Pockets (group)

Pockets
Also known as The Pockets
Origin Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Genres Soul, Funk
Years active 1970s to 1980s, 2016 to present
Labels Columbia, ARC
Past members Kevin Barnes
Gary Grainger
Glenn Grainger
George Gray
Larry Jacobs
Irving Madison
Al McKinney
Jacob Sheffer
Charles Williams[1][2]

Pockets were a soul group from Baltimore who had three top 40 R&B hits in the late 1970s. They are best known for their single "Come Go With Me".

History

They were an eight-man group who were signed to Columbia in 1977. Their debut album was produced by Verdine White who is credited as having discovered them.[3][4] According to FunkMySoul website, the group that time, a septet had recorded some demos in 1975 at Sheffield Studios and made 200 cassettes containing top 40 covers as well as four of their originals. They didn't make any real headway. One day Al McKinney happened to meet John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts. Mackey happened to be Verdine White's next-door neighbor, so the cassette tape was passed on and it apparently made an impression on White. White brought in Larry Jacobs from San Francisco to be the group's lead vocalist.[5] The band's name is said to have been Luther Ingram which was a description of their music.[6]

Releases

The group already had their album Come Go With Us as well as the debut single "Come Go With Me" out by early October 1977.[7] They had a hit on the R&B charts with "Come Go With Me".[8] The song debuted in the charts at no 92.[9] By February 1978, the song was in its sixth week in the charts and now at 88.[10] In the Hot 100, the song only got as far as no 84,[11] but it eventually made it to no 17 in the R&B charts.[12] Later in 1978, they released "Take It On Up" / "Sphinx".[13] With this entry, they were in the charts again with "Take It On Up", which made it to no 24 in the R&B charts.[14] The second album Take It On Up Columbia JC 35384, was produced by Verdine White and Robert Wright. Maurice White was the album's executive producer.[15] They would go on to have a third R&B top 40 hit with "So Delicious" which made it to no 34. Other songs that charted were "Catch Me", and "Happy for Love". The latter charted at 69 in the R&B chart and no 79 in the dance chart.[16]

Later years

The band has reformed and along with another seventies act from Philly, Breakwater, it has been announced that they will both appear in the UK at London's The Brooklyn Bowl on January 7th, 2017.[17]

Members

Original lineup

2017/2017 line up

Discography

Singles
Title Release info Year Notes
"Come Go With Me" / "Wizzard Wuzzit" Columbia 3-10632 1977
"Pasado" / "On Day At A Time" Columbia 3-10687 1978
"Take It On Up" / "Sphinx" Columbia 3-10755 1978
"Happy For Love" / "Got To Find My Way" Columba 3-10859 1978
"Catch Me" / "How Do You Think It Feels?" ARC 3-10954 1979
"So Delicious" / "La La (Means I Love You)" ARC 1-11121 1979 [21]
Albums
Title Release info Year F Notes
Come Go With Us Columbia PC 34879 1977 LP
Take It On Up Columbia JC 35384 1978 LP
So Delicious ARC JC 36001
Columbia JC 36001		 1979 LP [22]
Golden Classics Collectables COL-5811
Sony Music Special Products A 26972		 1996 CD [23]

References

  1. ↑ Discogs - Pockets, Profile:
  2. ↑ Billboard, February 4, 1978 - Page 92 Billboard Hot 100
  3. ↑ Billboard, January 14, 1978 - Page 21 Radio-TV Programming
  4. ↑ All Music - The Pockets Take It on Up
  5. ↑ FunkMySoul - Pockets – 1977 – Come Go With Us
  6. ↑ Billboard, October 8, 1977 - Page 102 Pockets- The Inside Story
  7. ↑ Billboard, October 8, 1977 - Page 102 Pockets- The Inside Story
  8. ↑ The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-hop Hits, Joel Whitburn - Page 459
  9. ↑ Billboard, January 14, 1978 - Page 21 Radio-TV Programming
  10. ↑ Billboard, February 4, 1978 - Page 92 Billboard Hot 100
  11. ↑ Billboard - The Pockets
  12. ↑ The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-hop Hits, Joel Whitburn - Page 459
  13. ↑ Discogs - Pockets – Take It On Up / Sphinx
  14. ↑ The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-hop Hits, Joel Whitburn - Page 459
  15. ↑ The Washington Post, November 15, 1978 - Clinton and White: Two Camps of Funk Music, By Geoffrey Himes
  16. ↑ Music VF - The Pockets Top Songs, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography
  17. ↑ Brooklyn Bowl - Friday, 6 January 2017, Breakwater and The Pockets
  18. ↑ Discogs - Pockets, Profile:
  19. ↑ Billboard, February 4, 1978 - Page 92 Billboard Hot 100
  20. ↑ Pockets website - Upcoming Events, The Band:
  21. ↑ 45Cat - Pockets - Discography
  22. ↑ Discogs - Pockets Discography, Albums
  23. ↑ Discogs - Pockets Discography, Compilations
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