4 in the US, followed by "Brick House," also top 5, both from their album Commodores, as was "Zoom." The group reached No. After those recordings the group developed the mellower sound hinted at in their 1976 Top Ten hits, "Sweet Love" and " Just to Be Close to You." In 1977, the Commodores released " Easy," which became the group's biggest hit yet, reaching No. Three albums released in 19 ( Caught in the Act, Movin' On, and Hot on the Tracks) are considered the peak of their harder funk period. Another instrumental, " Cebu" (named after an island in the Philippines), later became a staple in the Quiet Storm radio format. " Machine Gun," the instrumental title track from the band's debut album, became a staple at American sporting events, and is also heard in many films, including Boogie Nights and Looking for Mr. They performed the song "Too Hot ta Trot" during the dance contest the songs "Brick House" and "Easy" were also played in the movie. There, Ashburn test-marketed the group by having them play in parking lots and summer festivals.Ĭommodores made a brief appearance in the 1978 film, Thank God It's Friday. The early band was managed by Benny Ashburn, who brought them to his family's vacation lodge on Martha's Vineyard in 19. (Orange was the lead singer on the Top 10 hits "Brick House" and " Nightshift".) Lionel Richie and Orange alternated as lead singers. Ingram, older than the rest of the band, left to serve in Vietnam, and was later replaced by Walter "Clyde" Orange, who wrote or co-wrote many of their hits. They performed cover tunes and some original songs with their first singer, James Ingram (not the famous solo artist).
After winning the university's annual freshman talent contest, they played at fraternity parties as well as a weekend gig at the Black Forest Inn, one of a few clubs in Tuskegee that catered to college students. The bandmembers attended Tuskegee University in Alabama. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People magazine. To choose their name, William King opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. The new six-man band featured Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary, and William King from the Mystics, and Andre Callahan, Michael Gilbert, and Milan Williams from the Jays. Richie described some members of the Mystics as "jazz buffs." Ĭommodores formed from two former student groups, the Mystics and the Jays. As well the Commodores have sold over 70 million albums worldwide.
The band has also won one Grammy Award out of nine nominations. The band's biggest hit singles are ballads such as " Easy", " Three Times a Lady", and " Nightshift" and funky dance hits which include " Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", " Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and " Too Hot ta Trot".Ĭommodores were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for the Jackson 5 while on tour. Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s.
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