In the beginning, the Four Mints were not truly four, but instead a revolving group of five East High students that included Bobby Shank, Louis Dotley, James Spencer, Herschel Davis, and James Brown. Their first ten years were spent at record hops and at the bottom of the bill, but a line-up change in 1965 altered their path considerably. Ben “Pete” Caldwell had made a name for himself in the late 1950s with doo-wop groups the Vallejos, the Lyrics, and the Falcons (the latter two released records on Vee-Jay and Abner respectively) before signing on as the Mints lead vocalist. Two of Caldwell’s compositions, “You’re My Desire” and “You’ll Want To Come Back,” ended up as the group’s first single on Holiday, Bill Moss’ pre-Capsoul imprint. The orange-and-black-labeled 45 was recorded at Musicol and backed by the Soul Partners, a prolific group who bedrocked most late 60s Columbus recordings. Though Moss and the Mints parted ways after the single failed to catch on nationally, they would reunite at a few years later when Capsoul was finally off and running.
By 1972, Mints membership had narrowed to Jimmy Harmon, Donald Russell, Ben “Pete” Caldwell, and James Brown, the group’s leader and only consistent member. Harmon was the third brother in a family that included Donald and Michael from Timeless Legend, the Mints’ local rival. Russell was a well-traveled vocalist, though none of his previous groups are well remembered, those that are remembered at all. Backed by the Capsoul house band, these new and improved Four Mints went on a tear, releasing a handful of radiant singles over the course of the next two years.
The first, “Row My Boat” b/w “In A Rut,” showcased the songwriting talent of Dean Francis (formerly of the Soul Rockers) and quickly became a local hit. Airplay continued in Baltimore, Cleveland, and DC, but Moss’ steadfast refusal to play the payola game kept them merrily, merrily, merrily from the dream. “Can’t Get Strung Out” was issued with two different B-sides in 1973, first with the recycled “In A Rut” and then again with “Why Did I Go.” Neither caused much of a stir, and the flip failed to chart. Though John Primm and William Gilbert’s Sam & Dave routine is better suited for the racing tempo, Moss brought the group in to re-cut “(I’m Gonna) Keep On Lovin’ You” over the original Kool Blues master to mixed results. Their final single was a remix of their Holiday 45, which promptly followed in the footsteps of its original issue.
With Capsoul’s procurement of financial backing from City National Bank in 1973, Bill Moss pulled out all the stops en route to making the Four Mints a household name outside of Franklin County. In a move Berry Gordy had perfected a decade earlier, Moss repackaged the Four Mints’ complete Capsoul recordings as Gently Down Your Stream. He took the group and their matching wrinkle-free suits down to Hayden Falls for the cover shot, and even tacked on the unreleased “Too Far Gone” as an album extra. A national tour was in the works, with distribution not far behind. The non-album of course failed. The Four Mints continued performing and touring, but the overwhelming influence of disco prevented them from recording again during the 1970s: a small tragedy given the rabid collector following this LP has acquired over the last decade.
In refuge from the destruction of the Capsoul master tape library at the end of the 1970s, the bonus material featured here comes from the personal archives of Dean Francis. As one of Capsoul’s main songwriters, Francis was heavily involved in all of the Four Mints’ recordings and managed to salvage these early versions of “In A Rut” and “Too Far Gone.” Quite different from the released takes, these alternate versions provide fascinating insight into the creative process going on Capsoul in the early 1970s. Gently Down Your Stream may be just a collection of singles, but in this day and age far less can pass for a Greatest Hits album. Hits or not, this is certainly the Four Mints’ greatest.