Tavares
When
asked to name the Soul Music supergroups of the '70s and early
'80s, folks tend to gravitate to familiar names such as Earth,
Wind and Fire, the Spinners, the Commodores and the Isley Brothers.
However, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts –
Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch Tavares – arguably created
the most consistently high quality soul music of that period.
Originally
called "Chubby and the Turnpikes," the Tavares brothers
spent the late '60s and early '70s in their native New England
covering tunes of R&B greats at various clubs, while trying
to land a record deal. They finally scored a contract with Capitol
Records’ then-new black music division and released their
first single, "Check It Out," in 1973. It soared to
the top 10 on the R&B charts and became the group’s first
top 40 pop hit. It also became the centerpiece for the group’s
Johnny Bristol-produced debut album, an excellent example of early
'70s Soul that also featured the hit "The Sound That Lonely
Makes." The Check It Out LP gave the first glimpse of tight
brotherly harmonies and alternating lead vocals that would become
the Tavares trademark sound.
Capitol teamed
the group next with Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, hot producers/writers
who were coming off the hugely successful Keeper of the Castle
album for the Four Tops. They led Tavares through two successful
LPs, Hard Core Poetry and In The City, and the group’s first
#1 R&B hit (a cover of Hall & Oates’ "She’s
Gone") and first top 10 pop hit ("It Only Takes A Minute").
While a number of other groups were covering similar stylistic
territory at the time, the wonderfully tight group harmonies and
consistently solid song selection set Tavares apart.
If their first
three albums set the Tavares brothers up for success, the fourth,
Sky High, (produced by Motown veteran writer/producer Freddie
Perren) and its international hits, "Heaven Must Be Missing
An Angel" and "Don’t Take Away the Music,"
led the group to the "A" list of popular black artists.
Perren moved the group to a hotter beat-heavy sound not hinted
at in Tavares’ earlier releases and the timing couldn’t
have been better, as the disco boom was about to explode. The
group teamed with Perren again for their Love Storm and Future
Bound LPs in 1977 and 1978.
It was at this point that Tavares hit an unexpected pivotal moment:
it’s cover of the Bee Gees’ "More Than A Woman"
was included on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, giving the
group its greatest exposure ever (as well as its only Grammy award)
but bringing with it a label that Tavares would spend years trying
to shake – that of "Disco Group."
Interestingly,
it was at disco’s peak in 1979 that the brothers took a counter-industry
turn, releasing the ballad-drenched Madam Butterfly LP.
Produced by Philly veteran Bobby Martin, this disc highlighted
the group’s Soul foundation, especially on the hit "Never
Had A Love Like This Before"
and three Sam Dees’ ballads (including the incredible "Let
Me Heal The Bruises").
The remaining
three brothers continue to tour internationally, appearing recently
in the PBS "Superstars of 70s Soul" special.
Songs include:
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel; It Only Takes A Minute; More
Than A Woman
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