The Whispers is a R&B-Dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s. The Whispers were inducted into theVocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003,[1] and were winners of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award in 2008.[2] By popular vote, the group was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.
Career[]
The Whispers formed in 1964 in Watts, California. The original members included twin brothers, Wallace "Scotty" and Walter Scott, along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. After Harmon had his larynx injured in a drunk driving accident in 1973, he was replaced by former Friends of Distinction member Leaveil Degree. Scotty Scott's fluid, melodic voice is featured on virtually all of their hits.
The group scored many hits on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1980 with "And the Beat Goes On / "Can You Do the Boogie" / "Out the Box". In 1987, they enjoyed a brief tenure in the Top 40 when "Rock Steady" became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100, reaching #7, while also capturing the #1 spot on the R&B chart.
Although they recorded mainly in Philadelphia in the early to mid '70s, most of their studio work since has been done in Los Angeles. Their most successful period was in the 1980s with SOLAR Records (Sound Of Los Angeles Records), which was run by their manager at the time, Dick Griffey. The Whispers later established their own production company, Satin Tie Productions, through which they released their independent 2006 album "For Your Ears Only."
The group opened Game 2 of the 1989 World Series at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with their rendition of the National Anthem.
Marcus Hutson left the group in 1992 due to prostate cancer. According to the Whispers' website, when Hutson died of it in 2000, they vowed to never replace him, and now perform as a quartet.
Jerry McNeil resigned his position as keyboardist in the latter part of 1993 in order to spend more time with his family.
Band members[]
- Wallace "Scotty" Scott (born September 23, 1943, Fort Worth, Texas)
- Walter Scott (born September 23, 1943, Fort Worth, Texas)
- Marcus Hutson (born January 8, 1943, St Louis, Missouri, died 2000)
- Nicholas Caldwell (born April 5, 1944, Loma Linda, California)
- Leaveil Degree (born July 31, 1948, New Orleans, Louisiana)
- Grady Wilkins — musical director, vocals, keyboards
- 'Emilio Conesa' — guitar
- John Valentino — saxophone
- 'Jamie Brewer' — bass
- Melvin Coleman — bass
- 'Dewayne Sweet' — keyboards
- Magic Mendez — keyboards
- 'Reggie Rugley' — keyboards, programming
- Dante Roberson — drums
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | US
certifications[5] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Albums US
R&B] |
UK[6] | ||||
| 1972 | The Whispers' Love Story | 186 | 34 | — | — | Janus |
| Life and Breath | — | 44 | — | — | ||
| 1973 | Planets of Life | — | 48 | — | — | |
| 1974 | Bingo | — | 40 | — | — | |
| 1976 | One for the Money | 189 | 40 | — | — | Soul Train |
| 1977 | Open Up Your Love | 65 | 23 | — | — | |
| 1978 | Headlights | 77 | 22 | — | — | SOLAR |
| 1979 | Whisper in Your Ear | 146 | 28 | — | — | |
| The Whispers | 6 | 1 | — | Platinum | ||
| 1980 | Imagination | 23 | 3 | 42 | Gold | |
| 1981 | This Kind of Lovin' | 100 | 15 | — | — | |
| Love Is Where You Find It | 35 | 1 | — | Gold | ||
| 1983 | Love for Love | 37 | 2 | — | — | |
| 1984 | So Good | 88 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1987 | Just Gets Better with Time | 22 | 3 | 63 | Platinum | |
| 1990 | More of the Night | 83 | 8 | — | Gold | Capitol |
| 1995 | Toast to the Ladies | 92 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1997 | Songbook, Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface | — | 27 | — | — | Interscope |
| 2006 | For Your Ears Only | — | 88 | — | — | Kingdom |
| 2009 | Thankful | 172 | 25 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
Holiday albums[]
| Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Albums US
R&B] | ||||
| 1979 | Happy Holidays to You | 201 | 50 | SOLAR | |
| 1982 | Happy Holidays to You(re-release) | — | 58 | ||
| 1994 | Christmas Moments | — | 42 | Capitol | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
Live albums[]
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Albums US
R&B] | ||||
| 2007 | Live from Las Vegas | — | — | Satin Tie | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
Compilation albums[]
| Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Albums US
R&B] | ||||
| 1975 | Greatest Hits | — | 48 | Janus | |
| 1982 | The Best of the Whispers | 180 | — | SOLAR | |
| 1989 | Vintage Whispers | — | — | ||
| 1990 | In the Mood | — | — | ||
| Greatest Hits | — | — | Unidisc | ||
| 1994 | 30th Anniversary Anthology | — | — | Sequel | |
| 1996 | Greatest Slow Jams, Vol. 1 | — | 87 | SOLAR | |
| 1997 | Greatest Hits | — | 89 | ||
| 2000 | The Best of the Whispers | — | — | EMI-Capitol | |
| 2001 | Early Gold & New Spins | — | — | Purple Pyramid | |
| Greatest Slow Jams, Vol. 2 | — | — | SOLAR | ||
| 2002 | Best of the Whispers | — | — | BMG Int'l | |
| 2003 | Anthology | — | — | The Right Stuff | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
Singles[]
| Year | Single | Chart positions[7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Singles_%26_Tracks US
R&B] |
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_Contemporary_(chart) US
A/C] |
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Dance_Club_Songs US
Dance] |
UK[6][8] | ||
| 1970 | "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong" | 50 | 6 | — | — | — |
| "There's a Love for Everyone" | 116 | 31 | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Your Love Is So Doggone Good" | 93 | 19 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | "Can't Help But Love You" | 114 | 35 | — | — | — |
| "I Only Meant to Wet My Feet" | — | 27 | — | — | — | |
| "Somebody Loves You" | 94 | 45 | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "A Mother for My Children" | 92 | 32 | — | — | 54 |
| "Bingo" | — | 40 | — | — | — | |
| "What More Can a Girl Ask For?" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| "Where There Is Love" | — | — | — | 15 | — | |
| 1975 | "In Love Forever" | — | 40 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | "One for the Money (Part 1)" | 88 | 10 | — | 4 | — |
| "Living Together (In Sin)" | 101 | 21 | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | "You're Only as Good as You Think You Are" | — | 91 | — | — | — |
| "Make It with You" | 94 | 10 | — | 16 | 59 | |
| "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife" | — | 54 | — | — | — | |
| 1978 | "(Let's Go) All the Way" | 101 | 10 | — | — | — |
| "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out" | — | 13 | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | "Can't Do without Love" | — | 43 | — | — | — |
| "Homemade Lovin'" | — | 66 | — | — | — | |
| "A Song for Donny" | — | 21 | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | "And the Beat Goes On" | 19 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 |
| "Lady" | 28 | 3 | 40 | — | 55 | |
| "My Girl" | — | — | — | — | 26 | |
| 1981 | "It's a Love Thing" | 28 | 2 | — | 4 | 9 |
| "I Can Make It Better" | 105 | 40 | — | 44 | ||
| "This Kind of Lovin'" | — | 17 | — | 20 | — | |
| 1982 | "In the Raw" | 103 | 8 | — | 8 | — |
| "Emergency" | — | 22 | — | — | — | |
| 1983 | "Tonight" | 84 | 4 | — | 18 | — |
| "Keep on Lovin' Me" | — | 4 | — | — | ||
| "This Time" | 110 | 32 | — | — | 81 | |
| 1984 | "Contagious" | 105 | 10 | — | 59 | 56 |
| 1985 | "Some Kinda Lover" | 106 | 17 | — | — | 91 |
| "Don't Keep Me Waiting" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| "Hello Stranger" (with Carrie Lucas) | — | 20 | — | — | — | |
| 1987 | "And the Beat Goes On" (re-release) | — | — | — | — | 45 |
| "Rock Steady" | 7 | 1 | 49 | — | 38 | |
| "Special F/X" | — | — | — | — | 69 | |
| "Just Gets Better with Time" | — | 12 | — | — | — | |
| "In the Mood" | — | 16 | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | "No Pain, No Gain" | — | 74 | — | — | 81 |
| 1990 | "Innocent" | 55 | 3 | — | — | — |
| "My Heart Your Heart" | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | "Is It Good to You" | — | 7 | — | — | — |
| "I Want 2B the 1 4U" | — | 58 | — | — | — | |
| 1995 | "Make Sweet Love to Me" | — | 41 | — | — | — |
| "Come on Home" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| 1996 | "Caravan of Love" (with Russ Freeman & the Rippingtons) | — | 89 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | "My, My, My" | — | 73 | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
Legacy[]
- "Can't Help But Love You" was sampled by Mobb Deep on their promotional single Drop a Gem on 'em.
- "And the Beat Goes On" would later be sampled on Will Smith's 1998 song, "Miami".
- It can also be heard in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; on the fictional radio station Fever 105; it is available on the game's additional merchandise item called Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set.
- The Rippingtons recorded a version of "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" on their CD album, Brave New World. The recording included samples of both "And the Beat Goes On" and "Rock Steady".
- "No Pain, No Gain" would later be sampled on Surkin's 2008 track "Next Of Kin".
- "So Good" was sampled by Madlib for Madvillain's "Eye Featuring Stacy Epps"
Awards and recognition[]
The Whispers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Whispers were winners of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award in 2008.
SoulMusic Hall Of Fame at SoulMusic.com[]
- Inducted: Group Or Duo* (December 2012)