ALVIN CASH & THE CRAWLERS a/k/a REGISTERS
Alvin Cash & The Crawlers were a Chicago-based family act whose biggest hit was an instrumental.
He was born Alvin Welch in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 15, 1939, one of eight children. His high-school classmates included future soul-music stars Luther Ingram, Billy Davis of the 5th Dimension, and Anna Mae Bullock, better known as Tina Turner. When Alvin was about 21, he formed a dance troupe with three of his brothers—Robert, Arthur, and George, who ranged in age from eight to ten. They called themselves the Crawlers and made the clubs in the St. Louis area.
By 1963, Alvin Cash (as he now called himself) and his brothers had moved to Chicago in the hope of getting a record deal. The Crawlers had some success as a stage act, but it took some time before their record deal would materialize. They came to the attention of Andre Williams, a Detroit native who had recorded for both Fortune and Motown Records. He was currently in Chicago, scouting talent for the One-derful/Mar-V-Lus/M-Pac family of labels, and invited the Cash brothers to the studio to chant over an instrumental track he had co-written. Alvin appeared on the recording (without his brothers), as did the Nightlighters, a band with whom the Cashes traveled. The resulting single, “Twine Time,” initially came out under the name “Alvin Cash & The Registers.” It zoomed to #4 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart and #14 pop in early 1965. And it sold upwards of 900,000 copies.
Following the success of “Twine Time,” Cash routinely recorded with the Registers (but never with his brothers), though some of the records came out under the Crawlers’ name. Alvin would soon drop his siblings from the act and go solo. His later recordings were not as commercially successful as “Twine Time,” though arguably some were better.
In 1967, Cash recorded his first of three separate tributes to boxer Muhammad Ali, “Doin’ the Ali Shuffle.” He also made an album called Alvin Cash Does the Greatest Hits of Muhammad Ali, and, in 1979, a single titled “Ali.” When One-derful Records folded in 1968, Cash signed with the newly formed Toddlin’ Town label. There, he produced his last national R&B hit, “Keep on Dancing.” After he left Toddlin’ Town in 1969, Cash’s releases became more intermittent. He usually stayed with a label for no more than one or two singles.
In 1978, Cash appeared in The Buddy Holly Story as a member of the Five Satins. He also turned up in blaxpolitation films like Petey Wheatstraw and Black Jack. And he became known in Chicago’s blues clubs for his flamboyant lavender, pink, and yellow suits.
Alvin Cash, 60, died of stomach and ulcer problems on November 21, 1999.
Charted singles:
“Twine Time” (1964-65) R&B #4, Pop #14
“The Barracuda” (1965) R&B #29, Pop #59
“The Philly Freeze” (1966) R&B #12, Pop #49
“Keep on Dancing” (1968) R&B #14, Pop #66
