Eternity's Children
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Bruce Blackman, Roy Whittaker |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Mississippi , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Eternity's Children was a sunshine pop ensemble from Cleveland, Mississippi, originally formed as a folk band named The Phantoms by students Bruce Blackman (vocals/keyboard) and Roy Whittaker (drums). The lineup expanded to include lead guitarist Johnny Walker, rhythm guitarist Jerry Bounds, and bassist Charlie Ross. They cultivated intricate vocal harmonies that became their signature sound after adopting the name Eternity's Children in 1967. Their only charting single, "Mrs. Bluebird," peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 58 in Canada.
Origins
In 1965, The Phantoms were established by Blackman and Whittaker at Delta College, with Jerry Bounds, Charlie Ross, and Johnny Walker joining soon after. The group built a local fan base and issued the single "Workin' Tired" b/w "Gonna Be Nice Tonight" on the Flash label before moving to Biloxi, Mississippi in 1966. There, they served as the resident band at a basement club within the Biloxi Hotel, backing performers such as Charlie Rich and B.J. Thomas. That same year, folk vocalist Linda Lawley became part of the group, prompting a rebranding to Eternity's Children. They released another single titled "Can't Put A Thing Over Me" b/w "Time and Place," both penned by Blackman for the Apollo label, which saw limited distribution outside their immediate region.
Major label era
At the start of 1967, after witnessing their live performance at a Baton Rouge venue, club manager Ray Roy and his partner Guy Belello took on management duties and signed the band. Quickly producing a demo tape, Eternity's Children caught the attention of A&M Records executive Allen Stanton. Following their relocation to Los Angeles in spring 1967, they issued their only A&M single, "Wait and See," produced by former The Music Machine bassist Keith Olsen. The release did not achieve commercial success. Despite touring alongside bands like Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Blues Magoos, A&M eventually dropped them.
Subsequently, they signed with Capitol Records under its Tower subsidiary. With production handled by Olsen and Curt Boettcher, they released their most notable single, "Mrs. Bluebird" b/w "Little Boy." Highlighting their vocal arrangements, "Mrs. Bluebird" gained exposure through an appearance on American Bandstand and climbed to #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #54 on the Cash Box Top 100 in August 1968. However, it exited the charts after three weeks. Its follow-up track, "Sunshine Among Us," reached #117 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart in September.
During recording sessions for their debut album, internal disputes over management and creative direction caused Blackman, Bounds, and Walker to depart. Blackman later attributed their exit to mismanagement and disagreements over songwriting credits. Keyboardist Mike "Kid" McClain joined remaining members Ross, Whittaker, and Lawley to finalize the album. Released in 1968, Eternity's Children attracted attention within Los Angeles for its blend of psychedelic and sunshine pop influences but did not achieve national chart success. Producers Olsen and Boettcher extensively employed session musicians during recording, which has made identifying individual band members on specific tracks challenging.
Second Album and Subsequent Developments
Following the disappointing results of their initial release, Eternity's Children enlisted the expertise of producer Gary Paxton. Prior to the recording sessions, lead songwriter Bruce Blackman departed, leaving Ross, Lawley, and McClain to compose exclusively original songs. Percussionist Bo Wagner took over from Whittaker and contributed to the 1969 single "Till I Hear It From You" backed with "I Wanna Be With You". With the single failing to enter the charts, Capitol Records decided to cancel the U.S. release of their sophomore album, Timeless. The album did see a limited distribution in Canada, where the track "Mrs. Bluebird" achieved moderate recognition; however, steep pricing hampered sales, rendering the album a rare collector’s item.
After this obstacle, the group moved their base to Memphis, Tennessee, and began working with producer Chips Moman on a third album that ultimately never came to fruition. They continued issuing singles through Capitol Records during 1969 until the label terminated their contract. In 1970, they returned to independent labels in Mississippi but failed to attain commercial success with their releases, which led to the band's dissolution. Various lineups of the group continued touring until 1974.
Members Wagner, Blackman, and Walker later became part of Starbuck, which reached number three on the charts in 1976 with their hit "Moonlight Feels Right".
On September 30, 2003, a compilation entitled The Lost Sessions was issued, compiling rare tracks recorded throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Johnny Walker is believed to have passed away in 2007 at age 56; however, details surrounding his death remain limited.
Linda Lawley Pelfrey (native of Stillwater, Oklahoma) succumbed to cancer on November 24, 2007, at age 58 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Singles
- "Can't Put A Thing Over Me" / "Time and Place"—Apollo 101, May 1967
- "Wait and See" / "Rumors"—A&M 866, August 1967
- "Mrs. Bluebird" / "Little Boy"—Tower 416, May 1968 (Billboard #69, Cash Box #54, RPM #58)
- "Sunshine Among Us" / "Rupert White"—Tower 439, August 1968 (Billboard #117)
- "Till I Hear It from You" / "I Wanna Be with You"—Tower 449, November 1968
- "The Sidewalks of the Ghetto" / "Look Away"—Tower 476, May 1969
- "A Railroad Trestle in California" / "My Happiness Day"—Tower 477, May 1969
(Charles Ross III solo; B-side matches Eternity's Children album recording) - "Blue Horizon" / "Lifetime Day"—Tower 498, August 1969
- "Laughing Girl" / "Little Boy"—Tower 499, August 1969
(Charles Ross III solo; B-side matches Eternity's Children album recording) - "Alone Again" / "From You Unto Us"—Liberty 56162, March 1970
Albums
- Eternity's Children (Tower T-5123 Mono, ST-5123 Stereo, April 15, 1968)
- Timeless (Tower ST-5144 U.S. cancelled; Capitol Records Canada ST-6302, 1969)
- Eternity's Children (2 LPs plus bonus tracks on 1 CD, Rev-Ola Records, 1999)
- The Lost Sessions (Gear Fab Records, 2003)
- From Us Unto You: The Original Singles CD compilation (Rev-Ola Records, 2005)
- Eternity's Children Mono/Stereo CD reissue (Rev-Ola Records, 2005)
- Timeless Stereo CD reissue (Rev-Ola Records, 2005)