Commodores
Encyclopedia
The Commodores are an American
funk
/soul
band
of the 1970s and 1980s. 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 Commodores have sold over 75 million records worldwide.
s, such as "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady
", but, for the most part, the group mainly recorded funk
y, driven dance-floor hit
s which include "Brick House
", "The Bump", "Fancy Dancer", and "Too Hot ta Trot". The Commodores originally called themselves the Mystics, but wanted to change the name. To choose a new name William King
opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People (magazine)
. "We almost became The Commodes!"
"Machine Gun
", the instrumental
title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American
sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights
and Looking for Mr. Goodbar
. It reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Another instrumental, "Cebu
" (named after an island in the Philippines
), later became a staple in the Quiet storm
format. Three albums released in years 1975 and 1976 (Caught in the Act
, Movin' On
, Hot On The Tracks
) are considered the peak of their harder funk period. Only one such hit from that era scored big, the funk-driven "Brick House" which reached #5 in the U.S. After those recordings the group started to move towards softer sound. That move was hinted from their 1976 Top Ten hits "Sweet Love" and "Just to Be Close to You
." In 1977 the Commodores scored a ballad hit with "Easy", which became the group's biggest hit yet, reaching #4 in the U.S. After years of toiling in the Top Ten, the group finally reached #1 in 1978 with the sweet "Three Times a Lady
." The year 1979 saw the Commodores score another Top Five ballad hit "Sail On" before reaching the top of the charts once again with another ballad, "Still
." The group had no major hits in 1980, but by 1981 they were back with a vengeance, scoring Top Ten hits with the ballad "Oh No
" (#4 U.S.) and their first upbeat single in almost five years, "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" (#8 U.S.).
In Tuskegee, they played local parties and fraternity parties playing mostly cover tunes and some original songs with their original singer, James Ingram (another "James Ingram" - not the more famous solo artist Ingram). Ingram, older than the rest of the members of the band, left to serve active duty in Vietnam, and was later replaced by Walter "Clyde" Orange, the second lead singer who wrote or co-wrote many of their hit tunes before Lionel Richie
came on board. Lionel and Clyde alternated as lead singers. Clyde was also the lead singer on the Top 10 hits, "Nightshift
" and "Brick House" among others.
After Richie left to pursue a solo
career, former Heatwave
singer J.D. Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer
Walter "Clyde" Orange. However, with the exception of the Grammy-winning "Nightshift
" (#3 in the U.S., a tribute to Marvin Gaye
and Jackie Wilson
; in 2010 a new version was recorded dedicated to Michael Jackson
), the band never achieved the same level of success it had enjoyed with Richie. Ironically, "Nightshift" won The Commodores their first Grammy Award
for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
in 1985.
The Commodores made a brief appearance in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday
. They performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest; their songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were also played during the movie.
Over time, the group's founding members began leaving. McClary left in 1982 (shortly after Richie left) to pursue a solo career and to develop a gospel music
company. McClary was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Sheldon Reynolds
. LaPread left in 1986 and moved to New Zealand
, and Reynolds departed for Earth, Wind and Fire in 1987, which prompted trumpeter William "WAK" King to take over primary guitar duties for live performances. Keyboardist Milan Williams exited the band in 1989. The group also gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop
arena. In 1983, Skyler Jett
, replaced Lionel Richie as the lead singer for The Commodores, and toured the world and performed in over 32 countries in a two year span.
In 1985, the group performed two commercial
s for NBC
affiliate WXIA in Atlanta, Georgia
. The group left Motown in 1986 for Polydor, and released several additional album
s, which are primarily compilations
of previous material. They have re-recorded Commodores hits and have recorded
a live album
and a Christmas album.
Today, the Commodores consist of Walter "Clyde" Orange, James Dean "J.D." Nicholas and William "WAK" King, along with a backing band. King married songwriter Shirley Hanna-King ("Brick House" co-writer) in 1976.
Since the late 1990s, Orange has also been working in conjunction with singer/songwriter Craig Deanto, and they have released an album titled "Who Hears the Cries". The group continues to perform, selling out arenas, theaters and festivals around the world, annually. They have the opening act for Trump casino
s and Hard Rock
casinos.
in 2003.
Among multiple Grammy nominations, they won a Grammy for "Nightshift" in 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
while on tour. The Commodores have sold over 75 million records worldwide.
Biography
This group is best known for their balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, such as "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady
Three Times a Lady
* The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!...
", but, for the most part, the group mainly recorded funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
y, driven dance-floor hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
s which include "Brick House
Brick House (song)
"Brick House" is a funk song from the Commodores' 1977 album Commodores and is one of their most popular songs. The single peaked at #5 in the U.S. and #32 in the UK pop charts.-Creation and recording:...
", "The Bump", "Fancy Dancer", and "Too Hot ta Trot". The Commodores originally called themselves the Mystics, but wanted to change the name. To choose a new name William King
William King
William King may refer to:*Bill King, , American radio announcer*Billy King , Irish cricketer*Willie King , blues guitarist and singer...
opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People (magazine)
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
. "We almost became The Commodes!"
"Machine Gun
Machine Gun (Commodores album)
Machine Gun is the first album from The Commodores, released on July 22, 1974 on the Motown Records.-Reception:Unlike other Commodores albums, Machine Gun features only funk music and is devoid of slow-paced ballads. The lead song features Milan Williams on clavinet, which led Motown executive...
", the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
and Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1975 novel by Judith Rossner. Rossner based the novel on the events surrounding the brutal murder of Roseann Quinn, a 28-year-old New York City schoolteacher in 1973.-References:...
. It reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Another instrumental, "Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
" (named after an island in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
), later became a staple in the Quiet storm
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
format. Three albums released in years 1975 and 1976 (Caught in the Act
Caught in the Act (Commodores album)
Caught in the Act is the second album by Commodores, released in 1975 . Stylistically, this is a funk / R&B album and differs from the softer pop sound the group became known for on later releases.-Reception:...
, Movin' On
Movin' On (Commodores album)
-Reception:The album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number seven on the R&B Albums chart. The only single released from the album, "Sweet Love", reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976, making it the group's first top ten hit on the chart.- Track listing...
, Hot On The Tracks
Hot on the Tracks
Hot on the Tracks is a Commodores album issued on Motown Records in 1976. It includes the Top Ten single "Just to Be Close to You". The album was the band's first one to make it atop the R&B Albums chart where it peaked for six nonconsecutive, and peaked two positions below the Top 10 on the Pop...
) are considered the peak of their harder funk period. Only one such hit from that era scored big, the funk-driven "Brick House" which reached #5 in the U.S. After those recordings the group started to move towards softer sound. That move was hinted from their 1976 Top Ten hits "Sweet Love" and "Just to Be Close to You
Just to Be Close to You
"Just to Be Close to You" is a hit song for the R&B/funk band, Commodores, in 1976. Released from their album, Hot on the Tracks, it would become one of their biggest hits, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart and becoming their second Billboard Hot 100 top ten, peaking at...
." In 1977 the Commodores scored a ballad hit with "Easy", which became the group's biggest hit yet, reaching #4 in the U.S. After years of toiling in the Top Ten, the group finally reached #1 in 1978 with the sweet "Three Times a Lady
Three Times a Lady
* The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!...
." The year 1979 saw the Commodores score another Top Five ballad hit "Sail On" before reaching the top of the charts once again with another ballad, "Still
Still (Commodores song)
"Still" is a song by the soul music group the Commodores. It reached number one in the U.S. in 1979. It was released as a single on Motown Records with "Such A Woman" as the B-side. The song appears on their hit album Midnight Magic. The song reached the top of both the pop and R&B charts. It is...
." The group had no major hits in 1980, but by 1981 they were back with a vengeance, scoring Top Ten hits with the ballad "Oh No
Oh No
-Miscellaneous:* The band's cheaply-produced yet elaborately choreographed videos for "Here It Goes Again" and "A Million Ways" have become YouTube staples - particularly the video for the former song, featuring the band dancing on treadmills - and have done much to propel the songs, the album, and...
" (#4 U.S.) and their first upbeat single in almost five years, "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" (#8 U.S.).
In Tuskegee, they played local parties and fraternity parties playing mostly cover tunes and some original songs with their original singer, James Ingram (another "James Ingram" - not the more famous solo artist Ingram). Ingram, older than the rest of the members of the band, left to serve active duty in Vietnam, and was later replaced by Walter "Clyde" Orange, the second lead singer who wrote or co-wrote many of their hit tunes before Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
came on board. Lionel and Clyde alternated as lead singers. Clyde was also the lead singer on the Top 10 hits, "Nightshift
Nightshift
"Nightshift" is a 1985 hit song by the Commodores and title track from the album of the same name. The song was a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two famous R&B musicians who had died in 1984....
" and "Brick House" among others.
After Richie left to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, former Heatwave
Heatwave (band)
Heatwave was an international funk/disco musical band featuring Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton , Swiss Mario Mantese , Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger , Jamaican Eric Johns and Briton Roy Carter .They were known for their successful...
singer J.D. Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Walter "Clyde" Orange. However, with the exception of the Grammy-winning "Nightshift
Nightshift
"Nightshift" is a 1985 hit song by the Commodores and title track from the album of the same name. The song was a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two famous R&B musicians who had died in 1984....
" (#3 in the U.S., a tribute to Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
and Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
; in 2010 a new version was recorded dedicated to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
), the band never achieved the same level of success it had enjoyed with Richie. Ironically, "Nightshift" won The Commodores their first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances...
in 1985.
The Commodores made a brief appearance in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday
Thank God It's Friday
The triple album was, unlike the movie, a commercial success. It contained contributions from some of the biggest names in disco at the time, including Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Thelma Houston, The Commodores, and many others....
. They performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest; their songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were also played during the movie.
Over time, the group's founding members began leaving. McClary left in 1982 (shortly after Richie left) to pursue a solo career and to develop a gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
company. McClary was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Sheldon Reynolds
Sheldon Reynolds (guitarist)
Sheldon Reynolds is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.-Biography:At the age of 8, Reynolds picked up the guitar. In 1977, Sheldon graduated from Mount Healthy High School where he was active in the music program...
. LaPread left in 1986 and moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and Reynolds departed for Earth, Wind and Fire in 1987, which prompted trumpeter William "WAK" King to take over primary guitar duties for live performances. Keyboardist Milan Williams exited the band in 1989. The group also gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
arena. In 1983, Skyler Jett
Skyler Jett
Skyler Jett is a singer who has worked with many top musicians, such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin. He also was briefly the lead singer in The Commodores, touring with them around the world. He is Grammy recognized for his performance with Celine Dion in "My Heart Will Go...
, replaced Lionel Richie as the lead singer for The Commodores, and toured the world and performed in over 32 countries in a two year span.
In 1985, the group performed two commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
s for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WXIA in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. The group left Motown in 1986 for Polydor, and released several additional album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, which are primarily compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of previous material. They have re-recorded Commodores hits and have recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
and a Christmas album.
Today, the Commodores consist of Walter "Clyde" Orange, James Dean "J.D." Nicholas and William "WAK" King, along with a backing band. King married songwriter Shirley Hanna-King ("Brick House" co-writer) in 1976.
Since the late 1990s, Orange has also been working in conjunction with singer/songwriter Craig Deanto, and they have released an album titled "Who Hears the Cries". The group continues to perform, selling out arenas, theaters and festivals around the world, annually. They have the opening act for Trump casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s and Hard Rock
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
casinos.
Original band personnel
- Lionel B. Richie Jr.Lionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
(vocals, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, drums and pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - born 20 June 1949, Tuskegee, AlabamaTuskegee, AlabamaTuskegee is a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 11,846 and is designated a Micropolitan Statistical Area. Tuskegee has been an important site in various stages of African American history....
. - Thomas McClary (lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
) - born 6 October 1949, Eustis, FloridaEustis, FloridaEustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,106 at the 2000 census. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 19,129. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. - Milan WilliamsMilan WilliamsMilan B. Williams was an American keyboardist and a founding member of the Commodores band.Williams was born in Okolona, Mississippi and began playing the piano after being inspired by his older brother Earl, who was a multi-instrumentalist...
(keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
) - born 28 March 1948 Okolona, MississippiOkolona, MississippiOkolona is a city in and one of the county seats of Chickasaw County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,056 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Okolona is located at ....
, died of cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, July 9, 2006 Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. - William "WAK" King (trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
) - born 30 January 1949, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. - Ronald La Pread (bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) - born 4 September 1946, Alabama. - Walter Orange (vocals, drumsDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
) - born 10 December 1946, Florida.
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
| 1974 | Machine Gun Machine Gun (Commodores album) Machine Gun is the first album from The Commodores, released on July 22, 1974 on the Motown Records.-Reception:Unlike other Commodores albums, Machine Gun features only funk music and is devoid of slow-paced ballads. The lead song features Milan Williams on clavinet, which led Motown executive... |
138 | — |
| 1975 | Caught in the Act Caught in the Act (Commodores album) Caught in the Act is the second album by Commodores, released in 1975 . Stylistically, this is a funk / R&B album and differs from the softer pop sound the group became known for on later releases.-Reception:... |
26 | — |
| Movin' On Movin' On (Commodores album) -Reception:The album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number seven on the R&B Albums chart. The only single released from the album, "Sweet Love", reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976, making it the group's first top ten hit on the chart.- Track listing... |
29 | — | |
| 1976 | Hot on the Tracks Hot on the Tracks Hot on the Tracks is a Commodores album issued on Motown Records in 1976. It includes the Top Ten single "Just to Be Close to You". The album was the band's first one to make it atop the R&B Albums chart where it peaked for six nonconsecutive, and peaked two positions below the Top 10 on the Pop... |
12 | — |
| 1977 | Commodores Commodores (album) Commodores is a self-titled album released in 1977 by the Commodores. The album spent eight weeks atop the R&B/Soul Albums chart as their second album to do so, and was their first Top 5 Pop Album.-Reception:... |
3 | — |
| Commodores Live! | 3 | 60 | |
| 1978 | Natural High | 3 | 8 |
| 1979 | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (Commodores) Greatest Hits is an album by the Commodores, released on Motown Records in 1978.-Track listing:# "Brick House"# "Sweet Love"# "This Is Your Life"# "Too Hot ta Trot"# "Easy"# "Fancy Dancer"# "Just To Be Close To You"# "Slippery When Wet"... |
— | — |
| Midnight Magic Midnight Magic (album) Midnight Magic is a 1979 album by the soul band the Commodores. It contained their second U.S. #1 single, "Still", and the #4 hit "Sail On".-Side A:# Gettin' It - David Cochrane, Walter Orange... |
3 | 15 | |
| 1980 | Heroes Heroes (Commodores album) -Side Two:# All The Way Down# Sorry To Say# Wake Up Children# Mighty Spirit# Jesus Is Love... |
7 | 50 |
| 1981 | In the Pocket In the Pocket (Commodores album) In the Pocket is a Commodores album issued on Motown Records in 1981. It's also the last album to feature Lionel Richie before he went solo.This album contained two hit singles, "Oh No" and "Lady " In the Pocket is a Commodores album issued on Motown Records in 1981. It's also the last album to... |
13 | 70 |
| 1982 | All the Great Hits | — | — |
| 1983 | Commodores 13 Commodores 13 Commodores 13 is a 1983 album by the Commodores. It was also the first such album without lead singer, Lionel Richie, in the group. It is also the last album to feature guitarist Thomas McClary before he left and recorded a solo album for Motown in 1984, then leaving the music business altogether... |
103 | — |
| 1984 | All the Great Love Songs All the Great Love Songs (Commodores album) All The Great Love Songs is an album by Commodores, released in 1984.-Track listing:#"Sweet Love"#"Just to be close to you"#"Easy"#"Three times a lady"#"Say yeah"#"Still"#"Loving you"#"Sail on"#"Old fashioned love"#"Jesus is love"... |
— | — |
| 1985 | Nightshift Nightshift (album) Nightshift is a nine-track album by the Commodores, released January 15, 1985, on Motown Records, their last album on that label before switching to Polydor.- Album credits; staff changes :... |
12 | 13 |
| 1986 | United United (Commodores album) United is an album released by The Commodores in 1986 as the follow-up to their extremely successful Nightshift album from the previous year. This album included one of The Commodores' last significant hits in "Goin' to the Bank," and it has been the group's last major charting album to date, even... |
101 | — |
| 1988 | Rock Solid Rock Solid (Commodores album) Rock Solid is a 1988 album released by The Commodores. By this time in the band's career, hits were no longer forthcoming, and this album failed to crack the Billboard album charts. One lone single, the perhaps appropriately titled "Solitaire" fizzled at #51 on the R&B chart, and no other tracks... |
101 | — |
| 1992 | Commodores Christmas Commodores Christmas Commodores Christmas is a Christmas album released by The Commodores in the early 1990s.- Track listing :##... |
— | — |
| 1993 | No Tricks No Tricks No Tricks is an early 1990's studio album released by The Commodores. By this point, the band had been pared down to the threesome of Walter "Clyde" Orange, William King, and J.D. Nicholas. The album did not chart.-Tracklist:##... |
— | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance | US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||||
| 1969 | "Keep on Dancing" | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album song | ||
| 1974 | "Machine Gun" | 22 | 7 | — | — | 20 | Machine Gun | ||
| "The Zoo (The Human Zoo)" | — | — | — | — | 44 | ||||
| "I Feel Sanctified" | 75 | 12 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1975 | "Slippery When Wet Slippery When Wet (song) "Slippery When Wet" is a 1975 R&B/pop single by Commodores. It was the group's first single to reach number one on the soul singles chart and second Top 40 single in the U.S peaking at number nineteen.... " |
19 | 1 | — | — | — | Caught in the Act | ||
| "This Is Your Life" | — | 13 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1976 | "Sweet Love" | 5 | 2 | — | — | 32 | Movin' On | ||
| "Just to Be Close to You Just to Be Close to You "Just to Be Close to You" is a hit song for the R&B/funk band, Commodores, in 1976. Released from their album, Hot on the Tracks, it would become one of their biggest hits, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot Soul Singles chart and becoming their second Billboard Hot 100 top ten, peaking at... " |
7 | 1 | — | — | 62 | Hot on the Tracks | |||
| 1977 | "Fancy Dancer" | 39 | 9 | 33 | — | — | |||
| "Easy" | 4 | 1 | — | — | 9 | The Commodores | |||
| "Brick House Brick House (song) "Brick House" is a funk song from the Commodores' 1977 album Commodores and is one of their most popular songs. The single peaked at #5 in the U.S. and #32 in the UK pop charts.-Creation and recording:... " |
5 | 4 | 34 | — | 32 | ||||
| 1978 | "Too Hot ta Trot Too Hot ta Trot "Too Hot ta Trot" is a hit song by R&B/funk band, the Commodores. Featured on the soundtrack to the movie, Thank God It's Friday, it spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart and peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1978. .... " |
24 | 1 | — | — | 38 | The Commodores Live! | ||
| "Three Times a Lady Three Times a Lady * The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!... " |
1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | Natural High | |||
| "Flying High" | 38 | 21 | — | — | 37 | ||||
| 1979 | "Sail On" | 4 | 8 | — | — | 8 | Midnight Magic | ||
| "Still Still (Commodores song) "Still" is a song by the soul music group the Commodores. It reached number one in the U.S. in 1979. It was released as a single on Motown Records with "Such A Woman" as the B-side. The song appears on their hit album Midnight Magic. The song reached the top of both the pop and R&B charts. It is... " |
1 | 1 | — | 6 | 4 | ||||
| 1980 | "Wonderland" | 25 | 21 | — | — | 40 | |||
| "Old-Fashion Love" | 20 | 8 | — | — | — | Heroes | |||
| "Heroes" | 54 | 27 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Jesus Is Love" | — | 34 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1981 | "Lady (You Bring Me Up) Lady (You Bring Me Up) "Lady " is a 1981 single by The Commodores. It reached #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.... " |
8 | 5 | — | — | 56 | In the Pocket | ||
| "Oh No" | 4 | 5 | — | 5 | 44 | ||||
| 1982 | "Why You Wanna Try Me" | 66 | 42 | — | — | — | |||
| "Painted Picture" | 70 | 19 | — | — | — | All the Greatest Hits | |||
| 1983 | "Only You" | 54 | 20 | — | 8 | — | Commodores 13 | ||
| 1985 | "Nightshift Nightshift "Nightshift" is a 1985 hit song by the Commodores and title track from the album of the same name. The song was a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two famous R&B musicians who had died in 1984.... " |
3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | Nightshift | ||
| "Animal Instinct" | 43 | 22 | 9 | — | 74 | ||||
| "Janet" | 87 | 65 | — | 8 | — | ||||
| 1986 | "Goin to the Bank" | 65 | 2 | — | — | 43 | United | ||
| 1987 | "Take It from Me" | — | 38 | — | — | — | |||
| "United in Love" | — | — | — | 22 | — | ||||
| 1988 | "Solitaire" | — | 51 | — | — | — | Rock Solid | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Awards and recognition
The Commodores were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of FameVocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2003.
Among multiple Grammy nominations, they won a Grammy for "Nightshift" in 1986.