| The Whispers | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Maxx McNeil |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B Boogie Dance Soul Funk Disco Synthpop |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Labels | Janus Solar Capitol |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Leaveil Degree Nicholas Caldwell Wallace Scott Walter Scott Russell Horne |
|
| Past members | |
| Marcus Hutson Gordy Harmon Jerry McNeil |
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The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.
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The Whispers formed in 1964 in Watts, California. The original members included the twin brothers, Wallace "Scotty" and Walter Scott, along with Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1973, Harmon was replaced by former Friends of Distinction member Leaveil Degree. Scotty Scott's fluid, melodic voice is featured on virtually all of their hits.
The group scored many hits on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and they hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1980 with "And the Beat Goes On " (not to be confused with Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On") / "Can You Do the Boogie" / "Out the Box". In 1987, they enjoyed a brief tenure in the Top 40 when "Rock Steady" became their first Top 10 success on the Hot 100 (it reached #7) while also capturing the #1 spot on the R&B chart.
Although they recorded mainly in Philadelphia in the early to mid 70s, most of their studio work has been in Los Angeles. Their most successful period was in the 1980s with Solar Records (Sound Of Los Angeles Records), run by their manager at the time, Dick Griffey. The Whispers later founded their own Black Tie record label.
The group opened Game 2 of the 1989 World Series at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with their rendition of the National Anthem.
Marcus Hutson left the group in 1992 due to illness. According to the Whispers' website, when Hutson died in 2000 they vowed to never replace him, and now perform as a quartet.
Jerry McNeil resigned his position as keyboardist in the later part of 1993, to spend more time with his family.
| Year | Album | Chart positions[1] | US certifications[2] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK[3] | ||||
| 1972 | The Whispers' Love Story | 186 | 34 | — | — | Janus |
| Life and Breath | — | 44 | — | — | ||
| 1973 | Planets of Life | — | 48 | — | — | |
| 1974 | Bingo | — | 40 | — | — | |
| 1976 | One for the Money | 189 | 40 | — | — | Soul Train |
| 1977 | Open Up Your Love | 65 | 23 | — | — | |
| 1978 | Headlights | 77 | 22 | — | — | SOLAR |
| 1979 | Whisper in Your Ear | 146 | 28 | — | — | |
| 1980 | The Whispers | 6 | 1 | — | Platinum | |
| 1981 | Imagination | 23 | 3 | 42 | Gold | |
| This Kind of Lovin' | 100 | 15 | — | — | ||
| 1981 | Love Is Where You Find It | 35 | 1 | — | Gold | |
| 1983 | Love for Love | 37 | 2 | — | — | |
| 1984 | So Good | 88 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1987 | Just Gets Better with Time | 22 | 3 | 63 | Platinum | |
| 1990 | More of the Night | 83 | 8 | — | Gold | Capitol |
| 1995 | Toast to the Ladies | 92 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1997 | Songbook, Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface | — | 27 | — | — | Interscope |
| 2006 | For Your Eyes Only | — | 88 | — | — | Capitol |
| 2009 | Thankful | 172 | 25 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions[1] | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
||||
| 1979 | Happy Holidays to You | 201 | 50 | SOLAR | |
| 1982 | Happy Holidays to You (re-release) | — | 58 | ||
| 1994 | Christmas Moments | — | 42 | Capitol | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
||||
| 2007 | Live from Las Vegas | — | — | Satin Tie | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions[1] | Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
||||
| 1975 | Greatest Hits | — | 48 | Janus | |
| 1982 | The Best of the Whispers | 180 | — | SOLAR | |
| 1989 | Vintage Whispers | — | — | ||
| 1990 | In the Mood | — | — | ||
| Greatest Hits | — | — | Unidisc | ||
| 1994 | 30th Anniversary Anthology | — | — | Sequel | |
| 1996 | Greatest Slow Jams, Vol. 1 | — | 87 | SOLAR | |
| 1997 | Greatest Hits | — | 89 | ||
| 2000 | The Best of the Whispers | — | — | EMI-Capitol | |
| 2001 | Early Gold & New Spins | — | — | Purple Pyramid | |
| Greatest Slow Jams, Vol. 2 | — | — | SOLAR | ||
| 2002 | Best of the Whispers | — | — | BMG Int'l | |
| 2003 | Anthology | — | — | The Right Stuff | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
| Year | Single | Chart positions[4] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US A/C |
US Dance |
UK[3] | ||
| 1970 | "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong" | 50 | 6 | — | — | — |
| "There's a Love for Everyone" | 116 | 31 | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Your Love Is So Doggone Good" | 93 | 19 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | "Can't Help But Love You" | 114 | 35 | — | — | — |
| "I Only Meant to Wet My Feet" | — | 27 | — | — | — | |
| "Somebody Loves You" | 94 | 45 | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "A Mother for My Children" | 92 | 32 | — | — | — |
| "Bingo" | — | 40 | — | — | — | |
| "What More Can a Girl Ask For?" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| "Where There Is Love" | — | — | — | 15 | — | |
| 1975 | "In Love Forever" | — | 40 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | "One for the Money (Part 1)" | 88 | 10 | — | 4 | — |
| "Living Together (In Sin)" | 101 | 21 | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | "You're Only as Good as You Think You Are" | — | 91 | — | — | — |
| "Make It with You" | 94 | 10 | — | 16 | — | |
| "I'm Gonna Make You My Wife" | — | 54 | — | — | — | |
| 1978 | "(Let's Go) All the Way" | 101 | 10 | — | — | — |
| "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out" | — | 13 | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | "Can't Do without Love" | — | 43 | — | — | — |
| "Homemade Lovin'" | — | 66 | — | — | — | |
| "A Song for Donny" | — | 21 | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | "And the Beat Goes On" | 19 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 |
| "Lady" | 28 | 3 | 40 | — | 55 | |
| "My Girl" | — | — | — | — | 26 | |
| 1981 | "It's a Love Thing" | 28 | 2 | — | 4 | 9 |
| "I Can Make It Better" | 105 | 40 | — | 44 | ||
| "This Kind of Lovin'" | — | 17 | — | 20 | — | |
| 1982 | "In the Raw" | 103 | 8 | — | 8 | — |
| "Emergency" | — | 22 | — | — | — | |
| 1983 | "Tonight" | 84 | 4 | — | 18 | — |
| "Keep on Lovin' Me" | — | 4 | — | — | ||
| "This Time" | 110 | 32 | — | — | 81 | |
| 1984 | "Contagious" | 105 | 10 | — | 59 | 56 |
| 1985 | "Some Kinda Lover" | 106 | 17 | — | — | 91 |
| "Don't Keep Me Waiting" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| "Hello Stranger" (with Carrie Lucas) | — | 20 | — | — | — | |
| 1987 | "And the Beat Goes On" (re-release) | — | — | — | — | 45 |
| "Rock Steady" | 7 | 1 | 49 | — | 38 | |
| "Special F/X" | — | — | — | — | 69 | |
| "Just Gets Better with Time" | — | 12 | — | — | — | |
| "In the Mood" | — | 16 | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | "No Pain, No Gain" | — | 74 | — | — | 81 |
| 1990 | "Innocent" | 55 | 3 | — | — | — |
| "My Heart Your Heart" | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | "Is It Good to You" | — | 7 | — | — | — |
| "I Want 2B the 1 4U" | — | 58 | — | — | — | |
| 1995 | "Make Sweet Love to Me" | — | 41 | — | — | — |
| "Come on Home" | — | 60 | — | — | — | |
| 1996 | "Caravan of Love" (with Russ Freeman & the Rippingtons) | — | 89 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | "My, My, My" | — | 73 | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
The Whispers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
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