Airdate – Nov 21, 2021
Throughout the Rock & Roll years, there have been some notable songs with numbers in their titles. Who can forget hits like “Beachwood 4-5789” by the Marvelettes (’62), “One” by Three Dog Night (’69), or “Eight Days A Week” by the Beatles (’65)?
When it comes to dealing with the impact of love, some love songs that embraced numbers to tell a story include “Step By Step” by the Crests (’60), “We’ve Got Love” by Bobby Rydell (’59), and “Kisses Sweeter Then Wine” by Jimmie Rodgers (’57).
However, love songs with numbers were not confined to just the 50s & 60s …
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In 1970 a soul group from Washington, D.C. released their first and only album. The title track from that album was their first single release – one that reached the 11th position on the Billboard Hot 100 and the 4th position on the R&B charts. It would go on to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
The recording was produced by the legendary Van McCoy, the singer/songwriter and arranger noted for producing songs for artists like the Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and David Ruffin to name a few.
Given their affiliation with McCoy and their success out of the gate with their first release, our featured group, a trio, seemed to be destined to have a great career. Unfortunately, things never materialized for them. Later in the 70s, they even changed their name a couple of times – first to Trilogy and then Anacostia.
That first release was a harmonic gem with beautiful lyrics. And like true love, it has passed the test of time. You could say that their original name had them starting at the top, as they were known as the Presidents – the group who gave us “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love),” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.
YouTube video of this song:
