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Frogtoon Music
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I Really Hope You Do - Music
I Really Hope You Do by The Friends Of Distinction
The Friends Of Distinction
Artist Biography For The Friends Of Distinction
One Of The Most Likeable And Vocally Cohesive Singing Groups Of The Late 60s And Early 70s The Friends Of Distinction Are Too Often Forgotten In Retrospectives Of That Era But Their Music Has Continued To Live On. Formed By Harry Elston Floyd Butler Jessica Cleaves And Barbara Love In 1968 The Group Had A Relatively Short Life In Its Original Incarnation But Made Some Of The Most Memorable Pop/soul Music Of All Time. Elston Had Been Singing With The Hi-Fi's In The Mid-60s Warming Up For Ray Charles In Tours Across The Country. When That Group Split In 1966 Members Marilyn McCoo And Lamont McLemore Went On To Co-Found The Enormously Successful Fifth Dimension And Elston Started The Friends Whose Sound Was Similar To And Often Confused With The Fifth Dimension -- Both Included Tightly Harmonizing Men And Women Dressed In Late 60s "hip" Clothing -- Though The Friends' Music Was Generally More Soulful. The Newly Formed Friends Of Distinction Was Managed By Football Great Jim Brown And Signed With RCA Records. Hitting The Popular Music Scene When Motown And Stax Were Dominating The Friends Arrived With A Breezy California Pop/soul Sound. Great Harmonies And Crossover Arrangements Backed The Individually Strong Lead Vocals Of The Group Members. Combined With Top Notch Material Both Originals And Covers The Group Like The Fifth Dimension Sounded Like A Breath Of Fresh Air On Pop Radio In 1969. Their First Single "Grazin' In The Grass " Was A Elston-Sung Vocal Remake Of A Hugh Masekela Instrumental Cut And Hit The Top 5 On Both Pop And Soul Charts In 1969. The Group's Follow-Up "Going In Circles " Was A Brilliant Ballad That Also Charted High. Love Took Some Time Off To Have A Baby And Charlene Gibson Stepped In And Sang Lead On The Group's Third Big Hit "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely." She Also Sang On The Wonderful Album Cut "Crazy Mary." The Friends Were Quite Prolific From 1969-71 Releasing 5 Albums A Sixth Appeared In 1973 . They Also Released A Number Of Great Singles Including "Check It Out" Later Remade By Tavares And A Terrific Cover Of Neil Sedaka's "Time Waits For No One." Their Best Cuts Are Excellently Compiled In The Best Of The Friends Of Distinction Which Was Released In 1996. As Popular Music Changed In The Mid-70s The Friends' Fortunes Declined. Jessica Cleaves Was Featured With Earth Wind And Fire First Appearance On The"Last Days And Time" Release. A Grueling Touring Schedule And The Lack Of A Hit For Several Years Led The Group To Call It Quits In 1975. Elston And Butler Continued To Write And Perform For A Few Years Then Ultimately Went Their Separate Ways Taking Jobs Outside Of Music. Over The Next Two Decades There Was A Rediscovery Of The Great Music That The Friends Had Made Together And Their Biggest Hits Were Remade By Several Artists With "Going In Circles" Charting For The Gap Band And Luther Vandross And "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" For Pop Artist Paul Davis. Most Recently "Grazin In The Grass" Was Released By Disney Star Raven. In 1990 Elston And Butler Decided To Bring The Friends Back Together. Tragically Butler Died At Elston's Side Before The Group Reunion Could Be Realized. After Butler's Death Elston Spent Several Years Forming A New Friends Group Ultimately Bringing Together Geno Henderson Wendy Bruné And Berlando Drake To Sing With Elston. That Lineup Currently Tours And Continues To Entertain Audiences Nearly 40 Years After The World First Heard The Friends Of Distinction.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: I Really Hope You Do
The-Friends-Of-Distinction - The Best Of The Friends Of Distinction
The FOD Are An Unclassified Fusion Of Pop/legit And Soul. Quite Possibly One Of The Most Under Rated Groups---Ever.
50 Similar Tracks:
The Friends Of Distinction - I've Never Found A Girl To Love Me Like You Do
The Friends Of Distinction - Going In Circles
The Sylvers - That's What Love Is Made Of
The Manhattans - Am I Losing You
The Main Ingredient - I'm So Proud
The Main Ingredient - Rolling Down A Mountainside
The Spinners - He'll Never Love You Like I Do
The Five Stairsteps - Come Back
The Intruders - Sad Girl
The Whispers - This Time
The Temprees - I Love You, You Love Me
Brenton Wood - Baby You Got It
The Dells - The Love We Had Stays On My Mind
The Stylistics - You're Right As Rain
The Stylistics - Children Of The Night
The Isley Brothers - Groove With You
The Chi-Lites - Go Away Dream
The Delfonics - I'm Sorry
Eddie Kendricks - Skippin' Work Today
Labelle - It Took A Long Time
The Five Stairsteps - You Waited Too Long
L.T.D. - Holding On When Love Is Gone
The Impressions - Man Oh Man
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Make Yours A Happy Home
The Moments - Sexy Mama
The Intruders - When We Get Married
Billy Stewart - Sitting In The Park
The Whatnauts - Try Me
The Temptations - Memories
Al Green - What A Wonderful Thing Love Is
The Whispers - I'm The One For You
Blue Magic - Sideshow
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Part Time Love
Patti LaBelle - I Don't Go Shopping
Eddie Holman - Hey There Lonely Girl
The Chi-Lites - Give It Away
The Sylvers - Keep On Keepin' On Doin' What You Do
War - Don't Let No One Get You Down
The Dramatics - You're The Best Thing In My Life
Gene Chandler - I Fooled You This Time
The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes
The Isley Brothers - Hello It's Me
Deniece Williams - Black Butterfly
Bloodstone - Who Has The Last Laugh Now
Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Don't Ever Be Lonely A Poor Little Fool Like Me
Billy Stewart - I Do Love You
The Manhattans - Wish That You Were Mine
Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need A Change Of Mind
The O'Jays - Livin' For The Weekend
L.T.D. - Don't Stop Loving Me Now
Music Tags for I Really Hope You Do:
Soul
Old School Soul
Sunny Day
Slow
Oldies
Rnb
Philly Soul
1969
Tantotempotaste
Groovyacousticsoul
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