The Persuaders (band)
Encyclopedia
The Persuaders are a New York
based R&B vocal
group
, with some fame in the 1970s, best known for their hit single
, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
". This disc
sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc
awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America
on 29 October 1971.
in 1971, with the original line- up of: Douglas "Smokey" Scott, Willie Holland, James Holland and Charles Stoghill.
The Persuaders sound involved close harmony
and a heavily-orchestra
ted soul and R&B
approach, the trademark of the Poindexter brothers, Richard and Bobby, who produced
most of the early 1970s hits. The Persuaders also recorded the original versions of songs later covered
by other artists
, most notably: "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" (from their Atlantic
/ Atco
album of the same name), made a major hit by Gladys Knight & the Pips
; "Some Guys Have All The Luck
", covered by Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart
and by Maxi Priest
; and "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
", covered by The Pretenders
,, R&B
trio H-Town
, and by the reggae
group, Black Slate
. The song's title and theme were also used for a 1996 Martin Lawrence
film
of the same name
.
The Persuaders recorded an album on the Calla label (distributed by CBS Records
) with Philadelphia based producers Baker-Harris-Young in 1976, entitled It's All About Love. The catalog number is Calla ZX-34802 and track listing was:
"It's All About Love", "It's Love", "Count The Ways", "I Need Love", "The Quickest Way Out", "Who Will It Be Tonight", "Sure Shot (Gamblin' On A Sure Shot)", "Hey Sister I'm Your Brother (She's My Sister)", "Tryin' To Love Two Women" and "The Quickest Way Out" (instrumental
).
The group brought out four album
s in the 1970s. As former members trickled out and new members trickled in The Persuaders R&B legacy continues into the 21st century with new faces and now consists of Vincent (Vince) Ballard, Sylvester (Jay) Jones, Tmarvin Williams and Keith (Soul) Simmons. The name The Persuaders is a legally registered trademark.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based R&B vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, with some fame in the 1970s, best known for their hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Thin Line Between Love and Hate
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" is the title of a 1971 song by the New York City-based R&B vocal group The Persuaders. The song was written and produced by the Poindexter brothers, Robert and Richard, and was also co-written by Jackie Members....
". This disc
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
sold over one million copies, and received 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 Recording Industry Association of America
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 29 October 1971.
Career
The original members formed in New York in 1969, and were signed by Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1971, with the original line- up of: Douglas "Smokey" Scott, Willie Holland, James Holland and Charles Stoghill.
The Persuaders sound involved close harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and a heavily-orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
ted soul and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
approach, the trademark of the Poindexter brothers, Richard and Bobby, who produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
most of the early 1970s hits. The Persuaders also recorded the original versions of songs later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by other artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, most notably: "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" (from their Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
/ Atco
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...
album of the same name), made a major hit by Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
; "Some Guys Have All The Luck
Some Guys Have All the Luck
"Some Guys Have All the Luck" is a song written by Jeff Fortgang , which has been a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, first by The Persuaders in 1973 , then by Rod Stewart in 1984, whose version hit #10...
", covered by Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and by Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
; and "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Thin Line Between Love and Hate
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" is the title of a 1971 song by the New York City-based R&B vocal group The Persuaders. The song was written and produced by the Poindexter brothers, Robert and Richard, and was also co-written by Jackie Members....
", covered by The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
,, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
trio H-Town
H-Town (band)
H-Town is an American R&B/hip hop vocal group. It was originally founded by twin brothers Keven “Dino” Conner, Solomon “Shazam” Conner, and their longtime friend Darryl “G.I.” Jackson in 1992.-Formation:...
, and by the reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
group, Black Slate
Black Slate
Black Slate are a reggae band based in the United Kingdom, and formed in 1974. They toured heavily around London and backed Jamaican musicians such as Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, and Ken Boothe when they played in the UK...
. The song's title and theme were also used for a 1996 Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
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...
of the same name
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate is a 1996 dark comedy-romance film that was directed and co-written by Martin Lawrence, who also stars in the film. Lawrence co-wrote the screenplay alongside Kenny Buford, who has also written for Lawrence's hit television sitcom, Martin...
.
The Persuaders recorded an album on the Calla label (distributed by CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
) with Philadelphia based producers Baker-Harris-Young in 1976, entitled It's All About Love. The catalog number is Calla ZX-34802 and track listing was:
"It's All About Love", "It's Love", "Count The Ways", "I Need Love", "The Quickest Way Out", "Who Will It Be Tonight", "Sure Shot (Gamblin' On A Sure Shot)", "Hey Sister I'm Your Brother (She's My Sister)", "Tryin' To Love Two Women" and "The Quickest Way Out" (instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
).
The group brought out four 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...
s in the 1970s. As former members trickled out and new members trickled in The Persuaders R&B legacy continues into the 21st century with new faces and now consists of Vincent (Vince) Ballard, Sylvester (Jay) Jones, Tmarvin Williams and Keith (Soul) Simmons. The name The Persuaders is a legally registered trademark.
Hit singles
- "Thin Line Between Love & Hate" (1971) U.S. PopBillboard Hot 100The 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...
#15, U.S. R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
#1 - "Love's Gonna Pack Up" U.S. Pop #64 R&B #8
- "Peace In The Valley Of Love" R&B #21
- "Bad, Bold and Beautiful, Girl" R&B #24
- "Some Guys Have All The Luck" (1973) U.S. Pop #39, U.S. R&B #7