Express Yourself! Features
TAVARES
By Christopher Rizik
When asked to name the Soul Music supergroups of the '70s and early '80s, folks tend to
gravitate to familiar names such as Earth, Wind and Fire, the Spinners, the Commodores
and the Isley Brothers. However, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts – Ralph,
Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch Tavares – arguably created the most consistently high
quality soul music of that period.
Originally called "Chubby and the Turnpikes," the Tavares brothers spent the late '60s and
early '70s in their native New England covering tunes of R&B greats at various clubs, while
trying to land a record deal. They finally scored a deal with Capitol Records’ then-new black
music division and released their first single, "Check It Out," in 1973. It soared to the top 10
on the R&B charts and became the group’s first top 40 pop hit. It also became the
centerpiece for the group’s Johnny Bristol-produced debut album, an excellent example of
early '70s soul that also featured the hit "The Sound That Lonely Makes." The "Check It Out"
LP gave the first glimpse of tight brotherly harmonies and alternating lead vocals that would
become the Tavares trademark sound.
Capitol teamed the group next with Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, hot producers/writers
who were coming off the hugely successful "Keeper of the Castle" album for the Four Tops.
They led Tavares through two successful LPs, "Hard Core Poetry" and "In The City," and
the group’s first #1 R&B hit (a cover of Hall & Oates’ "She’s Gone") and first top 10 pop hit
("It Only Takes A Minute"). While a number of other groups were covering similar stylistic
territory at the time, the wonderfully tight group harmonies and consistently solid song
selection set Tavares apart.
If their first three albums set the Tavares brothers up for success, the fourth, "Skyhigh,"
(produced by Motown veteran writer/producer Freddie Perren) and its international hits,
"Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" and "Don’t Take Away the Music," led the group to the
"A" list of popular black artists. Perren moved the group to a hotter beat-heavy sound not
hinted at in Tavares’ earlier releases and the timing couldn’t have been better, as the disco
boom was about to explode. The group teamed with Perren again for their "Love Storm"
and "Future Bound" LPs in 1977 and 1978. It was at this point that Tavares hit an
unexpected pivotal moment: it’s cover of the Bee Gees’ "More Than A Woman" was
included on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, giving the group its greatest exposure
ever (as well as its only Grammy award) but bringing with it a label that Tavares would
spend years trying to shake – that of "Disco Group."
Interestingly, it was at disco’s peak in 1979 that the brothers took a counter-industry turn,
releasing the ballad-drenched "Madam Butterfly" LP. Produced by Philly veteran Bobby
Martin, this LP highlighted the group’s soul foundation, especially on the hit "Never Had A
Love Like This Before" and three Sam Dees’ ballads (including the incredible "Let Me Heal
The Bruises"). Tavares then teamed with pop producers Bobby Colomby and David Foster
for "Supercharged," a solid but underappreciated disc that spawned a minor hit with "Bad
Times."
Unfortunately, as 1980 arrived, the music industry focused its efforts on self-contained funk
bands, and traditional "producer’s" soul groups such as the Spinners, the Stylistics and the
Temptations were having trouble getting promotion and airplay. This industry tide change
led Capitol Records to lessen its promotional focus on Tavares. The timing of this decision
was ironic, as the Tavares brothers arguably found their sound as writers and arrangers in
1980 with "Love Uprising," a wonderful, airy album that was perhaps their most pleasing
and personal disc, but which fell flat on the charts. Their next LP, "Loveline" (featuring the
songs of a promising young writer named Kashif), met a similar fate.
Faced with Capitol’s neglect, the brothers went in search of a new label, and in 1982 found a
temporary home in RCA’s young black music division. They released two albums for RCA,
"New Directions" and "Words and Music," which featured the Grammy-nominated "Penny
For Your Thoughts" and their final R&B hit, "Deeper In Love," but the albums were overall
an artistic step down from the group’s highest moments.
It was in 1979 that I first met the Tavares brothers. They were appearing in Detroit with Lou
Rawls and I was covering the concert for a university newspaper. They were still at their
peak of popularity, but were incredibly humble, polite and really helpful to a young music
writer. Most of all, they made it clear in conversations that, as much as they loved making
music, their families and their brotherly relationship came first. Ralph Tavares and I kept in
touch over the next few years, during the groups frustrating final years with Capitol and
their time with RCA, right through to the time of a difficult decision that Ralph made in 1983.
"One day I came off the road and saw my little girl in a snowsuit. That look on her face told
me, ‘You can’t do your best unless you’re home.’" So Ralph resigned from the group in 1983
to spend more time with his wife and their two children. He become a court officer in New
Bedford, a position he still holds today.
The remaining four brothers continued to tour internationally and in 1994 released "Check It
Out," a CD of newly recorded versions of their past hits, on a small Canadian label. The CD
found the brothers in fine voice, but the instrumentation and production quality was low-
budget. Brother Tiny left the group in the mid-'90s and the remaining three toured
sporadically. The five brothers came together in 1998 to cut tracks for a possible reunion
CD, but those recordings have not been released.
There are a few Tavares compilations currently available, the best of which are "Capitol
Gold: The Best of Tavares" (compiled and with liner notes by David Nathan) and an import,
"Tavares Original Hits." Also, Japanese imports of the original "Check It Out," "Hard Core
Poetry" and "Skyhigh" are available.
In a decade that highlighted so many groups, from the last Detroit days of Motown to the
arrival of hot sounds in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the Tavares brothers proved
themselves to be incredibly versatile, effectively covering all of those sounds as well as a
unique sound that they introduced in "Love Uprising." Their wonderful harmonies and their
consistently strong selection of material made every one of their albums a keeper. Here’s
hoping that there’s still more Tavares music to come.
You can write to Chris at: chris@soultracks.com
By Christopher Rizik
When asked to name the Soul Music supergroups of the '70s and early '80s, folks tend to
gravitate to familiar names such as Earth, Wind and Fire, the Spinners, the Commodores
and the Isley Brothers. However, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts – Ralph,
Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch Tavares – arguably created the most consistently high
quality soul music of that period.
Originally called "Chubby and the Turnpikes," the Tavares brothers spent the late '60s and
early '70s in their native New England covering tunes of R&B greats at various clubs, while
trying to land a record deal. They finally scored a deal with Capitol Records’ then-new black
music division and released their first single, "Check It Out," in 1973. It soared to the top 10
on the R&B charts and became the group’s first top 40 pop hit. It also became the
centerpiece for the group’s Johnny Bristol-produced debut album, an excellent example of
early '70s soul that also featured the hit "The Sound That Lonely Makes." The "Check It Out"
LP gave the first glimpse of tight brotherly harmonies and alternating lead vocals that would
become the Tavares trademark sound.
Capitol teamed the group next with Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, hot producers/writers
who were coming off the hugely successful "Keeper of the Castle" album for the Four Tops.
They led Tavares through two successful LPs, "Hard Core Poetry" and "In The City," and
the group’s first #1 R&B hit (a cover of Hall & Oates’ "She’s Gone") and first top 10 pop hit
("It Only Takes A Minute"). While a number of other groups were covering similar stylistic
territory at the time, the wonderfully tight group harmonies and consistently solid song
selection set Tavares apart.
If their first three albums set the Tavares brothers up for success, the fourth, "Skyhigh,"
(produced by Motown veteran writer/producer Freddie Perren) and its international hits,
"Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" and "Don’t Take Away the Music," led the group to the
"A" list of popular black artists. Perren moved the group to a hotter beat-heavy sound not
hinted at in Tavares’ earlier releases and the timing couldn’t have been better, as the disco
boom was about to explode. The group teamed with Perren again for their "Love Storm"
and "Future Bound" LPs in 1977 and 1978. It was at this point that Tavares hit an
unexpected pivotal moment: it’s cover of the Bee Gees’ "More Than A Woman" was
included on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, giving the group its greatest exposure
ever (as well as its only Grammy award) but bringing with it a label that Tavares would
spend years trying to shake – that of "Disco Group."
Interestingly, it was at disco’s peak in 1979 that the brothers took a counter-industry turn,
releasing the ballad-drenched "Madam Butterfly" LP. Produced by Philly veteran Bobby
Martin, this LP highlighted the group’s soul foundation, especially on the hit "Never Had A
Love Like This Before" and three Sam Dees’ ballads (including the incredible "Let Me Heal
The Bruises"). Tavares then teamed with pop producers Bobby Colomby and David Foster
for "Supercharged," a solid but underappreciated disc that spawned a minor hit with "Bad
Times."
Unfortunately, as 1980 arrived, the music industry focused its efforts on self-contained funk
bands, and traditional "producer’s" soul groups such as the Spinners, the Stylistics and the
Temptations were having trouble getting promotion and airplay. This industry tide change
led Capitol Records to lessen its promotional focus on Tavares. The timing of this decision
was ironic, as the Tavares brothers arguably found their sound as writers and arrangers in
1980 with "Love Uprising," a wonderful, airy album that was perhaps their most pleasing
and personal disc, but which fell flat on the charts. Their next LP, "Loveline" (featuring the
songs of a promising young writer named Kashif), met a similar fate.
Faced with Capitol’s neglect, the brothers went in search of a new label, and in 1982 found a
temporary home in RCA’s young black music division. They released two albums for RCA,
"New Directions" and "Words and Music," which featured the Grammy-nominated "Penny
For Your Thoughts" and their final R&B hit, "Deeper In Love," but the albums were overall
an artistic step down from the group’s highest moments.
It was in 1979 that I first met the Tavares brothers. They were appearing in Detroit with Lou
Rawls and I was covering the concert for a university newspaper. They were still at their
peak of popularity, but were incredibly humble, polite and really helpful to a young music
writer. Most of all, they made it clear in conversations that, as much as they loved making
music, their families and their brotherly relationship came first. Ralph Tavares and I kept in
touch over the next few years, during the groups frustrating final years with Capitol and
their time with RCA, right through to the time of a difficult decision that Ralph made in 1983.
"One day I came off the road and saw my little girl in a snowsuit. That look on her face told
me, ‘You can’t do your best unless you’re home.’" So Ralph resigned from the group in 1983
to spend more time with his wife and their two children. He become a court officer in New
Bedford, a position he still holds today.
The remaining four brothers continued to tour internationally and in 1994 released "Check It
Out," a CD of newly recorded versions of their past hits, on a small Canadian label. The CD
found the brothers in fine voice, but the instrumentation and production quality was low-
budget. Brother Tiny left the group in the mid-'90s and the remaining three toured
sporadically. The five brothers came together in 1998 to cut tracks for a possible reunion
CD, but those recordings have not been released.
There are a few Tavares compilations currently available, the best of which are "Capitol
Gold: The Best of Tavares" (compiled and with liner notes by David Nathan) and an import,
"Tavares Original Hits." Also, Japanese imports of the original "Check It Out," "Hard Core
Poetry" and "Skyhigh" are available.
In a decade that highlighted so many groups, from the last Detroit days of Motown to the
arrival of hot sounds in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the Tavares brothers proved
themselves to be incredibly versatile, effectively covering all of those sounds as well as a
unique sound that they introduced in "Love Uprising." Their wonderful harmonies and their
consistently strong selection of material made every one of their albums a keeper. Here’s
hoping that there’s still more Tavares music to come.
You can write to Chris at: chris@soultracks.com
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