Commodores are an American
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly
freshmen
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
Ara ...
at Tuskegee Institute (now
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was d ...
) in 1968, and signed with
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for
the Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
while on
tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
.
The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
was the co-lead singer. The band's biggest
hit singles
A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
are
ballads
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
such as "
Easy", "
Three Times a Lady
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.
It was the Commodores' first number ...
", and "
Nightshift"; and
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
-influenced dance songs; including "
Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
"Lady (You Bring Me Up)" is a 1981 hit single by the Commodores. In the United States, it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart. It reached No. 56 on the UK Singles Chart.
It was written by Commo ...
", and "
Too Hot ta Trot
"Too Hot ta Trot" is a song by R&B/funk band, the Commodores. The song is written in E major.
The track on their 1977 live album ''Commodores Live!'', and it spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart and peaked at number twenty-four on t ...
".
Commodores were inducted into the
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a facility after a statewide referendu ...
and
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum.
It was ...
.
The band has also won one
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
out of nine nominations. The Commodores have sold over 70 million albums worldwide.
History
Commodores were formed from two former student groups, the Mystics and the Jays. Richie described some members of the Mystics as "jazz buffs".
The new six-man band featured
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
,
Thomas McClary, and William King from the Mystics, and Andre Callahan, Michael Gilbert, and
Milan Williams
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores.
Biography
Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Ea ...
from the Jays. To choose their name, William King opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. "We lucked in," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to ''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'' magazine. "We almost became 'The Commodes.'"
The bandmembers attended
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was d ...
in Alabama.
After winning the university's annual freshman talent contest, they played at fraternity parties as well as a weekend gig at the Black Forest Inn, one of a few clubs in Tuskegee that catered to college students. They performed cover tunes and some original songs with their first singer, James Ingram (not the
famous solo artist).
Ingram, older than the rest of the band, left to serve in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, and was later replaced by drummer Walter "Clyde" Orange, who wrote or co-wrote many of their hits.
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
and Orange alternated as lead singers. Orange was the lead singer on the Top 10 hits "
Brick House" (1977) and "
Nightshift" (1985).
The early band was managed by Benny Ashburn,
who brought them to his family's vacation lodge on Martha's Vineyard in 1971 and 1972. There, Ashburn test-marketed the group by having them play in parking lots and summer festivals.
"
Machine Gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
" (1974), the instrumental title track from the band's debut album,
became a staple at American sporting events, and is also heard in many films, including ''
Boogie Nights
''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American period comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic fil ...
'' and ''
Looking for Mr. Goodbar''. It reached No. 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1974. Another 1974 song "I Feel Sanctified" has been called a "prototype" of Wild Cherry's 1976 big hit "Play That Funky Music". Three albums released in 1975 and 1976, ''
Caught in the Act'' was funk album, but ''
Movin' On'' and ''
Hot on the Tracks'' were pop albums. After those recordings the group developed the mellower sound hinted at in their 1976 top-ten hits, "Sweet Love" and "
Just to Be Close to You
"Just to Be Close to You" is a song by American R&B/ funk band, Commodores, in 1976. Released from their album, '' Hot on the Tracks'', it would become one of their biggest hits, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot Soul Singles
The Hot R& ...
".
In 1977, the Commodores released "
Easy", which became the group's biggest hit yet, reaching No. 4 in the US, followed by funky single "Brick House", also top 5, both from their album ''Commodores'', as was "Zoom".
The group reached No. 1 in 1978 with "
Three Times a Lady
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.
It was the Commodores' first number ...
".
In 1979, the Commodores scored another top-five ballad, "Sail On", before reaching the top of the charts once again with another ballad, "
Still
A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...
".
In 1981 they released two top-ten hits with "Oh No" (No. 4) and their first upbeat single in almost five years, "
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
"Lady (You Bring Me Up)" is a 1981 hit single by the Commodores. In the United States, it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart. It reached No. 56 on the UK Singles Chart.
It was written by Commo ...
" (No. 8).
Commodores made a brief appearance in the 1978 film, ''
Thank God It's Friday''. They performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest; the songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were also played in the movie
In 1982, Lionel Richie left to pursue a solo career,
and Skyler Jett replaced him as co-lead singer. Also in 1982, their manager Benjamin Ashburn died of a heart attack at the age of 54.
![CommodoresPerforming](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/CommodoresPerforming.jpg)
Founding member McClary left in 1984 (shortly after Richie) to pursue a solo career,
and to develop a
gospel music
Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
company. McClary was replaced by guitarist-vocalist
Sheldon Reynolds. Then LaPread left in 1986 and moved to
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. Reynolds departed for
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...
in 1987, which prompted trumpeter William "WAK" King to take over primary guitar duties for live performances. Keyboardist Milan Williams exited the band in 1989 after allegedly refusing to tour South Africa.
The group gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop arena.
In 1984, former
Heatwave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
singer James Dean "J.D." Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer Walter Orange.
That line-up was hitless until 1985 when their final
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
album ''Nightshift'', produced by Dennis Lambert (prior albums were produced by James Anthony Carmichael), delivered the title track "
Nightshift", a loving tribute to
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
and
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...
, both of whom had died the previous year.
"Nightshift" hit no. 3 in the US and won the Commodores their first
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
for
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes:
*From 1967 to 1968 the ...
in 1985.
In 2010 a new version was recorded, dedicated to
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
.
The Commodores were on a European tour performing at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, on June 25, 2009, when they walked off the stage after they were told that Michael Jackson had died. Initially the band thought it was a hoax. However, back in their dressing rooms they received confirmation and broke down in tears. The next night at
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
's
NIA Arena, J.D. Nicholas added Jackson's name to the lyrics of the song, and henceforth the Commodores have mentioned Jackson and other deceased R&B singers. Thus came the inspiration upon the one-year anniversary of Jackson's death to re-record, with new lyrics, the hit song "Nightshift" as a tribute.
In 1990, they formed Commodores Records and re-recorded their 20 greatest hits as ''Commodores Hits Vol. I & II''. They have
recorded a live album, ''
Commodores Live
''Live!'', or ''Commodores Live!'', is a live album by the American band Commodores, released in 1977. The album reached number 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
The album was recorded during the Commodores' 1976–1977 coast-to-coast US tour, ...
'', along with a DVD of the same name, and a Christmas album titled ''Commodores Christmas''. In 2012, the band was working on new material, with some contributions written by current and former members.
Commodores as of 2020 consist of Walter "Clyde" Orange, James Dean "J.D." Nicholas, and William "WAK" King, along with their five-piece band The Mean Machine. They continue to perform, playing at arenas, theaters, and festivals around the world.
Personnel
;Current members
*
William "WAK" King – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, vocals (1968–present)
* Walter Orange – drums, vocals (1972–present)
* James Dean "J.D." Nicholas – vocals, keyboards (1984–present)
;Former members
*
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...
– vocals, keyboards, saxophone (1968–82)
*
Milan Williams
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores.
Biography
Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Ea ...
– keyboards, rhythm guitar (1968–89)
*
Thomas McClary – lead guitar, vocals (1968–83)
* Andre Callahan – drums, vocals, keyboards (1968–70)
* Michael Gilbert – bass guitar, trumpet (1968–70)
* Eugene Ward – keyboards (1968–70)
* Ronald LaPread – bass guitar (1970–86)
* James Ingram – vocals, drums (1970–72)
* Skyler Jett – vocals, keyboards (1982–84)
*
Sheldon Reynolds – lead guitar (1983–87)
* Mikael Manley – lead guitar (1995–2005)
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Machine Gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
'' (1974)
* ''
Caught in the Act'' (1975)
* ''
Movin' On'' (1975)
* ''
Hot on the Tracks'' (1976)
* ''
Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
'' (1977)
* ''
Natural High'' (1978)
* ''
Midnight Magic'' (1979)
* ''
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'' (1980)
* ''
In the Pocket'' (1981)
* ''
Commodores 13
''Commodores 13'' is the tenth studio album (and thirteenth overall, including two greatest-hits compilations and a live album) by the Commodores, released in 1983 on Motown Records. It's also the first album by the band after the departure of ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Nightshift'' (1985)
* ''
United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Rock Solid
''Rock Solid'' is the 13th studio album by the Commodores, released in 1988. At this time in the band's career, hits were no longer forthcoming, and this album failed to enter the Billboard albums chart. The single, "Solitaire", reached No. 51 o ...
'' (1988)
* ''
No Tricks
''No Tricks'' is the fourteenth and latest studio album by the Commodores, released on March 29, 1993. At this point, the band had been reduced to the trio of Walter "Clyde" Orange, William King and J.D. Nicholas. The album did not chart.
Single ...
'' (1993)
Accolades
Grammy awards
The Commodores have won one
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
out of ten nominations.
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
During 1995 the Commodores were inducted into the
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a facility after a statewide referendu ...
.
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
During 2003 the Commodores were also inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum.
It was ...
.
References
External links
Official Commodores websiteLionel Richie interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' 03/2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commodores
American dance music groups
American funk musical groups
American soul musical groups
Motown artists
Musical groups from Alabama
Grammy Award winners
Musical groups established in 1968
Tuskegee University alumni
Lionel Richie
African-American musical groups
Universal Motown Records artists
1968 establishments in Alabama