The Main Ingredient (band)

The Main Ingredient

The Main Ingredient in 2008.
Background information
Origin Harlem, New York, US
Genres Soul, R&B, funk
Years active 1964–1977, 1979–1981, 1986–1991, 1999–present
Labels Red Bird Records (1964)
RCA Records (1970–1981)
Polydor Records (1989)
Magnatar (2001)
Kent Soul (2007–present)
Members Cuba Gooding, Sr.
Jerome Jackson
Stanley Alston
Past members Donald McPherson (deceased)
Tony "Panama" Silvester (deceased)
Luther Simmons
Carl Tompkins
Larry Moore
Carlton Blount
George Staley, Sr.

The Main Ingredient is an American soul and R&B group best known for their 1972 hit song "Everybody Plays the Fool".

Early history

The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA. After a couple of singles, they changed their name once again in 1968, this time permanently to the Main Ingredient, taking the name from a Coke bottle.

The Main Ingredient then teamed up with record producer Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. They scored again with the McPherson-penned black power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck in 1971. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned,Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons regrouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.

The Gooding era began auspiciously enough with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972.[1] The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,[1] and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK.[2] In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux.The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E.King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.

Later years

Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.

Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 27, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. The current line-up of the group consists of Cuba Gooding Sr., Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
[3]
US
R&B

[3]
CAN
[4]
1970 L.T.D. 200 RCA Victor
Tasteful Soul 146 26
1971 Black Seeds 176 35
1972 Bitter Sweet 79 10 30
1973 Afrodisiac 132 16
1974 Euphrates River 52 8 48
1975 Rolling Down a Mountainside 90 3
Shame on the World 158 27
1977 Music Maximus 177
1980 Ready for Love 207 69
1981 I Only Have Eyes for You
1989 I Just Wanna Love You 59 Polydor
2001 Pure Magic Magnatar
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
[3]
US
R&B

[3]
1973 Greatest Hits 205 32 RCA Victor
1976 Super Hits 201 46
1990 Golden Classics Collectables
All Time Greatest Hits RCA
1996 A Quiet Storm
2005 Everybody Plays the Fool: The Best of the Main Ingredient Legacy
2007 Spinning Around: The Singles 1967–1975 Kent
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[3]
US
R&B

[3]
US
A/C

[3]
AUS
[5]
CAN
[4]
UK
[6]
1965 "I'm Stuck on You" [A]
1966 "Chapel Bells Are Calling" [B]
1967 "I'm Better Off Without You" [B]
"If You Had a Heart" [B]
1969 "I Was Born to Lose You"
"Brotherly Love"
1970 "Can't Stand Your Love"
"You've Been My Inspiration" 64 25
"I'm Better Off Without You" (re-recorded version) 91
"I'm So Proud" 49 13
1971 "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" 52 7
"Black Seeds Keep on Growing" 97 15
"Another Day Has Come"
1972 "Everybody Plays the Fool" 3 2 25 44 6
"You've Got to Take It (If You Want It)" 46 18
1973 "You Can Call Me Rover" 101 34
"Girl Blue" 119 51
1974 "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" 10 8 42 7 27
"Happiness Is Just Around the Bend" 35 7 51
"California My Way" 75 48
1975 "Rolling Down a Mountainside" 92 7
"The Good Old Days" 45
"Shame on the World" 20
1976 "Instant Love" 96
1980 "Think Positive" 69
"Makes No Diff'rence to Me"
1981 "Evening of Love"
"I Only Have Eyes for You"
1982 "Party People"
1986 "Do Me Right" 75
1989 "I Just Wanna Love You" 15
1990 "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby" 29
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Main Ingredient (band).
  1. 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 315, 316 & 347. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 344. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "US Charts > The Main Ingredient". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
  4. 1 2 "CAN Charts > The Main Ingredient". RPM. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "UK Charts > The Main Ingredient". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2015-02-10.

External links

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