Hues Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Hues Corporation was a pop
and soul trio
formed in Santa Monica
, California
in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 hit
, "Rock the Boat
" which sold over two million copies.
including Frank Sinatra
, Milton Berle
, Nancy Sinatra
, and Glen Campbell
. The original band had a lineup of three singers and three sidemen. The sidemen were Joey Rivera from the Checkmates; Monti Lawston; and Bob "Bullet" Bailey, formerly of the Leaves. Before the group had a hit single they performed as an opening act for Flash Cadillac, Ike Turner
, and Delaney Bramlett
. Bailey, Rivera, and Lawston left the band to form Goodstuff.
The group's name was a pun
on the Hughes Corporation
, with the 'hue' being the group's African-American heritage. The band's members were St. Clair Lee (born Bernard St. Clair Lee, April 24, 1944, San Francisco
, California; died 2011), Fleming Williams (born 1953, Flint
, Michigan
; died 1992) and Hubert Ann Kelley (born 24 April 1947, Fairfield
, Alabama
). The original choice for the group's name was The Children of Howard Hughes
, which their record label
turned down.
The group's first big break came in 1972, when they were invited to appear in the blaxploitation
film
, Blacula
, starring William Marshall. They were also asked to record three songs for the film's soundtrack
: "There He Is Again", "What The World Knows," and "I'm Gonna Catch You." Shortly thereafter, RCA
signed the group; their first single
, "Freedom For The Stallion", from the album
of the same name, became a moderate hit, reaching #63 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
.
The follow-up single, "Rock the Boat
," became a #1
hit on the Billboard
chart and the group's signature song
. "Rock the Boat" was written
by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs, and was released in the U.S.
in February 1974 and in the UK
in July of that year. It went to #1 for one week in the U.S. and #6 for two weeks in the UK, staying for 20 weeks in the U.S. chart with a gold disc
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
on 24 June 1974. The track sold well over two million copies. The song
is considered one of the earliest disco
songs. Some authorities proclaim it to be the first disco song to hit #1, while others give that distinction to "Love's Theme
" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, a chart-topper from earlier in 1974.
After the success of "Rock the Boat," the Hues Corporation's other charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 included "Rockin' Soul" (1974, #18), "Love Corporation" (1975, #62), and "I Caught Your Act" (1977, #92).
Despite their initial success, the group was unable to duplicate the success of their earlier hits and disbanded in 1978. But with renewed interest in disco music throughout the 1990s, the group reunited for tour dates and special events, including the PBS special Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion
.
Former bandmember Fleming Williams, who sang the male lead part on "Rock the Boat," died in the 1990s. Many sources claim the date of his death was September 1992, but at least one source claims he died in February 1998. According to the Social Security Death Index, Fleming Williams died on February 15, 1998. His death has been attributed to a "long illness," although many others have also alluded to a long struggle with drugs.
Founder member St. Clair Lee died on March 8, 2011, in Lake Elsinore, California
.He is said to have died from natural causes at the age of 66, as written in the Los Angeles Times obituaries in March. He was out-lived by his mother, sons, and sister.
Sources:
The los Angeles Times
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and soul trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
formed in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Rock the Boat
Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation song)
"Rock the Boat" is a disco song by the group Hues Corporation in 1974. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs....
" which sold over two million copies.
Career
Before their success they were the opening act for some starsCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
including Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
, and Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
. The original band had a lineup of three singers and three sidemen. The sidemen were Joey Rivera from the Checkmates; Monti Lawston; and Bob "Bullet" Bailey, formerly of the Leaves. Before the group had a hit single they performed as an opening act for Flash Cadillac, Ike Turner
Ike Turner
Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
, and Delaney Bramlett
Delaney Bramlett
Delaney Bramlett was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. Bramlett's five decade career reached peaks in creativity, performance, and notoriety in partnership with his then wife Bonnie Bramlett, in a revolving troupe of professional musicians and Rock superstars dubbed Delaney...
. Bailey, Rivera, and Lawston left the band to form Goodstuff.
The group's name was a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the Hughes Corporation
The Howard Hughes Corporation
The Howard Hughes Corporation is a major real estate development and management company based in Dallas, Texas, which was founded by Howard Hughes. Later sold to the Rouse Company, it became a separate company again in 2010, as a spinoff of General Growth Properties .Upon exiting bankruptcy, GGP...
, with the 'hue' being the group's African-American heritage. The band's members were St. Clair Lee (born Bernard St. Clair Lee, April 24, 1944, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California; died 2011), Fleming Williams (born 1953, Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
; died 1992) and Hubert Ann Kelley (born 24 April 1947, Fairfield
Fairfield, Alabama
Fairfield is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover Metropolitan Area. The population was 12,381 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the Census estimates the population to be 11,547.-History:...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
). The original choice for the group's name was The Children of Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
, which their record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
turned down.
The group's first big break came in 1972, when they were invited to appear in the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Blacula
Blacula
Blacula is a 1972 American horror film produced for American International Pictures. It was directed by William Crain and stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is both turned into a vampire and locked inside a coffin by Count Dracula...
, starring William Marshall. They were also asked to record three songs for the film's soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
: "There He Is Again", "What The World Knows," and "I'm Gonna Catch You." Shortly thereafter, RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
signed the group; their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Freedom For The Stallion", from the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of the same name, became a moderate hit, reaching #63 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
The follow-up single, "Rock the Boat
Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation song)
"Rock the Boat" is a disco song by the group Hues Corporation in 1974. "Rock the Boat" was written by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs....
," became a #1
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart and the group's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. "Rock the Boat" was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Waldo Holmes, who also wrote the Blacula songs, and was released in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in February 1974 and in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in July of that year. It went to #1 for one week in the U.S. and #6 for two weeks in the UK, staying for 20 weeks in the U.S. chart with a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on 24 June 1974. The track sold well over two million copies. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
is considered one of the earliest disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
songs. Some authorities proclaim it to be the first disco song to hit #1, while others give that distinction to "Love's Theme
Love's Theme
"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece recorded by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, in early 1974...
" by Love Unlimited Orchestra, a chart-topper from earlier in 1974.
After the success of "Rock the Boat," the Hues Corporation's other charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 included "Rockin' Soul" (1974, #18), "Love Corporation" (1975, #62), and "I Caught Your Act" (1977, #92).
Despite their initial success, the group was unable to duplicate the success of their earlier hits and disbanded in 1978. But with renewed interest in disco music throughout the 1990s, the group reunited for tour dates and special events, including the PBS special Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion
Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion
Get Down Tonight: The Disco Explosion was a 2004 musical documentary special which aired on PBS. The special featured Irene Cara, KC & The Sunshine Band, Yvonne Elliman, The Hues Corporation, Peaches & Herb, Karen Lynn Gorney, A Taste of Honey , Rob Parissi of Wild Cherry, Leo Sayer, Deney Terrio,...
.
Former bandmember Fleming Williams, who sang the male lead part on "Rock the Boat," died in the 1990s. Many sources claim the date of his death was September 1992, but at least one source claims he died in February 1998. According to the Social Security Death Index, Fleming Williams died on February 15, 1998. His death has been attributed to a "long illness," although many others have also alluded to a long struggle with drugs.
Founder member St. Clair Lee died on March 8, 2011, in Lake Elsinore, California
Lake Elsinore, California
For the lake see Lake Elsinore.Lake Elsinore or LE is a city in western Riverside County, California. The population was 51,821 at the 2010 census...
.He is said to have died from natural causes at the age of 66, as written in the Los Angeles Times obituaries in March. He was out-lived by his mother, sons, and sister.
Studio albums
- Freedom For The StallionFreedom For The StallionFreedom For The Stallion is the debut album by Hues Corporation. Released in 1973, it includes the #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Rock The Boat." The title track, "Freedom for the Stallion" was also a minor hit on the Billboard charts.-Track listing:...
(1973) - Rockin' Soul (1974)
- Love Corporation (1975)
- I Caught Your Act (1976)
- Your Place or Mine (1978)
Notable compilation albums
- The Best of The Hues Corporation (RCA VictorRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) (1977) - The Best of The Hues Corporation (PickwickPickwick RecordsPickwick Records was an American record label and distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo , Hurrah, Grand Prix, and children's records on the Cricket and Happy Time labels.The label is also...
) (1979) - The Very Best of the Hues Corporation (1998)
Sources:
See also
- List of number-one hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
External links
The los Angeles Times