George Kerr | |
---|---|
Born | Ocilla, Georgia, United States |
Genres | Soul R&B |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, arranger |
Labels | Shout, All Platinum, Harbor Light Records |
Member of | The Serenaders, Imperials, George Kerr and His Orchestra, Blood Brothers, Kerr |
George Kerr is a musician and record producer who has worked with a multitude of recording artists during the 1960s and 1970s.
The artists Kerr has worked with include, Florence Ballard, The Escorts, Linda Jones, The Moments, The O'Jays, and The Whatnauts. [1] George Kerr has been connected with All Platinum Records and Sylvia Robinson. He was also a Motown recording artist [2] As an artist he had a hit with "Hey Girl". [3] He recorded an album for the All Platinum label, If This World Were Mine. [4]
At some stage in the 1950s, George Kerr formed a group called The Serenaders in Newark, NJ with his friends Sidney Barnes, Howard Curry and Timothy Wilson. Later, Richard Barrett had placed an ad in the paper for auditions for a lead singer for the group, Imperials. Kerr and his friend Sidney Barnes applied for the role. It was Kerr that ended up securing the position. Kerr was the lead singer on "Faithfully Yours" that was released on the Carlton label. In 1962, Kerr left The Imperials and returned to his old group The Serenaders. It wouldn't be long until Kerr had moved into composition and producing. [5]
Two of Kerr's productions were in 'Billboard's Soul Recommended section for the week ending August 25, 1973. They were "Your Gonna Need Somebody to Love (Wide You're Looking for Someone to Love" by Barbara Jean English and "I Wasn't There" by The Whatnauts. [6]
He produced the single for the New Foundations. The song, "Darling (You're All I Need)", a soul ballad which was released on Atlantic 45-3225. This New Foundations, a group from the United States [7] [8] had no connection with the English group, the New Foundations who released "Something for My Baby" / "I Need Your Love" on Pye 45533. [9] [10] [11]
He produced "Baby (I’m Gonna Love You)" for Phyllis Hyman which was released in 1976. [12]
Along with Rod Armstrong and Marvin Brown, Kerr produced an album that featured the groups, Softones & First Class. The album Together was released on the new label, Park-Way Records in 1980. [13]
His production of the group Kerr and the single "Back At Ya", released on Greyhound GRPT-107 in 1984 had a brief review in James Hamilton's Disco's section of the 17 March 1984 issue of Record Mirror . [14]
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman's music career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, and she was best known for her expansive contralto range. Some of her most notable songs are "You Know How to Love Me" (1979), "Living All Alone" (1986) and "Don't Wanna Change the World" (1991). Hyman is also known for her covers of popular songs, which include renditions of "Betcha by Golly Wow", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "What You Won't Do For Love".
The Foundations were a British soul band who were primarily active between 1967 and 1970. The group's background was: West Indian, White British and Sri Lankan. Their 1967 debut single "Baby Now That I've Found You" reached number one in the UK and Canada, and number eleven in the US. Their 1968 single "Build Me Up Buttercup" reached number two in the UK and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a number one hit in the UK in the 1960s.
All Platinum Records was a record company started in 1967 by singer/writer/producer Sylvia Robinson and her husband, businessman Joe Robinson, who had previously worked in the recording industry.
Rachelle Ferrell is an American vocalist and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel and classical music scenes, she is noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. In contemporary jazz she is noted for her delivery, control, range, improvisational vocal percussion, scatting ability and access to the whistle register.
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, The Stylistics, The Presidents, Faith, Hope & Charity, New Censation, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Aretha Franklin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
Shai is an American vocal R&B/soul quartet that rose to prominence in the 1990s. The group met and formed on the campus of Howard University, influenced by the vocal stylings of Boyz II Men, Jodeci, and Color Me Badd, among others. The group remains best known for their 1992 debut single "If I Ever Fall in Love," which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Phyllis Hyman is the self-titled solo debut studio album by American soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman. It was released by Buddah Records in 1977. The album charted at number 107 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Clem Curtis was a Trinidadian British singer, who was the original lead vocalist of sixties soul group the Foundations.
Ray, Goodman & Brown is an American R&B vocal group. The group originated as the Moments, who formed in the mid-1960s and whose greatest successes came in the 1970s with hits including "Love on a Two-Way Street", "Sexy Mama", and "Look at Me ". In 1978, they changed their name to Ray, Goodman & Brown and had further hits, including "Special Lady".
Alyson Williams is an Emmy Award Winner and R&B singer who had a string of hit singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some notable tracks include "Just Call My Name", "Sleep Talk", "My Love Is So Raw" and "I Need Your Lovin".
Linda Jones was an American soul singer with a strong gospel-influenced style who had the 1967 top 10 R&B hit single, "Hypnotized".
Terrance Corley Burrus is an American keyboardist, composer, dj, record producer, conductor, business, realty and fashion designer executive.
Nicholas J. Martinelli is an American R&B and pop record producer. During the 1980s he worked with many R&B and pop music artists, some of them based in the UK. Acts he has worked with include Loose Ends, Phyllis Hyman, Five Star, Stephanie Mills and Regina Belle.
Colin Young is an English singer who led Joe E. Young & The Toniks in the 1960s. He is mainly known for being a member of the British soul band the Foundations. He also led a progressive rock band and was part of a hit making dance band of the 1980s.
Mike Elliott is a Jamaican-born British saxophonist. He played on ska recordings in the early 1960s and on pop and soul music hits in the late 1960s. He is best known as a co-founding member of the British band The Foundations, and played on their hit singles "Baby, Now That I've Found You" and "Build Me Up Buttercup".
John Macleod is a Canadian-born English songwriter and musician. he co-wrote the hits "Baby, Now That I've Found You" for The Foundations, "Let the Heartaches Begin for Long John Baldry, "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now" and many more.
The Whatnauts were an American soul group from Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1969. George Kerr produced them. The group had several hit singles in the early 1970s, including the socially conscious single "Message from a Black Man" in 1970 on A&I International, "Please Make the Love Go Away" also in 1970 on Stang, and their biggest success "I'll Erase Away Your Pain" in 1971. They performed with fellow Stang artists the Moments for the hit single "Girls" in 1974.
Paul Kyser is an American promoter, record label owner, singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger. He wrote and co-produced the hit "Dawning of Love" with Tom Vetri for Devotion. He also wrote "Body and Soul " for the group Soul Generation and "Where Were You " for Jimmy Briscoe and the Little Beavers. Along with Leon Stuckey he co-wrote "Just How Sweet Is Your Love" for Rhyze, which appears on the Boogie's Gonna Getcha: '80s New York Boogie compilation album. He co-wrote "Be My #2" which appears on the R. Kelly Untitled album. He is also credited with discovering Jimmy Briscoe & The Little Beavers.
Clem Curtis & the Foundations were an English soul, R&B recording and performing act who were fronted by Clem Curtis. They were formed some years after the Foundations broke up. They were entrants in the 1977 UK Eurovision contest. They also had a chart hit with "On Broadway" in 1980. One of their early members would go on to be a member of the Glitter Band. One would later join the band Hot Chocolate and another would go on to be a member of the funk band Heatwave. At times, the group would alternate between the names Clem Curtis & the Foundations, and the Foundations.
Digging the Foundations is the final studio album by English soul group the Foundations. The album includes two of the group's hits, "In the Bad, Bad Old Days" and "My Little Chickadee". The album was released in the UK on the Pye label in 1969. There would be various issues relating to the album that would be a cause of concern for the group.
(*Note: SOMETHING ABOUT MY BABY is incorrect. Title should be "Something For My Baby")