Intro by: Gail Nobles
Ending music by: Gail Nobles
Story by: Gail Nobles

Today's topic The Lost Generation. Got to bring back the music. The music of love. A time when music was great with soul and had the sound of smooth harmonies. And I'm thinking of a fabulous group known as the lost generation.

 With their silky vocals and that sweet R&B groove, they brought us tunes that made the world smile. They knew how to stir those emotions sending love notes through the airwaves straight to your heart. It’s time to revive that love music.

 Whether it's their iconic hits or those deep cuts that made you feel like you were floating on a cloud, we owe it to ourselves to bring back the sounds that defined a generation.

 Now let me tell you about the group Lost Generation. The members Lowrell Simon, Fred Simon (brothers),Jesse Dean, Leslie Dean and Larry Brownlee began singing together in 1969. This was after Jesse Dean completed time in the United States Army. Shortly after forming, Lowrell Simon's childhood friend, Gus Redmond (who was by that time promotional head at Brunswick Records), had the group record with producer Carl Davis. The result of these sessions was the single "The Sly, Slick and the Wicked", which became a hit in the US, and whose sales earned Brunswick Records enough profits to buy itself out and dissociate itself from its parent company, Decca Records, that same year. Lowrell Simon was inspired for the song's title by the film title The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The group scored a few further hits, and disbanded in 1974. Members Brownlee and Fred Simon later joining Mystique. Lowrell Simon embarked on a successful career as a songwriter and, in the late 70's, a solo artist. Larry Brownlee died in 1978. Fred Simon currently sings bass vocals with The Chi-Lites. Lowrell Simon died in 2018 of multiple health complications.

 They were a group that had great vocal arrangements. They were like a sweet potion blending powerful leads with silky background harmonies that transported you straight to the heart of the soul experience. The band sound was a perfect marriage of passion and skill.

 So as we reminisce about the year 1969, let's not forget The Lost Generation - the torch barriers of soul music keeping the flame alive in an ever-changing musical landscape. I'm Gail Nobles, and you're listening to the Cat Bear.