music : "Dream" - unknown artist

July 1967 was a defining moment for the city and for the talented trio Bridges, Knight and Eaton, and at the time of the riots they were sure they had hit on a song which could change their lives.

It was called 'Dream' and it would eventually make it's way on to three separate 45's within the next few months. It was that good.

Fred recalls, "The atmosphere in Detroit was scary and everyone had to keep their heads down to avoid the wrath of the National Guard who had placed the city under curfew, but we had this song which we were very excited about and nothing was going to stop us. 

An armoured vehicle roams 12th Street.

The words "Soul Seeker"  emblazoned atop the vehicle leaves little to the imagination

So at night we would scurry between my home on 15th and La Beat on 14th. It was dangerous but we had a job to finish.

We also had to be careful that we didn't upset Mr Beatty as this was a project all our own."

'Dream' would also surface thirty five years later on a master tape and by a different artist. Probably the finest version of them all, the compact disc states that the performance was by Barbara Mercer. When I played it to Fred however, he shook his head. "I remember coaching the girl during the session which was at United Sound. I recognise the backing singers as The Debonaires, but this is not Barbara Mercer."

Regardless, it was a significant song and one which would take them in a new direction.

Continued