Limmie & the Family Cooking
Encyclopedia
Limmie & the Family Cooking was an American
family pop
group
from Canton
, Ohio
.
was born in Dalton
, Alabama
, his family moved to Canton when he was very young. He recorded with Columbia Records
from age 11 as a solo
artist
before joining family members Jimmy and Martha Snell to form Limmie & the Family Cooking. They released one single
on Scepter Records
, then signed with Avco Embassy, where they released three singles
which hit the UK Singles Chart
in 1973-74: "You Can Do Magic" (UK #3), "Dreamboat" (UK #31), and "A Walking Miracle" (UK #6). The last of them was a cover
of a song
by The Essex
. Despite their success in the UK
, they dented the US
charts
only once, with "You Can Do Magic" (#84 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #42 on the Billboard
Black Singles Chart
). Their releases were primarily produced
by Sandy Linzer and Steve Metz.
Because of their popularity in the UK, they continued performing there regularly into the 1980s. They split into two musical ensemble
, the second of which was formed in 1976 under the name Limmie Funk Unlimited. Its line-up consisted of Limmie on vocals, Nick Straker
on organ
, Dave McShearer on guitar
, Pete Hammond on bass
, Andy Gierus on guitar, and Gary Andrews on percussion.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
family 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...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
History
Although Limmie SnellLimmie Snell
Limmie Snell was an American soul singer, born in Dalton, Alabama. He grew up in Canton, Ohio, and attended McKinley Senior High School, but did not graduate....
was born in Dalton
Dalton
Dalton may refer to:-In Canada:* Dalton, Algoma District, Ontario* Dalton Armoury, a Canadian Forces facility primarily used by the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada- In the United Kingdom :* Dalton, Cumbria, England* Dalton, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama 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...
, his family moved to Canton when he was very young. He recorded with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
from age 11 as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
before joining family members Jimmy and Martha Snell to form Limmie & the Family Cooking. They released one single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on Scepter Records
Scepter Records
Scepter Records is a record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg. She had just sold Tiara Records with The Shirelles for $4000 to Decca Records. When The Shirelles didn't produce any hits for Decca, they were given back to Greenberg, who promptly signed them. By 1961 Greenberg launched a...
, then signed with Avco Embassy, where they released three singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
which hit the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
in 1973-74: "You Can Do Magic" (UK #3), "Dreamboat" (UK #31), and "A Walking Miracle" (UK #6). The last of them was a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by The Essex
The Essex
The Essex was an American R&B vocal group formed in 1962. They are best known for their 1963 chart-topper and million selling track, "Easier Said Than Done".-Career:...
. Despite their success in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, they dented the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
only once, with "You Can Do Magic" (#84 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
and #42 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Black Singles Chart
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,...
). Their releases were primarily produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Sandy Linzer and Steve Metz.
Because of their popularity in the UK, they continued performing there regularly into the 1980s. They split into two musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, the second of which was formed in 1976 under the name Limmie Funk Unlimited. Its line-up consisted of Limmie on vocals, Nick Straker
Nick Straker
Nick Straker is a London born musician, who had hits in Europe and the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Career:...
on organ
Electric organ
In biology, the electric organ is an organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field. The electric organ is derived from modified nerve or muscle tissue...
, Dave McShearer on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Pete Hammond on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Andy Gierus on guitar, and Gary Andrews on percussion.