The Wattsline

Quincy Jones' vocal backing group from 1976-1977. "Born from the need and desire to have a permanent vocal group, Quincy Jones' newest discovery, The Wattsline, is a four male -one female vocal group from Los Angeles. Jones put the group together through a series of auditions that he held and honed and polished the group at his thriving Workshop at the Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The group members-Mortonette Jenkins, Charles May, Sherwood Sledge, David Pridgen and Rodney Armstrong-have all had semi-professional careers in music in the past but shared the mutual aspiration of receiving the big break. To one Wattsline member, Rodney Armstrong, that break came when he met Quincy Jones. Rodney was working as a gas station attendant when he answered an audition call to be the bass singer in a new group that Jones was assembling. He showed up at the audition unaccompanied and proceeded to perform an a capella rendition of "Ol Man River:" "I remember that day on the A&M Soundstage," he recalls. "It was cold in the room and I just closed my eyes and sang. I felt great when I finished but I had no idea that a day later I would get a call from Quincy informing me that I had gotten the job. When he took us on the tour this past summer it was the first time that I had performed on stage. Imagine the way I felt standing on stage in this huge auditorium in Dallas singing to 10,000 people; I was nervous and overjoyed." The group's sole female singer, Mortonette Jenkins, shares in the joy that Armstrong speaks of: "I had been singing for a number of years, had a couple of contracts with Capitol and RCA, but the big break I needed hadn't happened. When Quincy chose me to be in the group I couldn't believe it for more than anything it was an honor to work with him. I was aware of the female singers that he had worked with in the past and I had a good idea what his level of expectations would be. He took us into the studio and before we really knew what was going on, we were working on his latest 'I Heard That!' album. Quincy is really easy to work with in the studio although he is a taskmaker and perfectionist in the positive sense. He taught me how to phrase certain things and how to enunciate my words clearly; it has been an incredible learning experience working with him, I still can't believe it." The final three members of the Wattsline formerly performed as the nucleus of a Los Angeles - based band, 21st Century Ltd. Baritone vocalist Sherwood Sledge is a Grammy nominee for coauthoring "Come See About Me," one of the endless string of hits for gospel king Reverend James Cleveland. Sherwood's incredible vocal performance of Quincy's "Everything Must Change" was a show stopper on the recent "Musical World Tour." Second soprano for the Wattsline is David Pridgen, who is a talented vocalist as well as songwriter. He co -composed, with Quincy and Charles May, the song "You Have To Do It Yourself" which is included on on "I Heard That" and also the theme for the PBS television series "Rebop." Charles May is perhaps the most versatile member of the Wattsline. He is the composer of "What Good Is A Song," "Things Could Be Worse For Me" and co - composer with Quincy of "You Have To Do It Yourself" and "There's A Train Leavin'" on "I Heard That." He has served as musical director and pianist for Aretha Franklin, Esther Phillips, Lola Falana and the Reverend James Cleveland. He also composed the scores to the films "The Class of 74," "Detroit 9000" and "Wonder Woman." May is an astute musician in his own right and holds a great deal of respect for Quincy. Jones has directed them into another area which they never expected. Pridgen said, "Quincy was able to secure parts for the group as actors in a number of the segments for the show. In the short time that we have been with Q so many doors have opened that it is really hard to believe. I am sure that I can speak for the rest of the group by saying that being associated with Quincy Jones has been the best thing that has happened in all of our lives, an opportunity that we will always treasure." - Record World, November 13, 1976, page 22.