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Heroes (Commodores Album)
''Heroes'' is the eighth studio album by the Commodores, released in June 1980 by Motown Records. This album has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA. Critical reception With a 9 out of 10 rating, Bev Hillier of '' Smash Hits'' called ''Heroes'' "a highly polished, versatile album." Phyl Garland of '' Stereo Review'' praised the album, writing: "On it they explore a broad range of subjects and show a willingness to tackle material that is not so obviously tailored to ride the charts. Furthermore, they have gone beyond the simplistic boy -loves -girl and dance -dance -dance lyrics that are the formula staples of contemporary soul music. The album offers plenty of the kind of soul funk we have come to expect of the Commodores, performed with stunning precision, but there are also some interesting variations." Robert Christgau of ''The Village Voice'' gave a B, describing ''Heroes'' as "an improvement. For one thing, most of the brotherhood anthems--which avoid the gend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Commodores
Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and Soul music, soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for the Jackson 5 while on concert tour, tour. The band's biggest hit record, hit singles are Sentimental ballad, ballads such as "Easy (Commodores song), Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and "Nightshift (song), Nightshift"; and funk-influenced dance songs, including "Brick House (song), Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Too Hot ta Trot". Commodores were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The band has also won one Grammy Award out of nine nominations. The Commodores have sold over 70 million albums worldwide. History Comm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three Times A Lady
"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and Commodores. It was Commodores' first number-one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, topping the chart for two weeks on August 12, 1978, and also reached number one on the soul chart for two weeks. It was the only Motown song to reach the top 10 on the US ''Billboard ''Hot 100 that year. The song also spent three weeks at number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song also reached number one on the Canadian ''RPM'' Singles Chart for four weeks, and was one of only a few Motown singles to reach the top spot on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for five weeks. It was also successful in Ireland, staying at number one for three consecutive weeks. It was number one in Australia for five weeks, and reached number 2 in New Zealand. Background As a student at Tuskegee University, Lionel Richie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suzee Ikeda
Suzee Ikeda is an American singer who was the first Asian-American solo artist at Motown. However, she is best known for her work "behind the scenes" at Motown with such acts as Michael Jackson and The Temptations. Biography Born Susan Wendy Ikeda on August 25, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of a Japanese father and an American mother. Initially assigned to Mowest, Motown's subsidiary label, her first single was a cover version of "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from the Disney film, ''Song of the South''. The single failed to chart. In April 1973, Suzee released her first single on the Motown label, a ballad written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel called, "Time For Me to Go." Unfortunately, the single and her solo career went nowhere. During her tenure at Motown she was described as a "creative confidant" of Michael Jackson. "Michael Jackson could make you forget he was so young," writes Suzee Ikeda, in her introductory essay to ''Hello World: The Complete Motown Solo C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cal Harris (engineer)
Calvin Lawrence Harris was an American sound engineer and the head of the recording department at Motown. He worked on projects such as Marvin Gaye's hit album ''What's Going On'', The Beach Boys' single “ Good Vibrations”, and Lionel Richie's Grammy award-winning album ''Can't Slow Down''. He is the father of jazz musician Cal Harris Jr. and programmer/keyboard technician Eric Harris. Biography Cal Harris Sr. was born on August 9, 1941, in Marshall, Michigan. He began his musical career at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, as an intern for The Beach Boys. His work for at Gold Star gained him the recognition to get hired by Motown Records in the late 1960s. At Motown he became the head of the recording department. He died on August 14, 2017, in a California hospital due to natural causes. Working at Motown Records As the head of the recording department at Motown, Cal Harris Sr. was tasked with managing the team of sound engineers employed by Motown. As well as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Brown (musician)
Edward James "Bongo" Brown (September 13, 1932 – December 28, 1984) was an American percussionist known for his work with The Funk Brothers, Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 to 1972. Biography Brown was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on September 13, 1932. He was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He later moved to Detroit and in 1962 he joined the Funk Brothers, Motown Records' in-house session musicians. According to Jack Ashford, Brown started out as a valet for Marvin Gaye and played bongos once Gaye began performing on-stage. Brown played congas, bongos, the gourd and claves. Brown became Motown's leading percussionist and for a decade was on almost every key release from the label. He was known for his sense of humor and for being the "studio clown". Despite being an excellent musician, he could not read music and when handed sheet music by the producers, he would replace it with an adult magazine. When Motown mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ollie E
Ollie is a given name and a nickname, often as a shortened form of Oliver, Olive, Olympia, Olga or Olivia. Variants include Olie, Oli, Oly and Olly. People Given name * Ollie Marie Adams (1925–1998), American gospel and R&B singer * Ollie Bassett (born 1998), Northern Irish footballer * Ollie E. Brown (born 1953), American drummer and record producer * Ollie Grieve (1920–1978), Australian rules footballer * Ollie Halsall (1949–1992), British vibraphonist and guitarist * Ollie Murray James (1871–1918), American Senator and Representative from Kentucky * Ollie Johnson (basketball, born 1942), American basketball player * Ollie Johnson (basketball, born 1949), American basketball player * Ollie Kilkenny (born 1962), Irish hurler * Ollie Kirkby (1886–1964), American actress * Ollie Luba (born 1964), American systems and aerospace engineer, early developer of GPS III * Ollie Marquardt (1902–1968), American baseball player and manager * Ollie Matson (1930– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walter Orange
Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for the Jackson 5 while on tour. The band's biggest hit singles are ballads such as " Easy", " Three Times a Lady", and " Nightshift"; and funk-influenced dance songs, including " Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", " Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and " Too Hot ta Trot". Commodores were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The band has also won one Grammy Award 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William King (singer)
William King (born January 30, 1949) is an American singer, musician and choreographer. He is a founding member of the Commodores, where he plays trumpet, guitar, synthesizer, flute, and congas/percussion and is the group's choreographer. Background King was born in Birmingham, Alabama. After attending Tuskegee University, where he received all-conference selections in the SIAC, he considered playing tennis professionally but decided to continue his career with the Commodores. King was also hired by a digital computer company to write software but gave that up as well to join the band. King's compositions include "Lady" and "I'm In Love", both of which he co-composed with Harold Hudson and his wife Shirley Hanna-King. The latter was the B side to their single "Janet" which was released in 1985.45Cat Commodores - Discography, USA/ref> Personal life King married his songwriting partner and fellow Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milan Williams
Milan B. Williams (March 28, 1948 – July 9, 2006) was an American keyboardist and a founding member of The Commodores. He was born in Okolona, Mississippi, and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Earl, who was a multi-instrumentalist. Williams's first band was called The Jays. After they disbanded, he met the other founding members of the Commodores in 1967. They were freshmen at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama and Williams was recruited into the newly formed band. In 1969 he traveled with the band to New York City, where they recorded a single called "Keep on Dancing" on Atlantic Records. Williams also wrote the Commodores' first hit record, the instrumental track " Machine Gun". Other Commodores songs penned by him are: "The Bump", "Rapid Fire", "I'm Ready", "Better Never Than Forever", "Mary Mary", "Quick Draw", "Patch It Up", "X-Rated Movie", "Wonderland", "Old-Fashion Love", "Only You" (a track Williams also produced, taken from the Commodores ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas McClary (musician)
Thomas McClary (born October 6, 1949) is an American musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as the founder and lead guitarist of The Commodores. McClary is widely credited with having created the signature sound of The Commodores' original music. Early life McClary was born in Eustis, Florida, in 1949. He became one of the first African-American students to integrate the Florida school system prior to the enforcement of Brown v. Board of Education. McClary began playing music at a very early age, starting with the ukulele and then adding the acoustic guitar and later the electric guitar to his repertoire. After graduation, McClary went to college at Tuskegee University in Alabama where he majored in business.Thompson, Dave. "Funk". Backbeat Books. 2001. Page 110 – 114. . Career As a freshman student at Tuskegee University, McClary met Lionel Richie in the registration line. The two became friends and in 1968 they began to put together a band ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin. It ceased publication on April 10, 1982. History Growth ''Music Vendor'' published its first music chart for the week ending October 4, 1954. ''Record World'' was housed in New York City at 1700 Broadway, at 53rd Street, across the street from the Ed Sullivan Theater. Its West Coast editorial offices were located in Los Angeles on Sunset and Vine. Peak ''Record World'' showed musical diversity by printing a "Non-Rock" survey, comparable to ''Billboard's'' "Easy Listening" / "Adult Contemporary" chart. This chart began in the February 4, 1967, issue, and ended on April 1, 1972, having morphed to the name "The MOR Chart" by 1971. Several titles of interest appeared on this 40-position list without ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Recording Academy
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely known for its Grammy Awards, which recognize achievements in the music industry of songs and music which are popular worldwide. The Recording Academy is a founding partner of the Grammy Museum, a non-profit organization whose stated mission is preserving and educating about music history and significance. The Recording Academy also founded MusiCares, a charity with the stated goal of impacting the health and welfare of the music community. The Recording Academy's advocacy team lobbies for music creators' rights at the local, state, and federal levels. History The origin of the academy dates back to the beginning of the 1950s Hollywood Walk of Fame project. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce asked the help of major recording industry executive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
