The Whispers (soul band)

The Whispers is the name of the US R & B - Soul - and radio - vocal ensemble , the beginning of the 1960s in Los Angeles was founded. The original line-up of the musical group consisted of the tenors Walter and Wallace Scott, Nicholas Caldwell and Gordy Harmon and the baritone Marcus Hutson. The instrumentalists accompanying them are called The Whisper Band . In Germany, The Whispers had a hit in 1980 with their piece And the Beat Goes On .

History of the ensemble

No later than 1963, have the twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott and Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon in Watts joined together and a song - quintet founded. At first under a different name, they appeared as street musicians in Los Angeles and played in night clubs in the "Bay Area" around San Francisco . In 1964 a record producer became aware of them. They received their first record deal and have been called The Whispers ever since .

The pieces of the combo were u. a. influenced by the releases of Nat King Cole , The Hi-Lo’s and The Temptations . Together with the latter they were allowed to play their first “big” concert in 1964. Her first singles , As I Sit Here and The Dip , came out in 1965. A respectable hit in 1969 was The Time Will Come . A year later, Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong made it into the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time . Somebody Loves You (1973), A Mother for My Children (1974), One for the Money (1976) and Make It with You (1977) reached the bottom of the US charts.

And the Beat Goes On followed in 1980, making it 19th in the US, 20th in Germany and second in Great Britain . The album The Whispers rose to number 6 in the USA. Gordy Harmon hadn't played there for a long time. He had been replaced in the early 1970s by Leaveil Degree, which came from the group Friends of Distinction .

Lady (US 28, UK 55) and My Girl (UK 26) were the hits in 1980. In 1981, It's a Love Thing made it to number 9 in the UK and number 28 at home. A short time later, the band had another hit in the UK with I Can Make It Better (# 44). This Time (UK # 81) and Tonight (US # 84) reached lower chart positions in 1983.

In 1985, the Whispers had success mainly in Great Britain, where Contagious (# 56) and Some Kinda Lover (# 91) were able to achieve hit parade spots. The album Just Gets Better with Time followed in 1986 with some guest musicians . The release Rock Steady made it to number 7 in the USA and number 38 in the UK charts. The following singles Special FX (UK number 69) and No Pain No Gain (UK number 81) continued the long series of Whispers hits .

At the beginning of the 1990s Hutson left the band for health reasons. In the same year Innocent became the Whispers' last single hit (US # 55).

Marcus Hutson died in 2000 after a long illness. The remaining Whispers members decided not to replace Hutson with a new member. From then on, Wallace "Scotty" Scott, Walter Scott, Nicholas Caldwell and Leaveil Degree played only four people. Shortly before the group started another tour, Nicholas Caldwell succumbed to heart failure on January 5, 2016, at the age of 71 .

Despite the lack of chart success since then, the group still has a loyal fan base worldwide. The Whispers are still touring today and producing new CDs , e.g. B. 2006 For Your Ears Only . Over the years the band's music has become more soulful and calmer, but the typical polyphonic singing remains an unmistakable trademark. With over 40 years in the music business, The Whispers are among America's oldest soul groups.

The Whispers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.

Members

Nicholas Caldwell (born April 5, 1944 in Loma Linda , California - † January 5, 2016 )
Marcus Hutson (born January 8, 1943 in St. Louis , Missouri, † 2000 in Missouri )
Wallace Scott (born September 23, 1943 in Fort Worth , Texas)
Walter Scott (born September 23, 1943 in Fort Worth, Texas)
Gordy Harmon - until 1971
Leaveil Degree (born July 31, 1948 in New Orleans ) - 1971 for Harmon

Discography

Studio albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
year	title	DE	UK	US	R&B	Remarks
1972	The Whispers' Love Story	-	-	US186 (2 weeks) US	R&B34 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: 1972 Producer: Ron Carson
1973	Life and Breath	-	-	-	R&B44 (12 weeks) R&B	First published: 1972 Producer: Ron Carson
1973	Planets of Life	-	-	-	R&B48 (4 weeks) R&B	First publication: 1973 already appeared in 1969 as The Whispers . 1980 Reissue as I Can Remember Producer: Ron Carson
1974	Bingo (US) / Whispers Gettin 'Louder (UK)	-	-	-	R&B40 (11 weeks) R&B	First published: 1974 Producers: Baker, Harris & Young, Bunny Sigler, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons
1976	One for the money	-	-	US189 (6 weeks) US	R&B40 (13 weeks) R&B	First published: 1976 Producers: Norman Harris, Dick Griffey, Don Cornelius
1977	Open up your love	-	-	US65 (10 weeks) US	R&B23 (17 weeks) R&B	First published: 1977 Producers: Dick Griffey, Don Cornelius, The Whispers
1978	Headlights	-	-	US77 (28 weeks) US	R&B22 (37 weeks) R&B	First published: 1978 Producers: Dick Griffey, The Whispers
1979	Whisper in Your Ear	-	-	US146 (9 weeks) US	R&B28 (16 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1, 1979 Producer: Dick Griffey, The Whispers
	Happy Holidays to You	-	-	-	R&B50 (11 weeks) R&B	First published: November 1979 Re-Entry (R&B): 1982, 58th place, 2 weeks Producers: Dick Griffey, The Whispers
	The Whispers	-	-	US6th platinum (35 weeks)US	R&B1 (34 weeks) R&B	First published: October 24, 1979 Producer: Dick Griffey, The Whispers
1981	imagination	-	UK42 (5 weeks) UK	US23 gold (27 weeks)US	R&B3 (31 weeks) R&B	First published: November 30, 1980 Producer: Dick Griffey, The Whispers
1981	This Kind of Lovin '	-	-	US100 (9 weeks) US	R&B15 (26 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1st, 1981 Producers: The Whispers, Leon Sylvers III
1982	Love Is Where You Find It	-	-	US35 gold (25 weeks)US	R&B1 (33 weeks) R&B	First released June 7, 1981 Producers: Leon Sylvers III, Richy Sylvers, Nicholas Caldwell, Wallace Scott, Walter Scott
1983	Love for love	-	-	US37 (29 weeks) US	R&B2 (40 weeks) R&B	First published: 1983 Producers: The Whispers, Leon Sylvers III, Ricky Sylvers, Nicholas Caldwell
1984	So good	-	-	US88 (26 weeks) US	R&B8 (32 weeks) R&B	First published: July 26, 1984 Producers: The Whispers, Reggie Calloway, Leon Sylvers III, Wardell Potts, Wilmer Raglin, Grady Wilkins
1987	Just Gets Better with Time	-	UK63 (4 weeks) UK	US22nd platinum (37 weeks)US	R&B3 (47 weeks) R&B	First published: April 9, 1987 Producers: Leon Sylvers III, Larry White, Babyface , LA Reid , Gary Taylor, Grady Wilkins, Nicholas Caldwell
1990	More of the night	-	-	US83 gold (24 weeks)US	R&B8 (49 weeks) R&B	First published: February 6, 1990 Producers: The Whispers, Robert Brookins, Christopher Troy, Zac Harmon, Steve Russell, Greg Dalton, Calvin Romance, Joel Davis, Tsuyoshi Takayanagi, Keith Spencer
1994	Christmas Moments	-	-	-	R&B42 (4 weeks) R&B	First published: November 15, 1994
1995	Toast to the ladies	-	-	US92 (8 weeks) US	R&B8 (29 weeks) R&B	First published: March 21, 1995 Producers: Harmony, Magic, Derrick Pearson, Kevin Guillaume, Ralph Hawkins, Charlie Singleton, Keni Burke, Kuk Harrell, Laney Stewart, Paul Minor, Grady Wilkins, Terrence Desmond, Gordon Jones, John Benton, Rickey Smith
1997	Songbook Volume One - The Songs of Babyface	-	-	-	R&B27 (19 weeks) R&B	First published: November 25, 1997
2006	For Your Ears Only	-	-	-	R&B88 (3 weeks) R&B	First published: August 8, 2006
2009	Thankful	-	-	US172 (1 week) US	R&B25 (19 weeks) R&B	First published: October 20, 2009

swell

^ ^A ^b ^c Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 . P. 516 ( excerpts in Google Book Search)

^ Introduction to the Whispers . On mentalitch.com

↑ according to autobiographical information . On thewhispers.com

↑ ^a ^b ^c Nicholas Caldwell of the Whispers Dies at 71 . On nytimes.com on January 7, 2016

↑ Chris Rizik: RIP Nicholas Caldwell of The Whispers: 1944-2016 . On soultracks.com on January 6, 2016

↑ Jay Warner: The Whispers (Inducted 2003). ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2 archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Vocal Group Hall of Fame homepage , accessed October 10, 2011.
↑ Chart sources: Singles UK US
^ Joel Whitburn : Top R&B Albums 1965–1998, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .

Web links

The band's website (English)
The Whispers at Allmusic (English)
The Whispers at Discogs (English)

Remarks

↑ ^a ^b There is different information about the year of foundation. According to this, the group was once 1963 (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk), according to other authors, it was already 1962 (see, for example, Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard Milwaukee in 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p 516 -. extracts founded in the Google book search).
↑ There is different information on this. The original name is said to be Eden Singers (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk), according to other authors, The Eden Trio (see, for example, Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p. 516 - excerpts have gelautet in the Google book search).
↑ There is different information on this. According to this, Harmon is either 1973 (see e.g. the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk) or already 1971 (see e.g. Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p. 516 - in part excreted in the Google book search).
↑ There is different information on this. According to this, Hutson has been singing since 1989 (see autobiographical information . On thewhispers.com), according to other descriptions only since 1992 (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk)). In any case, the album More Of The Night , which was released in February 1990, contains the last recordings with him (see also autobiographical information ( review of the album in: Ebony . Vol. 46, No. 1 in the Google book search).

[warner-2] A ^b ^c Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 . P. 516 ( excerpts in Google Book Search)

[3] Introduction to the Whispers . On mentalitch.com

[5] rding to autobiographical information . On thewhispers.com

[nyt-8] Nicholas Caldwell of the Whispers Dies at 71 . On nytimes.com on January 7, 2016

[9] Chris Rizik: RIP Nicholas Caldwell of The Whispers: 1944-2016 . On soultracks.com on January 6, 2016

[found-1] There is different information about the year of foundation. According to this, the group was once 1963 (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk), according to other authors, it was already 1962 (see, for example, Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard Milwaukee in 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p 516 -. extracts founded in the Google book search).

[4] There is different information on this. The original name is said to be Eden Singers (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk), according to other authors, The Eden Trio (see, for example, Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p. 516 - excerpts have gelautet in the Google book search).

[6] There is different information on this. According to this, Harmon is either 1973 (see e.g. the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk) or already 1971 (see e.g. Jay Warner: American singing groups - A history from 1940 to today . Hal Leonard, Milwaukee 2006, ISBN 0634099787 p. 516 - in part excreted in the Google book search).

[7] There is different information on this. According to this, Hutson has been singing since 1989 (see autobiographical information . On thewhispers.com), according to other descriptions only since 1992 (see, for example, the whispers . On soulwalking.co.uk)). In any case, the album More Of The Night , which was released in February 1990, contains the last recordings with him (see also autobiographical information ( review of the album in: Ebony . Vol. 46, No. 1 in the Google book search).