandy Stewart, Chuck Berry and Alan Freed.

In 1959, Harvey and the Moonglows released their final single release titled “Mama Loocie”. The single is notable as the lead singer was Marvin Gaye. That year they also were backing vocalists for Chuck Berry on his hit singles “Almost Grown” and “Back In the U.S.A.”. Due to meager flow of income from touring, the Moonglows split up.

In 1961 Harvey set up his own Tri-Phi label and signed The Spinners, along with other recording acts. Chess Records released a final single by the Moonglows, a cover of the 1951 Tony Bennet hit “Blue Velvet”. Bobby Vinton would successfully cover the song in 1963. After selling his Tri-Phi operation to his brother-in-law, Berry Gordy, Jr., Harvey Fuqua became the head of Motown’s Artist Development Department. He discovered Motown star Tammi Terrell, and wrote and produced numerous hits including “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” for Junior Walker and the All-Stars (an original Tri-Phi artist). Fuqua also produced “Someday We’ll Be Together” for the Supremes.

Meanwhile, in 1964, Pete Graves formed his own Moonglows group and started touring. Bobby Lester began managing a nightclub in Louisville. In 1970, Lester returned to perform with a local group called the Aristocrats, and in time he too had his own Moonglows group act which included Clyde McPhatter’s brother Billy McPhatter.

In 1972, a new Moonglows who included Furqua, Lester and Graves, recorded a new album that included “Sincerely ’72”. It opened the same way the song did in 1954, and then added a funky beat. The new version charted to #43 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Bobby Lester continued to sing lead for his own Moonglows group until he succumbed to complications of cancer in 1980, at the age of 49. Billy Johnson died in 1987.

Havery Fuqua performed with Bobby Lester’s Moonglows at the 1983 Grammy Awards ceremony, and the group toured as Harvey and the Moonglows until 1986. A Moonglows group remained in tact into the 1990s which included Bobby Lester’s son, Bobby Lester Jr.

Alexander “Pete Graves” Walton and Prentiss Barnes both died in October 2006. Harvey Fuqua, the last survivor, died of a heart attack on July 6, 2010, just short of his 81st birthday.

March 10, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Richard Cromelin, “Harvey Fuqua dies at 80, Singer, Songwriter, Producer, and Record Executive,” Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2010.
Terrence McArdle, “Reece Palmer, lead singer of Washington doo-wop group the Marquees, dies at 73,” Washington Post,
November 3, 2011.
The Mooonglows, “Over And Over Again“, Chess Records, 1956.
The Moonglows, “Sincerely“, Chess Records, 1954.
McGuire Sisters, “Sincerely“, Coral Records, 1955.
Harvey and the New Moonglows, “Mama Loocie“, 1959.
Chuck Kearns, “Robert Lester “Bobby Lester” Dallas,” findagrave.com, July 12, 2010.
Steve Walker, “The Moonglows,” blackcat, 2008.
The Moonglows, “Hey Santa Claus“, Champagne Records, 1952.

CKSL 1410-AM London (ON) Top Ten | October 12, 1958