The Persuasions
Encyclopedia
The Persuasions are an a cappella
group that began singing together in Brooklyn
, New York
in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres.
The five original members are lead singer, arranger, and producer Jerry Lawson, Jesse "Sweet Joe" Russell, Jayotis Washington, Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad, and bassman Jimmy "Bro" Hayes.
The Persuasions can be categorized as an a cappella group that has covered gospel and popular music of each decade in which they performed and recorded. They have covered artists as varied as Frank Zappa, the Grateful Dead, Roy Hamilton, Jerry Butler, Sam Cooke, and Elvis Presley, and toured, performed, and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli, the Grateful Dead, and Ray Charles. In addition to their own recordings, they have appeared on albums by artists such as Joni Mitchell
, Don McLean
, and Paul Pena
, and their version of "Papa Oom Mow Mow" appears on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg
's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
.
Frank Zappa was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, Acappella. He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the group's manager at the time. Prior to that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's legendary doo-wop / acapella label. Catamount Records. Zappa had a great appreciation for soul and streetcorner-style singing, and immediately after hearing the group, flew them to Los Angeles to record their first album. Thirty years later, Zappa fan Rip Rense supervised and encouraged the group in the creation of a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, Frankly A Cappella
on Earthbeat Records.
The Persuasions later recorded tribute album
s consisting of material by the Grateful Dead
(Might as Well), the Beatles (The Persuasions sing the Beatles), and U2
(The Persuasions Sing U2). Their constant eclectic choice of material, as well as the clever, unique direction of their arrangements, have been hallmarks of their live work and recordings since their earliest days.
Toubo Rhoad, one of the original members, died in 1988. Lawson left the group in 2003 to pursue a career working with developmentally disabled adults, and later decided to pursue a singing career independent of the group. In 2007 he released his first post-Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town.http://www.jerryLawson.biz Lawson considers this the masterpiece of his a cappella career. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town were featured on Series 2 of Sing-Off.
Groups as varied as Take 6
, Rockapella
, The Nylons
, and Boyz II Men
cite The Persuasions as major influences.
The current group members (as of 2010) consist of two original Persuasions, Joe Russell and Jimmy Hayes, rounded out by newer members Dave Revels (2009) and Ray Sanders (since 1996). Willie C. Daniels also performed with the group for a number of years. Dave Revels joined the group officially in 2009 and has since taken over the role of arranger and producer for the group's recordings. He arranged the U2 CD on Chesky records and their latest CD on ZOHO Label, "Knockin' On Bob's Door," the music of Bob Dylan, to be released in November 2010. Long-time contributor on many of the group's recording "B.J." Jones still performs and records with the group. Reggie Moore and Gil Torres are among the vocalists who have filled in since Lawson went solo. The original Persuasions appeared with Ray Charles
in Blue's Big Musical Movie
(2000).
, David Ruffin, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler, Roy Hamilton, Al Hibbler, and Brook Benton; "Sweet Joe" Russell from Jackie Wilson
. Excellent examples of The Persuasions' versions of songs by these two Soul Music pioneers can be found on We Came to Play and Chirpin, two albums considered by many to be among their best.
However, in the liner notes to the 2003 album A Cappella Dreams, they reveal their influences to be quite different from what has often assumed to be the case:
Jerry Lawson has also released recordings since his departure from the group; details of those recordings can be found on his Wikipedia page.
The following various-artists recordings contain otherwise-unissued Persuasions recordings:
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group that began singing together in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres.
The five original members are lead singer, arranger, and producer Jerry Lawson, Jesse "Sweet Joe" Russell, Jayotis Washington, Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad, and bassman Jimmy "Bro" Hayes.
The Persuasions can be categorized as an a cappella group that has covered gospel and popular music of each decade in which they performed and recorded. They have covered artists as varied as Frank Zappa, the Grateful Dead, Roy Hamilton, Jerry Butler, Sam Cooke, and Elvis Presley, and toured, performed, and recorded with Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli, the Grateful Dead, and Ray Charles. In addition to their own recordings, they have appeared on albums by artists such as Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
, and Paul Pena
Paul Pena
Paul Pena was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent.His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and roll...
, and their version of "Papa Oom Mow Mow" appears on the soundtrack of Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
.
Frank Zappa was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, Acappella. He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the group's manager at the time. Prior to that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's legendary doo-wop / acapella label. Catamount Records. Zappa had a great appreciation for soul and streetcorner-style singing, and immediately after hearing the group, flew them to Los Angeles to record their first album. Thirty years later, Zappa fan Rip Rense supervised and encouraged the group in the creation of a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, Frankly A Cappella
Frankly A Cappella
Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa is a 2000 album by the singing group The Persuasions. Frank Zappa heard them over the phone while they were singing in a record shop on the East Coast and flew them out to L.A. to record their first LP. It was on Zappa's label. This recording serves...
on Earthbeat Records.
The Persuasions later recorded tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
s consisting of material by the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
(Might as Well), the Beatles (The Persuasions sing the Beatles), and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
(The Persuasions Sing U2). Their constant eclectic choice of material, as well as the clever, unique direction of their arrangements, have been hallmarks of their live work and recordings since their earliest days.
Toubo Rhoad, one of the original members, died in 1988. Lawson left the group in 2003 to pursue a career working with developmentally disabled adults, and later decided to pursue a singing career independent of the group. In 2007 he released his first post-Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town.http://www.jerryLawson.biz Lawson considers this the masterpiece of his a cappella career. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town were featured on Series 2 of Sing-Off.
Groups as varied as Take 6
Take 6
Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two...
, Rockapella
Rockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
, The Nylons
The Nylons
The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"....
, and Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
cite The Persuasions as major influences.
The current group members (as of 2010) consist of two original Persuasions, Joe Russell and Jimmy Hayes, rounded out by newer members Dave Revels (2009) and Ray Sanders (since 1996). Willie C. Daniels also performed with the group for a number of years. Dave Revels joined the group officially in 2009 and has since taken over the role of arranger and producer for the group's recordings. He arranged the U2 CD on Chesky records and their latest CD on ZOHO Label, "Knockin' On Bob's Door," the music of Bob Dylan, to be released in November 2010. Long-time contributor on many of the group's recording "B.J." Jones still performs and records with the group. Reggie Moore and Gil Torres are among the vocalists who have filled in since Lawson went solo. The original Persuasions appeared with Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
in Blue's Big Musical Movie
Blue's Big Musical Movie
Blue's Big Musical Movie is a 2000 American direct-to-video movie based on the Blue's Clues television series, and acted as the first full length musical film for the character of Blue the Dog. The film had a television premiere in September 2000...
(2000).
Influences
Jerry Lawson seems to have taken much of his inspiration from the songs of Sam CookeSam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, David Ruffin, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler, Roy Hamilton, Al Hibbler, and Brook Benton; "Sweet Joe" Russell from Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
. Excellent examples of The Persuasions' versions of songs by these two Soul Music pioneers can be found on We Came to Play and Chirpin, two albums considered by many to be among their best.
However, in the liner notes to the 2003 album A Cappella Dreams, they reveal their influences to be quite different from what has often assumed to be the case:
- Sweet Joe Russell references the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Soul Stirrers, and "all those gospel greats."
- Jimmy Hayes speaks of Jimmy Ricks [spelled "Rix" in the notes] and Melvin Franklin.
- Jayotis Washington focuses his attention on Louis Jordan.
- Ray Sanders thanks all of the Temptations for his influences.
- Jerry Lawson cites Roy Hamilton, Sam Cooke, Al Hibbler, Brook Benton, and Elvis Presley as his mentors, adding, "Believe it or not, Elvis was a big influence. I thought he was...a fine singer, and I think we do him pretty good."
Albums
- Acappella (1970; Reprise/Straight [CD issue: Enigma Retro; CD reissue: Collectables])
- We Came To Play (1971; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
- Street Corner Symphony (1971; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
- Spread The Word (1972; Capitol [CD issue: Collectables])
- We Still Ain't Got No Band (1973; MCA [not yet issued on CD])
- I Just Want To Sing With My Friends (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
- More Than Before (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
- Chirpin'Chirpin'-Track listing:# "Papa Oom Mow Mow" – 2:18# "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" – 3:15# "Moonlight and Music" – 3:00# "Johnny Porter" – 4:34# "Looking for an Echo" – 4:11# "Women and Drinkin'" – 6:53# "Sixty Minute Man" – 2:00# "Win Your Love " – 3:32...
(1977; Elektra) - Comin' At Ya (1979; Rounder/Flying Fish)
- No Frills (1984; Rounder)
- Stardust (1987 [recorded 1969]; Catamount [CD issue: Relic])
- Good News (1988; Rounder)
- Live In The Whispering Gallery (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
- Toúbo's Song (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
- Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes [with Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner] (1993; Qbadisc/Excellent)
- Right Around The Corner (1994; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- Sincerely (1996; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- You're All I Want For Christmas (1997; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- Man, Oh Man: The Power of The Persuasions (1997; EMI [1970-72 Capitol masters compilation])
- On The Good Ship Lollipop (1999; Rhino/Kid Rhino/Music for Little People)
- Frankly A CappellaFrankly A CappellaFrankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa is a 2000 album by the singing group The Persuasions. Frank Zappa heard them over the phone while they were singing in a record shop on the East Coast and flew them out to L.A. to record their first LP. It was on Zappa's label. This recording serves...
: The Persuasions Sing ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
(2000; Rhino/EarthBeat) - Might As Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
(2000; Arista/Grateful Dead) - Sunday Morning Soul (2000; Rounder/Bullseye Blues Basics)
- The Persuasions Sing The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(2002; Chesky) - A Cappella Dreams (2003; Chesky)
- The Persuasions Sing U2 [their first release without Lawson] (2005; Chesky)
- Collectables Classics (2006; Collectables [Box set containing all 1971, 1972, & 1977 releases])
- Essential Recordings: A Cappella Soul (2008; Rounder [1979-86 Rounder/Flying Fish/Bullseye Blues compilation])
Jerry Lawson has also released recordings since his departure from the group; details of those recordings can be found on his Wikipedia page.
Non-album singles
- "Party in the Woods"/"It's Better to Have Loved and Lost" [1968; Minit]
- "One Thing on My Mind"/"Darlin'" [1975; A&M]
The following various-artists recordings contain otherwise-unissued Persuasions recordings:
- Various Artists: Bread & Roses: Festival of Acoustic Music (1979; Fantasy)
- Various Artists: Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella [soundtrack] (1990; Elektra)
- Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner (with Kim Weston, Junior Mance, et al.): Monsters from the Deep (1997; Qbadisc/Excellent)