![Naturally 7 (ZMF 2018) jm76324](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Naturally_7_%28ZMF_2018%29_jm76324.jpg)
Naturally 7 is an American music group with a distinct
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
style they call "vocal play," which, according to group leader Roger Thomas, is "the art of becoming an instrument using the human voice to create the sound." They simulate the sounds of an instrumental band using only their voices, mouths and distortion effects. The group was formed in 1999 in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. It currently consists of the Thomas brothers Roger (musical director, arranger, first baritone, rapping) and Warren (drums, third tenor), Rod Eldridge (first tenor, scratching, guitar, trumpet), Ricky Cort (first tenor, guitar), Dwight Stewart (second baritone, vocals, trombone), Sean Simmonds (second tenor, harmonica), and N'Namdi Bryant (bass guitar, trumpet).
History
Early Years
Naturally 7 was founded in 1999 by brothers Roger and Warren Thomas, from Rosedale, Queens. The brothers recruited five other singers they had come to know over the years of singing around the city. Roger Thomas developed his singing quality after being in and out of several traditional male groups over the years. When the group was invited to sing at a major ''a cappella'' competition in New York City, they won and moved onto the nationals before they took two more wins in the competition. Riding their new-found success and still having made no decision whether to have Naturally 7 as an ''a cappella'' group or a traditional band, Roger had the novel idea that the group would become both.
[Naturally 7 Biography](_blank)
Naturally 7 Retrieved November 15, 2014.
''Ready II Fly''
Naturally 7 has released a number of albums over the years since the formation at New York City in 1999, including their debut studio album entitled ''Non-Fiction'' released in 2000, ''What Is It'' released in 2003, ''Christmas... It's a Love Story'' released in 2004, and ''
Ready II Fly'' in 2006, released through Virginia Records. The group gained success by the partial cover of Phil Collins's "
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value'', in January 1981.
Collins co-produced "In the Air Tonight" w ...
", titled as "Feel It (In the Air Tonight)", which contains additional lyrics from the group. The performance of the song at a subway has received over four and a half million hits on YouTube alone, and a number of people discovering the group, which adds to a figure daily. The single itself has turned into a Top 3-chart- success in countries outside North America, such as France, Belgium and South Africa, and also made the single charts in other European countries.
''Wall of Sound''
In January 2009, the group released ''Wall of Sound'' as an exclusive special album in the United Kingdom and Ireland to commemorate their participation at the Royal Variety Performance. It contains known material from their previous albums, as well as five brand new tracks, which entered the British Album-Charts in the first week after release at #29. The group appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, performing "Stardust" with Michael Bublé. In November 2009, the group travelled to Bermuda, as they took part in
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
's 2009 Bermuda Music Festival performing before an enthusiastic crowd.
''Vocal Play''
The CD/DVD version of ''Vocal Play'', which was released in 2010, contains original self-made tracks, such as "SOS (Anybody Out There)", the power ballad of "Love Me", the Motown-influenced “Ready or Not”, the Latin 768 and a duet with
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
on the Dinah Washington classic, “Relax Max”. The DVD includes HD live material from their performance at Madison Square Garden, extensive interviews with each group member, as well as their video clips. In fall 2010, the group, along with American rapper
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, were featured on a track that appeared in Quincy Jones's album, ''Soul Bossa Nostra'', which led them to a performance at The View in November, before continuing on touring with Bublé. Naturally 7 contributed a few songs for the soundtrack of the 2010 German/English dub film ''
Animals United
''Animals United'' is a 2010 3D German computer-animated adventure comedy film directed and produced by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe. It was released on October 7, 2010, in Germany. The film stars Ralf Schmitz and Thomas Fritsch as a meerkat ...
'', including "King of the Road", "Splish Splash", "Hokey Pokey", and "Move On Up".
Members
Current
Former
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Featured songs
*
Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Kurt Naidoo (German: kseːviɐ naɪˈduː born 2 October 1971) is a German soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member of German band Söhne Mannheims, and started two record labels, Beats Around the ...
: "Wild vor Wut" (featuring Naturally 7)
*
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
: "Soul Bossa Nostra" (featuring
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, Naturally 7, &
Rudy Currence
Rudy Currence, also known as early 2000s R&B act "Rudy", is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and keyboardist, best known for co-writing "Sophisticated Lady" for Mya's album ''Moodring'', Grammy-nominated "Sunday A.M" for Karen Clark She ...
) album
Q: Soul Bossa Nostra
* Xavier Naidoo: "A New Horizon" (featuring Naturally 7) from the German/English dub film ''
Animals United
''Animals United'' is a 2010 3D German computer-animated adventure comedy film directed and produced by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe. It was released on October 7, 2010, in Germany. The film stars Ralf Schmitz and Thomas Fritsch as a meerkat ...
'' (2010). A "Vocal Play" version is included on the soundtrack, which was released on December 7, 2010 through Königskinder Music, and is also available on iTunes.
Other songs
The following songs are included on the soundtrack for the 2010 German/English dub film, ''Animals United'':
* "King of the Road"
* "Splish Splash"
* "Move On Up"
* "Hokey Pokey"
MLK Day performance
In January 2016, in honor of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Mond ...
, the group performed with
The Maccabeats
The Maccabeats are an American Orthodox Jewish all-male a cappella group. Founded in 2007 at Yeshiva University, Manhattan, New York, the 14-member group specializes in covers and parodies of contemporary hits using Jewish-themed lyrics. Their b ...
, a Jewish ''a cappella'' group from
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.["About YU]
on the Yeshiva Universit ...
, in a cover of
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
's "Shed a Little Light." The music video was filmed in front of the
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...
in Washington, D.C., where King delivered his "
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called ...
" speech.
[ Taylor called the performance "one of the best covers of 'Shed a Little Light' I've ever heard."]
References
External links
*
Video of "Feel It (In the Air Tonight)" performance on the Paris Metro
Interview by Michael 'The Dood' Edwards 'UK Vibe' June 2009
{{Authority control
Professional a cappella groups
Musical groups from New York City