#1 R&B Song 1974: “TSOP (the Sound of Philadelphia),” MFSB (featuring the Three Degrees)
Born: Lionel Hampton, 1928; Ronald Mundy (the Marcels), 1940; Luther Vandross, 1951
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1957 The Kingsmen’s collector’s classic “Don’t Say You’re Sorry” ($1,200) and the Dubs’ standard “Don’t Ask Me to be Lonely” (Gone Records label) were released.
1959 The Falcons charted with “You’re So Fine,” reaching #17 pop and #2 R&B. The original Falcons were a racially mixed group(years before the Marcels and Del-Vikings) but military service ended that and in 1959 this song was recorded with Joe Stubbs’s rough-edge vocals taking over as lead. The funky shuffle style beat with the guitar was very new in R & B music and it took off like a bullet. The group originally included soul singer-to-be Freddie Floyd and lead singer Joe Stubbs, brother of Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops. Joe was later replaced in 1960 by a young vocalist named Wilson Pickett. “You’re So Fine,” along with the Fiestas’ “So Fine” (which had charted two weeks earlier), are considered two of the first soul singles in a field that would dominate music in the ’60s and ’70s.
1963 James Brown’s “Prisoner of Love” charted and soon became his first pop Top 20 hit (#18) after fifteen lesser Top 100 entries going back to 1956. Though the soul icon crossed over to pop an incredible 119 times through 1998, he never had a pop #1.
1968 Sly & the Family Stone peaked at #8 pop and #9 R&B. In late 1968, Sly & the Family Stone released the single “Everyday People,” which became the band’s first number-one hit. “Everyday People” was a protest against prejudices of all kinds, and popularized the catch phrase “different strokes for different folks.” Sly & the Family Stone opened the door to a new style of rhythm & funk with elements of rock and jazz thrown in for good measure. Sly & the Family Stone recorded five Top 10 hits and four groundbreaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. Sly (Sylvester Stewart) recorded with a doo wop group, the Viscaynes, in 1958, and later became a deejay in Oakland, CA, on station KDIA. He also produced hit records with the Beau Brummels, the Mojo Men, and Bobby Freeman during 1964 and 1965 before putting the Family Stone together.
Sly & the Family Stone in 1969. Clockwise from top: Larry Graham, Freddie Stone, Gregg Errico, Sly Stone, Rose Stone, Cynthia Robinson, and Jerry Martini. A similar photograph was used as the cover of Rolling Stone magazine #54 (March 19 1970).
1974 Diana Ross (singing with Marvin Gaye on the Tamla-Motown Record label) peaked at #5 in Britain with a remake of the Stylisitics’ hit, “You Are Everything,” although her American fans never got to consider it as Motown didn’t issue it stateside.
1990 Janet Jackson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
Ann
