The main ingredient
The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B formation from Harlem , which celebrated its greatest successes in the 1970s.
history
The group was founded in 1964 under the name The Poets. Founding members were lead singers Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons Jr. and Tony Silvester . After doing some recordings on smaller, local labels , they renamed themselves The Insiders. A record deal with RCA Records followed . In 1966, they changed their name a third and final time to The Main Ingredients.
The group joined Bert DeCoteaux, who produced their first US top 30 hit: You've Been My Inspiration . This was followed by I'm So Proud (the cover version of a song by The Impressions ), Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love) and Black Seeds Keep on Growing , all of which were even better placed in the charts.
In 1971, Donald McPherson died unexpectedly of leukemia and Cuba Gooding senior (the father of actor Cuba Gooding junior ) took his place. His first single with this group was Everybody Plays the Fool of 1972, the Group not only a gold record ( RIAA certification earned), but also in the top five of both the pop - and the R & B single charts placed . Just Don't Want to Be Lonely from 1974 also had gold status .
Tony Silvester left the group in 1976 not only to embark on a solo career, but also to start his own production company with Bert DeCoteaux. He was temporarily replaced by Carl Tompkins, but the group broke up the following year. Cuba Gooding senior went to Motown and Luther Simmons Jr. became a stockbroker. The group reunited twice in the formation Silverman, Simmons, Gooding - once from 1979 to 1982 and again in 1986. Their publications were not nearly as successful as in the 1970s. Luther Simmons Jr. was briefly replaced by Jerome Jackson. In 1999 The Main Ingredient formed again with Carlton Blount as the new lead singer. Tony Silvester died on November 27, 2006 at the age of 65.
The Main Ingredient became known again in Germany in the late 1990s when the Freundeskreis group sampled the track That Ain't My Style from the album Rolling Down a Mountainside for their song Esperanto . In 2005, the same luscious piano - string arrangement made it back into the charts with the song On My Knees by the group The 411 .
Discography
Studio albums
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1970 | LTD RCA Victor 4253 |
US200 (1 week) US |
- |
First published: August 1970
Producers: Luther Simmons, Tony Silvester, Donald McPherson |
| 1971 | Tasteful Soul / Spinning Around RCA Victor 4412 |
US146 (9 weeks) US |
R&B26 (13 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 1971
Producers: Luther Simmons, Tony Silvester, Donald McPherson |
| Black Seeds RCA Victor 4483 |
US176 (5 weeks) US |
R&B35 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1971
Producers: Luther Simmons, Tony Silvester, Donald McPherson |
|
| 1972 | Bitter Sweet RCA Victor 4677 |
US79 (27 weeks) US |
R&B10 (33 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1972
Supervisor: Buzz Willis Producers: Luther Simmons, Tony Silvester |
| 1973 | Afrodisiac RCA Victor 4834 |
US132 (13 weeks) US |
R&B16 (14 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1974 | Euphrates River RCA Victor 0335 |
US52 (31 weeks) US |
R&B8 (29 weeks) R&B |
First published: February 1974
Producers: Luther Simmons, Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding senior |
| 1975 | Rolling Down a Mountainside RCA Victor 0644 |
US90 (12 weeks) US |
R&B3 (14 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1975
Producers: Luther Simmons, Ed Townsend, Cuba Gooding senior |
| Shame on the World RCA Victor 1003 |
US158 (8 weeks) US |
R&B27 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1975
Producers: Luther Simmons, Cuba Gooding senior |
|
| 1977 | Music Maximus RCA Victor 1558 |
US177 (3 weeks) US |
- |
First published: February 1977
Producers: Luther Simmons, Cuba Gooding senior |
| 1980 | Ready for Love RCA Victor 3641 |
- |
R&B69 (5 weeks) R&B |
First release: August 1980
feat. Cuba Gooding Producers: Luther Simmons, Cuba Gooding, Tony Silvester |
| 1989 | I Just Wanna Love You Polydor 841 249 |
- |
R&B59 (21 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1989
Producers: Ray Barnes, Tony Coleman, Charlie Wallert, Rick Timas |
More studio albums
- 1981: I Only Have Eyes for You (RCA Victor 3963)
- 2001: Pure Magic (Magnatar 1103)
Compilations
| year | Title music label |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1973 | Greatest Hits RCA Victor 0314 |
- |
R&B32 (15 weeks) R&B |
First published: October 1973
|
| 1976 | Super hits RCA Victor 1858 |
- |
R&B46 (4 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 1976
|
More compilations
- 1989: All Time Greatest Hits ( RCA 9591; released January 13th)
- 1990: Golden Classics (Collectables 5101; release: January 17th)
- 1996: A Quiet Storm (RCA 07863 66860; release: April)
- 2000: Greatest Hits: The Encore Collection ( BMG Special Products 75517446972; Release: August 15)
- 2004: Greatest Hits (Collectables; Release: December 21)
- 2005: Everybody Plays the Fool: The Best of the Main Ingredient (Rhythm & Soul 82876 692132; release: June 12th)
- 2007: The Spinning Around: Singles 1967–1975 ( Kent Soul 274; release: September 24th)
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
R&B
|
|||
| 1970 | You've Been My Inspiration L. TD |
US64 (9 weeks) US |
R&B25 (10 weeks) R&B |
First published: May 1970
Authors: Simmons, Silvester, McPherson |
| I'm Better Off Without You Tasteful Soul |
US91 (2 weeks) US |
- |
First published: September 1970
Authors: Simmons, Silvester, McPherson |
|
| I'm So Proud Tasteful Soul |
US49 (13 weeks) US |
R&B13 (14 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1971 | Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love) Tasteful Soul |
US52 (9 weeks) US |
R&B7 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: March 1971
Authors: Simmons, Silvester, McPherson |
| Black Seeds Keep on Growing Black Seeds |
US97 (3 weeks) US |
R&B15 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 1971
Author: Donald McPherson |
|
| 1972 | Everybody Plays the Fool Bitter Sweet |
US3  (18 weeks)US |
R&B2 (19 weeks) R&B |
First published: June 1972
Authors: James Bailey, Rudy Clark, Kenneth Williams |
| You've Got to Take It (If You Want It) Bitter Sweet |
US46 (9 weeks) US |
R&B18 (12 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1972
Author: Ed Townsend |
|
| 1973 | You Can Call Me Rover Afrodisiac |
- |
R&B34 (6 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1973
Authors: James Bailey, Mel Kent, Kenneth Williams |
| Girl Blue Afrodisiac |
- |
R&B51 (11 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1974 | Just Don't Want to Be Lonely Euphrates River |
US10 (20 weeks)US |
R&B8 (20 weeks) R&B |
First published: January 1974
Authors: Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli, John Freeman Original: Ronnie Dyson , 1973 |
| Happiness Is Just Around the Bend Euphrates River |
US35 (12 weeks) US |
R&B7 (16 weeks) R&B |
||
| California My Way Euphrates River |
US75 (3 weeks) US |
R&B48 (9 weeks) R&B |
||
| 1975 | Rolling Down a Mountainside Rolling Down a Mountainside |
US92 (3 weeks) US |
R&B7 (14 weeks) R&B |
|
| The Good Old Days Rolling Down a Mountainside |
- |
R&B45 (9 weeks) R&B |
First published: July 1975
Author: Leonard Perry |
|
| Shame on the World Shame on the World |
- |
R&B20 (15 weeks) R&B |
First published: November 1975
Author: Rene Hall |
|
| 1976 | Instant Love Music Maximus |
- |
R&B96 (2 weeks) R&B |
First published: April 1976
Authors: Jacqueline Hilliard, Leon Ware |
| 1980 | Think Positive Ready for Love |
- |
R&B69 (5 weeks) R&B |
|
| 1986 | Do me right |
- |
R&B75 (5 weeks) R&B |
First published: August 1986
Authors: Kenny Beck, Larry Wedgeworth |
| 1989 | I Just Wanna Love You I Just Wanna Love You |
- |
R&B15 (18 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1989
Authors: Ray Barnes, Tony Coleman |
| 1990 | Nothing's Too Good for My Baby I Just Wanna Love You |
- |
R&B29 (11 weeks) R&B |
First published: September 1990
Authors: Joe Ericksen, Tom Snow |
More singles
- 1965: Merry Christmas Baby (as The Poets; released December)
- 1966: Chapel Bells Are Calling (as The Insiders; released April)
- 1967: I'm Better Off Without You (as The Insiders; released June)
- 1967: If You Had a Heart (as The Insiders; released September)
- 1969: I Was Born to Lose You
- 1969: Brotherly Love (release: September)
- 1970: Need Her Love (Mr. Bugler)
- 1970: Can't Stand Your Love (release: February)
- 1971: I'm Leaving This Time (released December)
- 1981: I Only Have Eyes for You (feat. Cuba Gooding; release: October)
- 1986: If I Were Your Woman (If You Were My Woman)
- 2001: We Got Us
- 2008: Evening of Love
Other chart placements
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
|||
| 1974 | Just Don't Want to Be Lonely Euphrates River |
UK27 (7 weeks) UK |
First published (UK): April 12, 1974
|
swell
- ↑ a b c d Chart sources: UK Billboard Hot 100 Billboard 200
- ↑ a b c gold / platinum database US
- ^ A b Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9
- ^ Joel Whitburn : Hot R&B Songs 1942–2010: 6th Edition, ISBN 978-0-89820-186-4
Web links
- The Main Ingredient at Allmusic (English)
- The Main Ingredient at Discogs (English)
- The Main Ingredient at 45cat.com
- The Main Ingredient - Discography (Soulful Kinda Music)