Three Degrees
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holiday, and Freddi Poole. The group were particularly successful in the UK, achieving 13 Top 50 hit singles between 1974 and 1985. The original members were
Fayette Pinkney Fayette Regina Pinkney (January 10, 1948 – June 27, 2009) was an American singer and one of the original members of musical group The Three Degrees. Early life and career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pinkney was one of three young tee ...
, Shirley Porter and Linda Turner. Porter and Turner were soon replaced by Janet Harmon and Helen Scott. The line-up from 1967 to 1976 was Pinkney, Valerie Holiday and
Sheila Ferguson Sheila Diana Ferguson (born October 8, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was the second longest-serving member of the 1970s American female soul music group The Three Degrees, singing lead vocals on most of the g ...
, who would go on to sing lead on most of the group's biggest hits. This line-up topped the US Hot 100 as featured vocalists on the
MFSB MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom ...
single "
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 hit recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program ...
" in 1974, and had seven UK Top 40 hits, including the 1974 single "
When Will I See You Again "When Will I See You Again" is a song released in 1974 by American soul group The Three Degrees from their third album, ''The Three Degrees''. The song was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Sheila Ferguson sang the lead, acc ...
", which was a huge international hit, reaching the Top 5 in seven countries, including number two in the US and topping the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. When Pinkney left the group in 1976, she was replaced by a returning Helen Scott. This line-up had four UK Top 20 hits, including " Woman in Love", which reached number three in 1979. Ferguson left for a solo career in 1986. The group's most stable line-up was from 1989 to 2010, with Cynthia Garrison joining Holiday and Scott. They achieved a final UK chart entry, reaching number 54 in 1998 with a dance cover of "
Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, originally released in December 1984 on CBS Records International, CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side and B-side, A-side on Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in the UK ...
". Garrison left the band at the end of 2010 due to health reasons, and was replaced by Freddi Poole in 2011. The group's 2016 album, ''Strategy: Our Tribute to Philadelphia'', was their first studio album release with Poole as a member. Having been in the Group continuously since 1967, Valerie Holiday is the longest serving Degree with almost 56 years of continuous service to her name.


Career


1960s

The Three Degrees were formed around 1963 in Philadelphia according to founder member, the late Fayette Pinkney: "it's about '63, last year in high school...and it was fun!". They were discovered by producer and songwriter Richard Barrett, who produced the original line-up on their first song, "Gee Baby (I'm Sorry)", for
Swan Records Swan Records was a mid-20th century United States-based record label, founded in 1957 and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It had a subsidiary label called Lawn Records. History Swan Records had enjoyed chart success with several U.S. arti ...
, in 1965. Turner and Porter both left the group, leaving
Fayette Pinkney Fayette Regina Pinkney (January 10, 1948 – June 27, 2009) was an American singer and one of the original members of musical group The Three Degrees. Early life and career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pinkney was one of three young tee ...
the only original member. They were eventually replaced by Helen Scott and Janet Harmon Barrett also became manager of
Sheila Ferguson Sheila Diana Ferguson (born October 8, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and author. She was the second longest-serving member of the 1970s American female soul music group The Three Degrees, singing lead vocals on most of the g ...
, who had been friends with Scott since high school. Barrett signed Ferguson to Swan Records in 1965. The Three Degrees released a number of singles, including "I'm Gonna Need You" and a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of " Maybe" in 1966. Fayette, Janet and Helen were often joined by Sheila on their Swan recordings and the Group often backed Sheila on her solo records during that time. When Scott left the group in 1966 to start a family, Ferguson filled in for her. She remained for 20 years and was lead singer on most of the group's best-selling tracks. Harmon left by 1967 and after Sundray Tucker and Sonia Goring came and went, she was eventually replaced by Valerie Holiday. Barrett signed them to recording contracts over the next three years with
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
,
Metromedia Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was an American media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and controlled Orion Pictures from 1988 to 1997. Metromedia was established in 1956 after the DuMon ...
, and Neptune record labels, the latter owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who would work with the group five years later. The group's close harmony singing made them a popular
nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...
act, but a hit record still eluded them.


1970s

By 1970, they were signed to
Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...
and they released their first album, ''Maybe''. The title song, this time with Valerie Holiday taking the lead, took them to No. 4 on the US R&B chart. The singles, "I Do Take You" and "You're the Fool" followed, as did their second album, ''So Much Love''. This success landed them a cameo appearance in the 1971 film, '' The French Connection'', where they performed a cover of
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", " By the Time I Get to Phoenix", " MacArthur Park", " Wichita Lineman", " Wo ...
's "Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon", filmed during one of their appearances at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City. In 1973, when their contract with Roulette ended, Barrett signed them to
Philadelphia International Records Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. ...
under Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, where they had their greatest successes. The first song they recorded for the label was with the
studio band Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
MFSB MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom ...
, titled "
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 hit recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program ...
", which was the
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
for '' Soul Train''. In October 1973, the group also made an appearance on the American television sitcom '' Sanford and Son'' (season 3, episode 4), singing their song "I Didn't Know". Their first album for the Philadelphia International label, ''
The Three Degrees The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holi ...
'', spawned three hits: "Dirty Ol' Man" (which went
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
), "Year Of Decision" (which made it to No. 13 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
), but it was the third single, "
When Will I See You Again "When Will I See You Again" is a song released in 1974 by American soul group The Three Degrees from their third album, ''The Three Degrees''. The song was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Sheila Ferguson sang the lead, acc ...
", that propelled the trio into the mainstream. It topped the UK Chart for two weeks in August 1974 (the first time this had been achieved by an all-female group since
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...
in 1964,) and became the fourth best-selling single of the year. It also reached No. 2 in the US, where it sold over two million copies and earned the trio a
gold record Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
in December 1974 (at that time, Platinum certifications had not been assigned to singles). The Three Degrees also recorded two live albums: one in Leicester in the UK, and the other in Tokyo in Japan, and released both in 1975. The trio's second studio album for the Philadelphia label, '' The Three Degrees International'', was marketed internationally under different titles and in various languages. In Continental Europe, it was called ''With Love'', and it spawned the hit single "Take Good Care Of Yourself", which reached the UK Top 10. The UK release of the album was actually titled ''Take Good Care Of Yourself'' and peaked at No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart, their highest ever chart placing for an album there. Two other songs from the album were big successes in Japan: "Midnight Train" and "", the latter having been recorded in Japanese. In 1976, the Three Degrees parted company with Gamble and Huff and moved to CBS Sony/Epic Records where they released the concept album, ''A Toast Of Love'', purely for the Far East market, although a single of the title track was released internationally. In 1976, Fayette Pinkney was replaced by former band member Helen Scott. The album, ''Standing Up For Love'', released in 1977 was their last release for CBS/Epic. In 1978, The Three Degrees signed to
Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomera ...
in Europe and the US and began working with Giorgio Moroder, who had become famous as a disco producer following his work with Donna Summer. Further success was to follow, and they released two disco-styled albums on Ariola ('' New Dimensions'' in 1978, and '' 3D'' in 1979) which delivered four UK Top 20 hits between them: "Givin' Up Givin' In", " Woman in Love", "The Runner" and "My Simple Heart". The group performed for Prince Charles at his 30th birthday party in 1978, and were guests at the pre-wedding party for his marriage to
Lady Diana Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
in 1981. Their own television special, '' The Three Degrees at The Royal Albert Hall'' (aka ''An Evening with The Three Degrees''), was recorded in October 1979 in which the trio were backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.


1980s

In 1980, the compilation album ''Gold'' was released and became a UK Top 10 hit. Featuring one side of their hits on the Ariola label between 1978 and 1979, and one side of live recordings from their 1979 Royal Albert Hall television special, this would be the trio's second "best of" compilation to make the UK Top 10 in less than two years, after CBS released ''A Collection of their 20 Greatest Hits'' in early 1979 (which featured their pre-Ariola material, and peaked at number 8 in the UK Albums Chart). Between 1982 and 1985, The Three Degrees released two albums on their own 3D label; ''Album of Love'' and ''Live in the UK''. On that label they also released "Liar", a single written by Sheila Ferguson. A third BBC Television show was also recorded in 1982, titled ''Take 3 Degrees'', which included performances of their greatest hits, and also songs that the group were performing in their latest show, such as "I Can't Turn You Loose" and "Celebration". They returned to the UK
charts A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tab ...
in 1985 with "The Heaven I Need" which was produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman on Supreme Records, though the single narrowly missed the UK Top 40. The band expressed surprise the song did not chart higher, and spoke of their regret that their working relationship with the production team did not continue. In 1986,
Miquel Brown Miquel Brown (born Michael Brown February 8, 1945) is a Canadian actress, disco/soul singer, former dancer and music video director, in the 1970s and 1980s, most popular for the songs "Close to Perfection" and the Hi-NRG songs " So Many Men – ...
filled in for Scott while the latter was pregnant. That same year Ferguson decided to leave the group to focus on her family life and raising her daughters. Scott and Holiday replaced Ferguson with Vera Brown of
The Ritchie Family The Ritchie Family are an American vocal group based in Philadelphia that achieved several hits during the disco era. They have reunited and continue to perform. Their latest single "Whatcha Got" was released in 2021. Background The three orig ...
in 1986, and then Rhea Harris in 1987. In 1989, Scott and Holiday, along with new recruit Victoria Wallace, recorded the album ''Three Degrees ... And Holding'' on
Ichiban Records Ichiban Records is an American independent record label, founded in 1985 by John Abbey and Nina Easton in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. History Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records and Mr. Henr ...
. A single, "A Tender Lie" was also released. Following the album, the group recorded a live CD at London's
Dominion Theatre The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre and former cinema on Tottenham Court Road, close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point, in the London Borough of Camden. Planned as primarily a musical theatre, it opened in 1929, but the following year ...
, with
Billy Paul Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single '' War of the Go ...
and
Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in ...
in 1989. The group followed this with another tour of the UK and Japan at the end of the year. Since Ferguson left the group, Holiday permanently took over as the lead singer of the group since then. In a 2006 documentary interview, which featured Ferguson and Holiday speaking about their time together in the group, it was revealed that when Ferguson decided to leave the group, she spoke to the group members on a phone call about her decision instead of in person, and both parties felt that the conversation ended abruptly. In addition, Holiday commented feeling upset that this specific conversation should have been in person, and not on a phone call, and Holiday commented that it was difficult to find a replacement for Ferguson. Since then, Ferguson has had limited contact with the members of the group, and Ferguson has never had any public appearances with The Three Degrees. In a 2011 interview on the British TV show, ''
Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...
'', with The Three Degrees, they commented they may from time to time run into Ferguson in their home city of Philadelphia, as members of The Three Degrees, as well as Ferguson, come back to their home city to visit family members and friends. Often their encounters with Ferguson are only for brief moments; as one of the members Helen Scott had mentioned it is like ships that pass in the night.


1990s onwards

In December 1989, Cynthia Garrison replaced Wallace forming the longest running line-up of the group. In 1993, they were asked to record a new version of "When Will I See You Again" with
Thomas Anders Bernd Weidung (born 1 March 1963), known by his stage name Thomas Anders, is a German singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the pop duo Modern Talking. Starting his singing career while still in school ...
(of
Modern Talking Modern Talking was a German pop music duo consisting of arranger, songwriter and producer Dieter Bohlen and singer Thomas Anders. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching ...
). He supplied three tracks for their album '' Out of the Past Into the Future'', marking their return to Ariola Records and their most successful album for 15 years, Two further singles were released from the album, the re-recording of "Dirty Ol' Man" and new song "Hurry Hurry". In 1996 they released a new best of album, ''Best & New Hits: When Will I See You Again'', which included four re-recorded hits and six new songs. A seasonal album, ''Christmas With The Three Degrees'', was also recorded in 1998. This album included a cover of
Wham Wham! was a British pop music duo. Wham may also refer to: Places * Wham, North Yorkshire, England, a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales, United Kingdom * Wham, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States Stations * WHAM (AM), a talk radio ...
's "
Last Christmas "Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, originally released in December 1984 on CBS Records International, CBS Records internationally and as a double A-side and B-side, A-side on Epic Records with "Everything She Wants" in the UK ...
", which was released as a remixed dance single which gave the group their 15th (and final) UK top 60 single, reaching number 54. Scott, Holiday and Garrison continued to tour. They made their first US TV appearance in over 20 years in 2003 on the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
show, ''Rhythm, Love, and Soul'' with Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls and Mary Wilson. They were also part of the 'Best Disco In Town 2004 Tour' with
The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...
,
Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...
,
The Emotions ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, and
Evelyn "Champagne" King Evelyn "Champagne" King (born July 1, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her hit disco single "Shame", which was released in 1977 during the height of disco's popularity. King had other hits from ...
. They also took part in the 2007 'Best Disco In Town' tour of the United Kingdom in May 2007. In 2008, the group released the album ''Helen, Valerie, Cynthia: The Greatest Hits'', which included completely new recordings of the group's biggest hits and some fan favourites. The group, together with founder member Fayette Pinkney, received various honours during 2007 and 2008, through BEMA (The Black Entertainment and Music Association) and the City of Philadelphia for their contribution to music over five decades, creating, for the first time, The Four Degrees. Fayette Pinkney died on June 27, 2009, in Lansdale Hospital, Pennsylvania, after a short illness, at the age of 61. In 2009, the group released their first studio album in over ten years, ''Undercover 2009''. It contained a selection of eight cover versions of classic songs by
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...
, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Bee Gees. The following year they released a new single "Holding Back". In January 2011, Freddie Pool replaced Cynthia Garrison, who was suffering from
Piriformis syndrome Piriformis syndrome is a condition which is believed to result from compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle. Symptoms may include pain and numbness in the buttocks and down the leg. Often symptoms are worsened with sitting or ru ...
, as the Degrees had touring commitments to fulfill. In 2016, the Three degrees released their first studio album with member Freddie Pool entitled ''Strategy: Our Tribute To Philadelphia'', through Cherry Red Records. The Holiday/Scott/Garrison version of The Three Degrees was the longest running formation of the group (1989–2010).


Cover versions

*Mirrorball sampled "Giving Up, Giving In" as "Given Up", and this was released as a single in 1999. It reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart. *
Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...
covered "Giving Up, Giving In" on her album '' Fabulous'', and released the track as single in 2000. It reached number 54 in the UK Singles Chart.


Members timeline

ImageSize = width:1600 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:1963 till:2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1963 Colors = id:Vocals value:green legend:Vocals id:Album value:black legend:Studio_Album LineData = color:Album layer:back at:07/01/1970 at:10/01/1973 at:02/07/1975 at:05/21/1976 at:02/01/1977 at:10/01/1978 at:10/12/1979 at:01/01/1982 at:08/01/1989 at:01/01/1993 at:01/01/1998 at:01/01/2009 at:03/04/2016 BarData = bar:Fayette text:Fayette Pinkney bar:Linda text:Linda Turner bar:Shirley text:Shirley Porter bar:Helen text:Helen Scott bar:Janet text:Janet Harmon bar:Sheila text:Sheila Ferguson bar:Valerie text:Valerie Holiday bar:Vera text:Vera Brown bar:Rhea text:Rhea Harris bar:Victoria text:Victoria Wallace bar:Cynthia text:Cynthia Garrison bar:Freddie text:Freddie Pool PlotData = width:11 bar:Fayette from:start till:08/01/1976 bar:Linda from:start till:06/01/1963 bar:Shirley from:start till:06/01/1963 bar:Helen from:06/01/1963 till:06/01/1966 bar:Helen from:08/01/1976 till:end bar:Sheila from:06/01/1966 till:06/01/1986 bar:Janet from:06/01/1963 till:06/01/1967 bar:Valerie from:01/06/1967 till:end bar:Vera from:06/01/1986 till:06/01/1987 bar:Rhea from:06/01/1987 till:06/01/1988 bar:Victoria from:06/01/1988 till:10/01/1989 bar:Cynthia from:10/01/1989 till:12/31/2010 bar:Freddie from:01/01/2011 till:end


Discography

* ''Maybe'' (1970) * ''
The Three Degrees The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holi ...
'' (1973) * ''
International International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
'' (1975) * ''A Toast of Love'' (1976) * '' Standing Up for Love'' (1977) * '' New Dimensions'' (1978) * '' 3D'' (1979) * ''
Album of Love ''Album of Love'' is a 1982 studio album by The Three Degrees. Overview By the early 1980s The Three Degrees had established themselves as a live attraction and favourite television guests in the UK. After their previous record label Ariola fol ...
'' (1982) * ''…And Holding'' (1989) * '' Out of the Past, into the Future'' (1993) * ''Christmas with the Three Degrees'' (1998) * ''Undercover 2009'' (2009) * ''Strategy - Our Tribute to Philadelphia'' (2016)


Filmography

* '' The French Connection'' (1971) * '' Sanford and Son'' (
Season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
, Episode 4 titled “Presenting the Three Degrees” aired October 5, 1973) * ''
Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
'' (2020)


See also

*
List of funk musicians This is a list of funk music artists. This includes artists who have either been very important to the funk genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such as in the case of one who has been on a major label). Bands are listed by the f ...
* List of disco artists (S-Z) * List of people from Philadelphia *
List of artists who reached number one in the United States This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on '' Billboard'' magazine's weekly singles chart(s). This list spans from the issue dated January 1, 1955 to the present. Prior to the creation of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Bil ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart This is a list of artists who have reached number one on the UK Singles Chart as recorded by the Official Charts Company. Artists are listed alphabetically, solo artists are listed by surname and groups are listed by full names excluding "the" o ...


References


Further reading


The Three Degrees in-depth interview
by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' February 2011

'Yuzu Melodies' April 2013 *Clemente, John (2000). ''Girl Groups — Fabulous Females That Rocked The World''. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 276.


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Three Degrees, The American dance music groups African-American girl groups American vocal groups American disco girl groups American musical trios American soul musical groups Epic Records artists Musical groups established in 1963 Musical groups from Philadelphia Philadelphia International Records artists Swan Records artists