THE MANHATTANS Band was Persuaders but for just one show

The Manhattans had more than a half-dozen hit singles.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Even if he wanted to, singer Gerald Alston of The Manhattans will never forget Youngstown.
In the early '70s, Alston had just joined the R & amp;B outfit. Mainstream success was still a few years away when the band received a call from its booking agent about a last-minute show in Youngstown.
"Back in the day, you had to expect anything," said Alston, calling from his home in New Jersey. "We were playing a lot of small clubs and it was just one of those situations where we could survive playing the chitlin circuit."
The venue escapes the smooth singer, but the show lives on as the only time The Manhattans ever impersonated another band. Upon arriving in Youngstown, the group discovered not only were they filling in for The Persuaders, who had canceled the date, but they were expected to perform as The Persuaders.
"It worked," laughed Alston. "I learned [The Persuaders' hit] 'Thin Line Between Love and Hate.' But what [singer] Blue [Lovett] did was, he said, 'We're The Persuaders, but we love The Manhattans. They're our favorite group, so we're going to sing their songs.' Eventually before the night was over, a lot of people knew that it was us. Someone in the audience said, 'That's not The Persuaders. That's The Manhattans.'"
Other confusions
Make no mistake. That might be the funniest story ever in the history of music, but confusing people is something the members of The Manhattans have become accustomed to over the years. During its career, The Manhattans scored more than a half-dozen hit singles, including "Kiss and Say Goodbye" and the Grammy Award-winning "Shining Star."
It's the latter track that shares its title with a popular Earth Wind & amp; Fire song that has led to plenty of confusion over the years.
"It used to bother me, but if they're comparing and we're in the same boat as Earth Wind & amp; Fire, I feel great," Alston said. "The same thing with Gerald Albright. A lot of people call me Gerald Albright, and I say my name is Gerald Alston. ... It's just one of those things, and we just keep going."
Still going strong after nearly 45 years is what The Manhattans are doing in 2006. Alston is also working on a Sam Cooke tribute album due out in September.
This year's Summer Soul Fest -- which includes The Manhattans, Midnight Star, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Al Wilson, Peaches and Herb, Bloodstone and GQ -- takes place Aug. 4 at the Chevrolet Centre. You can bet you'll hear plenty of hits and not one song by The Persuaders.
"When we get there, we're going to sing our greatest hits so our fans will not be disappointed," Alston said. "It's a wonderful package. It does well, and I'm looking forward to coming."