Leo's Sunshipp - We Need Each Other (1978)
By Papa Funk
Kenny Stover
Kenny Stover is, probably, best
remembered by Soul Music followers, as being part of the group Leo's Sunshipp.
Leo's
Sunshipp consisted of Kenny, along with Johnny Simone
(ex. Wallace Brothers)
and Alvin Few, and released one album entitled 'We Need Each Other' for
the Lyons Record Company imprint in 1978.
Kenny Stover Singer/Songwriter Kenneth Stover, the brother of Elgie Stover, is Harvey Fuqua's cousin. Big brother Elgie (Kenny's
ten years younger) wrote some significant songs but is remembered by
insiders as a living room comedian who had some spirited snapping
sessions with Eddie "Bongo" Brown at Marvin Gaye's house, where the Stovers resided. Kenny Stover
was born August 21, 1948, in Athens, GA; he came to Cleveland, OH,
early in life and resided in the Hough area on Belvedere Court. He
joined his brother in Detroit, MI, who relocated to work with Fuqua after he disbanded the Moonglows and started HPC, then Harvey and Tri-Phi Records with Gwen Gordy-Fuqua.
Kenny Stover gained entry into Motown through his brother and befriended Marvin Gaye and the Gordys and secured a songwriting contract with Jobete Music (Motown's publishing wing) and started honing his craft. Stover stayed with Gaye as a combination runner/house sitter while working his regular gig as Mrs. Gordy's (Berry's mother) personal assistant and writing songs.
He moved in 1970.
Kenny was there (at Marvin
Gaye's house) when the IRS man showed up to discuss taxes due with
penalties and interest; the discussion turned ugly and Gaye slammed the
door on Mr. IRS, prompting the government official to take off in Gaye's
Cadillac. From that point on Gaye borrowed Stover's
company car to drive to Motown and kept his garage door -- where a
Rolls and a Porsche were parked -- locked.
Stover contributed backing
vocals to Gaye's "Inner City Blues" from the What's Going On
album and also claims to have created some of its melody (uncredited).
Elgie co-wrote two songs: "Flying High in the Friendly Sky" and "God Is
Love" on the acclaimed album. Gaye thanked both Stover brothers in the
liner notes for provoking his thought process. Stover's first major
songwriting credit was "You're the Man Parts 1 & 2" for Marvin Gaye.
Big things were expected but when the song failed to storm the pop
charts Motown cooled on it and a proposed album project. Other prominent
Motown cuts include "Lovin', Livin' and Givin'" (Diana Ross) and "Sexy
Sassy" and "Got to Get up on It" (Bobby Nunn).
Stover wrote the first draft of
"Let's Get It On" as a political song; at a studio rehearsal with Gaye
about to run the song down on tape, Ed Townsend
bellowed '"Let's Get It On" should be about a man and a woman about to
make love, not some political song!' and punctuated his statement with
an exaggerated "let's get It onnnnnn." Gaye
agreed, and the two revamped the lyrics into a love blast that aced
both the R&B and pop charts and sold a reported 4,000,000 copies.
Stover
got zero credit, not even a few points for the title, but he never got
mad about these omissions and says he was just happy being in the
presence of a star like Gaye.
He formed Leo's Sunship with Allen Few and Johnny
Simon in 1977 (all three were born under the astrological sign of Leo).
Simon, an original member of the Wallace Brothers, also recorded with
the Naturals and toured as one of Marvin Gaye's backing singers. Stover
befriended Simon when the Atlanta native relocated to Los Angeles. The
two collaborated on "Madame Butterfly" for Tavares. Tragically, Simon
died before the Leo's Sunship LP was finished. The album (We Need Each
Other) was eventually finished and released by Lyons Records who dropped
the single "Give Me Sunshine" from the set.
In 1978 a Motown honcho decided to put a bunch of
staff songwriters in a group and name them Finished Touch; the lineup
consisted of Kenny Stover, Larry Brown, Harold Johnson, Michael McGloiry, and Brenda and Mike Sutton.
They cut a surprisingly good album, Need to Know You Better; a second
LP was in the hopper but was shelved when Motown soured on the project.
When Gaye bolted to Europe in 1981, Stover
lost touch with the Prince of Soul and left the City of Angels for
Hotlanta. The earthquakes and the smog, which made him ill, also
contributed to the move. Peabo Bryson scored with "Good Combination" a
Stover, Keith Rawls, and Barbara Thomas song. Al Johnson, Bobby Womack,
Tavares, and Marlena Shaw recorded his "I'm Back For More";" Will Smith
did "Just Cruisin'," created with Nasir Jones; Faith Evans did "Sunny
Days," and III of a Kind did "Love Don't Come No Stronger," a
collaboration with Leonard Perry.
Stover's biggest regret is never getting a chance to renew his friendship with Marvin Gaye
after he returned to the States; before it happened, the soul man
suffered a fatal gunshot wound at the hands of his father April 1, 1984.
Stover
returned to Cleveland in 1985 to care for an ailing sister and has been
a resident ever since. He ventured initially into the lucrative
silk-screening business but now concentrates on writing and producing
music rejuvenated by the revenue generated by the Will Smith and Faith Evans cuts.
Kenny Stover
B.Kenneth C. Stover Jnr., b 21st August 1948,
Athens, Georgia, U.S.A.
D.December
2010, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
R.I.P...We Will Never Forget You!!!
The
album became highly sought after, during the rare groove period during the
late Eighties, for the songs 'Give Me The Sunshine', along with the original
version of the song 'I'm Back For More'
(later covered by Al
Johnson and Marlena Shaw).
Kenny was born in Georgia and
relocated, with his family to Cleveland Ohio during his childhood.
He then
moved to Detroit later, along with his brother Elgie, where they began writing
for Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi imprint.
Harvey
was the brothers cousin, who, in turn, introduced the two to several Motown
artists, including
Marvin Gaye.
In 1969,
he co-wrote 'When You Are Available' for Shorty
Long,
(co-written with Anna Gordy Gaye and Marvin
Gaye).
Kenny
was recruited to perform background vocals during the recording of Marvin's
evergreen
album 'What's Going On' (he can be heard on 'Inner City Blues').
When
you are Available - Shorty Long 1969 / You're the Man - Marvin Gaye 1972
/ Love don't come no Stronger - Jeff Perry 1975 / Need to know you Better
- Finished Touch 1978
Kenny Stover
He went
on to co-write several songs with Marvin, including 'You're The Man' (in
1972), and 'I Love You Secretly' (which was recorded by the Billy
Griffin fronted version of the Miracles).
Kenny
also co-penned 'Look Out, I'm Gonna Get You' for the Artistics in 1973,
and 'Love Don't Come No Stronger (Than Yours And Mine)' in 1975 for Jeff
Perry (a.k.a. Jeffree).
He also
co-penned the Diana Ross song, 'Lovin',
Livin' and Givin', G.C. Cameron's 'Share
Your Life (Let Me In)', (with his brother), in 1976, and Bobby Nunn's song
'Sexy Sassy' and 'Got to Get Up on It'.
In the
late Seventies, by the time Kenny had formed the soul group, Leo's Sunshipp,
the album was due for a release, when, Johnny Simone became seriously ill
with cancer and died in his early thirties.
The
album was later given a release on the Lyons Record Company label.
He then
was recruited to the ranks of the group Finished Touch during 1978, whom
he wrote the songs 'Need To Know You Better' and 'Sunshine Love', for.
Kenny finally departed Motown
in 1981, relocating to Atlanta for a while.
He relocated back his hometown
in East Cleveland since 1985, looking after his sister, who was unwell.
Kenny
co-penned the song 'Good Combination' for Peabo
Bryson,
which was taken from his album 'Quiet Storm' in 1986.
In 1997,
he co wrote (along with Nasir Jones and Will Smith), the song 'Just Cruisin'',
for Will Smith, which featured on the Will Smith movie vehicle 'Men In Black'.
More
recently he was running the Kenrou Music & Publishing Company in East
Cleveland.
Kenny
passed away in December 2010 at the age of 62.
He is survived by his companion,
Ms. Farah Barner, and sons, Kenneth Stover Jr., Derrick Stover, Robert Hill
and Jeremy Stover.
Kenny was the brother of Alma
Stover, Elgie Stover, Clementine Agee, Willie Doug Stover and Marie Williams
(deceased).
Please Leave A Comment,Thanks.
Pass is EVER: MustHaveBeForeDie
