DARRELL BANKS

Decades after his death, a rare British pressing of Darrell Banks' biggest hit became one of the most expensive singles in the history of record collecting.

He was born Darrell Eubanks in Mansfield, Ohio, on July 25 1937, and grew up in Buffalo, New York. At a young age, he began singing in church and then in local barrooms. At one of these performances, he befriended a local dentist named Doc Green, who had owned a local nightclub called the Revilot Lounge. Thanks to Green and his songwriter/musician friend Donnie Elbert, Banks headed to Detroit to begin his professional career in music.

Banks hooked up with talent scout Lebron Taylor and Solid Hitbound Productions. Under a licensing agreement with Green, they used the name Revilot for the record label of Banks' first single, “Open the Door to Your Heart.” Written by Donnie Elbert but credited to Banks (and later credited to both of them), it reached #2 on the Billboard R&B chart and #27 pop in 1966. Because of its frantic dance beat, the song would also become a huge favorite of England’s Northern Soul scene.

Banks' next release, “Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You,” peaked at #34 R&B and #55 pop. (It was previously recorded by Ike & Tina Turner.) Revilot soon merged with Atco Records, a division of Atlantic. In 1967, Atco released two singles on Banks, “Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me)” and “Here Comes the Tears.” Neither did particularly well. That same year, Atco released the album, Darrell Banks Is Here.

Banks then joined Cotillion Records for one single, “I Wanna Go Home.” In 1969, he signed with Stax and recorded for its Volt subsidiary. Volt released two singles on Banks, “No One Is Blinder (Than a Man in Love)” and “Beautiful Feeling,” along with an LP.

Around this time, Banks had an issue with Stax. The label had released a single on a fellow Detroit singer, Steve Mancha. Banks had composed the song, but the writing credit went to Mancha. Banks, who had a ferocious temper, considered this an insult, but the matter was soon cleared up.

On February 24, 1970, Darrell Banks was shot and killed by an off-duty Detroit police officer. Banks’ girlfriend wanted to end their relationship, but the singer was not having it. When Banks grabbed the woman by the collar, Officer Aaron Bullock, who had been giving her a ride home, intervened. Banks responded by pulling out a .22 revolver from his coat. Bullock, in turn, ducked out of the way, pulled out his own gun and fired a shot, hitting Banks in the neck. The singer was pronounced dead at Detroit’s New Grace Hospital. He was 32 years old.

Banks was buried in an unmarked grave at the Detroit Memorial Park West cemetery. Thirty-four years later, in 2004, a memorial bench was placed on the grave thanks to monetary donations by soul-music fans in the United States, Finland, Scotland and Australia.

In 2000, the UK-based Goldmine label released the CD, Open the Door to Your Heart: The Best of Darrell Banks. In 2014, an extremely rare London Records pressing of “Open the Door” sold in the UK for 10,000 pounds ($13,729).

Charted singles:

“Open the Door to Your Heart” (1966) R&B #2, Pop #27
“Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You” (1966) R&B #34, Pop #55

Other notable recordings by Darrell Banks include “Angel Baby (Don’t You Ever Leave Me),” “Our Love Is in the Pocket,” “Here Come the Tears,” “I Wanna Go Home,” and “The Love of My Woman.”