The Dynamic Superiors are an American,

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 ...

group from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States. The group formed in 1963 with members Tony Washington (lead), George Spann (first tenor), George Peterback, Jr. (second tenor), Michael McCalpin (baritone), and Maurice Washington (bass). They recorded a 45 released on the New York SUE label in 1969, "I'd Rather Die". The song was written by bass player Maurice Washington (brother of lead singer Tony). They were discovered by Motown executive,

Ewart Abner Ewart Gladstone Abner, Jr. (May 11, 1923 – December 27, 1997) was a major American record company executive who was President of Motown Records from 1973 to 1975 and was personal and business manager for Stevie Wonder for 10 years. In his ex ...

, at a 1972 DJ convention in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and signed to the label. After a slight name change to The Dynamic Superiors it was another two years before Motown released a record by the group. The songs on their first two albums were mostly written by

Ashford & Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...

. They recorded with moderate success throughout the 1970s. One of their best selling hits was "Shoe Shoe Shine" in 1975. They were unique in that Tony Washington was openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, and sometimes dressed in drag onstage.How An Openly Gay D.C. Soul Singer Made Motown History
By Ally Schweitzer, WAMU 88.5, Sept 24, 2014 The group's last recording came in 1980. Original lead singer Tony Washington died in 1989. Original member George Spann joined

The Flamingos The Flamingos are an American doo-wop group formed in Chicago in 1953. The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950s and are known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". They have since been hailed as one of the finest and m ...

in 2001. The group was then reformed by George Spann in 2006, following the break-up of the Flamingos. The other members were three of the other Flamingos members: Larry Jordan, Earnest "Just Mike" Gilbert, and James Faison. In 2010, Universal Music's subsidiary, Soul Music.Com Records, finally released The Dynamic Superiors' first two Motown albums, ''The Dynamic Superiors'' and ''Pure Pleasure'' on CD for the first time, in a 2-for-1 set (SMCR2 5003).

Discography

''All albums recorded on

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

, unless otherwise noted'' *'' The Dynamic Superiors'' (1975) *''

Pure Pleasure ''Pure Pleasure'' is the debut album released by Jamaican singer Shaggy. The album was released on July 30, 1993. The album spawned four singles: "Oh Carolina", which was a dancehall remake of a ska hit by the Folkes Brothers, reached number on ...

'' (1975) *'' You Name It'' (1976) *'' Give And Take'' (1977) *'' The Sky's the Limit'' (1980, Venture Records)

References

External links

discogs pagerateyourmusic.com
Motown artists American rhythm and blues musical groups Musical groups from Washington, D.C. 1963 establishments in Washington, D.C. {{US-R&B-band-stub