Michael Jeffries (singer)

Last updated

Michael Jeffries
Michael Jeffries.jpg
Background information
Born (1954-08-16) August 16, 1954 (age 69) [1]
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1971–present
Labels

Michael Jeffries (born August 16, 1954) [1] is an American R&B singer from Memphis, Tennessee, best known for his stint as a lead vocalist for the R&B/soul band Tower of Power from 1978 to the mid-1980s. [2]

Contents

Biography

Jeffries started his career as part of the California band known as The Two Things in One [2] and scored a regional hit with the 1973 single "Together Forever". It would lead to his stint with Tower of Power [2] starting with 1978's We Came to Play! and he would stay with the band through the mid-1980s, making his tenure with Tower of Power the second longest as lead vocalist, behind Larry Braggs.

Jeffries later began a solo career releasing the single "Razzle Dazzle" in 1986, [1] which was from the soundtrack to the movie Wildcats . [1] He would also record with Jeff Lorber [1] and fellow R&B singer Karyn White before releasing his first self-titled solo album [1] for Warner Bros. Records; the same record label as Tower of Power. The album was produced by Janet Jackson's producers and former members of The Time Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Jeffries still lives in California and released a new album with his children as "Michael Jeffries, Daughter, Son" called Family Affair in 2011. Also in 2011, a compilation of his recordings with The Two Things in One was released called Together Forever: The Music City Sessions. In 2019, Jeffries released his next solo album Fonky Sexy Late Nights in the Lab and released a music video for "When We Love" off the album on his YouTube channel.

Discography

Solo albums

Solo singles

YearTitlePeak chart positions
US R&B
[3]
US Dance
[3]
UK
[4]
1986"Razzle Dazzle"34
"Back in Love"
(with Jeff Lorber and Karyn White)
1989"Teach Me"
"Not Thru Being with You"
(featuring Karyn White)
3299
1992"And I Love Her"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Other appearances

With The Two Things in One

  • "Silly Song" / "Snag Nasty" (Music City Records) (1971)
  • "Together Forever" / "Stop Telling Me" (Music City Records) (1973)
  • "Overdose" / "Close the Door" (Music City Records) (1974)
  • Together Forever: The Music City Sessions (Omnivore Recordings) (2011)

With Skye

  • "Ain't No Need" (single) (Anada Records/A&M Records) (1976)

With Tower of Power

With Jeff Lorber

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Fagen</span> American musician

Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his work with Steely Dan, Fagen has released four solo albums, beginning with The Nightfly in 1982, which was nominated for seven Grammys.

Warner Records Inc. is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the American film studio Warner Bros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karyn White</span> American singer-songwriter from California

Karyn Layvonne White is an American singer who was popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s. She is known for several hit singles including "Superwoman" (1988), "Secret Rendezvous" (1989), "The Way You Love Me" (1988), and the US Hot 100 No. 1 single "Romantic" (1991).

<i>Love Symbol</i> 1992 studio album by Prince

Love Symbol is the fourteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second of two that featured his backing band the New Power Generation. It was released on October 13, 1992, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. It was originally conceived as a "fantasy rock soap opera" with various spoken segues throughout, and contains elements of R&B, funk, pop, rock, and soul.

<i>Come</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Prince

Come is the fifteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on August 16, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records. At the time of its release, Prince was in a public dispute with Warner Bros. A lack of promotion from the label and Prince himself resulted in Come under-performing on American record charts, stalling at No. 15, and becoming his first album since Controversy (1981) to not yield any top 10 singles in the US. However, it was more successful overseas, reaching the top 10 across Europe and topping the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Michael Montgomery</span> American country singer

John Michael Montgomery is an American country music singer. Montgomery began singing with his brother Eddie, who would later become known as one half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, before beginning his major-label solo career in 1992. He has had more than 30 singles on the Billboard country charts, of which seven have reached number one: "I Love the Way You Love Me", "I Swear", "Be My Baby Tonight", "If You've Got Love", "I Can Love You Like That", "Sold ", and "The Little Girl". 13 more have reached the top 10. "I Swear" and "Sold " were named by Billboard as the top country songs of 1994 and 1995, respectively. Montgomery's recordings of "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That" were both released concurrently with cover versions by the R&B group All-4-One. Several of Montgomery's singles crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, his highest peak there having been achieved by "Letters from Home" in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siedah Garrett</span> American singer and songwriter

Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand New Heavies, Quincy Jones, Tevin Campbell, Donna Summer, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson among others. Garrett has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for co-writing "Love You I Do" for the 2006 musical film, Dreamgirls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenny Williams</span> American singer-songwriter and musician (born 1945)

Leonard Charles Williams is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist for the soul/funk group Tower of Power in the early 1970s. As a solo artist, Williams made several hit recordings, including 1978's "Cause I Love You" and 1977's "Choosing You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Harp</span> American country musician

Jessica Leigh Harp is an American songwriter and former country artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Between 2005 and 2007, Harp and Michelle Branch recorded and performed as The Wreckers, a duo that topped the country charts in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated "Leave the Pieces". After The Wreckers disbanded, Harp began a solo career on Warner Bros. Records, the same label to which The Wreckers were signed. Her solo second album single, "Boy Like Me", debuted in March 2009 and was a top 30 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was followed by her second album, A Woman Needs, in March 2010.

James Cregan is an English rock guitarist and bassist, best known for his associations with Family, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and Rod Stewart. Cregan is a former husband of the singer Linda Lewis and worked with her as a record producer. He has also worked with London Quireboys, Glass Tiger, Katie Melua and formed Farm Dogs with Bernie Taupin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever Man</span>

"Forever Man" is a song from Eric Clapton's 1985 album Behind the Sun, released as the first single of the album. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, becoming his second single to do so. In total, the single release sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide.

Sammy Figueroa is an American percussionist. At 18 he joined the band of bassist Bobby Valentín and also co-led the Brazilian/Latin fusion group Raíces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Reeves (songwriter)</span> American singer-songwriter and musician (born 1984)

Jason Bradford Reeves is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He grew up in Iowa City, Iowa before locating to California in 2005, where he began a long-standing working relationship with producer Mikal Blue and singer Colbie Caillat. He co-wrote many songs with Caillat, most notably the songs "Bubbly", "Realize" and "I Never Told You". "Bubbly" has been Reeves most successful work to date, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, No. 5 on the Hot 100 and being certified Platinum by the RIAA. He has won awards from ASCAP.

<i>Scale-A-Ton</i> 2009 studio album by DJ Paul

Scale-a-Ton is the second solo studio album by American rapper and record producer DJ Paul. It was released on May 5, 2009, via Scale-A-Ton Entertainment/Hypnotize Minds. Recording sessions took place at Scale-A-Ton Studios in Memphis and Los Angeles. Production was handled entirely by DJ Paul, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Lord Infamous. The album debuted at number 157 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 4,000 copies in its first week of sales.

Keidran Jones, better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles "Replay", "Solo", and "Pretty Girls." He released his debut album Replay in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All the Young</span> British indie rock band

All the Young are a five-piece alternative rock band from Stoke-on-Trent, England. Led by Ryan Dooley (singer/songwriter) and his younger brother Jack Dooley (bass/vocals).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lolita (The Veronicas song)</span> 2012 single by the Veronicas

"Lolita" is a song recorded by Australian duo the Veronicas, released on 27 July 2012. It was written by the Veronicas, together with Laura Pergolizzi and Toby Gad, while production was handled by Gad. The song was released as the lead single for what was meant to be their third studio album, Life on Mars. However, due to complications with their label, Warner Bros. Records, the album was shelved. They were subsequently signed to Sony Music and the album was retitled The Veronicas, but "Lolita" did not appear on the record. The song was later included on their Spotify compilation album Untouched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omnivore Recordings</span> American independent record label founded 2010

Omnivore Recordings is an independent record label founded in 2010. It specializes in historical releases, reissues and previously unissued vintage recordings, as well as select releases of new music, on CD, vinyl and digital formats. Omnivore Recordings is a part of Omnivore Entertainment Group LLC, which also incorporates sister companies Omnivore Music Publishing and Omnivore Creative, which provides A&R and art direction/design consulting for recording artists, artist estates, and other record labels.

<i>Private Passion</i> 1986 studio album by Jeff Lorber featuring Karyn White and Michael Jeffries

Private Passion is the fourth album by Jeff Lorber, released in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records. It features Karyn White and Tower of Power member Michael Jeffries on vocals.

<i>The Complete Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Recordings</i> 2018 compilation album by Vince Guaraldi

The Complete Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Recordings is a double CD compilation of songs by American jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi released by Omnivore Recordings on July 6, 2018. It contains 30 tracks, containing remastered versions of Guaraldi's complete recorded output for Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, plus four bonus tracks.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Michael Jeffries 2011 Interview". Soulinterviews.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Two Things in One – Omnivore Recordings". Archived from the original on December 27, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Michael Jeffries Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  4. "MICHAEL JEFFRIES FEATURING KARYN WHITE songs and albums - full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 2, 2024.