The Afternoon Delights

Last updated
The Afternoon Delights
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Years active1981
LabelsMCA
Past membersRebecca Hall
Janet Powell
Robalee Barnes
Suzanne Boucher

The Afternoon Delights were a Boston-based vocal studio quartet, including Rebecca Hall, Janet Powell, Robalee Barnes, and Suzanne Boucher. [1]

Career

In 1981, the Afternoon Delights released the novelty song "General Hospi-Tale" that lyrically summarized some of the plot developments on the ABC soap opera General Hospital . [2] The song was co-written by Harry King (who also produced) and Lisa "Lips" Tedesco, a soap updater for Medford-based station Kiss 108. Hall sang the lead vocal, including the spoken word portion at the end talking about her "addiction", noting "I just can't cope/without my soap!" Musically, meanwhile, the track was very reminiscent of Blondie's recent hit "Rapture". "General Hospi-Tale" peaked at number 23 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart and number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Despite its modest chart placings, "General Hospi-Tale" (the single) sold 850,000 7-inch singles and 250,000 12-inch copies.

The group quickly released a follow-up single ("Dancing For Pennies", which was a non-novelty pop/R&B tune.) An Afternoon Delights album called General Hospi-Tale was also released, which was a straight pop/R&B release, aside from the title track. These both failed to chart, and the group quickly disbanded. Hall later recorded some solo singles in the mid-1980s, and Barnes and Boucher both continued work as studio vocalists.

The song was integrated into a movie, Young Doctors in Love , which had a successful run on cable channels in the US and abroad.

General Hospital revisited the group's single in an episode that aired on April 28, 2013, as part of the series' 50th anniversary.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starland Vocal Band</span> American pop band

Starland Vocal Band was an American pop band, known for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest-selling singles of 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapper's Delight</span> 1979 single by The Sugarhill Gang

"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip hop track that serves as the debut single of American hip-hop trio the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III ", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip hop music to a wide audience, reaching the top 40 in the United States, as well as the top three in the United Kingdom and number one in Canada. It was a prototype for various types of rap music. The track interpolates Chic's "Good Times", resulting in Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards threatening to sue Sugar Hill Records for copyright infringement; a settlement was reached that gave the two songwriting credits. It also interpolates Love De-Luxe's "Here Comes That Sound Again". The track was recorded in a single take. There are five mixes of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Stevens</span> American country musician (born 1939)

Harold Ray Ragsdale, known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian. He is best known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty", as well as novelty hits such as "Gitarzan" and "The Streak". Stevens has received gold albums for his music sales and has worked as a producer, music arranger, and television host. He is also an inductee of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Christian Music Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Dreamin'</span> Single by the Mamas & the Papas

"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closer (Nine Inch Nails song)</span> Song by Nine Inch Nails

"Closer" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released as the second single on their second studio album, The Downward Spiral (1994). Released in May 1994, it is considered one of Nine Inch Nails' signature songs and remains their most popular song. Most versions of the single are titled "Closer to God", a rare example in music of a single's title differing from the title of its A-side. The single is the ninth official Nine Inch Nails release, making it "Halo 9" in the band's official Halo numbering system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afternoon Delight</span> 1976 single by Starland Vocal Band

"Afternoon Delight" is a song recorded by Starland Vocal Band. It was written by band member Bill Danoff. In the US, it became a #1 single on July 10, 1976, and earned a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finally (CeCe Peniston song)</span> 1991 single by CeCe Peniston

"Finally" is a song by American singer-songwriter CeCe Peniston, released in September 1991 as her debut single from her first album of the same name (1992). It received critical acclaim, becoming Peniston's first hit song, peaking at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992. Prior to that, the track was a major success on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it spent two weeks at number 1 in late 1991. In addition, a dance remix of the song, the "Choice Mix", peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1992. The remix appeared on many dance music compilations in the early '90s. Its music video was directed by Claude Borenzweig. Billboard ranked "Finally" among the "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Loco-Motion</span> 1962 song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King

"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. "The Loco-Motion" was originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!</span> 1966 single by Napoleon XIV

"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is a 1966 novelty record written and performed by Jerry Samuels, and released on Warner Bros. Records. The song became an instant success in the United States, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 popular music singles chart on August 13, No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles charts, No. 2 in Canada, and No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Man (Eurythmics song)</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaded (Aerosmith song)</span> 2001 single by Aerosmith

"Jaded" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and songwriting collaborator Marti Frederiksen. Serviced to US radio in January 2001, the single was released on February 20, 2001, as the first single from the band's 13th studio album, Just Push Play (2001). The song was debuted publicly at the American Music Awards and was also played at the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001. It was ranked No. 86 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What a Fool Believes</span> 1978 song by Kenny Loggins

"What a Fool Believes" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The best-known version was recorded by the Doobie Brothers for their 1978 album Minute by Minute. Debuting at number 73 on January 20, 1979, the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979, for one week. The song received Grammy Awards in 1980 for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. In 2024, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roam</span> 1989 single by the B-52s

"Roam" is a song by American new wave band the B-52's released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). The vocals are sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, making it the only vocal track on the album without any vocals from Fred Schneider. It is also the only track from the album in which the B-52's worked with a co-writer, Robert Waldrop, who penned the lyrics. Released as a single in 1989, "Roam" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 10 in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Man (Mike Oldfield song)</span> 1982 single by Mike Oldfield

"Family Man" is a pop rock song written by Mike Oldfield, Tim Cross, Rick Fenn, Mike Frye, Morris Pert, and Maggie Reilly. It became a hit song in 1982 for Mike Oldfield with Maggie Reilly as the vocalist. Daryl Hall and John Oates achieved success a year later with their cover version. In 2009, Maggie Reilly recorded another version of the song for her solo studio album Looking Back Moving Forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine in the Afternoon</span> 2008 single by Panic! at the Disco

"Nine in the Afternoon" is a song by the American rock band Panic at the Disco, and the lead single from the group's second album Pretty. Odd.. It was the band's first song release that did not include the exclamation mark at the end of the "Panic" in the group's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonight (Jonas Brothers song)</span> 2008 single by Jonas Brothers

"Tonight" is a song by the American pop band Jonas Brothers from their third studio album, A Little Bit Longer (2008). It was released as the third and final single from the album on January 9, 2009. Fueled by digital downloads, the song debuted and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart on August 7, 2008, the group's second top ten single and third highest-charting single to date. The song also reached the top twenty in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hands to Heaven</span> 1987 single by Breathe

"Hands to Heaven" is a ballad by English new wave band Breathe, taken from their debut studio album, All That Jazz (1987). The song released as their fifth UK single on 20 October 1987 by A&M Records and as the band's second single in the US the following year. It was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington, and produced by Bob Sargeant. The B-side features an instrumental track "Life and Times".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresh (Kool & the Gang song)</span> 1984 song by Kool & The Gang

"Fresh" is a song by the American group Kool & the Gang. Released as a single in 1984 from the album Emergency, the song peaked at #9 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and #11 on the UK chart. It also reached number one on both the U.S. R&B chart and U.S. Dance chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are Young</span> 2011 single by Fun

"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American pop rock band Fun, featuring American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the third track on the group's second studio album, Some Nights (2012). The song was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead single from the album. The song quickly received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father)</span> 1978 single by Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder

"Pops, We Love You " is a 1978 single recorded and released by Motown stars Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, as a tribute to Berry "Pops" Gordy Sr., who had died that year from cancer.

References

  1. Rare and Obscure Music (June 29, 2010). "The Afternoon Delights" . Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  2. Country Music Television. "The Afternoon Delights Biography". Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2012.