Peaches & Herb
Peaches & Herb was an American soul duo founded in 1965 by Herb Fame (born October 1, 1942 as Herbert Feemster) and Francine Hurd Barker (born April 28, 1947 - † August 13, 2005). Over the years, the singer changed several times, the role of "Peaches" took over among others Linda Greene (from 1976 to 1983) and Patrice Hawthorne (from 1992).
Band career
The history
The original Peaches, Francine Hurd Barker, got her nickname from the posh manner of her appearance. She mostly sang in smaller groups in the neighborhood and became the lead singer of the group "The Keynotes" as a teenager . A little later, Peaches founded her own group called "The Darlettes". This was followed by the audition and shortly afterwards the signing of a contract with the Date Records label, whereupon the band name was changed to "The Sweet Things".
Herb Fame began singing in churches at the age of seven and continued it in neighborhood groups. After graduating from high school, Fame first worked in a record store, while his high school friend Freddie Perren worked in another record store called Sabin, almost around the corner. One day in January 1965, producer Van McCoy walked into the Herb Fame shop to look for a possible promotion location. The name of the group Van McCoy worked with was "The Sweet Things". Fame asked McCoy to audition and a week later signed a record deal with Date Records.
First years of success
McCoy took Herb Fame and "The Sweet Things" to New York to make their first studio recordings. During this stay, McCoy decided to extend his studio time to record a duet with Fame and the lead singer of The Sweet Things, Francine Barker. McCoy was enthusiastic about these recordings, so that Date Records released the first single We're in This Thing Together a short time later on his advice . However, the single's original A-side flopped. A DJ from radio station KATZ from St. Louis ( Missouri ) turned the single around and played the B-side Let’s Fall in Love (originally by Art Jarrett , 1933), which made the single number 21 on the Billboard in March 1967 Hot 100 climbed.
Before the year ended, Peaches & Herb had three more hits: Close Your Eyes (number 8 in May), For Your Love (a cover version of Mickey & Sylvia’s 1956 hit) (number 20 in August) and Love Is Strange (number 11 in November). In 1967 there were two hit albums , Let's Fall in Love and For Your Love . At the end of the year, the successful duo was nicknamed "The Sweethearts of Soul".
Exit, separation and a new beginning
In the same year, stressed and burned out from the constant appearances and tours, Francine Barker decided to leave the duo and was eventually replaced by Marlene Mack through a short series of Peaches'. The series of hits continued: Two Little Kids (number 31 in January 1968), When He Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters) (number 10 R&B 1969) and It's Just a Game, Love (from the Jim Brown feature film The Split , Number 50 R&B 1970). This song was Peaches & Herb's last major chart single on Date Records.
Disappointed about the lack of success, Herb Fame surprisingly left the duo in July 1970 to join the police force at the Washington DC Police Department. In 1976 Fame returned to the music business and, through McCoy's mediation, found his new Peaches in former Washington model Linda Greene. McCoy, meanwhile under contract with MCA Records , brought the duo under his label and produced the album of the same name Peaches and Herb . The success failed and the album sold below the forecast.
The following year, Peaches & Herb signed with Fame's old friend Freddie Perren MVP Productions. Perren had become a well-known composer and music producer and had successes with The Jackson 5 , The Miracles and The Sylvers , among others . Perren came Peaches & Herb to a record deal with Polydor Records .
The first album 2Hot on the new label was a success. The first release, Shake Your Groove Thing , was the duo's biggest hit to date, thanks in part to the 12 "promotional single that was released in clubs. The single reached number 5 on the Hot 100 in March 1979 and received a gold record .
The ballad Reunited was initially seen as the unpopular follow-up single to the successful disco single Shake Your Groove Thing . The unimagined success, however, belied all critics. The single rose to the Hot 100 on March 17, 1979 and became a number one hit within seven weeks , reaching platinum status. The hit single made Peaches & Herb one of the most successful groups of 1979 and enabled a place in Bob Hope's "Three-Hour Special" in China. Peaches & Herb made history because the duo were allowed to perform as the first black entertainers in China.
The second Polydor album, Twice the Fire , which went gold , spawned the club hits Roller-Skatin 'Mate and Twice the Fire . The ballad I Pledge My Love rose to number 19 on the Hot 100. The 1980 album Worth the Wait had little success with the 12 "single Funtime , which made it to the R&B charts. It followed the separation from Perren and the move to Columbia Records in 1983. There were no successes, the duo separated and Herb Fame went back to the police force.
New beginning
In July 1992, Herb Fame tried again in the music business, with Patrice Hawthorne as the new Peaches and reunited with Freddie Perren. Patrice Hawthorne was the band leader of her own orchestra . Despite its fame, Fame kept the job with the Washington, DC Police Department for financial security.
Francine Barker dies
Francine Hurd Barker fell into a coma in 1978 that lasted ten years. She suffered from a brain tumor and a stroke, among other things . Several toes had to be amputated due to her diabetes. She was cared for by her husband and daughter for the last nine years of her life. Francine Baker died in Maryland on August 13, 2005 . She left two daughters and four grandchildren.
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 UK
|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1967 | Let's fall in love | - | - |
US30 (25 weeks) US |
R&B4 (26 weeks) R&B |
Producers: David Kapralik, Ken Williams
|
| For your love | - | - |
US135 (12 weeks) US |
R&B12 (10 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1968 | Golden Duets | - | - | - |
R&B28 (3 weeks) R&B |
Producers: David Kapralik, Ken Williams
|
| 1979 | 2 hot! | - | - |
US2  (46 weeks)US |
R&B1 (44 weeks) R&B |
Producer: Freddie Perren
Recording: Mom & Pop's Company Store, Studio City |
| Twice the Fire | - | - |
US31  (30 weeks)US |
R&B18 (21 weeks) R&B |
Producer: Freddie Perren
Recording: Mom & Pop's Company Store, Studio City |
|
| 1980 | Worth the wait | - | - |
US120 (6 weeks) US |
R&B51 (10 weeks) R&B |
Producer: Freddie Perren
Recording: Mom & Pop's Company Store, Studio City |
| 1981 | Sayin 'something! | - | - |
US168 (3 weeks) US |
- |
Producer: Freddie Perren
Recording: Mom & Pop's Company Store, Studio City |
More albums
- 1977: Peaches and Herb
- 1983: Remember
- 2009: Colors of Love
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
UK
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1968 | Peaches & Herb's Greatest Hits | - | - |
US187 (3 weeks) US |
R&B48 (2 weeks) R&B |
|
More compilations
|
|
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
UK
|
US
|
R&B
|
Dance
|
|||
| 1966 | Let's Fall in Love / We're in This Thing Together Let's Fall in Love |
- | - |
US21 (12 weeks) US |
R&B11 (18 weeks) R&B |
- | |
| 1967 | Close Your Eyes Let's Fall in Love |
- | - |
US8 (12 weeks) US |
R&B4 (13 weeks) R&B |
- | |
| For your love, for your love |
- | - |
US20 (8 weeks) US |
R&B10 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
Author and original: Ed Townsend, 1958
|
|
| Love Is Strange Golden Duets |
- | - |
US13 (9 weeks) US |
R&B16 (8 weeks) R&B |
- | ||
| Two Little Kids Golden Duets |
- | - |
US31 (8 weeks) US |
R&B25 (7 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Barbara Acklin , Carl Davis, Eugene Record
|
|
| 1968 | The Ten Commandments of Love Peaches & Herb's Greatest Hits |
- | - |
US55 (5 weeks) US |
R&B25 (6 weeks) R&B |
- |
Author: Marshall Paul
Original: The Moonglows , 1959 |
| United Peaches & Herb's Greatest Hits |
- | - |
US46 (8 weeks) US |
R&B11 (9 weeks) R&B |
- | ||
| Let's make a promise | - | - |
US75 (4 weeks) US |
R&B34 (3 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Kenny Gamble, Mikki Farrow, Thom Bell
|
|
| 1969 | When He Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters) |
- | - |
US49 (7 weeks) US |
R&B10 (9 weeks) R&B |
- |
Author: Car Varga
|
| Let me be the one |
- | - |
US74 (4 weeks) US |
R&B40 (3 weeks) R&B |
- | ||
| 1970 | It's just a game, love |
- | - | - |
R&B50 (2 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Ernie Shelby, Quincy Jones
from the soundtrack of The Split |
| 1971 | The Sound of Silence |
- | - |
US100 (2 weeks) US |
- | - | |
| 1977 | We're Still Together Peaches & Herb |
- | - | - |
R&B98 (2 weeks) R&B |
- |
Author: Van McCoy
|
| 1978 | Shake Your Groove Thing 2 Hot! |
- |
UK26 (11 weeks) UK |
US5 (22 weeks)US |
R&B4 (23 weeks) R&B |
Dance2 (19 weeks) Dance |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
| 1979 |
Reunited 2 Hot! |
DE30 (10 weeks) DE |
UK4th  (13 weeks)UK |
US1 (23 weeks)US |
R&B1 (17 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
| We've Got Love 2 Hot! |
- | - |
US44 (8 weeks) US |
R&B25 (12 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
|
| Roller-Skatin's Mate (Part I) Twice the Fire |
- | - |
US66 (4 weeks) US |
R&B30 (10 weeks) R&B |
Dance18 (14 weeks) Dance |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
|
| 1980 | I Pledge My Love Twice the Fire |
- | - |
US19 (19 weeks) US |
R&B37 (11 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
| Funtime (Part I) Worth the Wait |
- | - | - |
R&B37 (10 weeks) R&B |
Dance14 (18 weeks) Dance |
Authors: Keni St. Lewis, Freddie Perren
|
|
| One Child of Love Worth the Wait |
- | - | - |
R&B51 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren
|
|
| 1981 | Surrender Worth the Wait |
- | - | - |
R&B77 (4 weeks) R&B |
- |
Author: Keni St. Lewis
|
| Freeway sayin 'something! |
- | - | - |
R&B37 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Keni St. Lewis, Melvin Ragin
|
|
| Bluer Than Blue Sayin 'Something! |
- | - | - |
R&B45 (8 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: Keni St. Lewis, Freddie Perren
|
|
| 1983 | Remember Remember |
- | - | - |
R&B35 (10 weeks) R&B |
- |
Authors: David Wolfert, Sandy Linzer
|
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
More singles
|
|
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul . 3rd revised edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 512f - ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .
- Julia Edenhofer : The Great Oldie Lexicon . Bastei-Lübbe 1991, ISBN 3-404-60288-9 , p. 464.
swell
- ↑ a b c Chart sources: Singles UK US
- ↑ a b The Billboard album by Joel Whitburn , 6th Edition, Record Research 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 .
- ↑ a b c gold / platinum databases: UK US
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0898201864 .
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot Dance / Disco 1974-2003, ISBN 978-0-89820-156-7 .
Web links
- Peaches & Herb at Allmusic (English)
- Peaches & Herb in Discogs (English)
- Peaches & Herb @ Discomuseum ( Memento from February 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- America's Sweet Home of Soul