Commodores
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| The Commodores | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Tuskegee, Alabama | |
| Genre(s) | soul / funk | |
| Years active | 1968-present | |
| Label(s) | Motown, Polydor | |
| Website | http://commodoreslive.com/ | |
| Members | ||
| Walter Orange William King J.D. Nicholas |
||
| Former members | ||
| Lionel Richie Thomas McClary Ronald La Pread Milan Williams |
||
The Commodores were a highly successful soul / funk band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
The group is perhaps best known for its ballads, such as "Easy" & "Three Times a Lady", but, for the most part, the group mainly recorded funky, driven dance-floor hits which include "Brick House", "Say Yeah", "Fancy Dancer", and "Too Hot Ta Trot", among others.
Lionel Richie's "Oh No" is highlighted in the movie The Last American Virgin. "Machine Gun", the instrumental title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Another instrumental, "Cebu" (named after an island in the Philippines), later became a staple in the Quiet Storm format.
Band members typically alternated lead vocal duties.
After Richie left to pursue a solo career, former Heatwave singer J.D. Nicholas assumed co-lead vocal duties with drummer Walter Orange. However, with the exception of the Grammy-winning "Nightshift" (a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson) the band never achieved the same level of success it had enjoyed with Richie. Ironically, "Nightshift" won The Commodores their only Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.
Over time, the group's founding members began leaving. McClary left in 1982 (shortly after Richie left) to pursue a solo career and to develop a gospel music company. Ronald LaPread left in 1986 and moved to New Zealand, and Milan Williams exited the band in 1989. The group also gradually abandoned its funk roots and moved into the more commercial pop arena.
In 1985, the group performed two commercials for NBC affiliate WXIA in Atlanta, Georgia. The group left Motown in 1986 for Polydor, and released several additional albums, which are primarily compilations of previous material.
Today, the Commodores consist of Orange, King, and Nicholas. They have re-recorded Commodores hits and have recorded a live album and a Christmas album.
[edit] Original band personnel
- Lionel Richie (vocals, saxophone, piano) - born 20 June 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama.
- Thomas McClary (lead guitar) - born 6 October 1950, in Eustis, Florida.
- Milan Williams (keyboards) - born 28 March 1948 in Okolona, Mississippi, died of cancer, July 9, 2006 in Houston, Texas.
- William King (trumpet) - born 30 January 1949, in Florida.
- Ronald La Pread (bass guitar) - born 4 September 1946, in Alabama.
- Walter Orange (vocals, drums) - born 10 December 1946, in Florida.
[edit] Album discography
- Machine Gun (1974) #138 U.S.
- Caught in the Act (1975) #26 U.S.
- Movin' On (1975) #29 U.S.
- Hot On The Tracks (1976) #12 U.S.
- Commodores (1977) #3 U.S.
- The Commodores Live! (1977) #3 U.S., #60 UK
- Natural High (1978) #3 U.S., #8 UK
- Midnight Magic (1979) #3 U.S., #15 UK
- Heroes (1980) #7 U.S., #50 UK
- In The Pocket (1981) #13 U.S., #70 UK
- Commodores 13 (1983) #103 U.S.
- Nightshift (1985) #12 U.S., #13 UK
- United (1986) #101 U.S.
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B Chart | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | "Machine Gun" | #22 | #7 | #20 | Machine Gun |
| 1974 | "I Feel Sanctified" | #75 | #12 | - | Machine Gun |
| 1975 | "Slippery When Wet" | #19 | #1 | - | Caught In The Act |
| 1976 | "Sweet Love" | #5 | #2 | - | Movin' On |
| 1976 | "Just To Be Close To You" | #7 | #1 | #62 | Hot On The Tracks |
| 1977 | "Fancy Dancer" | #39 | #9 | - | Hot On The Tracks |
| 1977 | "Easy" | #4 | #1 | #9 | The Commodores |
| 1977 | " Brick House" | #5 | #4 | - | The Commodores |
| 1978 | "Too Hot Ta Trot" | #24 | #1 | - | The Commodores Live! |
| 1978 | "Three Times A Lady" | #1 | #1 | #1 | Natural High |
| 1978 | "Flying High" | #38 | #21 | #37 | Natural High |
| 1979 | "Sail On" | #4 | #8 | #8 | Midnight Magic |
| 1979 | "Still" | #1 | #1 | #4 | Midnight Magic |
| 1980 | "Wonderland" | #25 | #21 | #40 | Midnight Magic |
| 1980 | "Old-Fashion Love" | #20 | #8 | - | Heroes |
| 1980 | "Heroes" | #54 | #27 | - | Heroes |
| 1981 | "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" | #8 | #5 | #56 | In The Pocket |
| 1981 | "Oh No" | #4 | #5 | #44 | In The Pocket |
| 1982 | "Why You Wanna Try Me" | #66 | #42 | - | In The Pocket |
| 1982 | "Painted Picture" | #70 | #19 | - | All The Greatest Hits |
| 1983 | "Only You" | #54 | #20 | - | Commodores 13 |
| 1985 | "Nightshift" | #3 | #1 | #3 | Nightshift |
| 1985 | "Animal Instinct" | #43 | #22 | #74 | Nightshift |
| 1985 | "Janet" | #87 | #65 | - | Nightshift |
| 1986 | "Goin' To The Bank" | #65 | #2 | #43 | United |
[edit] Awards & Recognition
Commodores was inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
[edit] Trivia
- "Brick House" is covered by Rob Zombie (featuring Lionel Richie & Trina) under the name "Brick House 2003".
- The same track is in the movie House of 1000 Corpses, on the House of 1000 Corpses soundtrack, and Zombie's best of album Past, Present & Future.
- "Easy" was used in a c. 2005 Levi Strauss & Co. television advertisement that depicted a young man abusing a pair of Levi's jeans as a substitute for the well-worn pair that he gave to his girlfriend before he rode a train to an unspecified destination.
- Hard rock band Faith No More did a cover version of "Easy", which is surprisingly faithful to the original.
- "Nightshift" is featured on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories soundtrack on VCFL.
[edit] Samples
- The Commodores - Brick House (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- "Brick House" from Commodores
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
