The Unifics
Encyclopedia
The Unifics were an American soul
group from Washington, D.C.
.
In 1966 a group of talented students at Washington D.C.'s Howard University in 1966 formed the upstart group Al & the Vikings. Consisting of singer/songwriter Al Johnson, Tom Fauntleroy, Marvin Brown, Bob Hayes, and George Roland, the group changed its name during its first year to the Unique Five and later to the Unifics. Known for their smooth harmonies and their dapper attire (including their trademark white gloves), the Unifics soon gathered a large following in the D.C. area and began to attract attention elsewhere.
Unfortunately, outside obligations of the various members also created a number of personnel changes that often confused the group's most loyal fans. Hayes, Roland and Fauntleroy left in 1967 (Fauntleroy leaving for the military) and the group became a quartet with the addition of Michel Ward and Greg Cook. Brown left during the following year, replaced by Harold Worthington.
The group signed with manager Guy Draper, who landed the act a contract with Kapp Records and became their producer and a principal writer. Soon after signing with Kapp, the Unifics hit national pay dirt with their single, "Court of Love," which scored on both the Soul and Pop charts in 1968. The Top 40 hit featured a mock-courtroom
setting. Often called "the act that no group wanted to follow," the UNIFICS "raised the bar" to the satisfaction of standing-room-only audiences at the Apollo Theater, Uptown Theater, Howard Theater and to the delight of fans across the nation.
A falling out with Draper led to nearly a year of litigation and the departure of Ward and Worthington (they had three more hits before Ward and Worthington left the group), with Fauntleroy and Brown rejoining in 1970 and creating the longest lasting version of the group (Johnson, Brown, Fauntleroy and Cook). The Unifics continued to chart into the early 70s with such cuts as "It's a Groovy World," "Toshisumasu" and their last major hit, "The Beginning of My End." Their final single was "Dawn of a New Day (In My Life)" on Jerry Butler's Fountain label. They signed to Fountain Records in 1971 and the act split in 1972, with Johnson going on to become an important songwriter and producer for the next 30 years (often working with Fauntleroy) for acts such as the Dells, Peabo Bryson, the Whispers and Norman Connors.
In 2004, three decades after the Unifics called it quits, Johnson and Fauntleroy decided to resurrect the group and recruited Newport News, Virginia veteran singers Charlie Lockhart and Garrett Hall to complete the quartet. Then, at the end of 2004, they self-released Unifics Return, the first Unifics album in over three decades.
Member Al Johnson
had a briefly successful solo career in the 1980s.
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...
group from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
In 1966 a group of talented students at Washington D.C.'s Howard University in 1966 formed the upstart group Al & the Vikings. Consisting of singer/songwriter Al Johnson, Tom Fauntleroy, Marvin Brown, Bob Hayes, and George Roland, the group changed its name during its first year to the Unique Five and later to the Unifics. Known for their smooth harmonies and their dapper attire (including their trademark white gloves), the Unifics soon gathered a large following in the D.C. area and began to attract attention elsewhere.
Unfortunately, outside obligations of the various members also created a number of personnel changes that often confused the group's most loyal fans. Hayes, Roland and Fauntleroy left in 1967 (Fauntleroy leaving for the military) and the group became a quartet with the addition of Michel Ward and Greg Cook. Brown left during the following year, replaced by Harold Worthington.
The group signed with manager Guy Draper, who landed the act a contract with Kapp Records and became their producer and a principal writer. Soon after signing with Kapp, the Unifics hit national pay dirt with their single, "Court of Love," which scored on both the Soul and Pop charts in 1968. The Top 40 hit featured a mock-courtroom
Courtroom
A courtroom is the actual enclosed space in which a judge regularly holds court.The schedule of official court proceedings is called a docket; the term is also synonymous with a court's caseload as a whole.-Courtroom design:-United States:...
setting. Often called "the act that no group wanted to follow," the UNIFICS "raised the bar" to the satisfaction of standing-room-only audiences at the Apollo Theater, Uptown Theater, Howard Theater and to the delight of fans across the nation.
A falling out with Draper led to nearly a year of litigation and the departure of Ward and Worthington (they had three more hits before Ward and Worthington left the group), with Fauntleroy and Brown rejoining in 1970 and creating the longest lasting version of the group (Johnson, Brown, Fauntleroy and Cook). The Unifics continued to chart into the early 70s with such cuts as "It's a Groovy World," "Toshisumasu" and their last major hit, "The Beginning of My End." Their final single was "Dawn of a New Day (In My Life)" on Jerry Butler's Fountain label. They signed to Fountain Records in 1971 and the act split in 1972, with Johnson going on to become an important songwriter and producer for the next 30 years (often working with Fauntleroy) for acts such as the Dells, Peabo Bryson, the Whispers and Norman Connors.
In 2004, three decades after the Unifics called it quits, Johnson and Fauntleroy decided to resurrect the group and recruited Newport News, Virginia veteran singers Charlie Lockhart and Garrett Hall to complete the quartet. Then, at the end of 2004, they self-released Unifics Return, the first Unifics album in over three decades.
Member Al Johnson
Al Johnson (musician)
Alfred Orlando Johnson is an American R&B singer, writer, arranger and producer.Born in Newport News, Virginia in 1948, Johnson attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and while there, co-founded the soul group, The Unifics. The group, with Johnson as lead singer, scored three hits on the...
had a briefly successful solo career in the 1980s.
Members
- Al JohnsonAl Johnson (musician)Alfred Orlando Johnson is an American R&B singer, writer, arranger and producer.Born in Newport News, Virginia in 1948, Johnson attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and while there, co-founded the soul group, The Unifics. The group, with Johnson as lead singer, scored three hits on the...
- Harold Worthington
- Michel Ward
- Greg Cook
- Tom Fauntleroy
- Garrett Hall
- Charlie Lockhart
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
US Black Singles | ||
| 1968 | "Court of Love" | 25 | 3 |
| 1969 | "The Beginning of My End" | 36 | 9 |
| "It's a Groovy World!" | 97 | 27 | |
| "Toshisumasu" | - | 36 |