The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s.
The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their style combined gospel, soul, early rock and jazz into melodic five-part harmonies. Since being discovered by Frank Zappa, The Persuasions have recorded 25 albums to date featuring the arrangements by Jimmy Hayes, Jerry Lawson, Joe Russell, Jayotis Washington and Herbert Rhoad and studio productions of music including tributes to Frank Zappa, The Beatles & The Grateful Dead.
Video The Persuasions
Career
Frank Zappa was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, Acappella. He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the group's manager at the time. Prior to that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's record label, Catamount Records. Zappa had an appreciation for soul and street corner style singing, and after hearing the group, flew them to Los Angeles to record their first album. The Persuasions were the opening act at The Mothers concerts at Carnegie Hall, 1971. Thirty years later, Zappa fan Rip Rense supervised and encouraged the group in the creation of a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, Frankly A Cappella on Earthbeat Records.
The Persuasions later recorded tribute albums consisting of material by the Grateful Dead (Might as Well), the Beatles (The Persuasions sing the Beatles). The last album they made together prior to Lawson's departure was on the Chesky label titled A Cappella Dreams.
Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad, one of the original members of The Persuasions, died in 1988 while on tour and is survived by his wife April and children Paris and Zina. In 1990, The Persuasions performed on the PBS TV special Spike Lee & Company - "Do It A Cappella". Sweet Joe Russell died in 2012 and is survived by his wife Arelena.
Dave Revels, whom The Persuasions recorded with when Jerry Lawson was at the helm, became the vocal arranger of The Persuasions after Jerry Lawson quit the group in 2003. The success of the group after Jerry left stands strong thanks to Jimmy, Jayotis, Sweet Joe Russell, Raymond Sanders and Dave Revels followed by Cliff and Sam.
The Persuasions have continued to have charting albums and standing ovations to full houses at performing art centers, including secondary to the album Ladies and Gentlemen: The Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions in which the Persuasions line up was Jimmy Hayes, Jayotis Washington, Dave Revels, Cliff Dawson, Ray Sanders and Sam White.
In 2007, Jerry Lawson released his first post-Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town were featured on Series 2 of NBC's The Sing-Off. Lawson was invited back on season 3 as a featured guest without Talk of the Town. He was accompanied by 16 cast members, performing the Arthur Conley hit (written by Sam Cooke) "Sweet Soul Music". In 2015 he released his debut as a solo artist, Jerry Lawson Just A Mortal Man, on Red Beet Records. It was featured on NPR with host Joel Rose.
Groups as varied as Take 6, Rockapella, The Nylons, and Boyz II Men cite The Persuasions as major influences.
Maps The Persuasions
Personnel
Founding members
- Jerry Lawson - tenor, baritone, lead (b. January 23, 1944 Ft. Lauderdale FL) ex-store detective
- Jimmy 'Bro' 'Mr. Bass Man' Hayes - bass (b. November 12, 1943 Hopewell VA - d. May 18, 2017 New York NY) ex-elevator operator
- Joseph Jesse 'Sweet Joe' Russell - 2nd tenor (b. September 25, 1939 Henderson NC - d. May 5, 2012 Brooklyn NY) ex-butcher
- 'Little' Jayotis Washington - 1st tenor, baritone (b. May 12, 1945 Detroit MI) ex-plumber
- Herbert 'Toubo' Rhoad - baritone (b. October 1, 1944 Bamberg SC - d. December 8, 1988 Sacramento CA) ex-shoe salesman
Influences
In the liner notes to the 2003 album, A Cappella Dreams, the group revealed their musical influences:
- Sweet Joe Russell references The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Soul Stirrers, and "all those gospel greats."
- Jimmy Hayes speaks of Jimmy Ricks [spelled "Rix" in the notes] and Melvin Franklin.
- Jayotis Washington focuses his attention on Louis Jordan.
- Ray Sanders thanks all of The Temptations for his influences.
- Jerry Lawson cites Roy Hamilton, Sam Cooke, Al Hibbler, Brook Benton, and Elvis Presley as his mentors, adding, "Believe it or not, Elvis was a big influence. I thought he was...a fine singer, and I think we do him pretty good."
Discography
Albums
- Acappella (1970 Reprise/Straight)
- We Came To Play (1971 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables)
- Street Corner Symphony (1971 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables)
- Spread The Word (1972 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables)
- We Still Ain't Got No Band (1973 MCA)
- I Just Want To Sing With My Friends (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
- More Than Before (1974; A&M [not yet issued on CD])
- Chirpin' (1977; Elektra, CD reissue Collectables)
- Comin' At Ya (1979; Rounder/Flying Fish)
- Good News (1982; Rounder)
- No Frills (1985; Rounder)
- Do It A Cappella (1990)
- Live In The Whispering Gallery (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
- Toúbo's Song (1993; Hammer n' Nails)
- Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes [with Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner] (1993; Qbadisc/Excellent)
- Right Around The Corner (1994; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- Sincerely (1996; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- You're All I Want For Christmas (1997; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- Man, Oh Man: The Power of The Persuasions (1997; EMI [1970-72 Capitol masters compilation])
- On The Good Ship Lollipop (1999; Rhino/Kid Rhino/Music for Little People)
- Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa (2000; Rhino/EarthBeat)
- Might As Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead (2000; Arista/Grateful Dead)
- Sunday Morning Soul (2000; Rounder/Bullseye Blues)
- Blue's Big Musical Movie (2000; Rhino/Kid Rhino)
- The Persuasions Sing The Beatles (2002; Chesky)
- A Cappella Dreams (2003; Chesky)
- The Persuasions Sing U2 (2005; Chesky)
- Collectables Classics (2006; Collectables [Box set containing all 1971, 1972, & 1977 releases])
- Essential Recordings: A Cappella Soul (2008; Rounder [1979-86 Rounder/Flying Fish/Bullseye Blues compilation])
- The Persuasions Live at McCabe's (2009;Rensart)
Non-album singles
- "Party in the Woods" written by Jerry Lawson/"It's Better to Have Loved and Lost" [1968; Minit]
- "One Thing on My Mind"/"Darlin'" [1975; A&M]
Guest appearances
- 1972 Les McCann - Talk to the People - "What's Going On"
- 1973 Ellen McIlwaine - We the People - "Farther Along"
- 1973 Garland Jeffreys - Garland Jeffreys
- 1974 Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Snow - "Good Times"
- 1974 Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale - "Please Don't Go"
- 1974 David Essex - David Essex
- 1976 David Soul - David Soul - "Bird on a Wire"
- 1978 Melanie - Ballroom Streets - "I Believe"
- 1978 John Hall - John Hall - "Messin' Round The Wrong Woman"
- 1979 Jimmie Dockett - Different Moods
- 1980 Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light - "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Shadows and Light"
- 1981 The Neville Brothers - Fiyo on the Bayou - "The Ten Commandments of Love"
- 1987 Rory Block - Best Blues and Originals - "God's Gift to Women"
- 1991 Various Artists - Zappa's Universe
- 2000 Paul Pena - New Train - "Gonna Move"
- 2001 Leon Redbone - Any Time - "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree"
The following various artists recordings contained otherwise unissued Persuasions recordings:
- Various Artists: Bread & Roses: Festival of Acoustic Music (1979; Fantasy)
- Various Artists: Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella [soundtrack] (1990; Elektra)
- Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner (with Kim Weston, Junior Mance, et al.): Monsters from the Deep (1997; Qbadisc/Excellent)
References
External links
- THE PERSUASIONS Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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